Even If…

Our Lady of Lourdes Mass
Ben Miller
Salesianum School 2025 

Good morning. My name is Ben Miller, and I am honored to give today’s Salesian Reflection. 

Ben Miller delivering his Salesian Reflection.

In preparing for this reflection, I found that today’s Scripture, and Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes center on a message of faith and courage in the face of fear that applies to each and every one of our lives.

For some of us, it is the “what ifs” in life that prevent us from being who we are and being that well. Sometimes, our brothers wonder “what if?” and are filled with anxiety, doubt, and fear for the future. What if I don’t do well on a test? What if I don’t make the team or win the state championship? What if I don’t get accepted to my dream college? What if I don’t make friends in high school? What if I’m not the best version of myself today? “What if” is a powerful question that summons fear and tests our courage. Today’s liturgical messages hold the answer to all of our “what ifs.” The answer is faith. 

Bishop William Koenig celebrating Mass on the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes at Salesianum School.

There are many ways to Live Jesus and demonstrate your faith. Growing up, my mother instilled in me a definition of faith that has resonated with me throughout my life. She taught me that focusing on “what if” produces fear, doubt, and anxiety, but turning to “even if” represents faith and courage. Even if things do not seemingly go our way, we can count on our friends, family, Salesian brothers, and, most importantly, God to cheer us on and inspire us to do good in this world. Even if we perceive failure, God will carry us across troubling waters. 

Today’s Gospel reminds us that, like Peter, many of us are afraid to take the risk. Peter was frightened when he saw Jesus walking on the water. Even after stepping out of the boat, Peter’s fear still consumed him. The “what ifs” plagued him, but fortunately Jesus gave both Peter and us the answer. “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” True faith is an act of immense courage, and, as Jesus says in the Gospel, we must “take courage” to not only accept God’s plan but to fully embrace it. Peter had to find his own courage and have faith to step into the water.

As Peter demonstrated, being devout is not always easy. It requires immense bravery to take on God’s challenge of spreading love throughout the world. In his 2nd letter to the Corinthians, St. Paul, who suffered extreme persecution and was put in prison countless times for his beliefs, claims that we must “walk by faith, not by sight” towards ultimate union with God in Heaven. We should be inspired by Peter and accept that even if we experience grief, heartbreak, anxiety, and depression, God will never leave our side. As Mr. Menicucci says, we can always have faith in the coming of Easter Sunday, so we must have the courage to act with goodness and trust that our faith will save us in the end.

Another shining example of faith lies in today’s Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes. St. Bernadette and her sister witnessed multiple appearances of an apparition of the Virgin Mary and persisted in their courage, faith, and willful obedience even if they received punishment for their story. They trusted Mary and continued to spread her message that we can have faith in the resurrection even in the midst of suffering. Bernadette was not overwhelmed with the “what ifs” but rather had confidence that God’s plan for her was greater than she could imagine. That confidence in God is still celebrated by millions of pilgrims who visit the shrine today.

Our patron saint had his own answer to the “what ifs.” St. Francis de Sales tells us that “It is not those who commit the least faults who are the most holy, but those who have the greatest courage, the greatest generosity, the greatest love, who make the boldest efforts to overcome themselves, and are not immediately apprehensive about tripping.” In other words, you are holy if you take that leap of faith, even if there is a chance that you may misstep. 

Salesianum has offered up to each of us this power of faith and courage. Together, as brothers, we can conquer the “even ifs.”  So, I urge you all to be witnesses of Christ for each other. Whether that involves bringing up our brothers when they are down, spreading Salesian optimism to those going through tough times, or just being kind and gentle to our brothers on a daily basis, we all have an obligation to Live Jesus and spread our faith through acts of love. Because of the brotherhood at Salesianum, we can courageously rise up together through calm and rough seas when we trust that God’s plan has an eternity of happiness for us. 

As I am heading toward the end of my senior year here at Salesianum, I find myself grateful to be more deeply rooted in faith and courage. While the journey continues ever onward, I pray that all of us can fully embrace God’s call and bring His grace down to earth in our own lives. We must walk both in His plan and beside our brothers. He is actively working through each and every one of us through grace; all we have to do is accept the leap of faith. Thank you for your constant support throughout my days in this brotherhood and you, in turn, will always have mine. I pray that your trust in God and our brotherhood turns those “what ifs” into “even ifs,” and I celebrate every courageous step ahead of you. 

Brothers unite, Live Jesus.