Received my Fall 2010 copy of The City (a publication of Houston Baptist University) in the mail today. The first page contained this passage from one of Augustine’s sermons:
Meanwhile 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, her enemy The Devil strives to keep the wind from claming down. But greater is He who is persistent on our behalf, for amid the vicissitudes 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, it is still a boat. It alone carries the disciples and receives Christ. It is 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. Therefore will He who helps those who are sailing to reach port safely abandon His Church and prevent her from arriving in peace and tranquility? What really has to be guarded against is the boat going off course and turning back. This happens when people give up hope of heavenly rewards, and turn under the distorting pull of greed to things that can be seen but pass away. You see, people who are being troubled and tempted by their passions, and yet keep their sights on the realities of the inner life, do not despair like that, but pray for their offenses to be forgiven and remain determined to win through and sail across the rage and fury of the sea. (“The Boat & The Church” from Sermon 75 of The Homilies of Saint Augustine of Hippo, likely delivered in Carthage circa 395) [emphasis mine]
