In the video above, listen to the audio message of His Eminence Metropolitan Seraphim of Kythera & Antikythera, for the first Sunday of Luke (25/09/22).
The following is the written Divine Sermon of the day, by the Protopresbyter Father Panagiotis Megalokonomou.
Written Divine Sermon, Sunday 1 Luke (25/09/22)
«The Apostle Peter, together with James and John, as the Evangelist Luke tells us, after a tiring night of fishing without having caught anything, full of frustration, they gathered their nets in their fishing boats.
Jesus Christ enters Simon Peter's ship and using it as a pulpit preached to the people gathered.
The simple-minded fishermen were listening and would certainly admire the learned Master, these illiterate bio-players. That is why, at His exhortation to go fishing again, Peter obeyed willingly: «Master, we have toiled all night and have gained nothing; but at your word I will break the net.» That is, «Master, we toiled all night and got nothing; but because you say so, I will cast the net.».
And oh, the miracle! The net was full of fish, and because he could not pull it out by himself, he called his companions, James and John, to help him. Then Simon understood that there was something wonderful about this Master. Awe overcame all who were present at this scene. The Lord then said to Simon: «Fear not, from now on you shall fish for men.» And the fishermen, the narrative ends, having left everything, followed Jesus.
In this vivid narrative we are struck by Peter's spontaneous reaction and his awareness of his sinfulness: «Peter fell at the knees of Jesus, saying, »Held from me, that I am a sinner, Lord'", that is, the experienced fisherman humbles himself before the Divine Master Jesus and falls at his feet, thus asking for forgiveness. The illiterate Peter understands that he is not facing a magician, but a saint who reigns over nature. He feels sinful to be in the same place so he begs Jesus to get off the ship. This sense of sinfulness on Peter's part is not a mere emotional act, but an inner existential recognition of his spiritual impoverishment.
My Christians, today when we consider our sinfulness a right and many times we are insensitive to sin, we ought to turn and take Peter as an example, to repent and sincerely feel our spiritual poverty, to trust in the words of our Lord so that Divine Grace may overshadow us. St. Isaac of Syros writes: «When a man rejects all worldly and human help and gives himself to God in faith and a pure heart, immediately Divine Grace floods him and covers him as a hornet covers her chicks under her wings. Thus man is filled with spiritual joy and strength to endure the difficulties of life.»
