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Fr George's Letter

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Written by: Fr George

HEALING OF THE TWO DEMONIACS.

 

“The virtues build a new person radiating love to the world.”

(Metropolitan Paul (Yazigi) of Aleppo who consecrated our temple.)

 

“For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace that we may” obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” 

                                                                                                  (Hebrews 4:15-16)

 

“Do not believe your thoughts, neither when they tell you that you are terrible, nor when they tell you that you are a saint.”

                                                                             (St. Paisios of Mount Athos.)

 

“Help me, my God, to conquer the world within myself.”

                                                                              (St. Nikolai Velimirovich.)  

 

 

SUNDAY 5^th JULY. St. Athanasius, Founder of the Great Lavra on Mount Athos, and his disciples (1000). Uncovering of the relics of St. Sergius of Radonezh (1422). 

 

 

 

TODAY’S GOSPEL. MATTHEW 8:28-9:1. “When He had come to the other side, to the country of the Gergesenes, there met Him two demon-possessed men, coming out of the tombs, exceedingly fierce, so that no one could pass that way. And suddenly they cried out, saying, “What have we to do with You, Jesus, You Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before the time?” Now a good way off from them was a herd of many swine feeding. So the demons begged Him, saying, “If You cast us out, permit us to go away into the herd of swine.” And He said to them, “Go.”  So when they had come out, they went into the herd of swine. And suddenly the whole herd of swine ran violently down the steep place into the sea, and perished in the water. Then those who kept them fled; and they went away into the city and told everything, including what had happened to the demon-possessed men. And behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus. And when they saw Him, they begged Him to depart from their region. So He got into a boat, crossed over, and came to His own city.” 

 

In the Gospel for today we have only one word from Christ, and that word speaks volumes. The word is “Go.”, a command directed at the demons possessing the two poor men. The demons recognise Christ’s divinity, even before His death, resurrection and glorious Ascension and His second coming in glory to judge all. He alone has power over all things at all times and in all places. The demons begged Jesus to send them into the herd of pigs who, being confused, hurtle down the slope to drown in the sea.

Pigs were and are considered unclean by Jewish people, so the ones who kept them were most probably Gentiles. We must remember at this time that Palestine was not a purely Jewish area and was cosmopolitan with purely Jewish populations and groups of others. In an echo of the words of Jesus we remember the Centurion who told Jesus that he commanded men and if he said “Go.”, they obeyed. He too recognised the power of Christ knowing that His word was enough to cure his servant in totally different circumstances.

Our Saviour comes for all of us whatever our physical or mental state is. Each one of us is precious in His sight, something that seems to be sorely lacking among humanity at the moment. He alone is our Hope, He alone can cast out our demons and diseases that stop us from growing heavenwards. Let our prayer be that we hear His words and act on them, that our obedience will benefit all those who cross our paths and also come to Him.

 

                                                                             Much Love,

 

                                                                              Fr. George.