Church Fathers Commentary Mark 4

Theophylact of Ohrid: Although the Lord appears to neglect his mother in the events mentioned above, He still honors her, since it is for her sake that He goes out to the seashore.

Therefore it is said, "And He began to teach again by the sea."

The Venerable Bede: For if we examine the Gospel of Matthew, it appears that this same teaching of the Lord by the sea was delivered on the same day as the previous one. After the conclusion of the first sermon, Matthew immediately adds, saying, "That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea."¹

Pseudo-Jerome: He began to teach by the sea so that the location of His teaching might indicate the bitter feelings and instability of His hearers.

The Venerable Bede: After leaving the house, He also began to teach by the sea because, by leaving the synagogue, He came to gather the multitude of the Gentiles through the Apostles.

Therefore, the text continues: "And a great crowd was gathered to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat in it on the sea."

St. John Chrysostom: We must understand that this was not done without a reason, but so that He might not leave anyone behind Him, but have all His hearers before His face.²

The Venerable Bede: Now this boat symbolized the Church, which was to be built among the nations, in which the Lord consecrates for Himself a beloved dwelling place.

It goes on: "And He taught them many things in parables."

Pseudo-Jerome: A parable is a comparison made between things that are different in nature, using some likeness. For "parable" is the Greek word for a "similitude," used when we point out through comparisons what we want to be understood. In this way, we might call a man "iron" when we want him to be understood as hardy and strong; or, to show he is swift, we compare him to winds and birds. But He speaks to the multitudes in parables with His usual foresight, so that those who could not grasp heavenly things might conceive what they heard through an earthly likeness.

St. John Chrysostom: For He stirs the minds of His hearers with a parable, pointing out objects to their sight to make His discourse clearer.

Theophylact of Ohrid: And to rouse the attention of those who heard, the first parable He presents is about the seed, which is the word of God.

This is why it continues, "And He said to them in His teaching." Not in the teaching of Moses or of the Prophets, because He preaches His own Gospel. "Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow." Now, the Sower is Christ.

St. John Chrysostom: He did not "go out" in a spatial sense—since He is present everywhere and fills all things—but rather in the divine plan of His incarnation, by which He drew nearer to us through the clothing of the flesh. Since we were not able to go to Him, because our sins blocked the path, He came out to us. He went out, preaching, to sow the word of godliness, which He spoke abundantly. He does not unnecessarily repeat the same word when He says, "A sower went out to sow," for sometimes a sower goes out to break up the ground for cultivation, to pull up weeds, or for some other work. But this Sower went out specifically to sow.

The Venerable Bede: Alternatively, He went out to sow when, after calling the chosen part of the synagogue to faith, He poured out the gifts of His grace to call the Gentiles as well.³

St. John Chrysostom: Furthermore, just as a sower does not distinguish between the different types of ground before him, but simply and indiscriminately casts the seed, so Christ also addresses everyone. To signify this, He says, "And as he sowed, some seed fell along the path."

Theophylact of Ohrid: Take notice that He does not say He threw it on the path, but that it "fell" there. A sower, as much as he is able, throws seed into good ground; but if the ground is bad, it corrupts the seed. Now, the way is Christ, but unbelievers are "by the wayside"—that is, outside of Christ.

The Venerable Bede: The path can also be a mind that is a pathway for evil thoughts, preventing the seed of the word from growing in it. Therefore, whatever good seed touches such a path perishes and is carried off by devils.

This is why it follows, "And the birds of the air came and devoured it." The devils are rightly called "birds of the air," either because they are of a heavenly and spiritual origin or because they dwell in the air. Alternatively, those "along the path" are negligent and lazy people.

It goes on: "And some fell on rocky ground." He calls the "rock" the hardness of a reckless mind; He calls the "ground" the soul's inconsistency in obedience; and the "sun," the heat of a raging persecution.

Therefore, the "depth of earth," which ought to have received the seed of God, is the integrity of a mind trained in heavenly discipline and consistently raised in obedience to the divine words. But the "rocky places," which have no strength for a root to take firm hold, are those hearts that are delighted only by the sweetness of the word they hear and, for a time, by the heavenly promises. In a season of temptation, however, they fall away, for there is too little healthy desire in them to receive the seed of life.

Theophylact of Ohrid: Or, the rocky places represent those who cling for a short time to the rock—that is, to Christ—and receive the word, but afterward fall back and cast it away.

It goes on: "And some fell among thorns;" by which are signified souls that are full of worldly cares. For thorns are cares.

St. John Chrysostom: He then mentions good ground, saying, "And other seeds fell on good ground." For the difference in the fruits follows the quality of the ground. But great is the Sower's love for humanity, for He commends the first, does not reject the second, and gives a place to the third.

Theophylact of Ohrid: See also how the bad are the majority, and the saved are few, for only the fourth part of the ground is found to be saved.

St. John Chrysostom: The greater part of the seed is lost not through the fault of the sower, but of the soil that received it—that is, of the soul that hears. A human farmer, if he sowed this way, would be rightly blamed, for he knows that rock, the path, or thorny ground cannot become fertile. In spiritual matters, however, it is not so. For it is possible for rocky ground to become fertile, for the path to no longer be trampled, and for the thorns to be destroyed. If this were not possible, He would not have sown there. Therefore, by this He gives us hope for repentance.

It goes on, "And He said to them, 'He who has ears to hear, let him hear.'"

The Venerable Bede: Whenever this phrase is inserted in the Gospel or in the Apocalypse of John, what is spoken is mystical and is indicated as beneficial to hear and learn. The ears for hearing belong to the heart, and the ears for obeying and doing what is commanded belong to an inner sense.

There follows, "And when He was alone, those around Him with the twelve asked Him about the parables. And He said to them, 'To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside everything is in parables.'"

Pseudo-Chrysostom: It is as if He said to them, "You who are worthy to be taught all things that are suitable for teaching will learn the meaning of the parables; but I use parables with those who are unworthy to learn because of their wickedness." It was right that those who did not hold fast in their obedience to the law they had received should not share in a new teaching, but should be alienated from both. For He showed by the obedience of His disciples that the others, by contrast, had become unworthy of mystical doctrine. Then, by introducing a voice from prophecy, He exposes their wickedness, which had been condemned long before.⁴

This is why it goes on, "so that 'seeing they may see, but not perceive...'" (see Isaiah 6:9), as if He said that the prophecy which foretells these things might be fulfilled.

Theophylact of Ohrid: For it was God who enabled them to see—that is, to understand what is good. But they themselves do not see, willfully making themselves blind, so that they might not be converted and correct themselves, as if they were displeased with their own salvation.

It goes on, "lest they should turn and be forgiven."

Pseudo-Chrysostom: Thus, they see and do not see; they hear and do not understand. Their ability to see and hear comes from God's grace, but their failure to understand comes from their own unwillingness to receive that grace. They close their eyes, pretending they cannot see, and do not accept what was said. As a result, they are not changed from their sins by hearing and seeing, but are instead made worse.⁵

Theophylact of Ohrid: Alternatively, we can understand His speaking to the others in parables—so that "seeing they might not perceive, and hearing they might not understand"—in a different way. God gives sight and understanding to those who seek them, but He blinds the rest, so that it does not become a greater accusation against them that, even though they understood, they did not choose to do what they ought.

This is why it goes on, "Lest at any time they should be converted..."

St. Augustine of Hippo: Alternatively, they deserved their lack of understanding, and yet this itself was an act of mercy toward them, so that they might recognize their sins and, by converting, merit a pardon.⁶

The Venerable Bede: To those who are "outside," then, all things are done in parables—that is, both the actions and the words of the Savior—because they were unable to acknowledge Him as God, neither in the miracles He was performing nor in the mysteries He preached. Therefore, they are not able to attain the remission of their sins.

Pseudo-Chrysostom: His speaking to them only in parables, without ceasing to speak to them entirely, shows that for those who are near to what is good—even if they have no good in themselves—good is still shown to them in a disguised form.⁷ When a person approaches it with reverence and a right heart, he wins for himself an abundant revelation of mysteries. When, on the contrary, his thoughts are not sound, he will be made worthy neither of those things that are easy for many people, nor even of hearing them.

There follows, "And He said to them, 'Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables?'"

Pseudo-Jerome: For it was necessary that those to whom He spoke in parables should ask about what they did not understand. They needed to learn from the Apostle, whom they despised, the mystery of the kingdom which they themselves did not possess.

Glossa Ordinaria: For this reason, the Lord, in saying these things, shows that they ought to understand this first parable and all the miracles that follow.

Therefore, explaining it, He goes on, "The sower sows the word."

St. John Chrysostom: Indeed, the prophet compared teaching the people to planting a vine (Isaiah 5), but here it is compared to sowing. This is to show that obedience is now a shorter and easier path, and will yield fruit sooner.⁸

The Venerable Bede: In this explanation from the Lord, the whole range of those who might hear the words of truth but are unable to attain salvation is included. There are some for whom no faith, no intellect, and indeed no opportunity to test its usefulness can provide an understanding of the word they hear; of these He says, "And these are the ones along the path." For unclean spirits immediately take away the word entrusted to their hearts, just as birds carry away the seed from the trampled path.

There are others who both experience its usefulness and feel a desire for it, but some are frightened by the calamities of this world, while others are allured by its prosperity, so that they do not attain what they approve of. Of the first, He says, "And these are the ones sown on rocky ground;" of the latter, "And these are the ones who are sown among thorns." Riches are called thorns because they tear the soul with piercing thoughts; after leading it to sin, they, so to speak, make it bleed by inflicting a wound.

Again He says, "and the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches;" for the person who is deceived by an empty desire for riches will soon be afflicted by the toil of constant cares. He adds, "and the desires for other things;" because whoever despises the commandments of God and wanders away, lustfully seeking other things, is unable to attain the joy of blessedness. And sinful desires of this kind choke the word because they do not allow a good desire to enter the heart and, as it were, suffocate the entrance of life-giving breath.

However, the Gentiles, who do not even have the grace to hear the words of life, are an exception to these different classes of people.

Theophylact of Ohrid: Furthermore, among those who receive the seed as they should, there are three degrees.

This is why it goes on, "And these are the ones who are sown on good ground." Those who bear fruit a hundredfold are those who lead a perfect and obedient life, such as virgins and hermits. Those who bear fruit sixtyfold are those in the middle, such as self-controlled personsⁱ and those living in convents. Those who bear fruit thirtyfold are those who, though weak, still bear fruit according to their own virtue, such as laypeople and married persons.

The Venerable Bede: Alternatively, one bears fruit thirtyfold who instills faith in the Holy Trinity into the minds of the elect; sixtyfold, who teaches the perfection of good works; and a hundredfold, who shows the rewards of the heavenly kingdom.

In ancient counting, the number one hundred is made with the right handⁱ; therefore, that number is a fitting symbol for everlasting happiness. The good ground is the conscience of the elect, which does the opposite of the other three types. It willingly receives the seed of the word entrusted to it and keeps it until the time of fruit.

Pseudo-Jerome: Alternatively, the fruits of the earth are contained in the thirty, sixty, or a hundredfold yields—that is, in the Law, the Prophets, and the Gospel.

St. John Chrysostom: After the disciples’ question about the parable and its explanation, He rightly adds, Is a candle brought... As if to say, a parable is given not so that it remains obscure and hidden, as if under a bed or a bushel, but so that it is revealed to those who are worthy. The candle within us is that of our intellectual nature, and it shines either clearly or dimly according to the degree of our illumination. For if the meditations that feed the light and the recollection with which such a light is kindled are neglected, it is immediately extinguished.

Pseudo-Jerome: Or else, the candle is the teaching concerning the three kinds of seed. The bushel or the bed is the hearing of the disobedient. The Apostles are the candlestick, whom the word of the Lord has enlightened.

Therefore, it continues, For there is nothing hidden...

The hidden and secret thing is the parable of the seed, which comes to light when it is explained by the Lord.

Theophylact of Ohrid: Alternatively, the Lord warns His disciples to be as a light in their life and conduct. It is as if He were saying, “Just as a candle is placed so as to give light, so all will look to your life. Therefore, be diligent to lead a good life; do not sit in corners, but be a candle.”

For a candle gives light not when placed under a bed, but on a candlestick. This light must indeed be placed on a candlestick—that is, on the eminence of a godly life—so that it may be able to give light to others.

It must not be placed under a bushel, that is, in matters of food and drink, nor under a bed, that is, in idleness. For no one who pursues the pleasures of his palate and loves rest can be a light shining over all.

The Venerable Bede: Or, because the time of our life is contained within a certain measure of Divine Providence, it is rightly compared to a bushel. But the bed of the soul is the body, in which it dwells and rests for a time. Therefore, the one who hides the word of God under the love of this transitory life and of fleshly temptations covers his candle with a bushel or a bed. ¹

But he puts his light on a candlestick who uses his body in the ministry of the word of God. Therefore, with these words He symbolically teaches them a model for preaching.

Therefore, it continues, For there is nothing hidden that will not be revealed, nor is there anything made secret that will not come to light.

As if to say, do not be ashamed of the Gospel, but in the midst of the darkness of persecution, raise the light of the word of God upon the candlestick of your body. Keep firmly in your mind that day when the Lord will throw light upon the hidden places of darkness, for then everlasting praise awaits you, and everlasting punishment awaits your adversaries.

St. John Chrysostom: Or else, There is nothing hidden...; as if to say, if you conduct your life with care, accusation will not be able to obscure your light. ²

Theophylact of Ohrid: For each of us, whether he has done good or evil, is brought to light in this life, and even more so in the life to come. For what can be more hidden than God? Nevertheless, He Himself was revealed in the flesh.

It continues, If any man have ears to hear, let him hear.

The Venerable Bede: That is, if anyone has a capacity for understanding the word of God, let him not withdraw. Let him not turn his ear to fables, but let him lend his ear to examine what truth has spoken, his hands to carry it out, and his tongue to preach it.

It follows, And He said unto them, Take heed what ye hear.

Theophylact of Ohrid: This means that none of the things I say to you should escape you. With what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you...; that is, whatever degree of diligence you bring, you will receive a corresponding degree of benefit.

The Venerable Bede: Or else, if you diligently strive to do all the good that you can and to teach it to your neighbors, the mercy of God will intervene to give you, both in this present life, the capacity to grasp higher things and the will to do better things, and will add for the future an everlasting reward. And therefore it is added, And to you shall more be given.

Pseudo-Jerome: According to the measure of his faith, the understanding of mysteries is given to each person, and the virtues of knowledge will also be added to them.

It continues: For he that hath, to him shall be given...; that is, he who has faith will have virtue, and he who has obedience to the word will also have understanding of the mystery.

Conversely, the one who does not have faith lacks virtue, and he who is not obedient to the word will not have understanding of it. And if he does not understand, it is as if he had not heard at all.

Pseudo-Chrysostom: Or else, to the one who has the desire and wish to hear and to seek, more will be given. But from the one who does not have the desire to hear divine things, even what he happens to possess from the written law is taken from him. ³

The Venerable Bede: For sometimes a clever reader, by neglecting his mind, deprives himself of a wisdom whose sweetness is tasted by the one who, though slow in intellect, works more diligently.

St. John Chrysostom: Again it may be said, that he "does not have" who does not have truth. But our Lord says that "he has" because he has a lie, for everyone whose understanding believes a lie thinks that he possesses something.

Pseudo-Chrysostom: A parable appeared a little earlier about the three seeds that perished in various ways and the one that was saved. In the case of the latter, He also shows three different outcomes, corresponding to the measure of one's faith and practice.¹

Here, however, He presents a parable concerning only those who are saved.

Therefore, it is said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground...

Pseudo-Jerome: The kingdom of God is the Church, which is ruled by God and itself rules over humanity, treading down the powers that are opposed to it, and all wickedness.

Pseudo-Chrysostom: Alternatively, He calls the kingdom of God faith in Him and in the economy of His Incarnation; this kingdom is indeed like a man who casts seed.²

For He Himself, being God and the Son of God, was made man without changing His divine nature. He has cast seed upon the earth—that is, He has enlightened the whole world with the word of divine knowledge.

Pseudo-Jerome: For the seed is the word of life, the ground is the human heart, and the man’s sleep signifies the Savior’s death. The seed springs up night and day because after the sleep of Christ, the number of Christians continued to flourish more and more in faith and to grow greater in deed, through both calamity and prosperity.

Pseudo-Chrysostom: Alternatively, Christ Himself is the man who rises, for He waited with patience for those who received the seed to bear fruit.³

He rises—that is, through the word of His love, He makes us grow toward bearing fruit. He does this by the armor of righteousness for the right hand, which signifies the day, and for the left, which signifies the night of persecution (2 Corinthians 6:7). For by these means, the seed springs up and does not wither.

Theophylact of Ohrid: Alternatively, Christ sleeps, meaning He ascends into heaven. There, though He seems to sleep, He yet rises by night when He raises us up to the knowledge of Himself through temptations, and in the daytime when, in response to our prayers, He works out our salvation.

Pseudo-Jerome: But when He says, He knows not how, He is speaking figuratively; that is, He does not make it known to us who among us will produce fruit to the end.

Pseudo-Chrysostom: Alternatively, He says, He knows not, to show the free will of those who receive the word. For He entrusts a work to our will and does not do everything Himself, so that the good does not seem involuntary. The earth brings forth fruit of its own accord; that is, it bears fruit without being compelled by a necessity contrary to its will. First the blade.⁴

Pseudo-Jerome: The blade is fear, for the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom (Psalm 111:10). Then comes the full corn in the ear, which is charity, for charity is the fulfilling of the Law (see Romans 13:8).

Pseudo-Chrysostom: Alternatively, first it produces the blade in the law of nature, gradually growing toward maturity. Afterwards, it produces the ears—which are to be collected into a bundle and offered on an altar to the Lord—that is, in the law of Moses. Finally, it produces the full fruit in the Gospel.⁵

Or, it is because we must not only put forth leaves through obedience but also learn prudence and, like the stalk of grain, remain upright without heeding the winds that blow us about. We must also guard our soul with diligent reflection so that, like the ears of grain, we may bear fruit—that is, demonstrate the perfect working of virtue.

Theophylact of Ohrid: For we put forth the blade when we show the beginning of goodness; then the ear, when we can resist temptations; then comes the fruit, when a person produces something perfect.

The parable continues: and when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he sends the sickle, because the harvest has come.

Pseudo-Jerome: The sickle is death or the judgment, which cuts down all things; the harvest is the end of the world.

St. Gregory the Great: Alternatively, a person casts seed on the ground when they place a good intention in their heart; and they sleep when they rest in the hope that accompanies a good work.⁶

But this person rises night and day because they advance amid both prosperity and adversity. Though they do not know it—for they are not yet able to measure their own growth—the virtue, once conceived, continues to increase.

Therefore, when we conceive good desires, we put seed into the ground. When we begin to act rightly, we are the blade. When we grow toward the perfection of good works, we arrive at the ear. When we are firmly established in the perfection of that same work, we are already producing the full grain in the ear.

Glossa Ordinaria: After telling the parable about the fruit that comes from the seed of the Gospel, he now adds another parable to show the excellence of the Gospel's doctrine above all other doctrines.

For this reason, it is said, And He said, Whereunto shall we liken the kingdom of God?

Theophylact of Ohrid: The word of faith is very brief indeed: Believe in God, and you will be saved. But its preaching has spread far and wide over the earth and has grown so much that the birds of heaven—that is, contemplative people, sublime in understanding and knowledge—dwell under it.

For how many wise men among the Gentiles, leaving their wisdom behind, have found rest in the preaching of the Gospel! Therefore, its preaching is greater than all.

St. John Chrysostom: And also, because the wisdom spoken among the perfect expands what was told to people in short discourses—growing to an extent greater than all other sayings—for there is nothing greater than this truth.

Theophylact of Ohrid: Again, it put forth great boughs, for the Apostles branched out like the boughs of a tree—some to Rome, some to India, and some to other parts of the world.

Pseudo-Jerome: Alternatively, that seed is very small in fear but great when it has grown into charity, which is greater than all herbs, for God is love (1 John 4:16), while all flesh is grass (Isaiah 40:6).

The boughs which it puts forth are those of mercy and compassion, since under its shade the poor of Christ—who are meant by the living creatures of the heavens—delight to dwell.

The Venerable Bede: Again, the man who sows is interpreted by many to be the Savior Himself, and by others, as a person sowing in their own heart.

St. John Chrysostom: Then after this, Mark, who delights in brevity, adds this to show the nature of the parables: And with many such parables spake He the word unto them as they could hear Him.

Theophylact of Ohrid: Since the multitude was uneducated, He instructs them using examples from food and familiar things. For this reason, He adds, But without a parable spake He not unto them, that is, so that they would be encouraged to approach and ask Him.

The text continues, And when they were alone, He explained all things to His disciples—that is, all the things they did not understand and asked Him about, not simply everything, whether it was obscure or not.

Pseudo-Jerome: For they were worthy to hear the mysteries privately, in the most secret sanctuary of wisdom. They were people who, removed from the crowds of evil thoughts, remained in the solitude of virtue; for wisdom is received in a time of quiet.

Pseudo-Jerome: After His teaching, they come from that place to the sea and are tossed by the waves.

Therefore it is said, And on that day, when evening had come...

Remigius of Auxerre: The Lord is said to have had three places of refuge: the ship, the mountain, and the desert. As often as He was pressed by the multitude, He would retreat to one of these. When the Lord saw many crowds around Him, He, as a man, wished to avoid their insistence and ordered His disciples to go over to the other side.

There follows: And sending away the multitudes, they took Him...

St. John Chrysostom: The Lord took the disciples so that they might be spectators of the coming miracle, but He took them alone so that no others might see that they had such little faith. ¹

Therefore, to show that others crossed over separately, it is said, And there were also with Him other ships.

So that the disciples might not become proud of being taken alone, He permits them to be in danger. He does this also so that they might learn to bear temptations courageously.

For this reason, it continues, And there arose a great storm of wind... and so that He might impress upon them a greater sense of the miracle to be performed, He allows time for their fear by sleeping.

Therefore, it follows, And He was in the stern of the ship...

For if He had been awake, they either would not have been afraid, would not have asked Him to save them when the storm arose, or they would not have thought Him capable of such things.

Theophylact of Ohrid: Therefore, He allowed them to fall into the fear of danger so that they might experience His power in themselves, after having seen others benefit from Him. But He was sleeping on the ship’s pillow, that is, on a wooden one.

St. John Chrysostom: This showed His humility and thus taught us many lessons of wisdom. But the disciples who remained with Him did not yet know His glory; they thought that if He arose He could command the winds, but that He could by no means do so while resting or asleep. ²

And therefore it follows, And they woke Him and said to Him, “Master, do you not care that we perish?”

Theophylact of Ohrid: But He, arising, first rebukes the wind, which was raising the tempest on the sea and causing the waves to swell. This is expressed in what follows, And He arose and rebuked the wind... then He commands the sea.

For this reason, it goes on, And He said to the sea, “Peace, be still.”

Glossa Ordinaria: The agitation of the sea creates a sound that seems like a threatening voice. Therefore, using a metaphor, He appropriately commands tranquility with a word that means silence. In the same way, He uses a rebuke to restrain the winds, which disturb the sea with their violence.

Men in power are accustomed to restraining those who rudely disturb the peace by threatening punishment. From this, we are to understand that just as a king can suppress violent men with threats and calm the discontent of his people with his decrees, so Christ, the King of all creatures, restrained the violence of the winds with His threats and compelled the sea to be silent.

And the effect followed immediately, for it continues, And the wind ceased... when He had threatened it, and there was a great calm—that is, on the sea, to which He had commanded silence.

Theophylact of Ohrid: He rebuked His disciples for not having faith, for it goes on, And He said to them, “Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?” For if they had faith, they would have believed that even while sleeping, He could keep them safe.

There follows, And they were filled with great fear and said to one another...

They were uncertain about Him. Because He stilled the sea—not with a rod like Moses, nor with prayers like Elisha at the Jordan, nor with the ark like Joshua son of Nun—they considered Him truly God. Yet, because He was asleep, they also thought Him a man.

Pseudo-Jerome: Mystically, however, the stern of the ship represents the beginning of the Church. In the Church, the Lord sleeps in His body only, for He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The ship, with its coverings of dead animal skins, protects the living inside, keeps out the waves, and is held together by wood. In the same way, the Church is saved by the cross and the death of the Lord.

The pillow is the body of the Lord, on which His Divinity, which is like His head, has come down.

But the wind and the sea are devils and persecutors, to whom He says “Peace” when He restrains the decrees of impious kings, as He wills. The great calm is the peace of the Church after oppression, or a contemplative life after an active one.

The Venerable Bede: Alternatively, the ship He boarded can be understood as the tree of His passion, by which the faithful reach the safety of the shore. The other ships said to have been with the Lord signify those who are filled with faith in Christ's cross and are not battered by the whirlwind of tribulation, or who, after the storms of temptation, enjoy the serenity of peace.

While His disciples are sailing, Christ is asleep. This signifies that the time of our Lord's Passion came upon His faithful followers while they were meditating on the peace of His future reign. Therefore, it is related that this took place in the evening, so that not only the Lord's sleep but also the hour of fading 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. His own patience, however, is not disturbed, but His foolish disciples are struck with amazement. The disciples awaken the Lord because, with the most earnest wishes, they sought the resurrection of Him whom they had seen die. When He rose, He threatened the wind, because in triumphing through His resurrection, He overthrew the pride of the devil.

He ordered the sea to be still, meaning that by rising again, He subdued the rage of the Jews. The disciples are blamed because after His resurrection, He rebuked them for their unbelief. We also, when marked with the sign of the Lord's cross, determine to leave the world and embark in the ship with Christ. We attempt to cross the sea, but as we sail amid the roaring waters, He falls asleep. This happens when, amid our struggles for virtue or the attacks of evil spirits, wicked men, or our own thoughts, the flame of our love grows cold.

In storms like these, let us diligently strive to awaken Him. He will soon restrain the tempest, pour out peace upon us, and bring us to the harbor of salvation.