Homily on the Synaxis of the Holy Apostles Mark 3: 13-19 and 1 Corinthians 4: 9-16.
Today we celebrate our Exarchal feast day - a day where we commemorate the lives and great faith of the Holy Apostles – without their faith and sacrifice, we might not be standing here today. Indeed, these were the men who first heeded the call of our Lord and Saviour, and ‘walked by faith and not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7).’ Whilst it is inevitable that they all witnessed the great miracles performed by our Lord and Saviour, it is also certain, that they were to experience the vast depths of suffering that our Lord and Saviour suffered before He was lead to His death on the Cross - like a common thief! These are the men who preached throughout the limits of the world the truth of Christ crucified – even if people would seek to mock that very crucifixion as so many people and religions do to this day! Yes, this message might seem foolish to some, but Saint Paul states:
“For the message of the Cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us, who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written – I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent (1 Corinthians 1: 18-19).”
What this means is that to those who have rejected the truth of Christ’s Gospel the Holy Cross is merely a thing to be mocked - for in their pride, their so-called ‘wisdom’, will lead them down to a place where even angels fear to tread!
Who then were these Apostles? These Apostles were the men who walked fearlessly into cities and towns despite the fact that many in these places would prove to be hostile to the message of Christ– yet they heeded Christ’s call to go out and preach the Gospel of truth to all (Mark 3: 13-15). Saint Paul tells us clearly that to be an Apostle was not easy for he states:
“… I speak as a fool – I am more: in labours more abundant, in sripes above measure, in prison more frequently, in deaths often. From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one. Three times I was beaten with roods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwreaked; a day and a night I have been in the deep; in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness – besides the other things, what comes upon me daily: my deep concern for all the churches. (2 Corinthians 11: 23-28).”
This excerpt gives us a sense of all the sufferings that all the Holy Apostles undertook – all for the love of Christ and their fellow man!
Today we Christians bemoan the hostility of the world to Christ and His Gospel – indeed, many Christians will shy away from revealing their faith - lest one person should mock or reject them. Yet the Apostles were clear that they stood for Christ, and that if one follows Christ, one has to be his hands and feet in this world. Many hostile people oversimplify our faith as being just a nice fluffy do-gooder philosophy that essentially can achieve nothing! However, Christ is clear that our faith is a truth that can cost much to the individual practicing it for He says:
“For I have come to set a ‘man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter –in-law against her mother-in-law’; and ‘a man’s enemies will be those of his own household.’ He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. He who loves son or Daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take up His Cross and follow me is not worthy of Me. He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.”
What this passage means for us Christians is that to follow the Gospel can be hard and can bring many tribulations - for there are many who seek to make the life of Christians difficult. This is even more so today, in that our society has become more and more anti-Christian! Yet alarmingly they will embrace the dictates of other faiths that seek to imprison and subjugate rather than embracing the all-freeing love of the All-Holy Trinity! Man of this age has become self-absorbed, and the dictate of this age has become – “I’ll do what I want because I am all that counts, all that exists is ‘my truth.’” How sad a predicament to be in – man has started to believe the lie that all truth is relative and subject to his whims; meaning, in his mind, there can be no absolute truth! However, an action cannot be both right and wrong at the same time! Can I exist and not exist both at the same time? I think not! This attitude has even spread to the sciences – scientists have known for years that universe clearly points to having a definite beginning - which if one looks at all, the evidence has to be from nothing. Yet, they are not happy with this because this can only point to the existence of the All-Holy Trinity, so they invent even more fanciful theories to try and edit God out of His creation – the theory of the multiverse being one of them. Moreover, if one analyses these fanciful theories, there is always one question that they cannot answer, which is – ‘how can matter come from nothing? If one follows logic matter has to have a cause, and that can only be the All-Holy Trinity!
All things considered, let us not despair for even though the Church is in the same position as it was in the time of the Apostles, Christ is clear on one point that the ‘gates of Hell cannot and will not be able to prevail against her (Matthew 16: 18). Also, do not forget that the Church has survived many persecutions at the hands of the world and those who hate Her – through all of which, She has survived and grown stronger. If we keep the faith and do our best to spread Christ’s message of love, then surely the All-Holy Trinity will bless our efforts. This is the promise of Christ, and this is our faith; a truth that has been known in the world for over 2000 years - a truth that will ultimately be revealed to those who have rejected Christ when He the source of all truth and life comes again in Glory to judge the living and the dead! Let our faith and trust in the All-Holy Trinity be strong for He will abide by His promises – let us then abide by our baptismal promises! We like the Apostles, are called to go out into the world and teach this faithless generation about the truth of Christ and the Gospel. Remember, we are called to be like Christ the Good Shepherd and go out into the world to seek His lost and broken sheep. We are called to show them that there is a path that they can take that will lead them to the fulfilment that is found in Christ and His Church (John 10: 1-21). If we follow the example of the Apostles, then we will bear much fruit for Christ, and then Christ will say to us at the last Judgement:
“… well done good and faithful servants! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come enter in the joy of your Lord (Matthew 25: 21).”
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