Who then is this whom even wind and sea obey? ~Mark 4:41
With the
Lord's help I want to speak to you about today's reading from the holy gospel,
and to urge you in his name not to let your faith lie dormant in your hearts
when you are buffeted by the winds and waves of this world.
The Lord
Christ's power is by no means dead, nor is it asleep.
Do you
think the Almighty was overcome by sleep in the boat against his will? If you
do, then Christ is asleep in your hearts. If he were indeed keeping watch
within you, then your faith too would be vigilant. The Apostle, remember,
speaks of Christ dwelling in your hearts through faith.
This
sleep of Christ has a symbolic meaning. The boat's crew are human souls sailing
across the sea of this world in a wooden vessel. That vessel, of course, also
represents the Church; but as each one of us is a temple of God, each one's
heart is a sailing boat, nor can it be wrecked so long as we fill our minds
only with what is good.
When you
have to listen to abuse, that means you are being buffeted by the wind; when
your anger is roused, you are being tossed by the waves. So when the winds blow
and the waves mount high, the boat is in danger, your heart is imperiled, your
heart is taking a battering.
On
hearing yourself insulted, you long to retaliate; but the joy of revenge brings
with it another kind of misfortune—shipwreck. Why is this? Because Christ is
asleep in you.
What do
I mean? I mean you have forgotten his presence. Rouse him, then; remember him,
let him keep watch within you, pay heed to him.
Now what
was your desire? You wanted to get your own back. You have forgotten that when
Christ was being crucified he said: “Father, forgive them, for they know not
what they do.” Christ, the sleeper in your heart, had no desire for vengeance
in his. Rouse him, then, call him to mind. (To remember him is to recall his
words; to remember him is to recall his commands.)
Then,
when he is awake within you, you will ask yourself, “Whatever kind of wretch am
I to be thirsting for revenge? Who am I to threaten another? Suppose I were to
die before I were avenged! Suppose I were to take leave of my body breathing
out threats, inflamed with rage and thirsting for that vengeance which Christ
himself never sought; would he not refuse to receive me? He who said, “Give and
it shall be given you; forgive and you will be forgiven,” would indeed decline
to acknowledge me. So I will curb my anger and restore peace to my heart.”
Now all
is calm again. Christ has rebuked the sea. What I have said about anger must be
your rule of conduct in every temptation. A temptation arises: it is the wind.
It disturbs you: it is the surging of the sea.
This is
the moment to awaken Christ and let him remind you of those words: “Who can
this be? Even the winds and the sea obey him.” Who is this whom the sea obeys?
It is he to whom the sea belongs, for he made it; all things were made through
him.
Try,
then, to be more like the wind and the sea; obey the God who made you. The sea
obeys Christ's command, and are you going to turn a deaf ear to it? The sea
obeys him, the wind is still; will you persist with your blustering?
Words,
actions, schemes, what are all these but a constant buffing and puffing, a
refusal to be still at Christ's command?
When your heart is in this troubled state, do not let the waves overwhelm you. If, since we are only human, the driving wind should stir up in us a tumult of emotions, let us not despair but awaken Christ, so that we may sail in quiet waters, and at last reach our heavenly homeland.
~St. Augustine, 354-430
In their distress they cried to the Lord,
who brought them out of their peril;
He hushed the storm to silence,
the waves of the sea were stilled.
They rejoiced that the sea grew calm,
that God brought them to the harbor they longed for.
Let them thank the Lord for his mercy,
such wondrous deeds for the children of Adam.
~Psalm 107:28-31
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