Seeing the face of God – Father Gavril Galev
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(Matthew 14, 22-34)
In this Gospel reading, which talks about how Christ walks on the water, and St. Peter asked for him to be able to come to Him, the boat is the Church, and the sea is the world and this life in it. Christ is the head of the Church.
The main point of this Gospel is that, in this life we should always see (focus on) the face of God, the face of Jesus Christ and not deviate from Him.
What does that mean?
It means to create a personal relationship with Christ, through fulfilling God’s commandments and a holy life, full with good deeds, in fasting, prayer, humility, love, patience, not returning evil for evil …
Which is to say that we always question our life and measure it against Christ’s life.
Our thoughts with Christ’s thoughts, our feelings with Christ’s feelings, our deeds with His deeds. To live the holy Gospel and all that Christ has said and done for us. To live that which the holy apostles preached and that which the holy fathers, through their personal example, left to us as a holy tradition. Not to attach ourselves to anyone, nor to anything, but to be turned only towards our Lord Jesus Christ.
Only then can we say that we see the face of Christ.
Everything that differs from the aforementioned is turning away from the face of God and perdition, that is, drowning. When we turn our face away from the face of Christ we fall into sin and eternal death.
However, even if we make a mistake, God always gives us hope to straighten up and lift ourselves up. His hand is always extended to us, and all we need to do is to extend ours. We do that solely through seeing His face again, that is, through repentance. Repentance means “change-of mind”, to return to the state we were at before we had fallen. At that moment, nothing will help us, except to look Christ in the face again, that is, to show sincere repentance for our personal fall (short-comings). No excuses, blaming someone else or seeking human justice will help us, but only humble repentance.
That way we will be with Christ again. He will lift us up and bring us into the Church of God and protect us from the temptations.
There is no other way or path, nor will there be. Anyone who thinks they can choose another path or way is lying to himself and falling into the sea and drowning. Drowning in the sins, passions and temptations of the world.
Father Gavril Galev
Abbot of the monastery “St. Kliment Ohridski”,
Kinglake, Melbourne, Australia
14 / 08 / 2022
