Sermon of His Grace, Bishop Partenij of Antania, Delivered During the Divine Liturgy on the Second Sunday after Pentecost, June 18, 2023
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit!
Today’s Holy Gospel, from the Apostle and Evangelist Matthew, speaks to us about Christ’s calling of His first disciples—the first apostolic calling. The first apostles were two sets of brothers: Peter and Andrew, and James and John. Passing by the Sea of Galilee, the Lord Jesus Christ saw these simple fishermen and, with the simplest of words, called them: “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men” (Matt. 4:19).
What is particularly striking is that these ordinary, uneducated men responded immediately. At a single call from the Master, without any questions, without hesitation or calculation, they left their boats and fishing nets—their only source of livelihood—and followed Him. Two of them even left their father, Zebedee, to follow Christ. They did not respond with worldly logic, which would have demanded at least a few practical questions: Where are we going? What does it mean to be fishers of men? Is this work difficult? How will we be paid? Will we have any authority or privileges?
But no, the first disciples asked none of these questions. Without hesitation or doubt, they immediately followed the unusual Teacher and became His disciples. When we reflect deeply on this extraordinary calling and the disciples’ instant response, we cannot help but wonder: What divine authority resonated in the words of Jesus? What spiritual magnetism radiated from His presence? What overwhelming charisma must He have carried that could attract people to Him so powerfully?
Indeed, beloved, this call of the Lord Jesus Christ has echoed throughout Christian history with undiminished power. Even today, that same gracious call is directed toward each one of us, with the same intensity, energy, and force. In some way, every one of us is called to be a disciple and a witness of Christ. It does not matter whether the calling is to the priesthood, monasticism, or marriage. All Christians are called to be the light of the world. Every one of us is faced with the imperative to inherit the Kingdom of Heaven and to attain theosis—union with God.
“Follow Me.” This simple call of Christ continues to echo in our time: “Follow Me, and I will make you My disciples, I will make you light, and by doing so, you will become fishers of men.” The Christian, through a pious and humble life, and by participating in the grace-filled experiences of the Church, becomes a fisher of souls—one who seeks the truth and the Kingdom of eternal joy.
Thus, dear ones, we all bear a great responsibility before Christ, for we have heard, and continue to hear, His call—His word, His Gospel addressed to us in our native Macedonian language. His voice reaches our hearts in a way we can clearly understand. The divine invitation, “Follow Me,” resounds within our innermost being.
We just heard, from today’s apostolic reading, how the Apostle Paul speaks of the inner law within each person—of conscience: “They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them” (Rom. 2:15). Here, the Apostle refers to the Gentiles, who did not know the true God and were without the written Law but nevertheless followed the natural law of their conscience. And because they lived according to their good conscience, they will ultimately be justified by God.
Now imagine the immense responsibility we bear, we who not only have an inner conscience but also know the true God, who read the Holy Scriptures, who are called by the Lord Jesus Christ, and who have His Gospel in our native language! Not only do we have no excuse not to be good people, but it would be a great tragedy if we failed to strive for our highest calling: to become deified persons, people who are filled with Christ.
Since we are created in the image and likeness of God, we are called to respond worthily to that divine calling.
Unfortunately, we see an increasingly inappropriate spiritual state among Christians today—especially among those who attend church, read the Gospel, and proudly proclaim their faith on social media. But all our knowledge of the faith, and all else we do, is in vain if we do not first become good people. The reality is that many Christians are not living as they should. Let me start with myself, as we should all begin by examining ourselves, recognizing and admitting that we are not yet what we ought to be. But first, we must ask: What kind of people does the Lord want us to become?
He wants to make us His disciples, His followers. And to be His follower means to be meek, humble, and good, just as He is meek and humble in heart (Matt. 11:29). Instead, however, we often fall into hypocrisy and deceit, for we speak His name with our lips while our hearts are far from Him. So what is the Lord calling us to today? What kind of response must we give to become His true disciples?
The Gospel narrative tells us that as soon as the apostles heard Christ’s call, they immediately left their nets, their boat, and their father and followed Him (Matt. 4:20, 22). Thus, the Lord symbolically calls each of us to leave behind everything that ties us to this world—everything that is material, temporary, and that keeps us distant from Him. He calls us to abandon the nets of sinful passions that entangle and bind our souls: the nets of hatred, envy, malice, and false pleasures. He invites us to leave behind the frail boat of false comfort and renounce the selfishness that springs from our fallen nature—an inheritance from the sin of our first ancestors.
These passions and worldly pleasures become traps, prisons from which we cannot escape unless we follow Christ and become His disciples.
So, beloved, let us open the eyes of our soul and see just how many nets our passions have woven around our everyday lives. And with God’s help, let us begin, little by little, through fasting, prayer, humility, and acts of kindness, to tear apart these spiritual chains. Only then can we, like the apostles, follow Christ without hesitation and truly become His disciples. If we are willing to leave behind our passions and attachments to this world, if God sees in us an honest and fervent desire to follow Him, He will send us the grace of the Holy Spirit and make us His authentic followers.
We see from the lives of the apostles how miraculous their lives became once they left everything behind to follow Christ. We marvel at their courage, their miracles, their powerful words, and, most of all, their willingness to lay down their lives for Christ, for the Truth, and for the Resurrection. Yet it is not only the apostles we admire. Throughout history, we are inspired by all those who became followers of Christ and accomplished beautiful and glorious deeds through Him.
The voice of Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. That same voice still calls to us today—calling priests, bishops, monks, and Christians to bear witness to the grace-filled path of life in Christ.
Is it not a miracle even today when a young person responds to Christ’s call to become a monk in this chaotic and deluded age, where so many people are lost and disoriented? It is truly a great miracle. Just as the apostles followed Christ without hesitation, so too does a young man who enters a monastic community not ask what his reward will be or what his prayer rule will look like. Believe me, as a spiritual father of monks, I am constantly amazed and give thanks for this miracle—this voice of Christ that echoes through the centuries and continues to call people even today. I marvel at how a young person arrives at the monastery filled with joy, desiring to become a monk, without ever asking what he will gain or what his earthly benefits will be.
Finally, beloved, no matter what our calling may be—whether we are bishops, priests, deacons, monks, or lay Christians—we must remain faithful to the voice of our Savior and become His genuine followers. Only by doing so will we be able to attain theosis and bear witness as His true children, children of the light. May He grant us the grace and strength to hear His powerful voice echoing deep within our being. And, strengthened by His grace, may we remain faithful to the end, casting aside all the nets of deceit that entangle our hearts, so that we may become true Christians.
Amen.
