Monday. [Gal. 2:11-16; Mark 5:24-34]

   The woman with the issue of blood had only to touch the Lord with faith, and power went out of the Lord into her: straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up. The issue of blood is an image of passionate thoughts and intentions, incessantly springing forth from the heart, if it has not yet been cleansed from all sympathy to sin—this is our sinful disease. It is sensed by those who have repented and zealously strive to keep themselves pure not only outwardly, but inwardly as well. Such people see that evil thoughts incessantly proceed from the heart, and they grieve over this and seek healing. But it is not possible to find such healing in oneself or others; it comes from the Lord, or more precisely, it comes when the soul touches the Lord and power goes out of the Lord into the soul. In other words, it comes when tangible contact with the Lord occurs, to which a particular warmth and inner burning testifies. When it happens, I say, immediately the soul feels that it “was healed of that plague.” This is a great good; but how can it be attained? The woman with the issue of blood pressed towards the Lord and received healing—we too must press towards the Lord, going without laziness by the narrow way of inner and outer spiritual endeavours. Everything is narrow and pressing for those who go by this way, and the Lord is not in sight. But then suddenly there is the Lord. And joy! The Kingdom of God does not come noticeably…

Eighteenth Sunday After Pentecost. [II Cor. 9:6-11; Luke 5:1-11]

   The fishermen toiled for an entire night and took nothing; but when the Lord entered their ship, and, after preaching commanded them to cast their net, they took so many that they could not pull them out and the net broke. This is an image for all work without God’s help, and for work with God’s help. When one person works, wanting to achieve something through his strength alone—he is all thumbs. When the Lord draws near to him, then one good thing after another flows in from somewhere. In the spiritual-moral sense the impossibility of success without the Lord is tangibly visible: Without Me ye can do nothing, said the Lord. And this law acts in all things. Just as a branch not grown onto a tree not only does not bear fruit, but dries up and loses its life as well, neither can people bring forth fruits of truth valuable for eternal life if they are not in living communion with the Lord. Any good that they might have is only an appearance of good, but in essence it is faulty—like a forest apple that appears red but if you taste it, it is sour. It is also tangibly clear in an external, worldly sense: one struggles and struggles, and all in vain. When God’s blessing descends, all comes out well. Those who are attentive toward themselves and the paths of life know these truths through experience.