Courage: Do Not Be Afraid

by Fr. Elario Zambakari  |  08/09/2026  |  Weekly Reflection

Today’s liturgy assures us that Jesus is with us even when the storms of life try to hit from different sides. We should focus our eyes on Jesus, who always comes to our aid. We should not only turn to Him when we are in need or when we are in big trouble, but should always go to Him at every time, as a child goes to the mother all the time. Let us not forget that Jesus awaits us to come to Him with our joys, sorrows, challenges, fears, and troubles.

In today’s gospel, we see Peter learn a lesson: when he asked Jesus to let him walk on the water, he wanted Him to suspend the laws of nature. He wanted a miracle as a sign that it was really Jesus. But because his faith was not solid, neither was the water beneath his feet. Then he really prayed. Peter made two mistakes: the first was to think that he could find Jesus only in a miracle, and the second was that his faith was very weak, so weak that he thought to turn to Jesus only in time of need. The experience of Peter has shown that many remember God only when in emergency or in time of crisis. Whereas when everything is going well, it is very easy to forget about God. Thus, prayer then becomes for us something of a last resort.

Jesus teaches us that prayer must be a habitual part of our life in all times and all circumstances. A child does not turn to his parents only when he is in big trouble. He is completely dependent on them and somehow knows that all good things come from them. He looks to his parents for food when he is hungry, he runs to them for comfort when he has skinned his knee or felt hurt. Above all, he wants to feel that he belongs, that he has their love and interest all the time. Such should be our relationship to God our Father. He wants us to turn to him in prayer in all the circumstances of our lives, not merely when we are in big trouble. We should not need something like an earthquake to shake us into a realization of our need for prayer. We should pray to God every day in times of trouble and in times of prosperity.