Today, 28 July 2013, the 5th Sunday after Pentecost, the Evangelical text on the healing of the two demonised people in Gadara land was read in all the Orthodox churches. His Beatitude Daniel, Patriarch of Romania delivered a sermon in which he showed the teaching of the Gospel text.
The Gospel text of the 5th Sunday after Pentecost shows us the healing power of Jesus Christ, our Lord, as well as His desire to release the humans from the power of the bad spirits.
“This touching Gospel is full of spiritual teaching. First of all we learn about the divinity of Jesus Christ, as Saviour and Judge of the world. Secondly, we see He has a great desire to release the people from the terrifying power of the bad spirits, and thirdly we see He scolds the inhabitants of the city of Gadara with material damage, because they were no longer interested in the spiritual life. Christ, our Lord, is confirmed as the Son of God and Judge of the world even by the demons. He does not contradict them, but neither does He appreciate them. He knows their falseness and wickedness and He does not talk with them, but He has only one concern due to His merciful love, wishing to rid the two demonised people from the bad spirits”, His Beatitude said, according to Trinitas Radio station.
“This desire of Jesus Christ, our Saviour, to heal the sick and release them from the bad spirits shows us He is both a Doctor and a Saviour. The word “saviour” means healer in the Greek language and in some other old languages, while in Hebrew the word “Jesus” means God heals, saves, releases. Therefore, Christ, our Lord, shows through His work designed to heal the people and release them from the bad spirits that He begins His work of saving, and healing the humankind enslaved by sin, diseases, troubles and bad spirits”, His Beatitude also said.
The Gospel also shows us a reproof that Christ, our Lord, makes without words, the Patriarch of Romania also said: “The Gospel shows us that Christ, our Lord, says no word of reproof to the inhabitants of Gadara land, but he scolds them silently, with material damage, because they were too fond of the material things and forgot about the spiritual ones. This thing has happened throughout the history and even in the life of today’s people. When God sees somebody is too attached to the financial aspect of life, to wealth, to temporary things, although expensive, God takes these things away from him, out of His merciful love, through an earthquake, fire or accident; He takes from the people the things limited and temporary they were too attached to, forgetting about the Permanent Unlimited God. The material damage bestowed over the people must urge them to repentance, and to be fond of permanent things: faith, prayer, good deeds, mercy, and all the permanent values that we gather in our soul, not around us, and take them with us in the Kingdom of Heaven. This is why the Saviour said: Gather treasures in heaven where no moth and rust damage them and no thief can steal them.
His Beatitude underlined the importance of marking the faithful with the sign of the Holy Cross.
“The limited power of the demons is seen in today’s Gospel through the fact that God’s power is greater than the demon’s, so that we must never be afraid of demons, but pray for the help of God who can defeat the demons, chase them away, punish, and scold them. This faith of ours in the All Merciful Almighty God is a releasing power which gives us hope. When man prays often, and marks himself with the sign of the Holy Cross before doing anything, before meal and after meal, before travelling, and every time he remembers and prays for God’s help, he is full of the grace of God and no bad spirit can come close to him. The same as flies never come close to a boiling pan or to a very hot one, says one of the Holy Fathers, so temptation and demonic power can never come close to the man who has a strong faith and prays every day. The sign of the Holy Cross is the sign of the devoted love of Christ, of the love stronger than death, and this is why the demons are terrified when they see the holy cross because they are bad and proud, while the One Crucified on the cross, Christ, our Lord, is devoted and merciful. His lowliness and merciful love are focused in the sign of the Holy Cross which chases them away. This is why Saint Paul the Apostle says in the Epistle 1 to the Corinthians: The word of the cross is madness for those who die, while for us, those who are saved, is the power of God. Thus, the power of God is shown in the Holy Cross. This is why when we bless we make the sign of the Holy Cross because our victory does not come through our own forces, but through the power of Christ, who heals from diseases, and rids us of the power of the demons and of every bad thing”, His Beatitude also said.
To end with, His Beatitude offered several liturgical books for Tiganesti church monastery and several books of spiritual utility for the library of the monastic settlement, out of which we mention: The Holy Gospel – missionary size; Euchologion – new edition; Akathistos of the week days; Filocalia (volumes 7 and 9); Dictionary of Romanian church music; Brancusi – Christian Orthodox sculptor; Pilgrim in Bucharest – guide for visitors; I believe, confess and wait for the eternal life. A theological history of the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Symbol; Notes from the Porch; Lights from “Lumina” newspaper; Sacramental mission of the Orthodox Church in European context; Why the Romanian Orthodox Church does not accept cremation; Neofit the Cretan – Travel Notes; Words and images from the church life. Basilica News Agency.
