And as a ship that passeth over the waves of the water, which when it is gone by, the trace thereof cannot be found, neither the pathway of the keel in the waves;
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Chromatius of Aquileia
AD 407
There is no doubt that the boat symbolizes the church, bearing in mind what the Holy Spirit says, through Solomon: "She is like a merchant ship, securing her provisions from afar." This can be speaking of nothing other than the church for these reasons: under the guidance of the Lord, with the apostles for its pilots, being blown by the Holy Spirit, this church, by the preaching of the Word, races through the whole world. At the same time, it carries with it a treasure of inestimable value, with which it has purchased the whole human race, and indeed the whole world: the price is the blood of Christ. Solomon also speaks of this price in another passage when he says, "You cannot trace the path of a ship that crosses the sea." What this means to say is that the manner of life of the church is not according to the principles of this world but according to the norms of the heavenly life, as the holy apostle reminds us: "But our homeland is in heaven." - "Tractate on Matthew 42.5"
"Can you find the tracks of a passing boat or of an eagle seeking its prey?" As indeed the sea does not preserve the tracks of a boat, or the air, those of an eagle seeking its prey, in the same way that their tracks are not found, so the abundance of this world, when it passes, leaves no trace of happiness. It is forgotten along with what caused it. Thus Job despised all the fragility of this life, and taught us to not linger over it. - "Homilies on Job 12"
