The following reflection is from Fr. Patrick van der Vorst:
“There is something in all of us that longs for “the other side.” We think the grass is greener on the other side. We want to explore new shores…and it can make us restless. Like the disciples crossing the Sea of Galilee, we sense that we are not meant to stay where we are; we are drawn forward, called forward, invited to a new shore. And yet, the moment we set out, the waters are rarely calm. Winds rise. The sea grows restless. Darkness gathers. Every new step, every new calling, every new job, every new house we move into, every change seems to bring with it resistance, uncertainty, even fear, we are excited on the one hand, but on the other hand we are afraid.
It is precisely there, in the midst of the struggle, in the midst of the changes that Christ comes. Not when all is in calm, but when the waves are high. Not in the brightness of certainty, but in the obscurity of night. He comes forward and speaks those familiar words: It is I. Do not be afraid”.
And somehow, when we recognise His presence and when we recognise He is already in the storm with us, the whole journey changes. The distance shortens. The far shore no longer feels unreachable. Maybe the goal of the storms was never simply to arrive…but to discover that He is with us every step of the way.”
B. O’S.