August 5: Storms / Tormentas

A boat crossing a stormy lake (see Matthew 14, 22-36) is a perfect parable of our life.

Saint Augustine thought about this very boat and saw meaning in it for the whole Christian community, the Church:

“The boat carrying the disciples – that is, the Church – is rocking and shaking amid the storms of temptation, while the adverse wind rages on. That is to say, its enemy strives to keep the wind from calming down. But greater is He who is persistent on our behalf, for amid the ups and downs of our life He gives us confidence. He comes to us and strengthens us, so we are not jostled in the boat and tossed overboard. For although the boat is thrown into disorder at times, it is still a boat. It carries the disciples and receives Christ. It is sometimes in danger, indeed, on the water, but there would be certain death without it. Therefore, stay inside the boat and call upon God. When all good advice fails and the rudder is useless and the spread of the sails presents more of a danger than an advantage, when all human help and strength have been abandoned, the only recourse left for the sailors is to cry out to God. We must ask ourselves: would God, who helps sailors to reach port safely, abandon the Church and prevent it from arriving in peace and tranquility?”

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La verdad es que el Señor siempre nos dice: “¡Ánimo, soy yo! No tengan miedo.” Él está con nosotros en nuestras luchas; nunca nos va a abandonar.

En la Misa diaria hoy, la Iglesia nos ofrece Mateo 14, 22-36. El simbolismo de la narrativa del Evangelio es muy fuerte. El agua embravecida del mar representa al mal, que traga a la gente. Jesús, el Señor, es más fuerte. Él invita a los discípulos y a la Iglesia entera a arriesgarse, desde la fe, a seguirle. 

La fe es insegura por sí misma; tenemos que pasar a través de las tormentas de la vida entre la fe y el temor. Pero el Señor está ahí, invisible, asegurándonos: ”Soy yo. Yo estoy con ustedes. No teman.”