Many years ago an Italian writer wrote some very amusing stories about two men, one of them was the Parish Priest,  Don Camilo, and the other was the communist mayor in the town, Don Peppone.  They were always in conflict;  but deep down there was a good friendship, both of them were very noble people. Don Camilo was always preaching religion,  and Don Peppone was a public atheist. One day Peppone’s son fell seriously ill,  and the family were very worried.  One evening, Don Camilo went to pray at a statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the woods.  And he saw something moving in the shadows.  He went to see what it was. He was surprised to see that it was Peppone. He had stopped being an atheist for a little while, so that he could pray for his son. And he asked Don Camilo, not to tell anyone that he had been there.  It would not be good for his reputation. This is only a story, but  it has a very clear message,  sometimes our faith can be weak,  and not play an important part in our lives.  There are moments when we feel God very close,  and we need his help. God is always listening, he is   a loving Father.  In today’s gospel, we find Saint Peter and he asks Jesus if he can come walking to him on the water.  And Jesus says yes,  and Peter full of confidence walks on the water,  but when he sees the waves and feels the wind he calls out: Lord help me I perish,  and Jesus reaches out and takes his hand and brings him to safety. It is a good moment to ask ourselves about our own faith,  and not to be afraid to reach out and to take the hand of Jesus. He will never let us down. The consoling message of Christ today is that no person need struggle alone. Sometimes Jesus calms the storms but most times he calms us to survive the storms. Faith doesn’t save us from trials and tribulations; It gives us strength to face them. It is not we who keep the faith. It’s the faith that keeps us. ‘A person with a grain of faith in God never loses hope’. (Gandhi).  When the winds are contrary in our lives and we are in danger of being overwhelmed by the storms of life, Jesus comes to us, not as a ghost of the past, but as the Son of God who is present with us and whose grace upholds us when things are too much for us. The message from the gospel is clear today. The boat represents the church, and the disciples represent all the believers while the storm represents the difficulties and doubts, we are facing. Like the disciples today only when we let go of fear and trust in Jesus and in his power to save us will we get through these tough times? The disciples recognize Jesus in the breaking of the bread, and this highlights the importance of our community gathering every Sunday to break the bread and share the scriptures. One day we will have to leave this earthly boat that has carried us through the stormy waters of this world and set out across the dark waters of death. If at difficult moments during life we have opted for Christ then at death, it will come naturally for us to reach out and take his hand so that he may haul us onto the shores of eternity. Let us ask the Lord to strengthen our faith in his presence.