August 4, 2026 // Memorial of Saint John Vianney, Priest
Read the Word // Open your Bible to today’s Gospel: Matthew 14:22-36
Reflect on the Word // Sitting down in my family room, hot coffee in one hand, my Bible in the other, I was finally taking some necessary time with God. But within minutes, my mind started to wander: mentally composing an email, thinking about my twins’ upcoming graduation, wondering how I would get to two baseball games in one afternoon, and reviewing the budget (or lack thereof).
Beneath it all was a constant hum of anxiety. Although I knew prayer would help, I kept putting it off until life felt more manageable—but that season never came.
In today’s Gospel, Jesus takes a different approach. Surrounded by needs and demands, He makes time for prayer first. Between miracles, He dismisses the crowds, sends the Apostles ahead of Him, and goes “up on the mountain by himself to pray” (Matthew 14:23). What a stunning realization: If Jesus, the Son of God, needed prayer, how much more do I?
The Gospel then turns to Peter, who walks steadily on water when his eyes remain on Jesus, but begins to sink when he notices the storm. I often do the same, letting life’s pressures capture my attention rather than keeping my gaze fixed on Christ.
When Jesus asks Peter why he doubted, it isn’t a rebuke but an invitation to trust in the power of prayer. Too often, I doubt that time with Him is worth protecting or that He can handle the very things that distract me during prayer.
The truth is, my sisters, that all of us experience “storms” in our lives—not always crises but the steady accumulation of responsibilities, worries, and challenges that slowly pull our attention away from Christ.
Will we keep our eyes on Jesus amid life’s competing demands?
Today’s Gospel reminds us that prayer keeps our focus where it belongs. The winds and waves of life are real but so is the One Who says, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid” (Matthew 14:27).
Relate to the Lord // Make a plan for prayer today. Where can you block out twenty minutes to be with the Lord?
