Monday (32nd). [James 2:14–26; Mark 10:46–52]

What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? Can faith save him? (James 2:14).^[1] The path to faith is repentance. In repenting what does one say? “I have sinned; I will not do it again. I will not sin; therefore I will live by the commandments.” Repentance does not depart with the acceptance of faith; but uniting with faith, it remains through to the end. So too this resolution to live by the commandments remains in force in the presence of faith. Consequently, if the believer came to faith along a direct path—that is, the path of repentance—he is zealous in fulfilling the commandments, or is a doer of good works. Faith gives him a most powerful motivation for this; faith also gives him grace-filled strength to accomplish this through the Holy Mysteries. Thus, faith furthers works. Works in turn make faith perfect, for until that which someone believes is done in deed, faith is not really faith. It becomes apparent only in works; not only apparent, but strong. Works influence back upon faith and strengthen it.

^[1]Throughout the text, the King James Version will be used for New Testament quotes and allusions.

Monday. [Heb. 11:17-23, 27-31; Mark 9:42-10:1]

           Every one shall be salted with fire, and every sacrifice shall be salted with salt. Before this the Lord said that one must be prepared for all sorts of sacrifice and all deeds of self-denial, only to stand on the good path. Though these sacrifices are dear to us, like our own eye, or indispensable like our right hand, we must offer them without a moment’s hesitation; for if you grudge offering such a sacrifice, and are lead away because of this from the right path to the wrong, you will be forced to suffer eternally in the future life. So, offer painful and sorrowful sacrifice here to avoid torments there. Without purification by fire here one cannot be saved from the eternal fire. Everyone desiring to be saved must be salted with fire, and pass through purification by fire. All of us, by the law of our creation, must offer ourselves in sacrifice to God; but every one of us is impure. That means we must purify ourselves, so that from us will be made a sacrifice pleasing to God. But if you start to purify yourself, unearth passions from your soul, it will be painful, like being burned with fire. This operation of inner self-purification is like the operation of fire purifying metal. Metal is without feeling. If you were to give it feeling, it would feel the purifying and the burning simultaneously. The same thing occurs in a person who purifies himself. Undergoing this operation he is as if burned through by fire. The purifying fire passes through all of the parts of his body like salt penetrates a body which is being salt-preserved. And only he who subjects himself to this operation is a truly God-pleasing sacrifice; that is why it is necessary for everyone to be salted with fire, as in the Old Testament, where every sacrifice was salted before offering it as a whole burnt offering.