**With the blessing of His Eminence Metropolitan Vladimir, Bishop Filaret of Căpriana served the Divine Liturgy for the 20th Sunday after Pentecost at the “Nativity of the Lord” Metropolitan Cathedral in Chișinău.**
The Gospel reading for this Sunday (Luke 8:26-39) recounts the miracle of the healing of the demon-possessed man in the region of the Gadarenes.
If we carefully consider the words of today’s Holy Gospel, we will understand two important lessons. First, the boundless and immeasurable love of God for humankind, and second, the great and terrifying malice of the demons toward people and all of God’s creations.
Therefore, let us abandon our sins to escape the demons and remain with Christ. Let us guard our hearts from passions, especially from pride, so that we may become a throne of the Most Holy Trinity. Let us keep our bodies pure from drunkenness and immorality, so they may become a “temple of the Holy Spirit.” Let us flee from the demon of pride, which brings ruin to so many, knowing that “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”
Let us pray to our Savior Christ to banish passions and evil spirits from us, to forgive our sins, to heal our infirmities, and to make us dwelling places of the Most Holy Trinity. Amen.
Source: Căpriana Monastery