Yesterday we saw Jesus, full of compassion, feed the hungry abundantly. As soon as the people had been filled with the food, Jesus packs his disciples off in the boat to the other side of the lake. He sends the crowds away and then retreats to the mountain to pray all by himself.

We know from John's gospel that the people wanted to make him a king. If Jesus wanted the people to follow him, this was the golden opportunity. Jesus was indeed their king but not the kind they were expecting. He would draw the crowds to him in a very different way - hanging in shame on a cross. The disciples, too, must have been disappointed when Jesus sent them away - and into a great storm. Then, out of the darkness, they see Jesus approaching them across the water. Far from being delighted, they are terrified out of their wits. Words of encouragement: "It is I (words God spoke to Moses in the bush). Do not be afraid!" have no effect. Peter alone tries to reach his Master only to be overcome by fear. The whole scene is a story of the Church, surrounded by a threatening and hostile world. So often, Jesus seems so far away. But, once he is seen inside the boat, there comes peace, an inner peace undisturbed by the surrounding chaos.