Christ is alive in the Church. Our Lord went on board Peter's boat and asked the Apostles to row out across the lake. And a great storm of wind arose, and the waves beat into the boat. Tradition identifies this boat with the Church, which voyages across the sea of the world, beaten upon by the waves of persecutions and heresies down through the ages; but always firm on her course.
From the first moments of her life, the holy Church had to face attacks and difficulties from inside and out. “There have always been sicknesses and sick people. There were already heretics while the Apostles were still alive; you only have to look in the Acts, or the Epistles, to see that."
These difficulties are always present, causing suffering to the Church, and with her, to her faithful children. The Church is in a terrible storm, like the one on the Sea of Galilee when Jesus was asleep in Peter's boat. And now too it seems as though he were asleep.
But Christ is alive in the Church, the powers of death shall not prevail against her. We are given a great sense of security by these words of the Master, who has promised to remain with the Church till the end.
We should not be worried. All human things pass away, but the Church remains forever, one and the same, just as Christ wanted her. The gates of hell, which engulfs everything that does not belong to Christ, can never prevail against the Church. Christ is present, and the boat cannot sink. God's presence in her means that our faith in the Church remains unshakeable, amid any storms. This ship which is taking us to heaven cannot sink, because God himself has pledged his word. Because we know through faith that we are the children of Christ's Church, we feel a security and serenity that no human weakness can ever upset.
It may seem that He has abandoned us. But will it be rather that you who have forgotten Christ? Wake him up, bring him to mind, and pray, because waking Christ up means being close to him. This is what the Apostles did when they cried out to him. And he awoke and rebuked the wind. He said to them, "Why are you afraid? Have you no faith?"
When we know that God is at our side, in our personal struggle, in our apostolate, and in the whole life of the Church, we feel secure and strong in the faith with God's strength; and we will always win the victory.
May your prayer reach God through the most sweet Heart of our Mother. Ask her to intercede, as she did at the wedding feast at Cana. You will see how this flood of muddy water that threatens to swamp everything, will turn into Christ's wine: nourishment –doctrine– to comfort us in our weakness; and strength, to set our souls on fire with faith, hope, love, and union.
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