Homily on the 4th Sunday after Pentecost
“Lord,” he said, “my servant lies at home paralyzed, suffering terribly.”
In todays Gospel acclamation we hear a wonderful recount of a centurion soldier who shows an enormous amount of trust, faith and hope in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
The centurions servant was greatly ill and needed immediate medical attention or he would have died, so Jesus asks - "Shall I come to heal him?" At which the centurion replies that he was unworthy for Jesus to come into his home. The centurion believed that if Jesus said that the servant was healed it would be so! At which Jesus was astonished at the incredible faith and trust he had in Jesus.
Part of our human fragility is that a lot of the time we tend to doubt and forget the infinite power and limitless ability of the All-Holy-Trinity. If we can recall in the gospel of Luke Jesus exhorts - Do not say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I say unto you, that God is able from these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. Lk3:8
As children we believe wholeheartedly in the unending power of God. As a child we know beyond a shadow of a doubt that God can make it rain, make it sunny, restore health, help us to accomplish the impossible and to witness the supernatural due to a child being undefiled by committing conscience sin.
However, once we reach the age of between 9-16 depending on the parents of the child, we are taught that the power we once believed God had was no more than a fairy-tale, such as Alice in Wonderland.
Thus, these young, impressionable and soon to be adults soon cease believing in the capabilities of our Most High God and sadly He (God) is in the same category as fairy tale stories. Sadly society which promotes freedom, happiness, adventure and life-fulfilment is in actual fact a lie that stems from evil personified.
The main objective that the evil one has, is the destruction of mankind because "it" cannot handle that we are made in the image of God; and anything that is of God it hates. Furthermore, if it uses the materialism of this wold to attract us and we spend all our time focusing and enjoying the riches of this world, where does God come into the picture? He (God) doesn't. “No one can serve two masters. Mt 6:24
Therefore, life lived in the absence of God is a life of hell, depression, loneliness, hate, illness and so on. I will share a personal account that happened to me as a Deacon.
Several years ago I fell into a bad place in my life and I began to have feeling of unworthiness, self hatred and wanted to leave the ranks of the clergy. I thus expressed my thoughts and feelings with the Bishops and I was granted Canonical dispensation from severing for a period of 2 months at which I was forbidden to attend any of the Divine services. I was asked to have some time out as to figure out if this is what I truly wanted for my life.
Now may I just say that it was the most horrible 2 months of my life. Being unable to render worship onto God as I had come to know how was terribly difficult. Thus, not that God had abandoned me but He allowed me to experience a life without Him and may I say it was so harsh that words cannot describe what the absence of God is like. All I can say is that it was what hell must be like!
After the dispensation period was over I was asked to give an answer to the synod of Bishops stating whether to go ahead and leave the ranks of the clergy or ask for pardon and remain. Of course I opted for the second option and have never looked back since.
Life is hard and especially when our emotions are in a constant state of flux it is all the more difficult; throw in mental illness and that makes it all the more harder. However, as Orthodox Christians we have the upper hand! We have the Church and it's Mysteries to deal with life and it's problems, not to mention we have each other to lean on.
“Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith."
Last week I was playing with my daughters, jumping on the bed, chasing them around Presbytera's legs as she was preparing dinner; doing all the fun things that as a parent I should have been saying no to. However, I'm a big child at heart too and can also be mischievous at times.
Thus, I picked up my daughter Mia and held her upside down by her feet and she said to me - "daddy please don't drop me". To which I replied - "Don't worry my princess, I will never drop you". Mia replied - "I know daddy, I trust you".
This is the same relationship God desires to have with each and every one of us for we are His children and us His sons and daughters! None is like the other. This relationship is Individual, personal, authentic and without end!
Thus, the Lord our God wants us to trust in Him just as a parent would want their child to trust them because like all good parent, God only wants the best for His children!
Moreover, in exchange for this trust/faith the Lord bestows infinite blessings numberless as the sands!
Therefore, the next time fear takes a hold of us in whatever way, let us turn to God first and tell Him - "Lord I'm scared. I need your help and intervention. I can't do this without you. Please come to my aid".
I promise God will not leave you in your fear but will raise you up and give you the courage and grace to deal with the fear at hand; embracing you as the loving Father of Mercies rendering your very person whole!
“Go! Let it be done just as you believed it would.” And his servant was healed at that moment.
Through the prayer of the Theotokos, Her spouse Saint Joseph, Saint Jude Step-brother of the Lord whom the Church commemorates this day, Lord Jesus Christ our God have mercy on us and save us. Amen
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