9781644135945

The Light of the World
sleep and rebukes the waves. “The right hand of the Lord hath wrought strength; the right
hand of the Lord hath exalted me; I shall not die, but live, and shall declare the works of the
Lord” (Offertory).
Today we are to stir up again our faith in the Church and in Christ the King, who lives and
works in her, who guides and protects her. We have nothing to fear, for He is in the midst of
His Church, and “the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Mt 16:18). The Lord hath built
up Sion, His Church, and He shall be seen in His glory. We may be sure that He will appear at
the proper time to rebuke and calm the storm, but we must not wait until that time to cry out
to Him, “Lord, save us, we perish.”
Prayer
O God, who knowest that we are beset by perils such as our human frailty cannot withstand:
grant us health of mind and body, that by Thy help we may overcome the things which we suffer
for our sins. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Monday
“Jesus entered into the boat.” In the sacred liturgy this boat is the Church; it is also our soul.
Christ lives in us, works in us, guides and protects us. “The right hand of the Lord hath wrought
strength; the right hand of the Lord hath exalted me; I shall not die, but live, and shall declare
the works of the Lord” (Offertory).
Christ lives in our soul. He penetrates our very being even as the life of the vine penetrates
the branches. Christ forms with us one organism, even as the vine and its branches are one
organism. According to the Council of Trent, His light, His strength, and His life penetrate
our innermost being. He is bound to us with an interest that is divine, a love that is boundless,
and a mercy that is inexhaustible. We can never be alone or forsaken, for He is always with us.
He is always at our side, understanding, sympathetic, and powerful. He works silently, but the
effect of His work is the cleansing and healing of our soul, and the infusion of a new and divine
life. He appears to sleep in the boat of our soul, so silent and unobtrusive is He. But this sleep is
only apparent, for He is there guiding our boat. He gives us strength and courage to weather the
storms of temptation and suffering. In our fear and anxiety we turn to Him: “the right hand of the
Lord hath wrought strength; . . . I shall not die, but live, and shall declare the works of the Lord.”
Christ placed His seal upon us when we were baptized. It was then that He first entered
into our boat and said, “Thou art mine.” Ever since that day He has been leading us, guiding us,
protecting us. Each morning He comes to us again in Holy Communion to guide us through
the heat and the burden of the day. We are safe in His strong hands; He gives us a sure course
and a safe journey. The more completely we place our trust in Him and the more fully we free
ourselves from fear and solicitude, the more surely will He take the direction of our lives into
His own hands. “The right hand of the Lord hath wrought strength.”
It is true that we are aware that the Lord is in the boat with us when the storms arise; yet we are
troubled and anxious. The howling of the winds and the violence of the storm seem not to disturb
Him; but we are filled with fear and solicitude. That is His mysterious way. Even in the midst
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