2 Corinthians 6: 1-10; Luke 5: 1-11.
In today's Gospel, we have recounted for us when our Lord and Saviour told the Apostle's Peter, James, and John to go out into the deep and cast their nets. Now Saint Peter was not convinced that this would work as they had been working all night to try and catch some fish. However, when they did as He commanded they caught so many fish as to almost sink their boats.
We are called to have the Apostles' Faith and follow the command of our Lord and Saviour to bring people to Him. This is not an easy task in a world where the very mention of All-Holy Trinity will often get a negative response from the hearer. What are we then to do?
Well, we need to be firm in our Faith and be patient as many of these people have come to see the Faith as a negative thing due to the influences of popular culture and the actions of wolves in sheep's clothing – evil clergy. We then understand that the only way to reach such as these is to show them through our actions and love that we are not the caricatures that they may believe about religious people.
Whilst it is true that many bishops and priests think of themselves as above others simply due to their clerical status. We are called not to be like this! Who was the one who helped the man in the parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37) – the Levite or the one despised by society – the Samaritan? Indeed, the Levite in the parable acted much the same way as these arrogant clergy he looked the other way and crossed the road!
We are called to be like this Samaritan and get our hands dirty in the spread of the Gospel regardless if we are clergy or laity. Remember, the Apostles suffered many things for the spread of Christ's Gospel.
Who did our Lord and Saviour choose to become the Apostles? Were they the great and good of society? Were they the learned, scribes, or the Pharisees? No, they were not! These men were drawn from the lower rungs of Jewish society of His day. These men did not have theological or philosophical degrees to fall back on but rather a living and deep Faith that desired to bring men to the All-Holy Trinity!
Whilst it is essential to know the truths of Orthodoxy if there is no love, then one is no better than a Pharisee – someone who scrupulously follows a set of rules for the admiration and esteem of others.
What does our Lord and Saviour say about those who do such? He condemns them for their hypocrisy and lack of love, for they had been given a certain authority over the Jewish People, yet they were ungodly and unloving(Matthew 23: 13-36).
These men dressed finely whilst others starved physically and spiritually. These Pharisees cared more for how much the Jewish Temple made in tithes than how they could bring those who hunger and thirst for God to God!
These men would be the ones standing in prominent places in the Temple, making sure that everyone saw how holy they were – in much the same way as recounted in the parable of the Publican and the Pharisee (Luke 18: 9-14).
Whilst not everyone in the Church is like this, there are too many who are like this. I have seen priests run around showing everyone their prized cassocks and vestments, which were made by very exclusive and expensive tailoring houses.
Moreover, I have witnessed laity telling others how wonderful it is that their Church is Russian or Greek and that this Russianess or Greekness somehow makes them more valid than other Orthodox Churches!
This does not bring others close to Christ but shows the shallowness of their Faith – they trade God for created things (Romans 1: 25) – a form of idolatry! In the case of these clergy, they idolise decadence and money, and in the case of these laity they idolise nationality! Only shallow men who have lost touch with the All-Holy Trinities Will would do such things.
Whilst I am a firm believer in the best for the All-Holy Trinity in worship, I also believe that there has to be a balance. Yes, the vestments and liturgical furnishing must be beautiful, but they must not be over the top.
Also, whilst it is a wonderful thing to have a cultural background – this cultural background must not overshadow the mission of Christ’s Church to bring all to Christ regardless of nationality!
Moreover, a notion has crept in from Roman Catholicism to Orthodoxy that treats Bishops as if they are little less than kings. Whilst bishops ought to be treated with respect and acknowledged for their important office in the Church – they also are to be men of great love and charity!
Look at the example of all the Apostles – they were poorly treated throughout their earthly ministries. Yet these same men gave their all for the Kingdom of Christ – even their lives. These were not princes or kings but rather humble men who were granted authority over others by our Lord and Saviour (John 20: 19-23; Acts 2: 1-31) who exercised this authority with humility and love for the salvation of all.
Moreover, if we look at the life of a near-contemporary Bishop like Saint John of Shanghai and San Francisco (4 June 1896- 2 of July 1966), we see an example of how a bishop ought to be. Saint John was a loving man, who after the Russian Revolution, ended up in the City of Shanghai looking after the needs of the faithful displaced by this demonic revolution!
Wherever the saint was, he devoted himself tirelessly to charity and the spiritual needs of his people. He did not commit himself to the acquisition of wealth (as some have buying luxurious apartments worth millions in major cities with Church funds); rather, he devoted himself to a life of love spreading the Gospel, whereby he helped those who desperately needed his help. This is why he is so revered by us Orthodox as an excellent example of bishoply conduct.
Furthermore, we can also look to the lives of the many bishops, priests, deacons, monastics, and laity who risked their lives in the Russian Catacomb Church. These clergy and laity refused to be dominated by the state Anti-Church of the Soviets (if it had not been for ROCOR and the Catacomb Church in Russia, Orthodoxy would have been lost in Greece, Italy and, Russia).
These clergy risked life and limb to teach the Faith and ensure that those who desired the Mysteries (Sacraments) could get access to these. Most of these bishops, priests, deacons were martyred for their Faith! Also, many of these monastics and laity suffered the same fate as their clergy all for the injunction of our Lord and Saviour to spread the Gospel of truth!
Additionally, we have to look at the brave efforts of the bishops, priests, deacons, and faithful who were often put in danger in Greece for simply refusing to accept the calendar innovation of the New Calendarist Church of Constantinople. This Calendar change was uncanonically (unlawfully) enforced on the Greek Orthodox Church in 1924 AD by order of a local council of the Patriarchate of Constantinople convened by then Patriarch of Constantinople Meletius Metaxakis in the year of 1923 (21st September 1871 – 28th July 1935). *
Many of these bishops, priests, deacons, monastic and faithful were jailed, beaten – some were even killed (like Holy Martyr Catherine Routsis (1900-1927)) for simply standing up for the Faith in the light of the tortures of the Police ordered by the New Calendarist Bishops under the Patriarchate of Constantinople!
You can read about the life and martyrdom of Saint Catherine on our website in the decrees section (31/03/2019).
Finally, how can you play your part in bringing others to the Faith? Lay faithful have an important role in bringing others to Christ. It is by your actions and prayers that you can bring others to Christ.
Become active in your communities, helping others and openly answering questions about the Faith. If you are unsure how to answer a question, it is perfectly fine to tell the person that you will ask a priest or a deacon and get back to them.
Also, you are an important role model for your children/grandchildren and other young people – if they see that you are sincere in the way you practice your Faith and act with love towards others, they will become curious and ask questions. Asking a question is the first step towards spiritual wisdom and you as a lay person can nurture this growing curiosity.
In fact, this home Church of the family is essential – this is where children learn the truths of Orthodoxy from their parents. Indeed, this is where children first learn to love as Christ loves!
Let us pray that all may be lead to Christ and His Church the Orthodox Church so that they may be lead to the Holy Mysteries for their salvation.
* Note that whilst Meletius was Patriarch of Constantinople the decision of the local anti-council was only enforced in the following year of 1924 by the then Patriarch of Constantinople Gregory VII.
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