PHILOKALIA MINISTRIES

Sometimes the Risen Christ leads us back to the beginning, not to recover the life we had, but to discover the life that has been quietly forming within us. “It is the Lord.” — John 21:7 There is something mysterious about the return to Galilee. After everything that has happened—the calling, the years of following, the miracles and arguments, the supper, Gethsemane, the Cross, the bewildering news of the empty tomb—the disciples find themselves again beside the sea. Galilee.

The Beloved Disciple and the Hidden Vocation of Staying “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? Follow me.” — John 21:22 There is something almost painful in this scene by the sea. Peter has just heard about the shape of his martyrdom. The Lord has told him that one day his hands will be stretched out and he will be led where he does not wish to go. And almost immediately Peter turns away from the word spoken to him and asks about another. “Lord, w