Homily One on the Ninth Sunday After Penteost*
God Will Never Leave You Without His Help
By Righteous Alexei Mechev
God Will Never Leave You Without His Help
By Righteous Alexei Mechev
Today the Gospel reading tells us about the miraculous walking of the Savior on the waters, about how the Lord calmed the storm and saved the Apostle Peter from drowning, when he, having asked the Lord for permission, walked on the sea, but, doubting God’s protection, began to drown, crying out: “Lord, save me!” (Matthew 14:28–30).
Our life is the same sea of life, stirred up by the storm of misfortunes. Just as the sea is agitated by frequent storms and there are bad weather conditions on it, so it is in a person’s life. We cannot know what will happen to us in the shortest time. Not only death creeps up like a thief. Almost all misfortunes creep up like this. Our life is subject to many kinds of attacks from evil spirits and the people they lead. It is impossible to foresee and warn what evil will come up with, what will serve as a pretext and means for misfortune, where temptation will arise. But let us not be ashamed when temptations overtake us, let us not grumble at God, whose providential eye does not sleep over us. As the Holy Apostle Peter in a difficult and life-threatening moment cried out to the Lord: "Lord, save me, I am perishing," so we, friends, in all sorrowful, difficult and dangerous circumstances of our life must trust in God alone, turn to Him and ask Him for help. “Call upon Me in the day of trouble,” says the Lord through the Holy Prophet David, “and I will deliver you and you will glorify Me” (Psalm 49:15). No matter how hard the temptation, no matter how difficult and dangerous the circumstances, a person must not forget that he is not alone: the Lord is always with him, quick to help.
Read the lives of the saints and you will find there amazing examples of the miraculous intercession and deliverance of the right hand of God. The life of the Holy Great Martyr Panteleimon, celebrated today,** testifies to how close to people is our God the Merciful Provider. Panteleimon's mother, being a Christian, raised her son in the Christian faith, but soon died, and due to the influence of her pagan father, she was soon erased from memory. But the Merciful Lord does not abandon Panteleimon. Eustorgios, Panteleimon's father, first sends his son to school, and then to the famous physician of that time Euphrosynos, who, being the royal physician, often took Panteleimon with him to the emperor. Panteleimon's external beauty and intelligence attracted the attention of Emperor Maximian, and he ordered Euphrosynos to take greater care of Panteleimon so that he would be the court physician.
While visiting his teacher daily, Panteleimon passed by a poor house where an elderly Christian priest named Hermolaos lived. The holy elder stopped Panteleimon one day and, inviting him to his place, began to instruct him in the Christian faith, told him about the true God, about the goodness of Jesus Christ and about the miracles that He performed while living on earth. Hearing all this, Panteleimon began to recall the instructions of his deceased mother. This alone disposed Panteleimon in favor of the teaching preached by Hermolaos, and Panteleimon began to visit him every day.
Soon, a miraculous event brought about an inner transformation in Panteleimon. As he was returning from his teacher, Panteleimon encountered a child on the road, afflicted by a poisonous snake and lying dead. Beside the child lay the snake. Panteleimon was frightened, but then remembered the miracles of Jesus Christ and began to invoke the holy name of Christ. Suddenly, the child appeared to awaken from a deep sleep, and Panteleimon believed in Jesus Christ with all his soul. He went to Hermolaos, recounted what had happened, and requested to be baptized immediately.
Having become a Christian, Panteleimon wished to convert his father Eustorgios to Christianity as well, and the opportunity to do so soon presented itself. One day, a blind man was brought to Panteleimon, who had been treated by all the doctors, but without success. “I have squandered almost all my fortune on doctors and have received no help. Help me, and I will give you the rest.” – “The Father of Light, the true God, will give you healing through me, His unworthy servant. And everything that you promised, distribute to the poor.” Hearing these words, Eustorgios exclaimed: “Son, do not undertake this, renowned physicians have treated the blind man, including your teacher, and they were of no help; how can you accomplish this?" Panteleimon approached the blind man and said: "In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I say to you, receive your sight." At that very moment, the blind man's eyes were opened, and he began to see. This event had such an effect on both the father and the healed man that they believed in the Lord. The physicians who had treated the blind man, out of malice, reported Panteleimon, claiming that he was a Christian, visiting Christians in prison and assisting them, and to support their accusation, they brought forth the healed blind man. The emperor asked: "How did you receive your healing?" – "By calling on the name of Christ." – "Do you think Christ healed you or the gods?" – "Christ," replied the healed man, for which he was sentenced to death.
They called Panteleimon. The emperor asked: "Is it true that you blaspheme our gods and believe only in Christ?" "Yes, Christ is the true God," and to confirm his words he suggested finding an incurably ill man so that the priests could call upon their gods for healing, and after them he would call upon his Lord. The faith of the one who heals the sick man must be true. The pagan priests vainly prayed to the gods for the sick man, but Panteleimon healed the sick man by calling upon the name of Jesus Christ alone. Seeing such a miracle, many of those present believed in the Lord, and the emperor and the priests became even more embittered. The emperor ordered Panteleimon to be thrown into a cauldron of boiling tin, but the Martyr remained unharmed. Considering Panteleimon a sorcerer, the emperor ordered a large stone to be tied to his neck and thrown into the sea, but the Saint remained unharmed. Then the emperor ordered him to be eaten by wild beasts, but they did not cause him any harm, on the contrary, they fawned on him and licked his feet. The emperor devised a new torture for the Martyr: he ordered him to be tied to a wheel studded with sharp blades, but, protected by God, the sufferer remained unharmed. Seeing the impossibility of forcing Panteleimon to renounce Christ, the emperor ordered him to be cruelly beaten and, having executed him with a sword, his body to be burned, but it remained unharmed in the fire. Thus miraculously did the grace of the Lord save Saint Panteleimon.
Friends! God's Providence is watching over us. In difficult moments of our life, God's help is always ready for us, and to our cries: "Lord, save us, we are perishing" (Matt. 8:25), the comforting word of the Savior is always ready: "I am with you, do not be afraid" (Matt. 14:27).
Notes:
* Delivered before the Revolution. Year unknown. Published for the first time from the "Speech Plans" from the archive of E. V. Apushkina.
** Commemorated on July 27.
Source: Translated by John Sanidopoulos.
