We neglect the present…[8 August 2024]

Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal. Have Mercy On Us. (3x) Glory be to the Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit, both now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen.

Good morning, and Praise the Lord! Today is Thursday August 8, 2024. Today we celebrate Emilian the Confessor and Bishop of Cyzikos.

All holy Trinity have mercy on us. Lord, forgive us our sins; Master pardon our transgressions; Holy One, visit and heal our infirmities for your name’s sake.

Lord, have mercy (3x)

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son and the Holy Spirit, both now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen.

1 Cor. 7:24-35

Matthew 15:12-21

Heavenly King, Comforter, Spirit of Truth, present everywhere and filling all things. Treasury of blessings and giver of life. Come and abide in us, and save our souls, gracious Lord.

The devil appeared to three monks and said to them:

“If I gave you the power to change something in the past, what would you change?”

The first of them, with great apostolic fervor, replied:

“I would like to prevent you from leading Adam and Eve to sin, so that humanity does not separate from God.”

The second, a man full of mercy, said to him: “I will prevent you from straying from God and condemning you forever.”

The third of them was the simplest and instead of answering the tempter, he knelt down, made the sign of the cross, and prayed: “Lord, deliver me from the temptation of what might have been and what was not.”

The demon, screaming and trembling with pain, fled.

The other two were surprised and said to him:

“Brother, why did you react like this?”

And he answered them: “First, we should never talk to the enemy.”

“Secondly, no one in the world has the power to change the past.”

“Third: Satan’s interest was not to prove our virtue, but to trap us in the past, so that we neglect the present, the only time God gives us His grace and we can cooperate with Him to fulfill His will.”

Our Father who art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name

Thy Kingdom come, Thy Will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven

Give us this day our daily bread

Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us

Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.

For Thine is the Kingdom, the Power and the Glory forever. Amen.

{{gmptl}}