The Power of God’s Word and Human Trust: Reflections on the Gospel of the Fourth Sunday after Pentecost

    During the Divine Liturgy on the Fourth Sunday after Pentecost, Metropolitan Borys Gudziak reflected on faith, trust in God, and the power of His word while preaching on the Gospel account of the healing of the centurion’s servant (Matthew 8:5–13).

     At the beginning of his homily, the Metropolitan extended Father’s Day greetings to all fathers and noted that the eighth chapter of the Gospel according to Matthew follows directly after the Sermon on the Mount, where Christ’s teachings are put into action through His deeds. Reflecting on the figure of the centurion, Metropolitan Borys explained that he was a representative of the Roman Empire, the power that ruled Judea at the time. For this reason, his approach to Jesus is particularly striking: a man accustomed to authority and command comes not to give orders, but to ask humbly and place his trust in the Lord’s word. “He did not merely accept an abstract idea about the existence of God—he trusted. He asks for only one thing: ‘Say the word, and it will be done.’ He understood what it means when a word is spoken with authority,” the Metropolitan said.

     Metropolitan Borys emphasized that genuine faith is not simply acknowledging that God exists, but entrusting oneself to Him, especially in moments of difficulty, injustice, and trial. “If we trust God, we have peace. We are not afraid. Such trust gives us peace and joy because we know God not as an abstract concept, but as our Savior,” he said. The Metropolitan also noted that the centurion was not a member of the Jewish people, nor was he a scholar of Scripture. Yet despite being part of an oppressive system, he did not allow his heart to become hardened. Instead, he approached Christ with humility and openness to God’s action.

     Concluding his homily, Metropolitan Borys encouraged the faithful, especially during this time of great hardship and trial for the Ukrainian people, to entrust their fears, suffering, and challenges to God. “We can entrust our lives, our struggles, injustice, violence, and every trial to God. God’s truth will prevail,” he said.