Mark 4:40

(ubi sup.) Or else the ship into which He embarked, is taken to mean the tree of His passion, by which the faithful attain to the security of the safe shore. The other ships which are said to have been with the Lord, signify those, who are imbued with faith in the cross of Christ, and are not beaten about by the whirlwind of tribulation; or who, after the storms of temptation, are enjoying the serenity of peace. And whilst His disciples are sailing on, Christ is asleep, because the time of our Lord's Passion came on His faithful ones, when they were meditating on the rest of His future reign. Wherefore it is related, that it took place late, that not only the sleep of our Lord, but the hour itself of departing light, might signify the setting of the true Sun. Again, when He ascended the cross, of which the stern of the ship was a type, His blaspheming persecutors rose like the waves against Him, driven on by the storms of the devils, by which, however, His own patience is not disturbed, but His foolish disciples are struck with amazement. The disciples awake the Lord, because they sought, with most earnest wishes, the resurrection of Him whom they had seen die. Rising up, He threatened the wind, because when He had triumphed in His resurrection, He prostrated the pride of the devil. He ordered the sea to be still, that is, in rising again, He cast down the rage of the Jews. The disciples are blamed, because after His resurrection, He chid them for their unbelief. And we also when being marked with the sign of the Lord's cross, we determine to quit the world, embark in the ship with Christ; we attempt to cross the sea; but, He goes to sleep, as we are sailing amidst the roaring of the waters, when amidst the strivings of our virtues, or amidst the attacks of evil spirits, of wicked men, or of our own thoughts, the flame of our love grows cold. Amongst storms of this sort, let us diligently strive to awake Him; He will soon restrain the tempest, pour down peace upon us, give us the harbour of salvation.

And he said to them: Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith? They are rightly reproached, who were afraid with Christ present, since certainly whoever adheres to him cannot perish. This is similar to when, after the sleep of death, he appeared to the disciples and reproached their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen him after he had risen (Mark 16). And again he said to them: O foolish ones and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken. Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory? (Luke 24) As if by the metaphor of a ship he were to say: Was it not necessary for Christ to be asleep, while waves from everywhere beat upon the ship in which he was sleeping, and thus, having been awakened, with the surging waves immediately calmed, to reveal the power of his divinity to all? And they feared with great fear, and said to one another: Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him? Matthew writes it thus: And the men were amazed, saying: What kind of man is this? etc. Therefore, not the disciples, but the sailors and the others who were in the ship were amazed, and doubted about the person to whom the wind and the sea obeyed. But if anyone contentiously wants to say that those who were amazed were the disciples, we will respond that they are rightly called men because they had not yet known the power of the Savior. And we too, each individually, imbued with the sign of the Lord's cross, intending to leave the world, indeed board the ship with Jesus, we try to cross the sea. But though he who watches over Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps, yet he often seems to sleep while we sail, as among the roars of the sea itself, when amid the persistent efforts of virtues, or of unclean spirits, or of few men, or even by the force of our own thoughts, the brightness of faith becomes obscured, the height of hope melts away, the flame of love grows cold. Yet amid such storms, it is necessary for us to run to that helmsman, to rouse him diligently, who does not serve but commands the winds. Immediately he will calm the storms, restore tranquility, and grant the harbor of salvation.

He also rebukes the disciples for not having faith. For if they had had faith, they would have believed that even while sleeping He could preserve them unharmed.

He rebuked His disciples, for not having faith; for it goes on, And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? How is it that ye have not faith? For if they had had faith, they would have believed that even when sleeping, He could preserve them safe.

After His teaching, they come from that place to the sea, and are tossed by the waves. Wherefore it is said, And the same day, when the even was come, &c.

Mystically, however, the hinder part of the ship is the beginning of the Church, in which the Lord sleeps in the body only, for He never sleepeth who keepeth Israel; for the ship with its skins of dead animals keeps in the living, and keeps out the waves, and is bound together by wood, that is, by the cross and the death of the Lord the Church is saved. The pillow is the body of the Lord, on which His Divinity, which is as His head, has come down. But the wind and the sea are devils and persecutors, to whom He says Peace, when He restrains the edicts of impious kings, as He will. The great calm is the peace of the Church after oppression, or a contemplative after an active life.