9781644135945

The Light of the World
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.
Thursday
The Gospel narrative about the storm on the Sea of Galilee gives us a picture of what we may
expect in our life as Christians. Since man in this world is surrounded with difficulties and
threatened by so many dangers, the Church prays: “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” (Collect).
“We are beset by perils such as our human frailty cannot withstand.” We should never allow
ourselves to lapse into a false sense of security. When the apostles entered the boat to cross
the Lake of Genesareth, they certainly knew how to operate their boat even in the face of the
approaching storm. But even their skill and experience were not sufficient to avert the danger.
Our situation is even more precarious, for we are threatened by dangers from all sides. Our
self-seeking, our spiritual pride, our evil desires, yes, even our natural gifts and the good works
we perform may place us in grave danger of losing the friendship of God. The world about us
and the men with whom we come in contact offer additional pitfalls which may lead us astray.
No man is immune from the environment in which he lives, and sometimes the love and esteem
of other men may be as dangerous to our spiritual welfare as their open antagonism.
The world in which we live, its ideals and its ambitions, are not those of the true Christian,
and may even be a grave threat to his salvation. We have, moreover, a great enemy in the devil,
the traditional enemy of God and men, who from the beginning has been the father of lies and
a murderer. He goes about “as a roaring lion, . . . seeking whom he may devour” (1 Pt 5:8). He
is not an enemy to be underestimated, for he “transformeth himself into an angel of light” (2
Cor 11:14). He is clever and knows how to deceive men. He leads astray, not only those whom
he has enslaved by sin, but even those who know their danger and are earnestly seeking to walk
the path of virtue.
Because of “our human frailty” we are unable to withstand these dangers. “Behold,
Thou hast made my days measurable, and my substance is as nothing before Thee. And
indeed all things are vanity; every man living. Surely man passeth as an image; yea, and he
is disquieted in vain” (Ps 38:6 f.). Indeed, how weak and timid we are in the presence of
physical pain and suffering! A slight fever, and we are confined to our bed. How easily we
persuade ourselves of the need of additional sleep and rest and ease! How ingenious we are
in finding excuses for departing from our schedule of prayer, work, and duty! What difficulty
we find in curbing our curiosity, in ruling our tongue, and in guarding our eyes! We seize
eagerly on the first opportunity to depart from our good resolutions. Our bad habits reassert
themselves and go unchallenged; our vanity increases, and we foster its growth; we become
indolent and distracted, and will not turn from our evil ways. One day we are despondent,
and the next we are lifted up to the heights. Today we are generous and magnanimous, and
tomorrow we shall be selfish and irritable. No thoughtful man needs to be convinced of his
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