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Glory to Jesus Christ, dear brothers and sisters!
Today you have heard one situation from the Jesus Christ's life (Luke, VIII: 26-39). He had a lot of such situations when the men with demons had met Him. And those demons knew at once that Jesus was the God's Son and He had a very big power. And He could give out the order to these evil spirits to go out and go in the hell. And one day, when Jesus sailed to the country of the Gerasenes, one man, who had demons and nobody could help him, met Jesus. He was so full of demons that he was kept under guard and bound with chains and shackles. But he would break the bonds and lived in the coffins. And it is clear, that people were afraid even to walk near those places, because if one of the men with demons appeared he could do everything. They had very big power. And one day one man with demons met Jesus. And he started to shout at once: "What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, do not torment me." But it was not the scream of the man with demons; it was the scream of the demons. "And they begged him not to command them to depart into the abyss"- because they knew that if they went into the abyss, it would be very difficult for them. They hate each other there, they torture each other there, they feel very bad there. "Now a large herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside, and they begged him to let them enter these". The Lord let them. And when demons entered those pigs, the pigs stared to feel very badly. They rushed down the steep bank into the sea and were drowned.
It happens when the evil spirit enters the person. The person also starts to feel very bad. And especially children: they sleep badly, they scream, they start to be afraid of something. And the parents take them to the old witches and they shouldn't do so. Take the children into the Church. Here the priest will pray, they will receive Holy Communion and they will feel much better. And the adults are the same. When you communicate with some bad person, or argue with somebody, or you want to take vengeance, that is it the demon has entered you. You should confess your sins to become clean, because in the other case you will litter yourself. You can litter yourself so much that you will become like that man.
And when Jesus asked this man with demons: "What is your name?" He asked the name of that demon. That one answered: "Legion." That meant that many demons had entered him. And it was a miracle. After Jesus had said those words the demons left that man. When he came to his senses,"the man from whom the demons had gone begged that he might be with him." Yes? He was given some food and some clothes, to have something on. And he said: "I will follow you." Jesus told him: "Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you."
When the herdsmen saw what had happened, they fled and told about it in the city and in the country. The people came and saw that really the man with demons became normal person. But they were not happy of it, as we can read in the Gospel. Is it so? They were not happy than his mind had returned to him, that they could not be afraid of him anymore. It is first of all. The second is that they did not become happy that Jesus the special man, came on the Earth from God and drove out the demons from the other man. People even did not pay attention to it, but they started to say: "Go away, good man, who drives out evil demons." They did not say: "Go away Jesus the Lord." They did not say: "The Lord." So he got into the boat and returned. So you understand?
Why did these people react in such way? They came to Him and said: "to depart from them". Because they were afraid. But why they were afraid? They wanted to have those pigs. They were afraid not to lose all their income. So, they really worried to lose the property, to lose the wealth. Because they bred pigs, they sold them and had so money from it, it was their income. They were afraid to lose money so they said to Lord: "Go away from us, we do not want You." Do you understand?
But in our life it often happens that people and even we can also say to Lord: "Go away from us, we do not want You, we do not want to lose our pigs." Do you understand? And this parable must be a good lesson for us. That we do not react in the same way as that Gerasenes people reacted. They banished the Lord, who could tell them good sermon and a great serving. And the only thing which was left is the parable about the man, who had demons. And that is all. What have they lost!
We should think more often in our life: "Do I betray the Lord to have more material wealth?" Do I say to Him: "Go away from me , because now I want to have material wealth?" Do you understand? We can be saved with God's grace, if we are with Lord in our lives.
Maybe, you have seen the TV program about the national park in the USA, which is called Yellow Stone Park. The scientists examine volcanoes there. And they have discovered super volcano, which ejected millions years ago and burned the half of the USA area. And the dust was so incredible that its thickness was 35 meters. This means that: if this volcano ejects, the Earth will be covered by ashes, which will close the entrance of infra-red rays, the temperature falls down and the four seasons of the year will disappear. It will be only winter all the time. Every living thing will die. And this has already happened twice during the whole history of the Earth. The scientists discovered that all, when they were examining that volcano. And this cataclysm happens one in 600 thousand years. Scientists found out that this eruption was almost 600 000 years ago. And they have also examined the soil in the crater. And it is a huge area. The territory of the crater of that volcano is about 70 kilometers and the ground raised up for 20-30 centimeters. So, the scientists say that there is no question whether it will explode or not. It will certainly explode. And the half of America will die, and all other world will also die because of this dust. Because it will be such situation on the Earth that it is cold and nothing can grow up and people will not be able to survive. The question is: "When it will happen?" This is all - sooner or later. Nobody can stop this.
This is the way the Earth will clean itself from the people. And it is serious information, because scientists prove it.
I can understand what a big panic can happen in the USA, but it is the disaster of the almost all terrestrial globe. Maybe, some part of the Earth will survive. We do not know. Maybe it will be Ukraine. Who knows? Nobody knows, only God knows. And everything is in God's hands: when this Apocalypse could happen sooner or later. Do you understand? It is in God's power to stop that volcano. Let this eruption will happen 100 years later. But everything depends on God. If God wants to stop, He will stop. But it depends on the people, on us. Through our prayers, through our spiritual growth God can stop these apocalyptic situations. Because the more people believe in God the bigger chance will be given to others to believe in Him. God will not let that volcano to take the humanity, which has the perspective to believe in Him.
If the humanity is sleeping, as it is said in the massage to the Church in Laodicea (Revelation 3:15-19): "...you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent". God reproves us: "Till I split you out of My mouth, till you are in the Book of Life, confess!" And who knows, do you understand?
People annoys the Earth by their evil doings, evil energy that it could not bear it any more. And theses volcanoes like the furuncles on the body, or something like that. So, it could be left very little. Yes? That volcano is not a joke.
There is also some meteorite comes on the Earth. God can rule everything, if it will be for the sake of someone. Do you understand? If we will not be like Gerasenes people, who thoughtlessly said to God: "Go away from us." Because if we say "go away", so we will go in the place where demons went. And they did not want to go there, that is why they asked to enter the pigs. But anyway they went down, because the pigs drowned. And demons must be somewhere, in some body. If they do not cope with it, so devil takes them down and pulls the new "guard" of demons on the Earth. Something like that. Do you understand? And new ones try to get into the person, to be in the person and to show its haughtiness, turgidity, greed, intolerance etc. This all is the play of dark power, the show of the dark side of the soul.
That is why lets pray to God, that He give us Love, Wisdom, Strength during every step of the life. Let He give us Faith in Him and support in our life. And God will generously fill us with it, just like now. Do you feel? God's Love, God's Grace. Yes? Like the saint fathers say: "spiritual bath". Do you feel? So, we have this "spiritual bath." And we must pray and support out Church, our holy Christian Church with all its God's sacraments. The Church, which truly wants to serve God and People. That it spreads all over Ukraine and all over the world. May it be by the holy will of God.
Let God protect, strengthen and save you.
Glory to Jesus Christ!
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Apostle (Galatians 6:11-18):
6
11 See with what large letters I am writing to you with my
own hand.
12 It is those who want to make a good showing in the flesh
who would force
you to be circumcised, and only in order that they may not be persecuted
for the cross of Christ.
13 For even those who are circumcised do not themselves keep
the law,
but they desire to have you circumcised that they may boast in your flesh.
14 But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our
Lord Jesus Christ,
by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.
15 For neither circumcision counts for anything, nor
uncircumcision, but a new creation.
16 And as for all who walk by this rule, peace and mercy be
upon them, and upon the Israel of God.
17 From now on let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my
body the marks of Jesus.
18 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit,
brothers. Amen.
Gospel (Luke, 8:26-39):
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26 Then they sailed to the country of the Gerasenes, which is
opposite Galilee.
27 When Jesus had stepped out on land, there met him a man
from the city who had demons. For a long time he had worn no clothes, and
he had not lived in a house but among the tombs.
28 When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell down before him
and said with a loud voice, "What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the
Most High God? I beg you, do not torment me."
29 For he had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the
man. (For many a time it had seized him. He was kept under guard and bound
with chains and shackles, but he would break the bonds and be driven by the
demon into the desert.).
30 Jesus then asked him, "What is your name?" And he said,
"Legion," for many demons had entered him.
31 And they begged him not to command them to depart into the
abyss.
32 Now a large herd of pigs was feeding there on the
hillside, and they begged him to let them enter these. So he gave them
permission.
33 Then the demons came out of the man and entered the pigs,
and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned.
34 When the herdsmen saw what had happened, they fled and
told it in the city and in the country.
35 Then people went out to see what had happened, and they
came to Jesus and found the man from whom the demons had gone, sitting at
the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid....
36 And those who had seen it told them how the
demon-possessed[d] man had been healed.
37 Then all the people of the surrounding country of the
Gerasenes asked him to depart from them, for they were seized with great
fear. So he got into the boat and returned.
38 The man from whom the demons had gone begged that he might
be with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying,
39"Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for
you." And he went away, proclaiming throughout the whole city how much
Jesus had done for him.
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