If the need be God may raise tempests against the ship

[Mary Naeem]

Pope Shenouda III


Jonah

If the need be God may raise tempests against the ship of your life, forcing you to throw some of the worldly matters outside the ship. The ship of your life may be overloaded with self-righteousness, or overloaded with stubbornness or the love of the world and when the waves blow against it, it shakes. Lighten your ships, brethren. Most probably God sanctioned that the ship be stricken so that we may throw out of it the bags of self-righteousness, the case of pleasures and the basket of obstinacy. Throw out all that hinders you, and keep nothing in your hearts but the love of God.