WEBVTT 00:00:00.040 --> 00:00:02.419 In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and 00:00:02.419 --> 00:00:09.500 of the Holy Spirit. Since today we commemorate 00:00:09.500 --> 00:00:15.800 the Holy Apostle, protomartyr, and Archdeacon 00:00:15.800 --> 00:00:19.079 Stephen, actually the translation of his relics, 00:00:19.179 --> 00:00:27.160 I wanted to mention him because he was martyred 00:00:27.160 --> 00:00:33.149 for preaching the gospel and fearlessly standing 00:00:33.149 --> 00:00:36.750 up to the Sanhedrin when they brought him before 00:00:36.750 --> 00:00:43.649 them to judge him. He boldly proclaimed the gospel 00:00:43.649 --> 00:00:51.530 with his life unto death and life eternal. But 00:00:51.530 --> 00:00:54.450 unlike Peter, who was yet young in the truth, 00:00:54.590 --> 00:00:57.990 Stephen had received the grace of Pentecost. 00:00:58.960 --> 00:01:03.700 And by the indwelling spirit, he literally ignores 00:01:03.700 --> 00:01:06.680 the nature of this world to proclaim the truth. 00:01:07.859 --> 00:01:11.859 And he walks into a storm, much like the apostles 00:01:11.859 --> 00:01:16.060 found themselves in a storm on that lake in the 00:01:16.060 --> 00:01:20.319 gospel. He walked into the same storm that we 00:01:20.319 --> 00:01:26.079 face. We face it one way or another, and that 00:01:26.079 --> 00:01:31.700 is that it's a world in denial. And he was boldly 00:01:31.700 --> 00:01:38.480 able to stand before them with no fear, no doubt, 00:01:38.599 --> 00:01:43.879 full of the Holy Spirit and testify to the reality 00:01:43.879 --> 00:01:48.480 of the kingdom of God and to the literal desecration 00:01:48.480 --> 00:01:51.719 of the temple and the people of God that they 00:01:51.719 --> 00:01:55.980 were living as the rulers and judges and priests 00:01:55.980 --> 00:02:06.920 of the time. While the Lord bid Peter come to 00:02:06.920 --> 00:02:10.500 let him grow in the faith, when he stepped out 00:02:10.500 --> 00:02:15.259 on the water, he asked, can I do this? The Lord 00:02:15.259 --> 00:02:22.819 said, come. It let him grow in faith. But Stephen, 00:02:22.979 --> 00:02:27.860 fearlessly and faithfully, had one foot in the 00:02:27.860 --> 00:02:33.099 kingdom of heaven. The other one was on a stormy 00:02:33.099 --> 00:02:36.699 sea or dirty tile. It didn't make any difference 00:02:36.699 --> 00:02:39.280 because he had a foot firmly in the kingdom of 00:02:39.280 --> 00:02:43.340 heaven that was open to him. As we hear in Acts 00:02:43.340 --> 00:02:50.300 7, verse 55, who being full of the Holy Spirit 00:02:50.300 --> 00:02:54.300 gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God and 00:02:54.300 --> 00:02:57.419 Jesus standing at the right hand of God and said, 00:02:57.460 --> 00:03:00.800 look. I see the heavens opened and the Son of 00:03:00.800 --> 00:03:06.819 Man standing at the right hand of God. Peter 00:03:06.819 --> 00:03:12.300 was bid come, the Lord reaching to him. For Stephen, 00:03:12.460 --> 00:03:15.580 the kingdom of God was opened and he saw his 00:03:15.580 --> 00:03:21.479 Lord. Stephen's called the converser with angels. 00:03:21.539 --> 00:03:26.490 He was at home with the heavenly realm. and becomes 00:03:26.490 --> 00:03:31.629 the protomartyr of the church. What a wonderful 00:03:31.629 --> 00:03:40.189 way to go from this life to the next. But we 00:03:40.189 --> 00:03:44.870 have a gospel that helps us along the way. Before 00:03:44.870 --> 00:03:48.650 I read it, I was inspired by the words of St. 00:03:49.750 --> 00:03:53.580 Nikolai Vilomirovich. In the introduction to 00:03:53.580 --> 00:03:57.240 his interpretation of this passage of scripture 00:03:57.240 --> 00:04:02.659 this Sunday, St. Nicholas says, what do you think, 00:04:02.680 --> 00:04:07.159 you who are followers of Christ and are baptized 00:04:07.159 --> 00:04:12.840 in his name, what do you think? Do you not feel 00:04:12.840 --> 00:04:15.840 every day that you are following the greatest 00:04:15.840 --> 00:04:19.199 victor since the beginning of the world and of 00:04:19.199 --> 00:04:23.569 time? that you are all baptized in the name of 00:04:23.569 --> 00:04:28.110 him who knows and can do all things, who adorns 00:04:28.110 --> 00:04:31.910 all creatures with his beauty, caresses them 00:04:31.910 --> 00:04:37.529 with his mercy, and vivifies them with his life. 00:04:39.329 --> 00:04:43.589 If you don't feel this, it will be of little 00:04:43.589 --> 00:04:50.569 help to follow him. I'll say that again. If you 00:04:50.569 --> 00:04:54.009 don't feel this, it will be of little help to 00:04:54.009 --> 00:04:58.949 follow him and call yourself by his name, Christian. 00:05:01.209 --> 00:05:03.910 Only through the Lord Jesus can you, without 00:05:03.910 --> 00:05:07.790 doubt and the least hesitation, believe in the 00:05:07.790 --> 00:05:12.250 utterly victorious power of the living God over 00:05:12.250 --> 00:05:18.310 every creature, every element, and of all evil 00:05:18.310 --> 00:05:21.579 in the world. Only the Lord can give you the 00:05:21.579 --> 00:05:26.300 courage to live and to pass through death. And 00:05:26.300 --> 00:05:32.600 only he can arouse in you a love for all that 00:05:32.600 --> 00:05:38.100 is good. For he is God's incarnate victory over 00:05:38.100 --> 00:05:44.579 the world. Saint Nikolai goes on to say, Be, 00:05:44.860 --> 00:05:48.220 he quotes Christ, be of good cheer, I have overcome 00:05:48.220 --> 00:05:53.500 the world. From John 6, 33. Said Christ to his 00:05:53.500 --> 00:05:59.220 disciples, and he says it through them to each 00:05:59.220 --> 00:06:03.740 of us. Everyone here. Be of good cheer. I have 00:06:03.740 --> 00:06:09.040 overcome the world. And he ends the selection. 00:06:10.399 --> 00:06:14.120 Let us therefore approach the interpreting of 00:06:14.120 --> 00:06:18.680 today's gospel with no shadow of doubt. For it 00:06:18.680 --> 00:06:24.839 describes the tremendous victory of Christ. And 00:06:24.839 --> 00:06:27.779 with those words of encouragement, I want to 00:06:27.779 --> 00:06:33.240 take us into today's lesson. But remember this 00:06:33.240 --> 00:06:36.759 admonition of St. Nikolai every time you hear 00:06:36.759 --> 00:06:44.459 scripture or read it at home. Today is a continuation 00:06:44.459 --> 00:06:47.810 of last Sunday. We find ourselves in Matthew 00:06:47.810 --> 00:06:53.189 14, beginning at verse 23, right after he had 00:06:53.189 --> 00:06:57.529 fed the 5 ,000. It's just a continuation. There's 00:06:57.529 --> 00:07:05.290 really no break. And what happens next in this 00:07:05.290 --> 00:07:10.709 continuation will catch the apostles astonished, 00:07:10.850 --> 00:07:16.149 amazed. Their eyes were on him. As an instrument 00:07:16.149 --> 00:07:19.250 of the almighty. They were transfixed on his 00:07:19.250 --> 00:07:22.730 teaching. Everything he taught in his new gospel. 00:07:22.910 --> 00:07:27.129 And the way that he was amongst the people. Especially 00:07:27.129 --> 00:07:30.269 the healing. And the care and compassion. Even 00:07:30.269 --> 00:07:36.829 the words. Your sins are forgiven me. They had 00:07:36.829 --> 00:07:39.930 never heard a gospel like this. Never seen these 00:07:39.930 --> 00:07:44.089 kind of miracles. But they were not prepared. 00:07:45.069 --> 00:07:48.310 for the miracle they had just come from, the 00:07:48.310 --> 00:07:52.069 feeding of the 5 ,000 when they had made no provision 00:07:52.069 --> 00:07:58.310 for this crowd. And he took the most common thing 00:07:58.310 --> 00:08:02.110 that they would see and touch every day and from 00:08:02.110 --> 00:08:05.790 it feed the 5 ,000. I speculate it might have 00:08:05.790 --> 00:08:09.629 been 10 or 20 ,000 because there were 5 ,000 00:08:09.629 --> 00:08:13.699 men plus women and children. And in those days, 00:08:13.720 --> 00:08:16.060 that didn't mean one kid followed their parents. 00:08:16.759 --> 00:08:22.000 It could have been a whole passel of them, a 00:08:22.000 --> 00:08:27.000 whole gaggle of little kids there too. So whether 00:08:27.000 --> 00:08:31.220 5 ,000 or 10 or 20, this miraculous feeding from 00:08:31.220 --> 00:08:36.179 these few loaves was mind -blowing, astonishing. 00:08:36.980 --> 00:08:43.330 They weren't prepared for that. And especially 00:08:43.330 --> 00:08:45.350 they weren't prepared for what was happening 00:08:45.350 --> 00:08:49.690 next. So let me read this part again. A couple 00:08:49.690 --> 00:08:53.250 pieces of it anyway. And when he had sent the 00:08:53.250 --> 00:08:55.389 multitudes away, he went up into the mountain 00:08:55.389 --> 00:08:59.250 apart to pray. And when the evening was come, 00:08:59.549 --> 00:09:04.149 he was there all alone. The last one ended with 00:09:04.149 --> 00:09:08.259 this, but it's repeated. Even though it sounds 00:09:08.259 --> 00:09:10.580 pretty straightforward, what is he doing? He's 00:09:10.580 --> 00:09:13.139 sending the apostles away. He's sending the people 00:09:13.139 --> 00:09:15.899 away. He's climbing a mountain. He's up there 00:09:15.899 --> 00:09:17.960 alone, and he's praying in the darkness of night. 00:09:18.940 --> 00:09:22.840 A reunion, so to speak, with the Father because 00:09:22.840 --> 00:09:26.919 of the triumph of what had just happened in the 00:09:26.919 --> 00:09:30.519 feeding of the 5 ,000 and what was about to happen 00:09:30.519 --> 00:09:39.720 in his actions that night. But there's more to 00:09:39.720 --> 00:09:41.740 it than just saying he did this, this, this, 00:09:41.779 --> 00:09:44.519 and this, and then we go to the lake. You see, 00:09:44.580 --> 00:09:46.620 it has a deeper meaning. It is a meaning for 00:09:46.620 --> 00:09:52.100 us and for how we must view how we pray. There's 00:09:52.100 --> 00:09:54.879 the sending away, the people and the apostles. 00:09:55.799 --> 00:09:58.320 We separate ourselves from the cares of this 00:09:58.320 --> 00:10:02.379 world. We have to send them away, all the cares 00:10:02.379 --> 00:10:04.399 of the world, things that bind us, things that 00:10:04.399 --> 00:10:08.159 worry us, things that give us anxiety. We send 00:10:08.159 --> 00:10:12.700 it away. And we go up to the mountain too. For 00:10:12.700 --> 00:10:14.980 us, it's lifting up our hearts and minds to be 00:10:14.980 --> 00:10:17.860 closer to God. And then we remain in solitude 00:10:17.860 --> 00:10:23.019 during prayer to eliminate the distraction of 00:10:23.019 --> 00:10:26.960 the light of this world so that we can have the 00:10:26.960 --> 00:10:38.389 true light given to us. Send away. Go up to God, 00:10:38.590 --> 00:10:42.350 remain in solitude, and stand in darkness is 00:10:42.350 --> 00:10:45.169 what Jesus did. And in some way, even with a 00:10:45.169 --> 00:10:47.429 simple instruction like going into your closet 00:10:47.429 --> 00:10:51.529 to pray, all those things happen. All those ingredients 00:10:51.529 --> 00:10:59.230 are there. So a reunion after one event and before 00:10:59.230 --> 00:11:05.179 what happens next. But the ship was now in the 00:11:05.179 --> 00:11:07.940 midst of the sea, tossed with waves. For the 00:11:07.940 --> 00:11:10.080 wind was contrary. And in the fourth watch of 00:11:10.080 --> 00:11:14.039 the night, Jesus went unto them, walking on the 00:11:14.039 --> 00:11:19.720 sea. They were tossed about by wind and waves. 00:11:21.179 --> 00:11:26.860 And it was dark. And then comes Jesus, walking. 00:11:28.460 --> 00:11:30.879 How would they see him? Have you ever been out 00:11:30.879 --> 00:11:33.500 where it's pitch black, no moon, no stars, no 00:11:33.500 --> 00:11:37.759 lights? If you're walking in the woods, you're 00:11:37.759 --> 00:11:39.980 going like this so you don't just go head first 00:11:39.980 --> 00:11:43.159 into a tree. How do they see him coming walking 00:11:43.159 --> 00:11:47.820 on the waves? Interesting question. There's no 00:11:47.820 --> 00:11:52.899 reflected moon or stars. There's not harbor lights 00:11:52.899 --> 00:11:57.990 to outline his silhouette. Now, it was something 00:11:57.990 --> 00:12:01.870 not of this world they were experiencing. He 00:12:01.870 --> 00:12:08.289 appears. And they, because this appearance was 00:12:08.289 --> 00:12:12.889 so not normal in those conditions, they feared 00:12:12.889 --> 00:12:16.990 a spirit or a ghost. But it wasn't. It was Jesus 00:12:16.990 --> 00:12:23.250 Christ. What they're seeing may be a little taste 00:12:23.250 --> 00:12:27.710 of the light of Tabor. That light that radiated 00:12:27.710 --> 00:12:31.509 from the Lord himself. So they could see this 00:12:31.509 --> 00:12:37.029 walking silhouette. And then there's a sequence 00:12:37.029 --> 00:12:40.909 of events. A sequence that has a lesson for us. 00:12:41.889 --> 00:12:44.750 The fear of the storm, the darkness, the unknown, 00:12:45.029 --> 00:12:49.049 even the spirits. Christ dispels it all when 00:12:49.049 --> 00:12:52.269 he gets close. He says, be of good cheer, it 00:12:52.269 --> 00:12:56.879 is I. Do not be afraid. They couldn't even recognize 00:12:56.879 --> 00:13:01.240 him until he said this because this illumination 00:13:01.240 --> 00:13:04.480 was not only not expected, but it was not what 00:13:04.480 --> 00:13:10.100 they normally saw. Think of that. In our storms 00:13:10.100 --> 00:13:14.600 of life, we need to turn to him and remember 00:13:14.600 --> 00:13:17.759 this consolation. Remember, he's always there 00:13:17.759 --> 00:13:22.399 waiting to say to you, be of good cheer, it is 00:13:22.399 --> 00:13:27.029 I. no matter what you worry about, no matter 00:13:27.029 --> 00:13:34.549 what has you down or hurting. Peter lets his 00:13:34.549 --> 00:13:39.190 love and faith lead him, but he carries a combination 00:13:39.190 --> 00:13:45.970 of joy and doubt. He says, Lord, excited as can 00:13:45.970 --> 00:13:51.899 be when he is told who it is. But his doubt is 00:13:51.899 --> 00:14:00.659 there too when he says, if it be thee, he loves 00:14:00.659 --> 00:14:04.980 and asks to come to him. To come to thee is how 00:14:04.980 --> 00:14:11.220 he says it. So Jesus bids him to come. Peter, 00:14:11.440 --> 00:14:14.340 then with love and faith, comes down and walks 00:14:14.340 --> 00:14:18.100 on the water. Not because it was cool to walk 00:14:18.100 --> 00:14:22.240 around. He didn't go, ooh. holding me up. This 00:14:22.240 --> 00:14:26.639 is cool. He tests it a little bit to make sure 00:14:26.639 --> 00:14:33.139 it's all okay. Nothing like that. No. All he 00:14:33.139 --> 00:14:36.320 cared about was the Lord had said come, and with 00:14:36.320 --> 00:14:40.679 all of his heart, all of his soul, there was 00:14:40.679 --> 00:14:45.259 nothing that could keep him from the Lord, including 00:14:45.259 --> 00:14:48.700 having the audacity to just step out and go. 00:14:54.540 --> 00:14:58.259 But Peter in doubt, he lets the winds shake his 00:14:58.259 --> 00:15:00.940 faith, kind of like the winds shake our faith. 00:15:01.120 --> 00:15:04.220 We can be inspired about something. We can attend 00:15:04.220 --> 00:15:07.700 our best friend's baptism and be all excited 00:15:07.700 --> 00:15:10.320 for them and everything. And then we go home 00:15:10.320 --> 00:15:13.899 and we let the winds of life toss us around a 00:15:13.899 --> 00:15:17.080 little bit. Then we find ourselves later kind 00:15:17.080 --> 00:15:22.019 of down or distracted. Or worried again about 00:15:22.019 --> 00:15:24.120 that thing that we finally put out of our mind 00:15:24.120 --> 00:15:29.200 for a whole day. Whatever those things are. But 00:15:29.200 --> 00:15:31.799 he does do the one thing important as he sings. 00:15:31.879 --> 00:15:35.480 He says, Lord, save me. And that's what the Lord 00:15:35.480 --> 00:15:38.720 and the fathers and the whole church teaches 00:15:38.720 --> 00:15:42.019 us to do. Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me. 00:15:42.279 --> 00:15:48.289 Lord, save me. God, have mercy on me. So our 00:15:48.289 --> 00:15:50.370 Lord stretched out his hand and he catches him 00:15:50.370 --> 00:15:54.389 with all the love and compassion that only he 00:15:54.389 --> 00:15:59.490 who loves all mankind can give. And he conveys 00:15:59.490 --> 00:16:04.110 this, what sounds like an admonition, but it's 00:16:04.110 --> 00:16:06.370 done with every bit of kindness and love that 00:16:06.370 --> 00:16:11.690 can be mustered. Oh, you of little faith, why 00:16:11.690 --> 00:16:18.399 did you doubt? Just as we as parents, Or we as 00:16:18.399 --> 00:16:25.220 children of elderly parents or to best friends, 00:16:25.340 --> 00:16:30.720 we have a twinge of compassion when we see that 00:16:30.720 --> 00:16:35.419 someone is in need. And Jesus pinpointed it. 00:16:35.759 --> 00:16:42.840 It was doubt. It was a little faith. And this 00:16:42.840 --> 00:16:48.039 passage ends with them. recognizing that everything 00:16:48.039 --> 00:16:52.220 that happened means only one thing. This is their 00:16:52.220 --> 00:16:55.600 Lord God and Savior. And for the first time, 00:16:55.600 --> 00:16:59.039 we hear the apostles gathering together to affirm 00:16:59.039 --> 00:17:02.940 the faith and the truth of who Jesus Christ is, 00:17:03.179 --> 00:17:08.420 just like us here today. It doesn't matter what 00:17:08.420 --> 00:17:12.279 had you sinking yesterday or last night or last 00:17:12.279 --> 00:17:15.059 week. It doesn't matter how much you doubted. 00:17:15.849 --> 00:17:20.390 Come, always come, to reach out to one another 00:17:20.390 --> 00:17:24.289 in love and compassion, holding one another up 00:17:24.289 --> 00:17:31.490 in the light of Christ. To pile on a bit about 00:17:31.490 --> 00:17:34.250 the words of St. Nikolai, I want to repeat something. 00:17:35.170 --> 00:17:38.150 Let us therefore approach the interpreting of 00:17:38.150 --> 00:17:42.250 today's gospel with no shadow of doubt that it 00:17:42.250 --> 00:17:49.039 is meant for us to apply to ourselves. This isn't 00:17:49.039 --> 00:17:51.579 just some phenomenal story of something that 00:17:51.579 --> 00:17:56.519 happened that the Lord Almighty could do. It's 00:17:56.519 --> 00:18:01.539 meant to apply every bit to our own lives and 00:18:01.539 --> 00:18:05.039 to our life together, especially as we are in 00:18:05.039 --> 00:18:07.859 this boat in a storm -tossed sea of the world 00:18:07.859 --> 00:18:12.380 to comfort one another and to claim Him, recognize 00:18:12.380 --> 00:18:19.390 Him. and invite him into our life. We see in 00:18:19.390 --> 00:18:26.809 Peter what we need to find in ourselves. A heart 00:18:26.809 --> 00:18:30.849 that yearns for him. Because if you allow it, 00:18:30.950 --> 00:18:38.650 if you seek it, if you cultivate it, he will 00:18:38.650 --> 00:18:44.099 cry to you, come. Glory to Jesus Christ.