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| Church > | Sermons of the week | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Fourth Sunday of Kiahk: Vespers' Gospel: Luke 8:1 - 3 "Certain women minister to Christ:" 1 Now it came to pass, afterward, that He went through every city and village, preaching and bringing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God. And the twelve were with Him. 2 and certain women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities - Mary called Magdalene, out of whom had come seven demons, 3 and Joanna the wife of Chuza, Herod's stewart, and Susanna, and many others who provided for Him from their substance. The Lord chose His disciples so that they may accompany Him. He gave them the authority to heal the sick and to cast out demons. He filled them with abundant knowledge and spiritual wisdom, such that they became the pillars of the Church, and the foundations of the Heavenly City. This vespers' Gospel mentions that the disciples followed the Lord in His journey of renewal: they walked with Him from city to city and from one village to another, preaching the kingdom of God. The evangelist also tells us that, in addition to the disciples, many women followed the Lord - they being the forerunners and the nucleus for the edification of the Holy Church. Those women, who later became saints, were mentioned as the cornerstones of the foundations. Some of those women were cured of demon-possession, while others were healed from certain diseases. The evangelist chose to single out Mary Magdalene, from whom the Lord cast out seven demons, Joanna the wife of Chuza, Herod's stewart, and Susanna. The Lord granted them the gift of salvation and life renewal; they tasted the grace of Christ, and they tasted being with Him and living through and for Him. Following Him became the essence of life. They found their lives after being lost: those who were in-dwelt by demons became the dwelling of the Holy Spirit. This powerful change is overwhelming; there is a vast difference between being home to the spirit of darkness, the spirit that kills, destroys, defiles and causes all manner of evil, and being the dwelling of God's Holy Spirit, the Spirit of grace, humility, true love and everlasting light. This is the saving power of Christ, clearly manifested in those who followed Him: walking through the ways of holiness, after the Lord had transformed their forms and transported them from darkness to light. Walking with Christ and being in His presence is a never-ending process to those who have been attracted lovingly to Him. This process carries the person walking with Christ on earth, until he follows the Lamb, along with the heavenly choirs, who follow Him wherever He goes; He leads them to the fountains of living water, and He wipes away every tear from their eyes. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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