Dear brothers and sisters, we always gather in the church and pray to our Savior for the strengthening of our souls and bodies, because we are part of the earthly Church, the Church Militant. We are constantly in a struggle; and as the Holy Scriptures say, it is not against flesh and blood but against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. This battle never ceases for a moment in our lives. We never have rest, no moments of peace. Always and everywhere, mighty, powerful arrows are aimed at us, aiming to strike our heart.
This is why, brothers and sisters, it is a tradition in our Church to call Christians soldiers of Christ. We must always remember this, everywhere and at all times. Otherwise, it is impossible to overcome the enemy of the human race, and this enemy is none other than each of us. The enemy of the human race is sin and passion, which have taken root in us.
The battle must first be fought within us, and the battlefield is our heart and soul. This is where we must hasten to enter to fight for our salvation.
We must work hard to cleanse our hearts from the enemy's snares, from the enemy's arrows. This is no easy task, so we must arm ourselves. The Lord gives us weapons, and these weapons, as stated in the Holy Scriptures, are also spiritual. These are the virtues that reside with us but cannot enter our hearts.
The holy fathers of our Church, who successfully walked this path of battle, left us excellent manuals on how to combat each passion and sin. They say that even love can be attained through labor.
In all things and everywhere, we have the gracious gifts of God for our salvation. We must use them with great care. Always and everywhere look to the example of the holy saints of God, who have already fought this battle and won this struggle.
Above all, we must look to the Champion Leader Himself, Sweetest Jesus, to His words, to the example of His earthly life, and to His actions.
Today in the Holy Scriptures, we read about such actions of our Savior. Two blind men followed Him during His preaching, begging Him to have mercy on them (Matt. 9:27–35). You see, they asked not for healing but for mercy, for the forgiveness of sins. These people understood that before them was God, who created heaven and earth, Who has the power to forgive sins. Their faith was strong; but the Lord does not rush to help them and heals them when they are alone. In spiritual joy and triumph, they tell many people about this.
They have shown us an example. We also want the Lord to be our Helper. And He will be our Helper when He can cling to our faith—if it lives in our lives. The Lord helps when we strive for the purification of the soul and heart.
Next, brothers and sisters, a mute man was brought to our Savior. The Gospel mentions the cause of his muteness. He was possessed by a spirit of evil in the heavenly realms. The Lord drives out this demon, and the man is immediately healed and begins to speak. We see that the Lord is eager to help man, but only when his heart is ready to accept this help.
Thus, brothers and sisters, the goal of our battle is to prepare the inner temple of our soul, to cleanse it so that the Holy Spirit may dwell there. In this way, the Lord can lead us to salvation.
This is how a person can ascend from strength to strength and enter the Kingdom of God. The path of salvation is shown to us by Christ Himself. Therefore, it is very important for us today and every day of our lives to remember the battle we are in, to not slacken, not be lazy, but to bravely and resolutely take up the path of struggle, remembering that God is with us. Amen.
