Awaken the Christ sleeping within
12th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B. Lectionary 95
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/062021.cfm
With help from the Lord, and from Saint Augustine, I want to speak to you about today’s reading from the holy gospel, and to urge you in the name of God not to let your faith lie dormant in your hearts when you are buffeted by the winds and waves of this world. It is not I who speak to you. I merely listen with you to the words of a great saint who departed from this world almost sixteen hundred years ago.
The Lord Christ’s power is by no means dead, nor is it asleep.
Do we think the Almighty was overcome by sleep in the boat against his will? If we do, then Christ is asleep in our hearts. If he were indeed keeping watch within us, then our faith would be vigilant. The Apostle, remember, speaks of Christ dwelling in our 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;
That reminds me of something Archbishop Sheen said:
“The Church is like Noah’s ark that was full of both clean and unclean animals. It must have had an unholy smell, and yet it was carrying eight persons to salvation.”
And, as saints throughout the ages continue to remind us, despite the awful smells that sometimes seem to fill the church, there is but the one church of God in which people find salvation, just as there was one ark. Do not abandon the church, the ark of salvation.
And our hope is not for the next world only. Archbishop Sheen went on to say:
“The world today is tearing up the photographs of a good society, a good family, a happy, individual personal life. But the Church is keeping the negatives. And when the moment comes when the world wants a reprint, we will have them.”
Hold fast to what the church teaches, because her way is the way to a happy, healthy, and holy life.
So, anyway, that vessel – that ark – represents the Church; but as each one of us is a temple of God, each of our hearts is a sailing boat, nor can it be wrecked so long as we fill our minds only with what is good.
When we have to listen to abuse, we are being buffeted by the wind; when our anger is roused, we are being tossed by the waves. So when the winds blow and the waves mount high, the boat is in danger, our heart is imperiled, our heart is taking a beating.
On hearing ourselves insulted, we long to retaliate; but the satisfaction of revenge brings with it another kind of misfortune—shipwreck. Why is this? Because Christ is asleep in us.
What does this mean? It means we have forgotten his presence. Rouse him, then; remember him, let him keep watch within you, pay heed to him.
Now what was our desire? We wanted justice for ourselves. We wanted revenge. We have forgotten that when Christ was being crucified he said: “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” Christ, the sleeper in our hearts, 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 us , we will ask ourselves, “Whatever kind of wretch am I to be thirsting for revenge? Who am I to threaten another? Suppose I were to die! 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 our rule of conduct in every temptation. A temptation arises: it is the wind. It disturbs us: it is the surging of the sea.
This is the moment to awaken Christ and let him remind us 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; are we going to turn a deaf ear to his command? The sea obeys him, the wind is still; will we persist with our blustering?
Words, actions, schemes, what are all these but a constant buffing and puffing, a refusal to be still at Christ’s command?
When our heart is in this troubled state, we must not let the waves overwhelm us. 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, and bring with us those whom we love.
(adapted from Augustine’s Sermon 63, 1-3: PL 38, 424-25)
