Dangers to our eternal salvation

And when he entered into the boat his disciples followed him, and behold, a great tempest arose in the sea (Gospel of Sunday. Matt.viii. 23-27).

The boat on the sea represents man in this world. As a vessel is exposed to a thousand dangers, — to pirates, to quicksands, to hidden rocks and to tempests, so man in this life is encompassed with perils. Who shall be able to deliver us? Only God: Unless the Lord keep the city, he watcheth in vain that keepeth it (Ps. cxxvi. 2).

I. In this day's Gospel we find that when Jesus Christ entered the boat with His disciples, a great tempest arose, so that the boat was on the point of being lost. During the storm the Saviour was asleep; but the disciples, terrified by the winds, ran to awake Him and said: Lord save us: we perish. Jesus gave them courage by saying: Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then rising up he commanded the winds and the sea, and there came a great calm.

The boat on the sea represents man in this world. As a vessel on the sea is exposed to a thousand dangers — to pirates, to quicksands, to hidden rocks, and to tempests, so man in this life is encompassed with perils arising from the temptations of hell, from the occasions of sin, from the scandals or bad counsels of men, from human respect, and, above all, from the bad passions of corrupt nature, represented by the winds that agitate the sea and expose the vessel to great danger of being lost.

Thus, as St. Leo says, our life is full of dangers, of snares, and of enemies. The first enemy of the salvation of every Christian is his own corruption. Every man is tempted by his own concupiscence, being drawn away and allured (James i. 14).

Along with the corrupt inclinations which live within us and drag us to evil, we have many enemies from without that fight against us. We have the devils with whom the contest is very difficult, because they are stronger than we are. Hence, because we have to contend with powerful enemies, St. Paul exhorts us to arm ourselves with the Divine aid: Put you on the armour of God, that you may be able to stand against the deceits of the devil. For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers, against the rulers of the world of this darkness, against the spirits of wickedness in high places (Ephes. vi. 11). The devil, according to St. Peter, is a lion who is continually going about, roaring through the rage and hunger which impel him to devour our souls. Your adversary, the devil, like a roaring lion goeth about seeking whom he may devour (1 Pet. v. 8).

Even the very men with whom we must converse endanger our salvation. They persecute or betray us, or deceive us by their flattery and bad counsels. St. Augustine says that among the faithful there are in every profession deceitful men. Now if a fortress were full of rebels within, and encompassed by enemies from without, who is there that would not regard it as lost? Such is the condition of each of us as long as we live in this world. Who shall be able to deliver us from so many powerful enemies? Only God: Unless the Lord keepeth the city, he watcheth in vain that keepeth it (Ps. cxxvi. 2).

II. What, then, is the means by which we can save our souls in the midst of so many dangers? It is to imitate the holy disciples — to have recourse to our Divine Master, and say to Him: Lord, save us: we perish. When the tempest is violent, the pilot never takes his eyes from the light which guides him to the port. In like manner we should keep our eyes always turned to God Who alone can deliver us from the many dangers to which we are exposed. It was thus David acted when he found himself assailed by the dangers of sin. I have lifted up my eyes to the mountains from whence help shall come to me (Ps. cxx. 1). To teach us to recommend ourselves continually to Him Who alone can save us by His grace, the Lord has ordained that, as long as we remain on this earth, we shall have to live in the midst of a continual tempest, and be surrounded by enemies. The temptations of the devil, the persecutions of men, the adversity which we suffer in this world, are not evils: they are, on the contrary, advantages, if we know how to make of them the use which God wishes, Who, for our welfare, sends or permits them. They detach our affections from this earth, and inspire a disgust for this world, by making us feel bitterness and thorns even in its honours, its riches, its delights, and amusements. The Lord permits all these apparent evils, that we may take our affection from fading goods, in which we meet with so many dangers of perdition, and that we may seek to unite ourselves with Him Who alone can make us happy.

Our error and mistake is, when we find ourselves harassed by infirmities, by poverty, by persecutions, and by such tribulations, instead of having recourse to the Lord, we turn to creatures and place our confidence in their assistance. The Lord does not forbid us, in our afflictions and dangers to have recourse to human means; but He wishes us to have recourse to Himself before all others, and to place our only hope in Him, that we may also centre in Him all our love.