August 5, 2015 – Excerpted from Put Out Into the Deep, Bishop DiMarzio’s column in The Tablet:

My dear brothers and sisters in the Lord,

Last January, when I visited the Holy Land and stayed at the Neocatecumenal Center overlooking the Sea of Galilee, I had the unique occasion to witness a sudden storm which came seemingly out of nowhere and produced large waves on a normally tranquil lake. It truly looked like a sea at that time.

There is a Gospel scene which describes exactly what I experienced on the Sea of Galilee. Jesus’ disciples were in a boat a long way from shore, and going against the wind, tossed by the waves. They were not able to make it back to shore. But Jesus comes to them walking on the water and says, “Do not be afraid. I am Jesus. Do not be afraid.” And Peter, impetuous as he was, sees Jesus coming on the water and starts to walk on the water himself.

When he realized what he was doing, Peter starts to sink and cries, “Lord, save me!” And the Lord offered His hand and allows Peter to get back into the boat.

Read the full text of the Bishop’s column on The Tablet website.