REFLECTIONS TODAY Ghosts are among those that we fear the most, even if we have not really seen one. We fear things and people that threaten our lives. Walking on the water and not seen clearly at first, Jesus is perceived as a ghost by his disciples and so they are overcome by panic and fear. Jesus reassures them that he is not a ghost but their very own Master, and so they need not be afraid. In daily life, “ghosts” take many forms: painful experiences, a terrible illness we barely recovered from, the emptiness left behind by loss of a loved one, threat of regular natural disasters, and the like. In all of this, Jesus invites us, too, to recognize that he is with us and we are not alone. After all, when he lived in this world, he was always under threat and without security. He is not alien to what we are going through. What is it that we fear most or are most anxious about these days? Why don’t we heed Jesus’ invitation to come and find rest in him? GOSPEL • John 6:16-21 When it was evening, the disciples of Jesus went down to the sea, embarked in a boat, and went across the sea to Capernaum. It had already grown dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. The sea was stirred up because a strong wind was blowing. When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they began to be afraid. But he said to them, “It is I. Do not be afraid.” They wanted to take him into the boat, but the boat immediately arrived at the shore to which they were heading. SOURCE: “365 Days with the Lord 2022,” ST. PAULS, 7708 St. Paul Rd., SAV, Makati City (Phils.); Tel.: 632-895-9701; Fax 632-895-7328; E-mail: [email protected]; Website: http://www.stpauls.ph.