Tuesday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time

Trusting in the Middle of the Storm

In today’s Gospel, we hear the familiar story of the disciples caught in a violent storm while crossing the sea with Jesus. The waves are crashing into the boat, fear takes over, and they begin to panic. Yet Jesus is there with them, and His first words are not directed toward the storm, but toward their fear: “Why are you afraid?”

Hearing this Gospel brought back a memory from my mission trip to Papua New Guinea. I was traveling with the bishop from island to island, and one day we had to leave the shore and get into a small boat — what they called a dinghy — in order to reach a larger boat waiting farther out in the water. I have never been comfortable in the water because I am not a swimmer, and on this particular day the waves were strong. I remember looking at that little boat and thinking I really did not want to get in.

There were several men there helping us, and because the waves were so rough, they actually stepped into the water, which was up to their necks, and walked alongside the dinghy holding onto it the entire way as we made our way from the shore to the larger boat. I remember realizing in that moment that I had no choice but to trust them. I could not control the waves, I could not make the water calm, and all I could do was trust the people holding that boat steady for me.

That experience came to mind as I reflected on today’s Gospel. Life often brings moments when unexpected storms arise — illness, family struggles, disappointments, uncertainty about the future — and suddenly fear begins to take over. We focus so much on the storm around us that we forget the Lord is still present with us.

Faith does not always mean the storm immediately disappears. Sometimes the waves remain strong. But Jesus reminds us that even in those moments, we are not alone. Just as I had to trust those men holding that little boat steady in rough waters, we are called to trust the Lord, even when life feels uncertain. The storm may be real, but so is His presence. And perhaps today the Lord asks each one of us the same question He asked His disciples: Why are you afraid? Trust me. I am with you.