John 6,16-21 – Saturday of the Second Week of Easter
When Jesus is not on the boat, we have the feeling of being in the dark and against the current. It is the experience told in today’s Gospel, when the disciples find themselves in the middle of the lake, with the wind against them and the fatigue of rowing. But what is most striking is that, when Jesus makes himself present precisely in that darkness and in that difficulty, instead of recognizing him, the disciples are afraid. They see him coming towards them on the water and are frightened. They cannot immediately understand that that presence is a salvation. And this is also our experience.
We are often afraid of the very way God manifests himself. It seems impossible to us that he could be present there where everything appears lost, unsuccessful, painful. And yet it is precisely there that He approaches. Jesus says to them: “It’s me, don’t be afraid!”. It’s like an exorcism. It doesn’t immediately clear the storm, but change your gaze on what is happening. Perhaps precisely in the moments that we perceive as “no moments”, God is giving us an appointment. It is coming to meet our lives, even if in a form that we do not immediately recognize. The decisive step is to welcome it. The Gospel says that “they wanted to take him on the boat”.
It is an act of trust: making space for that presence within our trial. And something unexpected happens: “immediately the boat touched the shore to which they were headed.” Even in our lives, when we find the courage to welcome Christ into the darkness, into failure, inside the pain, something rearranges itself. We return to feeling oriented, less dispersed. The Gospel, then, invites us not to be afraid of God’s presence precisely where we think we are most unfortunate and farthest from Him. Because it is often in those moments that He is closer than we imagine.
Saturday 18 April 2026 – (Saturday of the Second Week of Easter)
