Fr Denis Hooper OSB
“UNFURL THE SAILS, AND LET THE SPIRIT STEER US WHERE HE WILL” – ST. BEDE THE VENERABLE UNLIKE THE BOAT DESCRIBED IN TODAY’S GOSPEL, HERE IS THE TALE OF ANOTHER LARGER, MODERN AND MUCH MORE ELABORATE CRAFT BY FAR.
THE USS AIRCRAFT-CARRIER GERALD FORD IS THE LARGEST AND MOST TECHNICALLY ADVANCED MACHINE EVER MADE. IT COST $14 BILLION TO BUILD AND WHEN IT HAS ALL IT’S AIRCRAFT ON BOARD IT IS WORTH UPWARDS OF $40 BILLION. BY MY RECKONING IT IS MORE THAN TEN TIMES THE LENGTH OF THIS CHURCH; MORE THAN TEN TIMES THE WIDTH AND FIVE TIMES THE
HEIGHT OF THIS BUILDING.
IT HAS A CREW OF OVER 5,000 – A FLOATING TOWN.
THE TOP SPEED OF THE GERALD FORD IS 48 KILOMETERS PER HOUR AND IT TAKES 5KMS TO COME TO A STOP – FROM THE TIME THEY PUT ON THE BRAKES UNTIL THE TIME THE BOAT COMES TO A STANDSTILL. SO, YOU’D BETTER GET OUT OF ITS WAY – IT WOULD MAKE MINCEMEAT OF THE SMALL BOAT JESUS AND HIS DECIPLES WERE IN, AS DESCRIBED IN TODAY’S GOSPEL! YOU DON’T MESS WITH THE USS GERALD FORD!
LEGEND HAS IT THAT WHEN THE GERALD FORD WAS ON MANUVERS IN THE NORTH ATLANTIC, THE CAPTAIN WAS ALERTED BY HIS RADAR TEAM THAT THERE WAS A SHIP
AHEAD WHICH WAS NOT RESPONDING TO THEIR WARNINGS TO MOVE OUT OF THEIR PATH. THE CAPTAIN – A BURLY, NO-NONSENSE TEXAN WENT OVER TO THE RADAR DECK AND ISSUED HIS OWN WARNING:
“THIS IS THE CAPTAIN OF THE USS GERALD FORD. YOU ARE DIRECTLY IN LINE OF OUR SHIP’S COURSE AND WE ADVISE YOU TO MOVE TO AVOID COLLISION.” “NEGATORIAL” CAME THE REPLY, “WE ADVISE YOU TO MOVE YOUR COURSE INSTEAD.” “I’LL GIVE YOU ONE MORE WARNING” THE CAPTAIN MESSAGED – “EITHER YOU MOVE YOUR COURSE… OR ACCEPT THE CONSEQUENCES” “NEGATORIAL” CAME THE REPLY, FOR A SECOND TIME. “THIS IS THE CAPTAIN OF THE USS GERALD FORD AND THIS IS YOUR VERY FINAL WARNING
– EITHER MOVE OR WE WILL PLOUGH STRAIGHT THROUGH YOU” THE REPLY CAME IMMEDIATELY “THIS IS THE VALENTIA ISLAND LIGHTHOUSE. THE DECISION TO MOVE IS YOURS” TODAY’S GOSPEL SEES THE DECIPLES IN A SMALL FISHING BOAT THAT FINDS ITSELF IN THE TEETH OF A SUDDEN AND NASTY STORM. ANYONE WHO HAS BEEN IN A STORM IN A SMALL BOAT KNOWS EXACTLY HOW SCARY THAT CAN BE.
BUT YOU WOULD THINK THAT SINCE THE DECIPLES HAVE JESUS IN THE BOAT AND EVEN IF HE IS ASLEEP EVEN WE KNOW THAT THERE ISN’T A HOPE IN HELL THAT ANYTHING IS GOING TO GO WRONG. THEY HAVE THE SON OF GOD ABOARD! BUT THEY ARE SCARED – AS ONLY PEOPLE CAN BE WHEN THEY ARE IN A NASTY STORM. AND IN THEIR PANIC, THEY WAKE JESUS – TO GET HIM TO DO SOMETHING BEFORE THEY WILL ALL BE DROWNED. NONE OF US LIKES TO BE WOKEN IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT AND NEITHER DOES JESUS. BUT STILL, NOW THAT THEY HAVE WOKEN HIM, HE LISTENS TO THE FEARFUL PLEAS OF HIS DESCIPLES AND CALMS THE STORM… AND THEIR FEARS. WE PLOUGH AWAY IN OUR OWN SMALL BOATS THROUGH THE CALMS AND THE STORMS OF OUR LIVES.
ST. BEDE THE VENERABLE IN THAT PRAYER I READ TELLS US TO “UNFURL OUR SAILS AND LET THE SPIRIT TAKE US WHEREVER IT WISHES”. IF ONLY WE HAD THE TRUST TO DO THAT! WHEN YOU ARE IN A SMALL FISHING BOAT IN A NASTY STORM YOU WILL DO ANYTHING, PROMISE ANYTHING – IF ONLY IT WILL CALM DOWN. TRUTH BE TOLD THAT WE SO EASILY FORGET THE TERROR AFTER THE STORM – UNTIL OF COURSE THE NEXT TIME IT HAPPENS.
LIKE THE APOSTLES OUR FAITH IS SHAKY TO SAY THE LEAST AND WE FEAR AND DREAD THE STORMY WATERS IN OUR LIVES. WE SOMETIMES FEEL THAT THEY WILL OVERWHELM US. THE SIMPLE MESSAGE OF TODAY’S GOSPEL IS THAT WHEN THE STORMS OF OUR LIVES
ARE TOO MUCH FOR US TO COPE WITH THEN WE ALWAYS HAVE THE OPTION TO TURN TO JESUS AND ASK HIS HELP. EVEN IF WE HAVE TO WAKE HIM – HE WILL HELP US. NEEDLESS TO SAY, BY THE WAY – THE USS GERALD FORD CHANGED ITS COURSE. SOMETIMES YOU ARE BETTER OFF CUTTING YOUR LOSSESS AND GETTING THE HECK OUT OF DODGE!
THE NEW GLENSTAL BOOK OF PRAYER – WHICH I AM TOLD WILL BE ON THE BOOKSHELVES SHORTLY – HAS A BEAUTIFUL PRAYER IN IT BY ST BASIL OF CAESEREA. THIS PRAYER IS ALSO IN THE ORIGINAL GLENSTAL BOOK OF PRAYER – IF YOU ALREADY HAVE A COPY. I PARAPHRASE ST. BASIL’S PRAYER:
“STEER THE SHIP OF MY LIFE GOOD LORD TO YOUR QUIET HARBOUR WHERE I CAN BE SAFE FROM THE STORMS OF SIN AND CONFLICT SHOW ME THE COURSE I SHOULD TAKE…. GIVE ME THE STRENGTH AND COURAGE TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT COURSE EVEN WHEN THE SEA IS ROUGH AND THE WAVES ARE HIGH KNOWING THAT THROUGH ENDURING HARDSHIP AND DANGER
WE SHALL FIND COMFORT AND PEACE”. AMEN