From: Mark 6:45-52
Jesus Walks on Water
[45] Immediately he made his disciples get into the boat and go before him to
the other side, to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. [46] And after he
had taken leave of them, he went into the hills to pray. [47] And when evening
came the boat was out on the sea, and he was alone on the land. [48] And he
saw that they were distressed in rowing, for the wind was against them. And
about the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. He
meant to pass by them, [49] but when they saw him walking on the sea they
thought it was a ghost, and cried out; [50] for they all saw him, and were terri-
fied. But immediately he spoke to them and said, “Take heart, it is I; have no
fear.” [51] And he got into the boat with them and the wind ceased. And they
were utterly astounded, [52] for they did not understand about the loaves, but
their hearts were hardened.
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Commentary:
48. The Romans divided the night into four parts or watches, whose length va-
ried depending on the season. St Mark (13:35) gives the popular names for
these watches: evening, midnight, cockcrow, morning. Therefore, it is towards
dawn that Jesus comes to the disciples.
He wishes to teach us that even when we are in very pressurized and difficult
situations, he is nearby, ready to help us; but he expects us to make an effort,
to strengthen our hope and temper our resolve (cf. note on Mt 14:24-33); as an
early Greek commentator puts it: “The Lord allowed his disciples to enter dan-
ger to make them suffer, and he did not immediately come to their aid: he left
them in peril for the whole night, to teach them to be patient and not to be ac-
customed to receiving immediate succor in tribulation” (Theophylact, “Enarratio
in Evangelium Marci, in loc.”).
52. The disciples do not yet see Jesus’ miracles as signs of his divinity. They
witness the multiplication of the loaves and the fish (Mk 6:33-44) and the se-
cond multiplication of the loaves (Mk 8: 17), but their hearts and minds are
still hardened; they fail to grasp the full import of what Jesus is teaching them
through his actions — that he is the Son of God. Jesus is patient and under-
standing with their defects, even when they fail to grasp what he says when he
speaks about his own passion (Lk 18:34). Our Lord will give them further mira-
cles and further teaching to enlighten their minds, and later, he will send the
Holy Spirit to teach them all things and remind them of everything he said (cf.
Jn 14:26).
St Bede the Venerable comments on this whole episode (Mk 6:45-52) in this
way: “In a mystical sense, the disciples’ efforts to row against the wind point
to the efforts the Holy Church must make against the waves of the enemy
world and the outpourings of evil spirits in order to reach the haven of its hea-
venly home. It is rightly said that the boat was out on the sea and He alone
on the land, because the Church has never been so intensely persecuted by
the Gentiles that it seemed as if the Redeemer had abandoned it completely.
But the Lord sees his disciples struggling, and to sustain them he looks at
them compassionately and sometimes frees them from peril by clearly co-
ming to their aid” (”In Marci Evangelium expositio”, in loc.).
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Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.
Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.
Scripture readings from the Jerusalem Bible by Darton, Longman & Todd
Readings at Mass
Liturgical Colour: White.
| First reading |
1 John 4:11-18 © |
| As long as we love one another God's love will be complete in us |
My dear people,
since God has loved us so much,
we too should love one another.
No one has ever seen God;
but as long as we love one another
God will live in us
and his love will be complete in us.
We can know that we are living in him
and he is living in us
because he lets us share his Spirit.
We ourselves saw and we testify
that the Father sent his Son
as saviour of the world.
If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God,
God lives in him, and he in God.
We ourselves have known and put our faith in
God’s love towards ourselves.
God is love
and anyone who lives in love lives in God,
and God lives in him.
Love will come to its perfection in us
when we can face the day of Judgement without fear;
because even in this world
we have become as he is.
In love there can be no fear,
but fear is driven out by perfect love:
because to fear is to expect punishment,
and anyone who is afraid is still imperfect in love.
| Responsorial Psalm |
| Psalm 71(72):1-2,10-13 © |
All nations shall fall prostrate before you, O Lord.
O God, give your judgement to the king,
to a king’s son your justice,
that he may judge your people in justice
and your poor in right judgement.
All nations shall fall prostrate before you, O Lord.
The kings of Tarshish and the sea coasts
shall pay him tribute.
The kings of Sheba and Seba
shall bring him gifts.
Before him all kings shall fall prostrate,
all nations shall serve him.
All nations shall fall prostrate before you, O Lord.
For he shall save the poor when they cry
and the needy who are helpless.
He will have pity on the weak
and save the lives of the poor.
All nations shall fall prostrate before you, O Lord.
| Gospel Acclamation |
Lk4:17 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
The Lord has sent me to bring the good news to the poor,
to proclaim liberty to captives.
Alleluia!
Alleluia, alleluia!
Glory to you, O Christ,
proclaimed to the pagans;
glory to you, O Christ,
believed in by the world.
Alleluia!
Alleluia, alleluia!
The people that lived in darkness
has seen a great light;
on those who dwell in the land and shadow of death
a light has dawned.
Alleluia!
Alleluia, alleluia!
Jesus proclaimed the Good News of the kingdom
and cured all kinds of diseases among the people.
Alleluia!
Alleluia, alleluia!
A great prophet has appeared among us;
God has visited his people.
Alleluia!
| His disciples saw him walking on the lake |
After the five thousand had eaten and were filled, Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to Bethsaida, while he himself sent the crowd away. After saying goodbye to them he went off into the hills to pray. When evening came, the boat was far out on the lake, and he was alone on the land. He could see they were worn out with rowing, for the wind was against them; and about the fourth watch of the night he came towards them, walking on the lake. He was going to pass them by, but when they saw him walking on the lake they thought it was a ghost and cried out; for they had all seen him and were terrified. But he at once spoke to them, and said, ‘Courage! It is I! Do not be afraid.’ Then he got into the boat with them, and the wind dropped. They were utterly and completely dumbfounded, because they had not seen what the miracle of the loaves meant; their minds were closed.