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<v Speaker 1>Welcome to Hill Country Homilies. Weekly homilies from Holy Anunciation

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<v Speaker 1>Orthodox Church in Liberty Hill, Texas. Holy Annunciation is an

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<v Speaker 1>old calendar Orthodox church sharing the faith of the Apostles

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<v Speaker 1>and the love of Christ with all who seek His truth. Now,

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<v Speaker 1>let's listen to this week's homily, the.

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<v Speaker 2>Name of the Father and Son the Holy Spirit. Glory

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<v Speaker 2>to Jesus Christ. Please be seated if you wish, my

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<v Speaker 2>dear brothers and sisters in Christ. If there's one thing

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<v Speaker 2>that I am terribly and continually guilty of each and

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<v Speaker 2>every year, it's that claiming that any of about a

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<v Speaker 2>dozen of the Gospel readings that we hear happen to

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<v Speaker 2>be my favorite reading that particular week. I do it

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<v Speaker 2>over and over. I'll claim it twelve times this year.

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<v Speaker 2>This is my favorite Gospel reading. And indeed, it amazes

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<v Speaker 2>me that there are people who attack the lectionary of

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<v Speaker 2>the church because we read the same Gospel messages over

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<v Speaker 2>and over every single year. We read the same Gospel

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<v Speaker 2>passages on the same Sunday of Pentecost. We see, we

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<v Speaker 2>have a little variation for the feasts and the Lenten season,

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<v Speaker 2>but those are the same readings as well, year after year.

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<v Speaker 2>And as you settle into life in the church, you

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<v Speaker 2>come to realize that the Church appoints these same readings

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<v Speaker 2>for the same Sundays because they're really, really important. They're

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<v Speaker 2>the key to our spiritual progress. And most of all,

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<v Speaker 2>they're timeless. They're not relics of the past which are

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<v Speaker 2>dug up for display as a history lesson or some

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<v Speaker 2>sort of pie into a lost time. Rather, they are

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<v Speaker 2>spiritual wisdom that means as much to us today as

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<v Speaker 2>when it happened two thousand years ago. And for me

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<v Speaker 2>that creates a special kind of comfort, because as I've

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<v Speaker 2>gotten older, I've discovered that my attention span is not

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<v Speaker 2>quite what it used to be. The other day, I

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<v Speaker 2>sat down to work on my homeway, and half an

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<v Speaker 2>hour later I realized that I was looking up sites

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<v Speaker 2>to visit in cities that I had no intention to

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<v Speaker 2>travel to whatsoever. In the meantime, it also researched a

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<v Speaker 2>tool that I don't need, but it looked really cool.

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<v Speaker 2>And I'd seen the highlights of a Pan Pacific Surfing championship,

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<v Speaker 2>which I'd never heard of before and which was being

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<v Speaker 2>contested by athletes whose name I have no idea who

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<v Speaker 2>they were, and I had no idea thirty minutes later

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<v Speaker 2>how I got there. I think they call it the algorithm,

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<v Speaker 2>but you know the internet as that's normal. But today's

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<v Speaker 2>Gospel sort of says, well, that's Peter, because in today's

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<v Speaker 2>gospel reading, Peter starts with his eyes fixed on Christ,

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<v Speaker 2>and then he notices the wind and the waves and

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<v Speaker 2>the danger, and then as his attention leaves the Savior down,

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<v Speaker 2>he goes. And maybe maybe more in this age than

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<v Speaker 2>ever before, Today's Gospel is vital for us to hear

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<v Speaker 2>because what happened to Peter on the Sea of Galileean

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<v Speaker 2>in this storm happens to us every single day. The

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<v Speaker 2>world is extremely good at getting our attention on the

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<v Speaker 2>things that wants us to put attention on. We're an

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<v Speaker 2>income stream to people around us. We're being monetized by

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<v Speaker 2>others or drawn into some quest for attention for ourselves,

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<v Speaker 2>and thus we end up completely lost because the algorithm

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<v Speaker 2>is not going to take us back to where we

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<v Speaker 2>need to go. Our challenge is exactly the same challenge

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<v Speaker 2>Peter faced keeping our attention on Christ. And let's be clear,

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<v Speaker 2>Peter's failure was not that he lacked courage. Most of

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<v Speaker 2>us would never have stepped out of that boat in

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<v Speaker 2>the first place, but Peter did. And nor was his

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<v Speaker 2>failure that he lacked love for Christ, because Saint John

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<v Speaker 2>Christian notes that Peter was not excited merely to walk

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<v Speaker 2>on the water. He was eager to come to Christ.

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<v Speaker 2>It wasn't the water that interested him. It was being

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<v Speaker 2>coming unto Christ. Bid me that I come unto you.

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<v Speaker 2>That was his goal, and for a time he achieved it.

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<v Speaker 2>He was doing the impossible because his eyes were fixed

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<v Speaker 2>upon the Lord. But then came the distraction. Then came

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<v Speaker 2>the fear, Then came the sinking. And Chris Astin makes

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<v Speaker 2>a fascinating observation. The sea was the greater danger, the

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<v Speaker 2>wind was the lesser danger. And Peter had already conquered

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<v Speaker 2>the sea through Christ's power. But yet what frightened him

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<v Speaker 2>the wind? And how often is that exactly what happens

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<v Speaker 2>to us. Christ has conquered sin and death and hell itself.

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<v Speaker 2>The greatest battle that we'll ever face has been won,

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<v Speaker 2>But we find ourselves constantly overwhelmed by things that are

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<v Speaker 2>infinitely smaller. We may begin our day dutifully focused on Christ.

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<v Speaker 2>We've said our morning prayers, maybe we've read the scripture

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<v Speaker 2>for the day or the life of the Saint, Glory

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<v Speaker 2>to God. I mean, each day we can make a

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<v Speaker 2>new start, But then what happens. We lose our peace

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<v Speaker 2>over a news headline, become anxious about the stock market

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<v Speaker 2>or the price of gas. We have to correct somebody's

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<v Speaker 2>misguided political views. We worry about our jobs, our reputation,

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<v Speaker 2>our children's future, the next election, the next bill that's

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<v Speaker 2>going to come to the door of the next doctor visit.

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<v Speaker 2>We have to make none of those things are by

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<v Speaker 2>themselves unimportant. The wind was real, the waves were real,

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<v Speaker 2>but none of them were greater than Christ standing directly

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<v Speaker 2>before Peter, And the same is true for us. The

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<v Speaker 2>greatest danger facing Christians today may not be outright unbelief,

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<v Speaker 2>but rather the distraction our attention has become the most

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<v Speaker 2>valuable commodity in the world. Billion dollar industries compete every

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<v Speaker 2>moment for our eyes, our ears, our thoughts, and not

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<v Speaker 2>even the fullness of it, but a second of it.

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<v Speaker 2>You know, watch this video for eight seconds. You know,

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<v Speaker 2>spread this three other people. Every notification, every advertisement, every

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<v Speaker 2>social media platform, every streaming service, every political movement is

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<v Speaker 2>saying the same thing. Look here, look here, don't look there,

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<v Speaker 2>look here, Give me your attention, and the tragic reality

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<v Speaker 2>is that whatever has our attention eventually captures our heart.

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<v Speaker 2>People can mouth faith in Christ, but in front of

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<v Speaker 2>their faces, they're gazing at posters of celebrities or reels

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<v Speaker 2>from internet influencers, mindless entertainment that plays in the background

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<v Speaker 2>soundtrack of our lives. And this is why so many

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<v Speaker 2>people theay are informed about everything, but at peace about nothing.

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<v Speaker 2>We know every controversy, every scandal, every rumor, every outrage,

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<v Speaker 2>every prediction of doom that awaits us, but many struggle

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<v Speaker 2>to spend even ten uninterrupted minutes in prayer. We can

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<v Speaker 2>scroll endlessly through bad news from across the globe, but

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<v Speaker 2>we find it difficult to focus on the Gospel for

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<v Speaker 2>a single chapter. Peter didn't sink because Christ abandoned him.

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<v Speaker 2>Peter sank because he became more interested in the storm

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<v Speaker 2>than he did in his savior, And if we are honest,

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<v Speaker 2>we often do the same. We can begin our day

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<v Speaker 2>intending to prayer, but we get consumed by something else.

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<v Speaker 2>We come to church determined to worship, but our minds

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<v Speaker 2>become occupied by the thing we have to do after

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<v Speaker 2>even good things it can become distractions if they push

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<v Speaker 2>Christ out of our minds into the margins of our lives.

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<v Speaker 2>The lesson of today's Gospel is not that the storms

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<v Speaker 2>will disappear. Christ never promised us a storm free life. Ever,

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<v Speaker 2>the lesson is that faith means keeping our eyes on

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<v Speaker 2>Christ even in the middle of the storm. The seed

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<v Speaker 2>didn't become calm until after Peter was rescued. Keep that

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<v Speaker 2>in mind. He was rescued in the midst of the storm,

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<v Speaker 2>not after Christ calmed it. He uttered one single prayer,

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<v Speaker 2>Lord Save me. And this is why Peter remains, even

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<v Speaker 2>in his distraction, a source of such great hope for us,

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<v Speaker 2>because when he began to sink, he didn't formulate some

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<v Speaker 2>theological treatise about his salvation. He didn't rely on his

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<v Speaker 2>own strength. All he did was cry out, Lord save me,

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<v Speaker 2>and immediately Christ stretched forth his hand. And that same

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<v Speaker 2>hand stretches out to us every single day whenever we

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<v Speaker 2>find ourselves distracted, anxious, consumed by the cares of life.

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<v Speaker 2>The answer is the same as it was for Peter.

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<v Speaker 2>You can even say those same words. We should probably

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<v Speaker 2>be saying them every day, many times a day, Lord

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<v Speaker 2>save me. We can't overcome the sea, the wind, or

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<v Speaker 2>the waves on our own. But we can call upon Christ.

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<v Speaker 2>We can reach out our hands so that He can

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<v Speaker 2>pull us out of that storm, and we can turn

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<v Speaker 2>our eyes back to Christ. We can return to prayer,

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<v Speaker 2>to the scriptures, and to the services, and we can

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<v Speaker 2>return through those to the one who has always already

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<v Speaker 2>conquered every storm that we will ever face. For when

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<v Speaker 2>our attention is fixed on Christ, the winds may still blow,

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<v Speaker 2>the waves may still rise, but they no longer have

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<v Speaker 2>the power to sink us. Each and every day, each

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<v Speaker 2>and every one of us is that same Peter, And

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<v Speaker 2>never forget this. Don't lose this as we reflect on

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<v Speaker 2>the distractions of our day. Don't lose this as the

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<v Speaker 2>winds try to sink us to get Today's gospel is

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<v Speaker 2>not ultimately about Peter. It's about Christ saving us. The

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<v Speaker 2>moment that Peter cries out, Lord, save me, Christ is

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<v Speaker 2>already reaching for him. The Lord doesn't wait for Peter

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<v Speaker 2>to swim back to the boat. He doesn't demand that

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<v Speaker 2>Peter fixed the problem himself. Be responsible for yourself. He

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<v Speaker 2>stretches out his hand and he pulls him out. And

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<v Speaker 2>this should be a great consolation for us, because we

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<v Speaker 2>will get distracted, we will lose focus. We will sometimes

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<v Speaker 2>find ourselves overwhelmed by those waves of life threatening to

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<v Speaker 2>drown us, the noise of the world threatening to drown us.

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<v Speaker 2>But every time we turn back to Christ, every time

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<v Speaker 2>we cry out to Him and faith, we discover that

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<v Speaker 2>His hand is already there for us. So don't allow

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<v Speaker 2>the winds of this age to carry us away our attention.

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<v Speaker 2>Don't allow the noise of the world to drown out

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<v Speaker 2>the voice of God. But return to prayer, return to scripture,

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<v Speaker 2>return to the divine services, and call out, Lord, save me.

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<v Speaker 2>The algorithm wants our attention, The advertisers want our attention,

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<v Speaker 2>the politicians want our attention, and the entertainers certainly want

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<v Speaker 2>our attention. But Christ wants our heart. And if we

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<v Speaker 2>keep our eyes fixed on Him, no wind and no wave,

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<v Speaker 2>no storm in this life will ever be able to

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<v Speaker 2>separate us from Him. To He who condescends to save

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<v Speaker 2>us from our own inattention and inconstancy, be all glory

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<v Speaker 2>on and worship together with this all Holy Father and Life,

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<v Speaker 2>great Spirit, now and ever to the ages of ages.

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<v Speaker 3>But at the family you will have notten not to

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<v Speaker 3>you before fort converting the time person continue to find

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<v Speaker 3>and don't not no con and you don't not do no.

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<v Speaker 1>Thanks for listening to Hill Country homilies. For more information,

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<v Speaker 1>visit Holy Annunciation Orthodox Church at w w W dot

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<v Speaker 1>Denunciation t X dot com and please join us again

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<v Speaker 1>next week