Tuesday of the Eighteenth Week in Ordinary Time
Or Optional Memorial of the Dedication of the Basilica of Saint Mary Major in Rome
Matthew 14:22-36
“Take courage, it is I”

In today’s Gospel, Matthew gives us the image of the Church — a boat tossed about in the darkness, struggling against strong waves. This is not merely a story of a past event; it is a symbolic catechesis, speaking directly to us today.

Matthew’s early Christian community, like ours, was experiencing internal tensions, fears, and confusion. The disciples in the boat represent the Church: uncertain, struggling, and feeling alone. Jesus is no longer visibly with them — He has “gone up the mountain” to be with the Father, symbolizing His death and glorification. It is night. The light seems gone.

How familiar this feels. We too sail through storms — conflicts in our parishes, declining faith, divisions, scandals, doubts. At times, we feel disoriented and abandoned. Yet, just as Jesus approached the disciples walking on the sea, He draws near to us in the chaos. He is not absent. He is Lord over the waves. As Job 9:8 says, “Only God walks on the sea.” Jesus, the Risen One, calmly treads upon our fears and says, “Take courage, it is I. Do not be afraid.”

But do we recognize Him? Like the disciples, we may mistake His presence for a ghost — a vague idea, not a living reality. If we fail to see Him through the eyes of faith, we panic and sink.

This Gospel challenges us to deepen our faith in the real, though invisible, presence of Christ in our midst — in prayer, in the Eucharist, and in one another. He has not left us. His promise endures: “I am with you always.”

In the darkness of our Church and personal struggles, let us cling to His voice. Take courage. He is here. We are never alone.

© Claretian Publications, Hong Kong, China
Cum Approbatione Ecclesiastica 2025