There are two very striking elements in today's Gospel.
Two things are striking about today's Gospel. The first is Jesus' prayer: "Jesus made the disciples get into a boat and precede him to the other side of the sea, while he dismissed the crowds. After doing so, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When it was evening he was there alone." We should be struck by the time Jesus sets aside for prayer. It’s a significant, personal, prolonged period of time, and we all know his greatest secret is hidden precisely in this time.
The most obvious effect seems to be the continuation of the story. Jesus catches up with the disciples, but he does so by walking on water. It’s a powerful image that shows that prayer keeps Jesus from getting overwhelmed by events. He can master them and traverse them, without letting them literally drown him.
