THE DOMINICAN HERMITAGE & ORATORY OF STS SEBASTIAN AND PEREGRINE in GEVGELIJA, MACEDONIA, EUROPE

Dear brothers and sister, reading today’s Gospel of Mark about our carnal temptations through the parables of expression of our Lord Jesus Christ, made me think first of myself.

What an example I am to the people that surround me, my relatives, neighbors, grocery people, my virtual friends, my close members of the family and my cousins .

Where is at first my own integrity when I have to appear to the sanctity throne on the foot of our home altars,  going through the long time , many months in spiritual desert, negative overthinking thoughts that eat us from inside.

Jesus is very practical in his words of the example to cut that what stop us to walk in to the path of sanctity, our spiritual eyes, our spiritual hands, and our carnal hands, cut, not in the literal words to butcher and destroy our bodies, but turning our direction to a different way, if I so much make sins through my hands, than I would need the two hands to unite in prayer, if my eyes makes me to make a sin through seeing , than I might open the Holy Scripture, and read the holy sentences, just to distract with positive practices that will benefit in our future life.

Today we live in a world too modern, but we have to nourish ourselves into these words, our tradition, if we search and collect from the source of the truth, then we will be like the wise virgins who had enough oil to welcome the long-waited bridegroom.

I just want that parable to include in today’s Gospel readings in gospel of St Mark, chapter 9.

I am not example for sure, I am already buried in my daily burdens of this valley of tears, I do sins, I am too carnal too, and this words today speak for myself, that I have to make my first step to the foot of the altar and begging God to be merciful on me sinner, to give me renewed strength and brave heart to start overcoming the stumbling rocks that I need to jump.

We need to make effort for the sin, God have to see our initiative, we can’t overcome by ourselves , but our effort to sweat and give blood, and God will give us his grace when he sees our faithfulness.

So cut your hands , eyes, and feet that walks to sin , transforms same parts of your body for the Gods holy act of work for the salvation of the mankind,

In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen

23.IX.21 Gevgelija

The Rev. Dcn. Igor Kalinski OPI