The Gospel Reading: Matthew 4:18-23
At that time, as Jesus walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon who is called Peter and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. And he said to them, "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men." Immediately they left their nets and followed him. And going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and he called them. Immediately they left their boat and their father, and followed him. And he went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and preaching the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every infirmity among the people.
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Евангелско четиво: Матеј 4, 18 – 25
18. И одејќи покрај Галилејското море, ги виде двајцата браќа, Симона, наречен Петар, и брата му Андреја, како фрлаат мрежа во морето, бидејќи беа рибари, 19. и им рече: „Појдете по Мене, и Јас ќе ве направам ловци на луѓе.” 20. И ете, тие веднаш ги оставија мрежите и тргнаа по Него. 21. Потоа, одејќи, понатаму виде други двајца браќа: Јакова Заведеев и брата му Јована, во Кораб со Заведеја, таткото нивни, кои си ги крпеа мрежите свои, и ги повика. 22. И тие наеднаш го оставија коработ и татка си и тргнаа по Него. 23. И одеше Исус по цела Галилеја и, кога поучуваше по синагогите, го проповедаше Евангелието на царството и лекуваше секаква болест и немоќ кај народот. 24. Па се разнесе глас за Него по цела Сирија и ги доведуваа при Него сите болни, нападнати од различни болести и страдања, и бесни, и месечари, и фатени – а Он ги лекуваше. 25. И по него одеше многу народ од Галилеја и од Десеттоградието, од Ерусалим и од Јудеја, отаде Јордан.
Thoughts By St. Theophan the Recluse on the 2nd Sunday after Pentecost
The Lord called Peter and Andrew, and immediately, leaving all, they followed Him. He called James and John, and they also immediately left all and followed the Lord. Why did they follow Him so quickly and willingly? Because they saw something better. Such is the law that we have in our soul, that once it has tasted and known what is better, it is repulsed by what is worse and abandons it. Here is accomplished the same thing that later the Lord described in His parable about the treasure hid in a field, and about the pearl of great price. The treasure and the pearl are faith in the Lord and communion with Him according to the strength of faith. We have already been declared possessors of this in baptism. Why do we value this treasure so little, and so exchange it for barren insignificance? Because we were not brought up to cultivate a taste for this treasure, and it becomes foreign to our heart. Our heart does not know this better thing. It only knows that there is the bad, the very bad, and the not so bad, and bases its outlook upon this assessment. Here is the entire reason why the Lord calls some and they come; but we, the chosen ones, run from Him.
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