Wednesday after the Epiphany – January 7, 2026
1 John 4, 11-18; Marc 6, 45-52
H O M I L Y
We have just celebrated the coming of Christ into the world.
A few days ago, the celebration of the Epiphany reminded us that Jesus came to bring the Good News to all the nations.
In today’s Gospel, Jesus takes time to be alone and pray. And, of course, this is particularly important for us for whom contemplative prayer is at the very heart of our vocation. First, Jesus sends his disciples away; then he takes time to send the crowds away, attending to them till the end. After that, he goes up the hill to pray his Father, but he is aware that his disciples are toiling, because they are rowing against the current and are exhausted. This is encouraging for us when we are also going through rough waters. Later on, during the night, He comes down to them, walking on the water.
Apart from the narrative itself, there is only one sentence uttered in this text. It is the words of Jesus: "Take courage, it is I, do not be afraid". That sentence comprises three elements:
a) "Take courage". Jesus is aware that his disciples are going through a difficult moment. He does not deny their difficulty. He does not say "Come on, it is easy". He knows that it is not easy and therefore he encourages them saying "take courage!". He tells us the same thing when we are also going through difficulties. He does not invite us to deny or ignore the difficulties, but He invites us to go through them with courage.
b) "It is I". This is the real reason why they should have courage. The Lord is with them.
c) "Do not be afraid". This is one of the most frequent recommendations of the New Testament. To Mary, the angel Gabriel says: "Do not be afraid, Mary..." To Joseph, the same angel says: "Do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife..." Same recommendation to the Shepherd in the night when Jesus is born. And in most of the apparitions after the Resurrection we will hear the same words: "Do not be afraid".
As soon as Jesus got into the boat the wind dropped. Whatever storm we may go through in life, we know that there is no reason to be afraid and that the wind will drop if we let Jesus into our boat.
Armand VEILLEUX