Stormy Weather

Dear St. John’s,

Earlier this week, I had a real scare with my puppy, Hans. He woke up on Tuesday throwing up and having diarrhea. Naturally, I did what so many of us do when a loved one is sick—I consulted Dr. Google (or, more specifically, Google’s AI model, Gemini).

“What could be the cause of my pup throwing up?” I inquired.

Everything from gastritis to an intestinal blockage to a severe infection came back as possible causes. As I kept asking questions, Gemini kept shooting back answers, until I was thoroughly convinced my puppy was on the verge of death.

A couple of visits to the vet later, it turns out simple gastritis was the culprit. A few days of meds and rest will be his routine for now. Still, it can be frustrating when he refuses to eat or drink, which makes me react with annoyance—when the real underlying emotion is just fear.

In this week’s Gospel reading, we encounter the classic story of Jesus walking on the water, and it’s deeply rooted in that same emotion: fear. The disciples see Jesus approaching and panic, terrified he might be a ghost. Peter tries to walk out to him, but the moment he takes his eyes off Jesus and focuses on the wind and waves, fear pulls him down.

Life has a way of sweeping us into those storms—unwelcome disruptions that threaten the quiet routine of our daily lives, leaving us praying for sunnier skies.

I’m grateful Hans is on the mend. But his sudden illness served as a gentle reminder that life will always be interrupted by frightening circumstances. The comfort of the Gospel is that whether our faith stands firm or waivers in the middle of the wind and waves, God’s grace always reaches out to catch us in love.

In Christ,

Anthony