I once watched a short video of the late Christopher Hitchens, the well-known atheist, narrating how a priest gently urged him to abandon his unbelief and profess his faith in God. Hitchens could have easily agreed. Battling cancer, he knew he had very few days to live. Making an act of faith could have brought him comfort and reassurance. Yet Hitchens refused because he thought it would be intellectually dishonest to affirm something for which he found insufficient evidence. Up to the end, Hitchens upheld the supremacy of human reason.

Christianity has never despised the power of human reason, but it teaches that there are aspects of reality that it cannot adequately grasp. So, while we can respect the decision of Hitchens to remain faithful to his convictions, his story tempts us to ask: Is faith merely a conclusion reached after rationally examining available evidence, or is it a free act of trust that goes beyond what reason alone can establish?

Today’s Gospel reading gives us an answer to that question.When Peter saw Jesus walking on the sea, he asked if he, too, could do the same. Jesus answered with a single word: “Come!” (Matthew 14:29). With that invitation, Jesus challenged Peter to make an act of faith, to trust more in His word than in what Peter's eyes perceived or what his reason deemed possible. Contrary to the familiar saying, “To see is to believe,” Jesus taught Peter a deeper truth: “To believe is to see.”

Peter learned that faith is like walking on water, and because water holds no footprints, faith does not rest on visible proof but on the trustworthiness of the One who can neither deceive nor be deceived. If God supplied every proof we demanded before we believed, faith would become unnecessary. We would just passively resign to what appears undeniable.

Walking on water, as Peter discovered, is also like embarking on a journey without a detailed roadmap. Our security lies not in knowing every twist and turn of the road but in knowing the One who walks before us. As St. Paul reminds us, “We walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7). Faith is not merely agreeing to a set of doctrines; it is entrusting our lives to the One who calls us to follow Him.

Peter’s experience also teaches us that believing in God does notfree us from every doubt or uncertainty. In fact, there will be moments when fear overtakes us because there seems to be nothing solid beneath our feet. Like Peter, we will encounter storms, fierce winds, and towering waves. Yet above the roar of our fears comes a voice more powerful than the storm itself: “Take courage! It is I. Do not be afraid” (Matthew 14:27). Faith is the decision to trust God no matter what we feel.

Since water holds no footprints, Peter could not simply place his feet where someone else had stepped. The same is true for us. No one else can believe for us. Our parents and teachers can teach us moral truths and Christian doctrines. The saints and martyrs can inspire us by their exemplary acts of witnessing. The Church can preserve for us the treasures of Scripture and Tradition. Yet each of us must eventually step onto waters where no footprints exist. The Spanish poet Antonio Machado beautifully captured this reality:

Our journey of faith is beautifully reflected in the way we embrace our God-given vocation. Every meaningful commitment calls us to step onto waters where no footprints exist. Whether in marriage, the priesthood, religious life, or any life of generous service, we move forward without knowing exactly what lies ahead. We may not leave behind a visible path for others to follow, yet we have the assurance that Jesus remembers every step we take in faith, and He leads us safely through the unknown, telling us in the end: “Well done, good and faithful servant!... Come and share your master's happiness!” (Matthew 25:21).