in the least,, so that the sailors had to awaken him by force: “And the ship-master came to him, and said to him: Why art thou fast asleep? rise up! call upon thy God, if so be that God will think of us, that we may not perish.”[1] In the same way, I repeat, we act in the storm of calamity; prayers and sighs and groans, entreaties for mercy and grace are sent up to Heaven; but by whom? Generally speaking by those who are least to blame for the storm; by good, pious souls who have always been zealous in the performance of works of devotion and piety, and faithful in the service of God. But on the other hand, what is done by sinners who alone are to blame for the evil on account of their bad and vicious lives, and for whose sake the innocent, too, have to suffer? Ah, little they care for the cries of the others! Like Jonas they sleep in the depths of their sins; the calamities they suffer do not make them more diligent in visiting the church; they do not dream of trying to avert the divine anger by doing penance for their sins. Nay, some of them are so stupid as to give up praying; their despair drives them to curse when they feel the rod; they seek still more the occasions of sin and bad company, and rejoice when the carnival begins at Shrove-tide. Fine times indeed we have now to think of such things! Sinner, “why art thou fast asleep?” Rise up; call upon thy God! be converted; help us to pray and do penance, for God has visited us on account of your sins! Rise up, O unchaste man! give up your impurity, the intimacy in which you have been living unlawfully with this or that person! Gall upon thy God; it is your adultery, your shameful acts, your unlawful love that has brought this chastisement on us! Rise up, vain child of the world! lay aside that scandalous dress and put on the garb of penance! Call upon God; humble yourself before Him whose anger you have aroused by your filthy pride and vanity! Rise up, O vindictive man, and be reconciled with your enemy! Call upon God for pardon of your sins; your hatred, anger, quarrelling, and fighting are the occasion of the evils we are suffering! Rise up, unjust man! give back what you have gained oy usury and injustice; your greed of gold has brought us to poverty! Rise up, all of you, and call upon God! Awake out of your sleep; do penance; for God will not relax until they who are the cause of His wrath submit to Him. The
- ↑ Jonas descendit ad interiora navis, et dormiebat sopore gravi. Et accecsit ad eum gubernator, et dixit ei: Quid tu sopore deprimeris? Surge, invoca Deum tuum, si forte recogitet Deus de nobis, et non pereamus.—Jonas i. 5, 6.
