APRIL 18, 2026 FATHER FRANCIS SALASIAR
There’s a story of a man who bought a brand new boat. It was the first
boat he had ever owned, and he was thrilled to try it out. So, one
afternoon, he took it to the lake for its first ride.
Everything seemed perfect at first. The water was calm. The sky was
clear. And the man felt proud as he guided his little boat across the lake.
But suddenly, the weather changed. Dark clouds rolled in. The wind
began to howl, and the waves started tossing the boat back and forth.
The man was terrified.
Holding on tightly, he shouted, “Lord, if you save me from the storm, I
promise, I promise I’ll go to church every Sunday.” And just like that,
the wind died down. The clouds parted. The lake became perfectly calm
again. The man looked up at the sky and said, “Never mind, Lord. I
think I’ve got it under control.”
It’s a funny story, but it’s obviously something very true about us. When
life becomes stormy, we suddenly remember God. We pray more. We
ask for help. But when that storm passes, it’s easy to think that we
managed everything ourselves.
Today’s readings remind us that storms are part of life. Sometimes
storms in our circumstances, and sometimes storms within our
communities, families, but they also remind us that God is always
guiding His people through those storms.
The first reading from the Acts of the Apostles shows the early Christian
community growing quickly. At first glance, that sounds like wonderful
news. And it is, but growth also brings challenges. Soon, a complaint
arises. Some widows in the community feel they were being overlooked
in the daily distribution of food. In other words, a sense of unfairness
begins to grow. What started as a small concern could easily have
become a serious division within their own church. This was a kind of
storm inside the community.
The apostles could have ignored it. They could have said, “We are too
busy preaching to deal with this.” But instead, they respond with
wisdom and humility. They gather the community and ask them to
choose seven men who are filled with the Spirit and wisdom to take care
of this ministry.
This was more than simply organizing volunteers. It was the birth of a
new ministry in the church, a ministry of service. These men would later
be known as the first deacons.
What is beautiful here is the Spirit behind their work. They are not
chosen for status or authority, but for service. Their role is to make sure
that no one in the community is forgotten, especially the most
vulnerable.
The result is remarkable. The reading concludes by saying that the word
of God continued to spread and the number of disciples increased
greatly. When the church serves well, the church grows.
The gospel from the Gospel of John presents a very different storm. The
disciples are crossing the Sea of Galilee at night. A strong wind begins to
blow, and the waters grow rough. They’re rowing hard, struggling
against the waves, and fear begins to take hold.
Many of these men were fishermen. They knew the sea well. But even
experienced fishermen sometimes encounter storms that are beyond their
control.
Then they see something astonishing: Jesus walking toward them on the
water. Imagine what must have been going through their mind at that
moment, in the darkness, in the middle of a storm. They see a figure
coming toward them across the waves. Naturally, they’re frightened, but
Jesus speaks words that immediately calm their hearts: “It is I. Do not be
afraid.” And when they welcome Him into the boat, the gospel tells us
they reach the shore.
This story speaks deeply to our own lives. At times, we feel like those
disciples rowing against strong winds. We try to manage everything
ourselves, our responsibilities, our worries, our struggles, family issues,
problems. Sometimes we feel tired, discouraged, or even a little lost.
In those moments, we may wonder where God is. But the gospel
reminds us that Jesus comes to us right in the middle of those storms. He
does not always remove the storm immediately, but He comes to us
within it. He walks toward us and says the same words He spoke to the
disciples: “Do not be afraid. It is I.”
When we allow Christ into our boat, into our lives, something changes.
The situation around us may not disappear overnight. It may be the same
situation, same problem, same people you deal with, but our fear begins
to lose its power.
The first reading and the gospel together give us two simple but
powerful reminders. First, faith calls us to serve. The early church faced
a problem, but instead of letting it divide them, they responded with a
generosity and a shared responsibility.
Second, faith calls us to trust. The disciples could not control the sea, but
they could welcome Jesus into their boat.
And that is the heart of the message today. Every one of us here
experience storms in life, family struggles, health concerns, uncertainty
about the future, tensions in relationships, problems at workplace,
problem of finance. We can add our own problems. Each of us could
name more storms in our life.
But the good news of the Easter season is this: Christ is alive. The risen
Lord is not distant or absent. He walks toward us, even across the rough
waters of our lives.
Easter does not mean that storms disappear. It means that Christ is with
us in the storm.
So, the question for us today is simple. When Jesus comes toward us,
will we recognize Him? And will we welcome Him into our boat?
Because when Christ is at the centre of our lives, something remarkable
happens. The storm may still be there, but our hearts become calmer.
Our direction becomes clearer. And like the early church, we discover
that when Christ leads us, hope continues to grow.
May the risen Lord, who walked across the sea, also step into the boats
of our lives today, calming our fears, strengthening our faith, and
helping us move forward with trust.
