Page:Meditations For Every Day In The Year.djvu/139

 greater glory  of  God  and  the  spiritual  advantage  of  your neighbor.

"Save me,  O  God,  for  the  waters  are  come  in,  even  unto  my  soul." (Ps. lxviii.  1.)

I. In  the  Gospel  of  to-day,  Christ  is  recorded  to  have appeased the  tempest  on  the  sea. We are  on  a  tempestuous sea  as  long  as  we  exist  in  this  world;  we  are  continually harassed  by  storms:  the  winds  of  temptation blow, and  raise  the  waves  of  our  passions  and  concupiscences. If we  suffer  these  waves  to  increase,  we  cannot subdue them,  and  we  shall  infallibly  perish. "The wicked," says  the  Prophet,  "  are  like  the  raging  sea, which  cannot  rest." (Is. lvii.  20.)  How  many  human beings, of  every  state,  condition,  and  sex,  are  swallowed up in  this  ocean,  never  again  to  emerge  from  it!

II. Nothing but  the  protecting  hand  of  God  can  secure us. " He  alone  rules  the  power  of  the  sea,  and  appeases the  motion  of  the  waves  thereof." (Ps. lxxxviii.  10.) He is  the  peace  and  tranquillity  of  the  soul,  and  appeases its turbulent  motions  at  His  pleasure;  for  in  the  Gospel of to-day,  "  He  commanded  the  winds  of  the  sea,  and  there came  a  great  calm." (Matt. viii.  26.)  He  will  do  the  same to-day in  your  soul,  if  you  receive  Him  as  you  ought.

III. God often  permits  us  to  be  tossed  to  and  fro  with the waves  of  trouble  and  the  winds  of  temptation,  while He himself  seems  to  sleep,  in  order  to  try  our  constancy and increase  our  glory. Besides, He  is  much  pleased  at the  confidence  which  we  place  in  Him  on  such  occasions. He reprehended  St.  Peter  for  his  want  of  confidence