Holy Priest-Martyr Anthimus, Bishop of Nicomedia (303); Our Venerable Father Theoctistus, Fellow-Ascetic of the Great Euthymius (467)
Galatians 4:8-21; Mark 6:45-53
Abstention from meat and foods that contain meat
Read Mark 6:45-53
Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory forever!
Our Lord Jesus Christ in today’s Gospel could have simply calmed the waves and walked past the apostles in the boat. But he does not do this. He gets into the boat and joins their company. He desires to be with them.
It has been said that while many religions’ adherents are constantly seeking a god or gods, Christianity is the only faith where God seeks us. Not only does God seek us, He becomes one of us, taking on human flesh. At times of trial we perhaps wonder where God is, or we see Him as someone, or perhaps falsely as some thing, that is very distant. Yet He is there in the boat on the rocky sea of our trials.
Do we accept that He is there? Are we afraid of Him, of His presence? Do we think that we can fully solve our trials without Him? Perhaps we are afraid that He has allowed these trials and if we ask for His mercy and grace to bear them that He will pass us by? No, He is constantly there seeking us and calling us to call out to Him. He is there and He will not let us drown.