Peter was already doing the impossible. He had stepped out of the boat and was walking on the water toward Jesus. Yet when he noticed how strong the wind was, fear took over. He began to sink and cried out, “Lord, save me!” Jesus immediately stretched out His hand and caught him: “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” The wind had been there all along. What changed was Peter’s focus. When Peter looked at Jesus, he walked. When he looked at the storm, he sank. Perhaps this is also the story of our faith.

 

We are all walking upon uncertain waters. We believe, yet we have fears. We trust God, yet we have questions. There will always be winds against us. The real question is whether we will continue looking at Christ when they become strong. Sometimes those winds come from outside the Church. We live in a world increasingly influenced by materialism, indifference to religion and ways of thinking contrary to Christian faith. Sometimes, however, the strongest winds come from within the Church herself.

 

A priest is entrusted with the spiritual care of the faithful, but he remains human. He can make mistakes, make poor decisions and disappoint people. Sometimes, sadly, those who are supposed to strengthen the faith of others can become the reason they stumble. This reality should never be denied or excused. Priests must be accountable for their actions. Every priest must remember that his words, decisions and manner of life can either bring people closer to Christ or make their journey toward Him more difficult. Yet the failures of priests should never become the measure of the truth of our faith. Our faith is in Jesus Christ.

 

Some Catholics stop attending Mass because they dislike a priest. Others distance themselves from the Church because they disagree with their pastor or have been disappointed by members of the clergy. Their wounds should not be dismissed. Some wounds are real and deep. Yet Christianity was never founded upon the perfection of priests. Priests come and go. Personalities differ. Pastors change. Some priests inspire us, while others may disappoint us. But Jesus Christ remains the same. The Church belongs to Him.

 

I often remember the words of my former rector, the late Most Rev. Concordio Ma. Sarte: “I would rather have ten good seminarians than a hundred bad seminarians.” Those words remind me that numbers alone do not make a strong Church. A parish may have thousands of members, impressive celebrations and beautiful structures, but the real strength of a Christian community is found in people who sincerely desire to follow Christ and help one another remain faithful.

 

A parish should therefore never become a community where everyone watches everyone else, waiting for somebody to make a mistake. The faithful should not spend their lives looking for every fault of their priest. Priests, likewise, should never use their position to silence legitimate concerns or escape accountability. Parishioners should not destroy one another through gossip, accusations and social media.

 

We are supposed to help one another reach Christ, not help one another sink. The Church is not a competition to determine who is holier, more influential or more correct. We are a community of sinners called by Christ, trying to follow Him. Our roles may differ, but before God we all need mercy, forgiveness and conversion.

 

The winds today are strong. Scandals can shake our faith. Conflicts can exhaust us. Human failures can disappoint us. Social media makes it easy to condemn people before listening to them and to destroy reputations without considering the consequences. But none of these winds is stronger than Christ.

 

When priests fail, Christ remains faithful. When Christians disappoint us, Christ remains faithful. When scandals shake the Church, Christ remains faithful. When our own faith becomes weak, Christ remains faithful. We must never confuse the weakness of Christians with the weakness of Christianity. The sins of Catholics do not make Christ less holy. The failures of priests do not make the Gospel less true. Peter sank because, for one moment, the wind became greater in his eyes than Jesus. Perhaps that is what “little faith” really means. It does not necessarily mean having no faith at all. Peter had enough faith to leave the boat. Little faith begins when our fear, anger, disappointment or doubt becomes greater in our eyes than the Lord.

 

So when someone in the Church disappoints us, let us look beyond the person and toward Christ. When a brother or sister begins to sink, let us extend a hand rather than push that person deeper into the water. When correction is necessary, let us speak the truth with charity. When we ourselves are wrong, let us have the humility to admit it. We will not reach Christ by destroying one another. We will reach Him by helping one another through the storm.

 

We are all crossing the same sea. At one time or another, each of us will become Peter, confident one moment and sinking the next. When that moment comes, do not look at the wind. Do not look at the waves. Do not allow the failures of other people to take your eyes away from Christ. Look at Jesus. And if you begin to sink, remember Peter’s simple prayer: “Lord, save me!”