TAKE HEART—IT IS I - DO NOT BE AFRAID

Fr Luke A Veronis

The wind howls. The boat groans. The disciples strain at the oars, drenched and exhausted, their hands blistered, their hearts pounding with fear. It is the middle of the night, the waves are high, and hope is running low. Then—through the mist and spray—they see Him. A figure walking on the water. A voice that cuts through the roar of the storm:

“Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid.”

This same voice had spoken only days before on the heights of Mount Tabor, as His face shone like the sun and His garments became dazzling white. The same voice that thundered from the cloud—“This is My beloved Son”—now speaks over the wind and waves. And the same Spirit that filled the mountaintop with light, St. Paul reminds us, dwells in you and me: “You are God’s temple, and His Spirit lives in you.”

One message flows through all of this: God is not far away. He is here. In our storms. In our darkness. In our trembling hearts. And when His glory is revealed—whether on a mountaintop or in the middle of the sea—He calls us to be transformed, to be made radiant, to walk with Him without fear. He invites us to live courageously and radiantly because God’s presence is in us and with us.

Today, I want us to reflect on this rich tapestry of readings and the feast we just celebrated. We are still basking in the light from the Holy Transfiguration, which we celebrated this past Wednesday, when our Lord climbed Mount Tabor and during a night of prayer revealed His divine glory to His disciples Peter, James, and John. Then in today’s Epistle reading we hear the Apostle Paul remind the Corinthians, “You are God’s temple and His Spirit dwells in you” (1 Cor. 3:16). And in the Gospel we heard earlier, we meet the disciples straining at the oars on the stormy Sea of Galilee, fearful and uncertain until Christ comes to them walking on the water and comforting them with the words, “Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid” (Matt. 14:27). The thread that runs through these three episodes is that God’s Presence with us, even in the storms of life - and He invites us to be changed, even transfigured by His Presence.

On Mount Tabor, Jesus revealed to the disciples not something new, but something eternal—that the glory and uncreated light of God has always been in Him, and that through Him, humanity is invited to restore its own intended beauty. St. Gregory Palamas teaches, “In the Transfiguration, Christ shows us the glory we were created to share, if we are purified and illumined by His grace.” That’s why St. Paul can say, “You are God’s temple and His Spirit lives in you.” Remember that the Temple in Jerusalem was the holiest place on earth because God’s presence and glory filled it. Yet now, through Christ, He invites His followers to be purified and illumined, to be transfigured, and to become holy, to become that temple.

The same glory that shone on Mount Tabor is meant to dwell within us. St. John Chrysostom once said: “When you see a poor person or a stranger, remember that you are looking at the temple of Christ.” Each of us are that very temple.

If this is true, then the way we live, speak, and even think must be worthy of the Presence of God inside us. We do not need to climb Mount Tabor to find Him. He lives in us. And when Christ dwells in us, His divine light is meant to shine in and through us—not only in moments of peace and tranquility, but even and especially in the midst of life’s storms.

This brings us to today’s Gospel when the disciples are tossed about by wind and waves. In the midst of a terrible storm at night, when these fishermen are exhausted and afraid, Jesus comes to them walking on the water. This is no accident. The Lord often allows us to reach the end of our own strength so that we will rely on His strength. As Saint Paul reminds us, “Your strength is made perfect in our weakness.” And thus, in the midst of their uncertainty and even fear, what does Jesus say to His disciples? “Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid.” He doesn’t simply comfort them with these words, He reveals Himself to them. “It is I” echoes the Divine Name revealed to Moses: “I AM.” Thus, Christ is saying, “Take courage. I AM the Eternal One, the Almighty One, and I AM with you in the midst of every storm.”

We who live as God’s temple and know the light of Mount Tabor dwells inside us, can face without fear whatever storms life brings - because Christ is not only walking on the water, He is inviting us to walk on the water with Him.

Yet, like Peter, we often want proof before we can trust. Peter says, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” We want to assure ourselves with a miracle. Thus, Jesus says “Come.” And for a moment Peter himself actually walks on the water, that is until he takes his eyes off the Lord and focuses on the wind and waves and the ferocious storm. How often we do the same - starting in faith but sinking in fear. That’s why I often pray:

‘Lord, too often I doubt. I question. I remain uncertain. Hear my prayer - I believe; help my unbelief. Lord, fill me with Your Divine Love and teach me how to love. Lord, forgive my failures and increase my faith.’"

The glory of the Transfiguration is not meant to stay on the mountaintop, but to be carried into the valleys and storms of life. If we are truly God’s temple, where He lives and dwells, His light must shine forth from us even in the night when the waves are high. Yes, we will face many storms of illness, grief, anxiety, division, or uncertainty about the future. Yet, our calling is not to wait for calm seas before following Christ—it is to trust Him in the middle of the storm.

St. John Chrysostom said, “A Christian is never alone in the tempest, for Christ Himself stands beside him.” Saint Isaac the Syrian concurs, “When your soul is troubled, do not look at the storm, but look at Him who calms the storm." Thus, let us take courage. The One who radiates the Light of Mount Tabor and the Lord who calms the seas also chooses us to become the Temple where He dwells. And through it all, He assures us, “Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid.”

This week, when the wind picks up in your life and you face a storm - whether in your home, your health, your work, or your heart - do not focus on the waves. Fix your eyes on Christ.

And then, step forward. Stand as His temple. Shine with His light. Walk toward Him, even in the storm. For He is here. And He will not let you sink.

Live courageously and radiantly because God’s presence is in us and with us