Page:Ninety-nine homilies of S. Thomas Aquinas upon the epistles and gospels for forty-nine Sundays of the Christian year (IA ninetyninehomili00thom).pdf/49

 leper in whom the plague is, (1) his clothes shall be rent, (2) and his head bare ; (3) he shall put a covering upon his upper lip ; (4) he shall dwell alone without the camp. Of (1), because he is rent and poured out in his natural powers; of (2), the naked head is a mind devoid of grace; of (3), the lip-covering is to prevent infection: “ guard the door of my lips of (4), without the camp of God, separated from the habitation of angels and saints.

Four things are to be considered in this Gospel. Firstly, the entering of Christ and His disciples into a ship. Secondly, the “great tempest in the sea.” Thirdly, the prayer of His disciples—“ Lord save us, we perish.” Fourthly, the obedience of the storm to the command of Christ—“ There was a great calm.”

Morally, we are taught also four things. Firstly, to enter into holiness of life. Secondly, that temptations rage after we have entered. Thirdly, in our temptation to cry unto the Lord. Fourthly, to look for a calm according to His will.

I. On the first head it is to be noted, (1) That he enters into a ship who follows a holy life—S. Matt. ix. 1, “ He entered into a ship. and came into His own city,” just as by holiness of life man passes over and comes to his heavenly city. In the following Homily it will be explained why a holy life is likened unto a ship. (2) The disturbance of the sea by the tempest represents the temptations which rise up against holiness—Ecclus. ii. 1, “Son, when thou comest to the Service of God stand in justice and in fear, and prepare thy soul for temptation.” (3) The cry of the disciples in the tempest is the prayer of the saints in tribulations and temptations—Ps. cxx. 1, “In my distress I cried unto the Lord, and He heard me.” (4) The calm of the tempest is