Monday. [Phil. 1:1-7; Luke 4:37-44]

   I must preach the Kingdom of God to other cities also: for therefore am I sent. Our priesthood needs to take for therefore am I sent as an immutable law. The apostle commanded them, in the person of Saint Timothy to be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort (II Tim. 4:2). The Lord and the Holy Spirit, which filled the apostles on the day of Pentecost, brought the truth to the earth, and the truth walks upon the earth. Its bearers are the mouths of God’s priests. Whoever amongst them closes his mouth blocks off the path to truth which asks to enter the souls of believers. That is why the souls of believers grow weary, not receiving the truth, and the priests themselves must feel weariness from the truth, and the are weighed down by the weariness that has no relief. Unburden yourself from this weight, priest of God; let forth streams of God’s words unto your joy and the enlivening of the souls entrusted to you. If you see that you yourself do not have the truth, get it: it is in the Holy Scriptures; and filling yourself with it, pass it on to your spiritual children. Just do not be silent. Preach, for it is unto this that you are called.

Tuesday. [Phil. 1:8-14; Luke 5:12-16]

   The leper fell down before the Lord and besought: Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. The Lord said: I will: be thou clean. And immediately the leprosy departed from him. So does every moral leprosy immediately depart as soon as one falls down before the Lord with faith, repentance, and confession—it truly departs and loses any power over him. Why does the leprosy sometimes return again? For the same reason that bodily diseases return. One who has recovered is told, “do not eat that, do not drink this, do not go there.” If he does not obey, the disease again flares up. So it is in the spiritual life. One must be sober, vigilant, and pray—then the disease of sin will not return. If you are not attentive toward yourself, if you allow yourself to see, hear, say, and do everything indiscriminately, how can sin not flare up and take power once again? The Lord charged the leper to fulfil all according to the law. This means that upon confession one must receive a penance and faithfully fulfil it; within it is concealed great preventive strength. But why do some say: this sinful habit has overcome me, I cannot handle myself. Either because repentance and confession were not complete, or because after making precautionary changes he adheres only weakly to them, or indulges himself. He wants to do everything without toil and self-coercion, and is laughed at by the enemy. Resolve to stand unto death and show [this resolve] in deed, and you will see what power there is in this. It is true that in every insurmountable passion that comes up the enemy possesses the soul, but this is no justification; for he immediately flees as soon as you produce an inner change, with God’s help.