Dear all.
Gospel Reading
- Yesterday’s gospel reading (Matthew 4:18 – 23) is the calling of the first disciples by Christ: “follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Contained within that statement is a very profound teaching. Notice, Christ calls to follow. For us to follow he must be ahead. All we need to do is to put our feet in his footsteps as he lights the way forward. In that way Christ becomes the light, the truth and the way.
- A leader is someone who leads from the front. A leader is not a boss. The boss tells you what to do because he can. A leader engages with you and you do what you do as a result of the inspiration that is given to you by him. The leader inspires. A leader sells a vision and creates a belief in that vision. That belief is shared with those following and more importantly those following buy into the vision. They buy into the belief.
- A leader takes responsibility for all. He is, if you will, the servant of all. A true leader is humble and looks to the great responsibility that he is taken on and not to the glory of his position for self-aggrandizement. This leader, Christ, spoke great wisdom. He lived love. His miracles spoke of his divinity for no man could do what this man did. This filled the heart of his followers with zeal and conviction which at Pentecost coalesced and turned them into men most wise thus making simple fishermen into fishers of men.
- Christ was not a just man. As Paul said in his epistle to the Romans, for scarcely would one die for a just man. But one would die for God. These disciples, apart from John the Divine, were all martyred for their faith because as fishers of men, filled with the Holy Spirit, they in their turn laid down their life for their sheep whilst walking in the footsteps of Christ.
- So, Christ calls both you and me to become fishers of men. If we are true fishers of men then we too must be repaired to lay down our life for those in our care whilst we, too, follow in the footsteps of Christ.
Around our church
The services this week are as follows: tomorrow, Tuesday divine liturgy from 7:30 AM (St Varvarou), Tuesday evening, Vespers at the Monastery (being for the feast day of the Monastery) from 6 PM; Wednesday, divine liturgy at Monastery from 8 AM; Friday 4 PM divine liturgy for children at St Nektarios; Vigil from 7 PM to 1 AM; Saturday divine liturgy in English 9 AM to 10:15 AM.
Tonight at 6:30 PM I will be continuing catechism classes for those who wish to know more about their faith and for those who are being prepared for baptism.
On Thursday, commencing 7 PM ( *note the new time *) we will be continue our zoom meeting and all are invited. If you wish to join you can do so from your PC, Mac, iPad, iPhone or Android device. We will be continuing to look at the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life.
Do not forget tomorrow, Tuesday, gone 6 EBA FM from 5 to 6 PM I present “the Hour of Orthodoxy “. The focus will be on the coming Sunday’s epistle and gospel. On Thursday from 1:30 PM to 3 PM the divine liturgy recorded on Saturday (English) will be replayed and for 4:30 PM to 6 PM the divine liturgy recorded on Sunday (Greek) will be replayed.
Thought of the week
If we want to live our life in Christ and profess ourselves as fishers of men we have to accept our cross and follow the Lord. As “fishers of men ” our boat is the church, the seas that surround our boat are the various temptations that befall us and our net that we use is the true word of God. To be in the church we must believe in the church given to us by Christ. Anything less makes the craft that you sail unseaworthy and the ways of the world will swamp you and you drown. So, before you can become a fisher of men you must be caught in the net of the Lord.
Till next time.
In Christ.
Father John Athanasiou 0411 061 554
