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In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
It's good to be back. This past week, Matushka and I spent some time on the Cape with some family. And we got to walk along the shore every morning and watch the waves come crashing onto the coast. One day I happened to look at the calendar and saw that it was the day of the Prophet Elijah. And it occurred to me that a couple of years ago, on that very same day, we were visiting a very close family friend, a priest of ours in Feodosia, a city on the Black Sea. When we arrived the day before, the sea was restless and the water was dark. But that morning the wind became gentle and the water was perfectly still, like glass. And as the sun arose, a seagull that had been circling the waters came down and rested just on top of the sea—an amazing image of prayer. When we are at peace, the Spirit comes to rest in us. "Be still and know that I am God."
The sea is a beautiful and tremendous force. Its depths are unknown. Its surface can take us to where we need to go. Its waters sustain us. But if we are not careful, it can carry us away and we become lost. In last week's Gospel, we got to consider the mystery of bread, which is the Word and also the presence of Christ in our lives. We gather together each week and we stand quietly on our own or with family every morning and every evening to anchor ourselves in God through prayer. Today's Gospel gives us something to consider as we struggle to live a life in the presence of God amidst a busy sea of distractions.
"Now when evening came, He was alone there. But the boat was now in the middle of the sea, tossed by the waves, for the wind was contrary. Now in the fourth watch of the night, Jesus went to them, walking on the sea. And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, 'It is a ghost!' And they cried out for fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, 'Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.' And Peter answered Him and said, 'Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.' So He said, 'Come.' And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. But when he saw the wind was boisterous, he became afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, 'Lord, save me!' And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, 'O you of little faith, why did you doubt?' And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased."
The Apostle began to sink in the sea, to be overcome with doubt and uncertainty, as soon as his focus left Christ. Each and every one of us are created for eternity. Our hearts are restless until they rest in God, until peace makes its abode in us. And yet we are all also prisoners of time, forced to face the day with everything that it brings: challenges and blessings, opportunities to reflect and be still, or sometimes pain and tragedy. Like the Apostle Peter in today's Gospel, it is easy to lose our peace as we step out of the ark of the Church and walk on the waters of the sea of life, to be carried away as we try to anticipate the future, forcing circumstances to submit to our will and hoping that our preparations will give us peace. Or perhaps the opposite, to avoid the concerns of the day by walling ourselves off from everything. The first presents us with a hope in something that is false. The second makes even tiny things appear to be overwhelming and insurmountable. Both promise peace, and only bring fear as they take our eyes away from the Lord.
But what can embolden us in these times when we begin to sink? There is a moment from the life of St. Anthony the Great where he spends the night praying in an empty tomb. Then a great multitude of demons come and savagely beat him. Their claws keep him on the ground, and he is lying in agony, turning. And finally, after some time, he lays in the tomb as if dead, unconscious. And then, another day, he gets up, and he sees the Lord God standing before him. And the saint asks God, "Lord, where were You when I was in agony?" And the Lord answers him, "I was beside you this whole time, admiring your bravery."
We are able to bravely bear whatever life may bring, knowing that we are not alone, and that whatever may be, Christ stands before us, just as He stood before the Apostle Peter on the water. Whatever circumstances may be, it does not matter. For, as the Apostle Paul says, "whether we live, we live to the Lord, and whether we die, we die to the Lord."
In times of trouble, we offer, we bear our concerns and our hearts before God. "Lord, save me." In times of tragedy, we care for those who need us, offering prayers. At other times, we ask those who we wronged for forgiveness, doing all these things, focusing on God who is present before us, always. And in this, we come to live the next life through this one, as our lives become a living liturgy. And this is what will bring us peace. There is always an opportunity to love and to find love in all things. As the Lord says, "Behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the world." Amen.
