Sermon 63

SERMO 63

CONCERNING THE WORDS OF THE GOSPEL MT 8, 23-27:
"And when he had entered into the boat," and so forth

The sleep of Christ is a sign of the sacrament.

From the most recent reading of the holy Gospel, granted by the Lord, I speak to you and exhort you in Him, that against the storms and waves of this world, faith may not sleep in your hearts. For indeed, the Lord Christ had death in His power; He did not have sleep in His power; and perhaps sleep overtook the Omnipotent Navigator against His will. If you believe this, He sleeps in you: but if Christ watches in you, your faith watches. The Apostle says: Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. Therefore, even the sleep of Christ is a sign of the sacrament. Souls are navigating through the wood, passing through the world. That ship also prefigured the Church. For each are indeed temples of God, and each one navigates in his own heart: nor does he shipwreck if he thinks good thoughts.

Vengeance disturbs your heart: forgive, there will be tranquility.

You heard an insult, it is wind: you are angry, it is a wave. Therefore, with the wind blowing, the wave arising, the ship is in danger, your heart is in danger, your heart wavers. Hearing the insult you desire vengeance: and behold you have been avenged, and rejoicing in another's harm, you have made shipwreck. And why is this? Because Christ sleeps within you. What is it, Christ sleeps within you? You have forgotten Christ. Therefore wake Christ up, remember Christ, let Christ awaken in you: consider Him. What did you want? To be avenged. It escaped you, that he when he was crucified said: Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. He who slept in your heart did not wish to be avenged. Wake him up, recall him. His memory, his word: his memory, his command. And you will say to yourself, if Christ is awake in you: What kind of man am I, who wants to be avenged? Who am I, who issues threats to man? Perhaps I will die before I am avenged. And when, with a heaving sigh, inflamed with anger, and thirsting for revenge, I go out of the body, He who did not wish to be avenged will not receive me: He who said: Give, and it shall be given to you; forgive, and you shall be forgiven will not receive me. Therefore I will restrain myself from my anger, and return to the tranquility of my heart. Christ commanded the sea, and there was calm.

Let us awaken Christ so that we may sail in tranquility.

But what I said about anger, hold regularly in all your temptations. When a temptation arises, it is a wind; you are troubled, it is a wave. Awaken Christ, let Him speak to you. Who is this, that even the winds and the sea obey Him? Who is this, to whom the sea listens? The sea is His, and He made it. All things were made through Him. Rather imitate the winds and the sea: obey the Creator. The sea listens under the command of Christ, and are you deaf? The sea listens, and the wind ceases, and do you blow? What? I say, I do, I pretend: what is it but to blow, and to refuse to cease under the word of Christ? Do not let the wave overcome you in the disturbance of your heart. But still, because we are human, if the wind drives, if it moves the emotion of our soul, let us not despair: let us awaken Christ, so that we may sail in tranquility and come to our homeland. Turned to the Lord, etc.