Homily by Fr. Simon Ckuj on the Twenty-fourth Sunday after Pentecost

“Christ is our peace.”

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

Today the Word of God speaks directly to the deepest wounds of the human heart and to the suffering of our world. St Paul, writing to the Ephesians, gives us a message that is both bold and tender: “Christ is our peace.” Not merely that Christ gives peace or teaches peace, but that He Himself is our peace—peace made flesh, peace crucified and risen, peace standing in the midst of a broken humanity.

This message resounds with particular force when we consider the pain caused by the ongoing war in Ukraine. Many of our families remain displaced. Many live with fear for loved ones who defend their homeland. Many in our community carry the invisible wounds of grief, trauma, and uncertainty. In times like these, Paul’s words do not sound abstract. They become a lifeline: Christ is our peace.

St Paul continues, saying that Christ has “broken down the dividing wall of hostility.” The Holy Fathers often saw this wall not only as the division between Jew and Gentile, but as every barrier that separates us—from God, from one another, and even from ourselves in our moments of despair. St John Chrysostom wrote that Christ “did not make peace by words only, but by His very body,” meaning that peace is not sentimental—it is sacrificial, costly, and victorious.

How comforting this is for those afflicted by war. While political powers debate and armies clash, Christ Himself enters the battlefield of the human heart. He goes to the trench, the ruined home, the hospital bed, the refugee camp, the graveside. He goes wherever fear and sorrow attempt to rule—and there He says, “Peace be with you.”

And this brings us beautifully to today’s Gospel from St Luke.

We hear of two miracles intertwined: the healing of the woman who suffered for twelve years, and the raising of Jairus’ daughter. In both moments, Christ stops, turns, looks with compassion, and speaks words that change everything.

To the woman, trembling and exhausted by years of pain, He says: “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace. Go in peace. Not the peace the world gives, which depends on circumstances, but the peace that flows from trusting Christ even when everything seems hopeless.

To Jairus, whose daughter is dying, and then declared dead, Christ says: “Do not fear; only believe, and she shall be well.” These are words spoken into the rawest human sorrow. They are not a dismissal of pain but a divine promise that fear does not have the final word.

How many Ukrainian mothers, fathers, children, soldiers, and displaced people long to hear these same words? How many of us, burdened with our own anxieties, need Christ to whisper into our hearts: “Do not fear; only believe.”

Beloved in Christ, the peace St Paul proclaims and the peace Jesus gives in the Gospel is not naïve optimism. It is the peace that comes from knowing that the Lord is stronger than war, stronger than hatred, stronger than death itself. The early Church Fathers understood this well. St Athanasius wrote that in Christ, “hostility is brought to an end and the ancient fear is dissolved.” St Basil the Great taught that Christ “reconciles earth with heaven,” allowing us to stand with courage even in turbulent times.

So how do we, as Christians, receive this peace and share it with others?

First, we cling to Christ in prayer. The woman in the Gospel reached out and touched the hem of His garment with faith. We reach out to Him through prayer, the sacraments, and the life of the Church. He never turns away a heart that seeks Him.

Second, we refuse to let fear dominate us. Fear narrows the soul. Faith opens it. When Christ says, “Do not fear; only believe,” He invites us to trust that God’s plan is at work even when we cannot see it.

Third, we become instruments of peace wherever we are placed. The world is full of anger, division, noise. But Christians must be recognisable by their tenderness, their mercy, their patience, and their hope. St Seraphim said, “Acquire the Spirit of peace, and thousands around you will be saved.” This is not poetic exaggeration; it is a spiritual truth.

Finally, we carry in our hearts all those who suffer because of war—especially our brothers and sisters in Ukraine. We pray for them, support them, speak for them, and never forget them. But above all we entrust them to Christ, who is our peace, who walks with them, who heals wounds seen and unseen, who raises what seems lost, and who will one day wipe away every tear.

Dear friends, as we approach the Holy Eucharist, let us bring to Christ the burdens we carry—our worries, sorrows, unanswered questions. And let us hear Him speak to us personally the same words He spoke in today’s Gospel:
“Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace.” “Do not fear; only believe.”

For Christ is our peace—yesterday, today, and forever.

Amen.

See also

January 24 Homily by Fr. Simon Ckuj on the Sunday of the Publican and Pharisee and St Gregory the Theologian January 15 “May this place become holy ground, where heaven and earth meet, and where the Church is continually upheld by prayer” October 11 Homily by Fr. Simon Ckuj on the Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost