Saints and Scripture Peter's Boat

Immediately He made the disciples get into the boat and go ahead of Him to the other side, while He sent the crowds away. ²³ After He had sent the crowds away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray; and when it was evening, He was there alone. ²⁴ But the boat was already a long distance from the land, battered by the waves; for the wind was  contrary. ²⁵ And in the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea. ²⁶ When the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out in fear. ²⁷ But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “ Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.” ²⁸ Peter said to Him, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” ²⁹ And He said, “Come!” And Peter got out of the boat, and walked on the water and came toward Jesus. ³⁰ But seeing the wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!” ³¹ Immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and took hold of him, and said to him, “ You of little faith, why did you doubt?” ³² When they got into the boat, the wind stopped. ³³ And those who were in the boat worshiped Him, saying, “You are certainly God’s Son!” 
Matthew 14:22-33 NASB

This was the reading today in our Melkite parish. This is one of my favorite passages! Unfortunately, I missed most of the homily because Princess had to go potty. Here's a picture of the icon on the wall of our parish, notice the mast.

I always think of Peter's boat as a type of the Church. I first came across this as I meditated on the image of St Peter's Barque on a frosted glass window in a chapel at Mount Angel Seminary. Jesus and His followers journeyed together to the other side of the sea carrying Jesus and His salvific message. Also it is shown by Peter's sinking that the only safe and sure place is in the boat (Church). Also, note that it is Peter's boat as in Peter the man whom all Popes have succeeded. I always think of Chef from Apocalypse Now after he was attacked by a tiger while looking for mangoes: "Don't get out of the f@#$*!g boat!"
I think of Christ walking on the water as opposed to parting the sea. I'm not sure where there thought will eventually go.
I think of St Peter in desperate need of physical salvation crying out to Jesus to save him. I like the parallel with spiritual salvation and Jesus carrying him back to the boat which is a type of the Church.
I think about the last sentence. They worshiped Him. There are some miracles where the Apostles are clearly more impressed than at other times. Even still, after the Resurrection some of them still doubted.
The lack of faith isn't just with Peter for being afraid and thus sinking, the other Apostles were clearly worried the boat would sink and them with it.
I also think of the story when Jesus was sleeping through the storm and they woke him to save the boat from sinking. Did He go back to sleep? For that matter what would the Savior of the World dream about?
I've published poems on 50 Days After about St Peter's barque here and here. In both poems I emphasized Peter's barque as a type of the Church and Christ's guarantee that the Church would never fail is portrayed by the unsinkable nature of St Peter's Barque, after all the "gates of hell shall never prevail against" the Church aka Peter's Barque.

Click on the picture to see the other submissions for Saints and Scripture Sunday.

May God bless all who read my ramblings,

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Peter's Barque II

Many fisherman had boats on the sea
But only one of these contained He
That the water, wind, and storms obey
That created the world in seven days
Only in Peter's barque was He contained
The Lord our God who had deigned
To condescend to our mortal form
And in this barque grant us sinners shelter from the storm

Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me a sinner!

Peter's Barque I
May God bless all who read my ramblings,

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Calming of the storms

The other day I was reading an abbreviated version of the story of Jonah to Princess. As I was reading, I noticed for the first time that Jonah was asleep as the storm raged. I've read the story before and I'm sure that I read that part before, but it stuck out to me this time because I thought about Jesus sleeping in Peter's barque as the storm raged on the Sea of Galilee.

I was struck by how much Jonah on the boat as the storm raged was the opposite of Jesus in the boat as the storm raged. Both were fast asleep during the storm. Jesus calmed it, but in Jonah's case it calmed when he was thrown overboard. Jonah was running away from his calling among gentiles. Jesus as man as well as God was fulfilling God's will to preach to people on the other shore and traveled among Jews.

Also, Jesus spoke of the sign of Jonah. I get the three days in the whale as three days in the tomb. Does the casting of lots and choosing Jonah to throw overboard correspond with the Jews choosing Jesus for crucifixion over Barabbas?

Peter's barque is a metaphor of the Church so what does that make the boat Jonah was on?

Thoughts?

May God bless all who read my ramblings,

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  a previous post on Jonah

Post #300

I don't know why I chose 300 for a posting milestone. Its as good as any other hundred number.
Anyways here's a look back at some of my favorite posts:
Fr Corapi Facts
Athanasius Contra Mundum
Mary Poem
Catholic Carnival: St Joseph the Worker
St Joseph: A real Anti-Communist Hero
Top 5 Reasons I am Catholic
Peter's Barque

1 Year

1 year ago I posted on this blog for the first time. I named it after Pentecost (50 Days After Easter). At that time I was a seminarian wondering about his vocation. Since then I left the sem, went into the Active Duty Army and married. Obviously a lot has changed in that year.
Below are a few of my favorite posts:
Welcome
Peter's Barque
Pray a Rosary for an end to Marxism
Miraculous Medal
What Would Jesus Drive?
Thank you Catholic and GOP for the blog birthday wishes!
Remember, today is National Pro-Life T-Shirt Day.

Nave

I found out last night that nave means ship. The nave is the main part of a cruciform (in the shape of a cross) church. The other part of a cruciform church is the transept.
The nave is where the body would go on a cross and the transept is where the arms would have been placed.
I find it interesting that nave means ship, because my favorite Biblical prefiguring of the Church is Peter's barque. I don't know why its my favorite but it has always fascinated me and it would seem that through architecture we are reinforcing the boat as an image of the Church. Jesus at the head of the boat, in the Eucharist with the successors to the apostles.

May God bless all who read my ramblings,

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Peter's Barque

Lord, the wind and waves assault the hull and the sail
Yet, You guaranteed the gates of hell will not prevail
Despite the storm You sleep in the back, unafraid
"Lord Jesus", we cry, "Awake and come to our aid."
On the command of His voice the storm is gone
Even now, we are in awe like Peter and John

Who is this Man who commands and calms the storm
He is the Word made flesh, He is the incarnate Lord
Still today many journey with Jesus in Peter's boat
We journey to our home, Heaven so remote
Still today we hear his words, "Do not be afraid."
Death and pain may come, but He is our aid

Storms and trials will come, but the boat will not sink

Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me!