Boat And Church

Ascendit in naviculam, et transfretavit et venit in civitatem suam. Ascendit, inquit, in naviculam, Christus Ecclesiae suae navem, saeculi fluctus semper mitigaturus ascendit, ut credentes in se ad coelestem patriam tranquilla navigatione perducat, et municipes civitatis suae faciat quos humanitiatis suae fecit esse consortes. Non ergo Christus indiget navi, sed navis indiget Christo, quia sine coelesti gubernatione navis Ecclesiae per mundanum pelagus, tali et tanto discrimine ad coelestem portum non valet pervenire. Sanctus Petrus Chrysologus, Homilia L, De Paralytico Curato, Sanctus Maximus Taurinensis Homilia CVIII Source: Migne PL 52.340b, PL 57.503b-c

He went into the boat and passed across and came to his own city. 1 He went, it says, into the boat, that is, Christ went into the ship of his own Church, ever subduing the waves of the age, that those faithful to Him may be led with calm navigation to the celestial fatherland, and he may make them citizens of His own city whom He has made coheirs of His own flesh. Christ, therefore, does not need the boat, but the boat needs Christ, because without heavenly guidance the ship of the Church passing through the waters of the world, lacking such and so much discrimination would not be able to come to the celestial harbour. Saint Peter Chrysologus, from Homily 50, On The Curing of the Paralytic, and Saint Maximus of Turin from Sermon 118 1 Mt 9.1