“And Peter making answer, said: ‘Lord, if it be thou, bid me come to thee upon the waters.’ And he said: ‘Come.’ And Peter going down out of the boat, walked upon the water to come to Jesus. But seeing the wind strong, he was afraid: and when he began to sink, he cried out, saying: ‘Lord, save me.’ And immediately Jesus stretching forth his hand took hold of him, and said to him: ‘O thou of little faith, why didst thou doubt?’ And when they were come up into the boat, the wind ceased. And they that were in the boat came and adored him, saying: ‘Indeed thou art the Son of God.’ And having passed the water, they came into the country of Genesar. And when the men of that place had knowledge of him, they sent into all that country, and brought to him all that were diseased. And they besought him that they might touch the hem of his garment. And as many as touched, were made whole.”
St. Peter is one filled with zeal and ardor, transcending reason with fiery love: “Yea Lord, thou knowest that I love thee” (John 21:15). While the others sit in silence, not leaving the confines of their boat, St. Peter breaks the mold and bids Jesus to call him out of the boat into the tumult of the water, letting love uphold and accomplish what human prudence cannot: “And the spirit lifted me up” (Ezechiel 11:24); “And as they went on, walking and talking together, behold a fiery chariot, and fiery horses parted them both asunder: and Elias went up by a whirlwind into heaven” (4 Kings 2:11). Because Jesus had given them the ability to do what He does: “And having called his twelve disciples together, he gave them power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of diseases, and all manner of infirmities” (Matthew 10:1), St. Peter sees what his Master is doing and wishes to do the same: “The Son cannot do anything of himself, but what he seeth the Father doing: for what things soever he doth, these the Son also doth in like manner” (John 5:19). It is not a boast, or a mighty display of faith, but a love that desires to be near Jesus again, “I held him: and I will not let him go” (Canticle 3:4), for St. Peter does not say, “Bid me to walk on the water,” but “Bid me to come unto thee.” Jesus then beckons His disciple to come, but this same disciple, mighty in faith, then sees his knees shaking in human frailty and begins to sink: “My heart is troubled, my strength hath left me, and the light of my eyes itself is not with me” (Psalm 37:11). Now, the Lord allowed this that His merciful love may be evident, that in seeking to do great things out of love and failing, Jesus doesn’t allow His beloved to drown in despair, but with love picks you up again that you may get back in the boat with him to start anew. Ah, but see how quickly He acts! As soon as His beloved begins to sink, He reaches out His hand and grasps him, not letting him sink in sorrow, but runs to him as a parent to a stumbling child: “He saved me, because he was well pleased with me” (Psalm 17:20). Like a mother bird that returns to the nest the fledgling that tried to fly but fell to the ground, Jesus brings St. Peter back to the boat, “He will overshadow thee with his shoulders: and under his wings thou shalt trust” (Psalm 90:4). When St. Paul bids you to “Follow after love, be zealous for spiritual gifts” (1 Corinthians 14:1), there comes with this a sense of risk taking, to let love be bold and run after the Beloved: “We will run after thee to the odour of thy ointments” (Canticle 1:3); “For he hath given his angels charge over thee; to keep thee in all thy ways. In their hands they shall bear thee up: lest thou dash thy foot against a stone” (Psalm 90:11-12), knowing that even when you try to fly and can’t make it, He will come with His merciful love and bring you back to the nest: “Thy youth shall be renewed like the eagle’s” (Psalm 102:5). Or, the Prince of the Apostles can represent you attempting to go to Jesus, buffeted on all sides by temptation, walking on the waters of love, which are riled up by false loves and fleshly desires: “And God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that which you are able: but will make also with temptation issue, that you may be able to bear it” (1 Corinthians 10:13). When the winds become too much and you buckle and sink, cry out for mercy in the sacrament of reconciliation, and His merciful love will lift you back out: “Praise the Lord, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever” (Psalm 135:1), restoring your soul to baptismal purity: “And his flesh was restored, like the flesh of a little child, and he was made clean” (4 Kings 5:14); “And I will pour upon you clean water, and you shall be cleansed from all your filthiness” (Ezechiel 36:25). Then, when lust and trial calm down and confidence in Him is restored, you can be in the boat of your heart and safely guided to what it desires most, which is His love and how to express it. On arriving in Genesar, which means “creating for itself the breeze,” because without the winds of divine love in the sails, one can only feebly try to go forward with what they can manifest: “It is he that giveth strength to the weary, and increaseth force and might to them that are not” (Isaias 40:29), the people know Him by reputation rather than appearance. Those of Genesar are not content with the healing only of the people of their town, but go all about for the sick, so too does the spouse of God look for grace not only for themselves and their own household, “Honour thy father and thy mother” (Exodus 20:12), but to extend this merciful love to all: “Deal thy bread to the hungry, and bring the needy and the harbourless into thy house: when thou shalt see one naked, cover him, and despise not thy own flesh” (Isaias 58:7). There is a spiritual meaning here, that when one is sick with vice and iniquity: “He shall be defiled, and shall be reckoned among the unclean: for live flesh, if it be spotted with leprosy, is unclean” (Leviticus 13:15), to reach for the hem of Christ’s garment is to reach for the least of His commandments, to do the smallest act of upright love, which fills the soul with sweet refreshment: “Thy testimonies are wonderful: therefore my soul hath sought them” (Psalm 118:129), giving a taste for true justice rather than sin: “Little children, let no man deceive you. He that doth justice is just, even as he is just” (1 John 3:7). This is an invitation then to the full law of love, and if to touch His garment by a slight act of righteousness brings healing to the soul, to have the body of Christ in reception of the Holy Eucharist is to bring the soul to the fullest expression of love and wholeness.