Walking on Water

The Gospel reading today is just amazing. Check out the amazing commentary from the Catena Aurea, all from Saint John Chrysostom:

"Again, the disciples suffer shipwreck, as they had done before; but then they had Him in the boat, but now they are alone. Thus gradually He leads them to higher things, and instructs them to endure all manfully."

"But He suffers them to be tossed the whole night, exciting their hearts by fear, and inspiring them with greater desire and more lasting recollection of Him; for this reason He did not stand by them immediately, but as it follows, 'in the fourth watch of the night, he came to them walking upon the sea.' "

"Christ then did not reveal Himself to His disciples until they cried out; for the more intense their fear, the more did they rejoice in His presence; whence it follows, 'And immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, Be of good cheer, it is I, be not afraid.' This speech took away their fear, and prepared their confidence."

"Peter overcame that which was greater, the waves, namely, of the sea, but is troubled by the lesser, the blowing wind, for it follows, 'But seeing the wind boisterous, he was afraid.' Such is human nature, in great trials ofttimes [p. 542] holding itself aright, and in lesser falling into fault."

"He bade not the winds to cease, but stretched forth His hand and caught him, because his faith was required. For when our own means fail, then those which are of God stand. Then to shew that not the strength of the tempest, but the smallness of his faith worked the danger, 'He saith unto him, 0 thou of little faith, why didst thou doubt?' which shews that not even the wind would have been able to hurt him, if his faith had been firm.

But as the mother bears on her wings and brings back to the nest her chick which has left the nest before its time and has fallen, so did Christ."