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Fr George's Letter

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Written by: Fr George

 

THE EPILEPTIC BOY.

 

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

(Metropolitan Paul (Yazigi) 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)

 

 

SUNDAY 22^nd MARCH. St. John Climacus of Sinai, author of The Ladder (7^th). Hieromartyr Basil of Ancyra (362-3). St. Paul, Bishop of Narbonne (1^st). St. Isaac, Founder of the Dalmatian Monastery at Constantinople (4^th).

 

IMPORTANT NOTICE. This week a Vesperal Divine Liturgy for the Annunciation will be served on Tuesday 24^th March at 7.00 pm and the Liturgy of the Pre-sanctified Gifts will be transferred to Thursday 26^th March at 7.00 pm.

 

“Some people say, “I believe God will help me.” And at the same time they try to make lots of money so that they won’t be deprived of anything. These people mock God because they do not entrust themselves to God but to money.” (St. Paisios of Mount Athos).

 

“Learn to know the spirit of the age, study it, so that whenever possible you will be able to avoid its influence”

                                                                               (St. Ignatius (Brianchaninov))

 

When St. Seraphim of Sarov was infirm and told that it must be hard to attend the Liturgy, he answered: ‘If I had no strength to walk at all, I would crawl there on my hands and knees.’

 

“You cannot be too gentle, too kind. Shun even to appear harsh in your treatment of each other. Joy, radiant joy, streams from the one who gives and kindles joy in the heart of one who receives.”

                                                                                            (St. Seraphim of Sarov)

 

TODAY’S GOSPEL. Mark 9:17-31. “Then one of the crowd answered and said, “Teacher, I brought You my son, who has a mute spirit. And wherever it seizes him, it throws him down; he foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid. So I spoke to Your disciples, that they should cast it out, but they could not.” He answered him and said, “O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him to Me.” Then they brought him to Him. And when he saw Him, immediately the spirit convulsed him, and he fell on the ground and wallowed, foaming at the mouth. So He asked his father, "How long has this been happening to him?” And He said, “From childhood. And often he has thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.” Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!” When Jesus saw that the people came running together, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “Deaf and dumb spirit, I command you, come out of him and enter him no more!” Then the spirit cried out, convulsed him greatly, and came out of him. And he became as one dead, so that many said, “He is dead.” But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose. And when He had come into the house, His disciples asked privately, “Why could we not cast it out?” So He said to them, “This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting.” Then they departed from there and passed through Galilee, and He did not want anyone to know it. For He taught His disciples and said to them, “The Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill Him. And after He is killed, He will rise the third day.”

 

The love of the father of the boy with epilepsy shines before us in this our own ‘faithless generation’. The disciples were unable to heal the boy so the father goes to Jesus Himself. A rare sense of annoyance from Jesus is directed towards the disciples who could not heal the boy. Let us not forget that the disciples were the closest to Jesus and yet their faith was not enough in this instance. The father's response to Christ is something we should all be aware of. We chant the Creed as an affirmation of our faith but do we unreservedly and truly believe? The father’s honesty speaks for all of us, “Lord I believe; help my unbelief!”  The man himself was inadvertently asking for healing. Our lack of faith can paralyse us and we humbly need to ask for His aid on our spiritual journey and not be afraid of our own weaknesses and shortcomings as He knows our need and will aid us.

Christ tells His disciples of His death and resurrection but we know that they did not understand and only did so after He appeared to them inside a locked room, not as a spirit but as a fully resurrected body and asking if they had any food which He ate in their presence. As we approach Holy Pascha let us endeavour to renew our faith and commitment to Him who asks “Do you believe?” Let us be honest and ask “Help my unbelief!” Then in our humility we may respond to the Easter greeting “Christ is Risen!” by “He is Risen indeed!” and experience the great joy of Pascha that our Church proclaims throughout the world.

                                                                                                                              Much Love,

                                                                                                                              Fr. George.  

Let us continue to pray for the world with all its man-made problems and for all the sick and troubled.​