In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

Today we heard the Lord asking the Apostle Peter: “Who do you say that I am?” The Apostle Peter said: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God”. The Saviour said to him that flesh, and blood had not revealed this to him but the Grace of God revealed it.

This is the essence of our own Orthodox Christian way. The Apostle Peter was a man just like everyone else. He was tempted just like anyone else. He denied Christ because he was afraid. Several times he tried to run away from his responsibility because he was afraid. However, every time he repented, he turned about, and he went back to Christ. Christ forgave him. Christ strengthened him. Christ made him strong by the Grace of the all-holy Spirit.

It is important for you, and for me to remember that the Apostle Peter had his weak moments too. He was not a perfect person. He was a human being like you, and I are human beings. He could be afraid. At the time of the Crucifixion, and the condemnation of Christ, he was so scared of what might happen that he pretended he did not know Christ. We know all of this from the Scriptures. Yet with tears he turned again to Christ.

Our way is the same way as his. You, and I sometimes forget our way, and sometimes forget Whom we are serving. Sometimes we fall down. However, when we have turned back to the Lord with tears, and asked for His forgiveness, He is waiting to receive us with love. He is waiting just as He was waiting for the Apostle Peter to turn back to Him. He is waiting for us to turn back to Him, to take His hand, and to stand on the waves of the sea with Him, looking at Him, confident in His love. On that particular occasion when the Lord was walking on the water towards the boat on the Sea of Galilee, and the sea was stormy, and they were afraid, still the Apostle Peter said: “If it is You, Lord, ask me to come to You on the water" (Matt. 14:8). And the Lord did, and the Apostle did walk on the water (until he took his eyes off Christ, and noticed all the wind, and the waves). He began to be afraid, and to sink. But as soon as he began to sink he said: “Save me, Lord" (Matt. 14:30). The Lord took him by the hand, and said to him: “Why did you doubt?” (Matt. 14:31). He pulled him up, and the Apostle stood again on the water with the Saviour.

You, and I, in the middle of the turmoil of life, in the middle of the waves, and disturbance of life, must be like the Apostle Peter, and look at the Saviour, and not at the trouble around us. We must look at the Saviour, and trust Him. When the Apostle Peter looked at the Saviour, and trusted Him, not only did he stand on the water, but the storm was stilled.

Brothers, and sisters, we are living in a very difficult time in human history. There are more wars than we could ever have imagined would be happening at the same time. People are afraid everywhere. We, who are Orthodox Christians, must show them the Way: the Way of love, and trust in Jesus Christ. It does not matter what happens to us as long as our eyes, and our hearts are focussed on Jesus Christ. He is our Saviour. There is no other. He will protect us. If the time comes for our lives to end, He still will protect us, and draw us to Himself, and in love give us eternal life. That is what our Orthodox Way is all about, and nothing else – loving Jesus Christ, knowing Jesus Christ, and serving Him.

Our whole Orthodox history has been about nothing else but knowing, and loving the one, true Jesus Christ, and living according to that love. He is the only Truth there is. We live in that Truth, the Truth of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who took flesh out of love for us. He was crucified, died, was buried, rose again from the dead, ascended into Heaven, and sits at the right hand of the Father, and sends the Holy Spirit upon us. We do not, as Orthodox Christians, have philosophical ideas about who that one, true, same Lord, Jesus Christ is. We only explain our love. We only explain our personal encounter with Jesus Christ, and how that affects our lives, and how we live our life because we love Jesus Christ. Everything about us is about that.

When the Apostle Peter confessed Jesus Christ, the Saviour said to him: “You are Peter. On this rock I will build my Church”. Peter in Greek means “rock”. It’s not just on Peter himself, by the way. The rock is also the rock of his faith in Jesus Christ, and the Rock Himself, our Saviour, Jesus Christ. This is the foundation of our Church.

When times are difficult, when times are troubling, when you are feeling afraid like the Apostle Peter, when you have doubts like the Apostle Peter, when you are afraid enough even to betray, and deny Christ like the Apostle Peter, nevertheless, all of you, remember the Saviour’s love. Turn about, take His hand, stand in His love. Your life of love here affects people everywhere around you. The Lord is using you as His missionaries of love. You don’t have to have a degree to be a missionary of Christ’s love. You just have to know Jesus Christ, love Him, and be willing to serve Him.

Brothers, and sisters, like the Apostle Peter, let us hold on to the hand of Jesus Christ. Let us look into His eyes, and His heart, and allow Him to give us strength, hope, peace and the Grace to follow Him, and to convey His love to those who are hungry, thirsty, and searching. In this way He will draw them to Himself through us. Together we will more and more glorify our Saviour, and God willing, enable this city to become an Orthodox Christian city.

This has to be the aim of our lives: to be yeast, and salt in this city, so that the Lord may bring this city to Himself. May we, together with this whole city, glorify our Saviour, Jesus Christ, in eternity as well as here, together with His Father, who is from everlasting, and His all-holy, good, and life-creating Spirit, now, and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

† Archdiocese of Canada - Orthodox Church in America