I heard an old joke that asks the question, “Do you know what the word ‘boat’ stands for?  Bust Out Another Thousand.”  Never having owned a boat, I will have to accept those that do own one that they are expense to have and maintain.

I mention that because the Church is sometimes referred to as the “Boat of Christ.”  In church architecture, the area where the congregation gathers for worship -- where we are right now -- is called the “nave.”  Have you ever wondered why?  It comes from the Latin word “navis” which means “boat.”  It is the same Latin word which gives us the word navy and naval.  So right now we are all in the “Boat of Christ.”

Today, as disciples of Jesus we have a place in the nave when we gather for Mass, but more importantly, by baptism we have a place in the Catholic Church symbolized by the boat.

But as we know, that boat is being rocked by the wind and waves of sin, scandals, corruption, and the unfaithfulness of some its members and even some of its leaders. 

That boat is also being tossed about by the wind and waves of a society that dismisses the idea of a personal and sovereign God, rejects any restrictions on human desires, idolizes the celebrities of the moment, craves ever more possessions and pleasures, and threatens those whose values oppose its own.

Yet that is the boat, that is the Church, in which God has placed us and where he wants us to stay. It is to that storm-tossed boat that Jesus continues to come as his Word is proclaimed, as the Eucharist is shared, and as the Sacraments are celebrated. And that is the boat that Jesus has promised never to abandon to the wind and waves. "And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age." 

What are we to do when the winds get strong and the waves get high?  We can learn a lesson from the Prophet Elijah in today’s first reading.  A bit of the backstory; Elijah was a prophet in the Northern Kingdom of Israel which had succumbed to the “secular” world around them.  The king had married Jezebel, who promoted the worship of false gods, particularly Baal.  The passage which we heard today comes right after Elijah’s victory over the prophets of Baal; remember, they could not get Baal to light the fire of their sacrifice, whereas God did consume with fire the sacrifice that Elijah offered, even after soaking it with water.  The people put the prophets of Baal to death, and exclaim that the Lord is God.  It turns out to be a short lived victory; the people fall back into worshipping the false gods, and Jezebel threatens to kill Elijah.  

He eventually flees to Mount Horeb, the mountain of God.  There Elijah has an encounter with God.  Standing at the mouth of the cave he has been staying in, Elijah knows the Lord is not to be found in the earthquake, the fire, or any other pyrotechnics or “special effects.” He reacts at the quietest of noises, knowing the Lord is there.

When we’re faced with turmoil, we too need to ignore the pyrotechnics of the situation and seek a moment of quiet. That’s where we’ll find the Lord.  It may take time and sacrifice, but the Lord will reveal himself.

As long as we’re on good terms with Our Lord (a life of grace), the Lord dwells inside us. Even when we’re not, he is near, always ready to reconnect.  

If you want to be able to seek out the Lord in stormy moments, foster the habit of seeking him out in calm ones as well.  When things are going well, thank him.  When life is not full of earth-shattering events, talk to him.  Friends talk about everything no matter what the circumstances.

Sunday's Gospel tells us to remain in the boat, to continue to find our place in the nave. It also reminds us that Peter only began to sink when he stepped out of the boat.  Our Church may be rocked, pitched about, and shaken, but it is the boat that will take us to "the other side," that will take us to the kingdom.  We need to stay on board!  Take a moment sometime this week to foster an awareness of Our Lord’s presence in your soul and speak with him.