Today, my beloved, we will speak about the Gospel reading (see Mt. 8:5-13). You heard it - it describes one of the Lord’s miracles.
***
Just as Greece’s capital is Athens, Israel’s [former] capital is Jerusalem. During the time of Christ, there was a mansion in one of its neighbourhoods. It belonged to a centurion (Mt. 8:5), which was a rank of the Roman Army that in those days ruled the whole world.
The centurion had a paralyzed slave at his house. Back then, slaves weren’t considered human beings. They were bought and sold, and the owner had the right to do whatever he wanted to his slave, without having to give account to anyone. However, this centurion, who was an idolater, was concerned and had compassion for his sick slave. He brought in doctors, bought medication, and did whatever he could to help him. But the child remained paralyzed, like lead on the bed. He was in torment and was suffering.
In desperation, the centurion suddenly learnt of a person’s name. It was the name that is above every name (Ph. 2:9), the name of Jesus Christ. He heard that wherever this person touched with his holy hands, the blind would see, the deaf would hear, the paralyzed would walk and the dead would be resurrected. And he said to himself: Christ will make the child well! So he went and approached Christ. He humbled himself, bowed before Him and said, “Lord, I ask for your mercy. I have a servant who has become paralyzed and is suffering.” Christ said, “I’ll come and heal him.” As soon as the centurion heard that, he said, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you in my home. It is enough for you to say a word, and my servant will become well. Just as I, as an officer, have soldiers who follow my commands, and I order one to go somewhere, and he goes, and I order another to come and he comes, and I command my slave to do
something and he does it - in the same way you, who are above the officers of this world —what are they before you?— just say a word, and it will be done. You rule the universe. Your obedient soldiers are the sun —which rises at the set time with mathematical exactness— the moon, the stars, the seasons, all of nature. There’s no need for you to come to my home, your order impacts from far away...” Then Christ was amazed at his great faith and said, “As you believe, so it will be done.” And immediately —if someone at that time had a watch, he would have witnessed this— the child became well.
This is the Gospel reading, in a few words.
The centurion had a paralyzed slave at his house. Back then, slaves weren’t considered human beings. They were bought and sold, and the owner had the right to do whatever he wanted to his slave, without having to give account to anyone. However, this centurion, who was an idolater, was concerned and had compassion for his sick slave. He brought in doctors, bought medication, and did whatever he could to help him. But the child remained paralyzed, like lead on the bed. He was in torment and was suffering.
In desperation, the centurion suddenly learnt of a person’s name. It was the name that is above every name (Ph. 2:9), the name of Jesus Christ. He heard that wherever this person touched with his holy hands, the blind would see, the deaf would hear, the paralyzed would walk and the dead would be resurrected. And he said to himself: Christ will make the child well! So he went and approached Christ. He humbled himself, bowed before Him and said, “Lord, I ask for your mercy. I have a servant who has become paralyzed and is suffering.” Christ said, “I’ll come and heal him.” As soon as the centurion heard that, he said, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you in my home. It is enough for you to say a word, and my servant will become well. Just as I, as an officer, have soldiers who follow my commands, and I order one to go somewhere, and he goes, and I order another to come and he comes, and I command my slave to do
something and he does it - in the same way you, who are above the officers of this world —what are they before you?— just say a word, and it will be done. You rule the universe. Your obedient soldiers are the sun —which rises at the set time with mathematical exactness— the moon, the stars, the seasons, all of nature. There’s no need for you to come to my home, your order impacts from far away...” Then Christ was amazed at his great faith and said, “As you believe, so it will be done.” And immediately —if someone at that time had a watch, he would have witnessed this— the child became well.
This is the Gospel reading, in a few words.
***
Since then, two thousand years have passed. And just as back then there were children, there are also children today. And just as back then, the children would get sick, in the same way, they get sick today. Some of these illnesses are physical, some are spiritual.
Concerning the physical illnesses, in many cases the parents are at fault, since the illness is hereditary. They live according to their whims - but when they are intemperate, when they get drunk, are lewd and sexually immoral, then they give birth to children who are overburdened, handicapped, retarded, blind, deaf etc. Once upon a time, when the parents married as virgins, they gave birth to strong and healthy children. Now the children are the fruit of obscenity and sin. And today’s Apostle reading said, for the wages of sin is death (Rom. 6:23).
But while there are only a few children who are physically impaired, there are many children who are spiritually ill. A child may be born with a strong body, but that’s not so important. A human being also has a soul. An apple might seem nice and red, but when you cut it open there’s a worm inside. That’s how it is with a child: it might be good-looking and healthy, but internally it has vices, spiritual illnesses, which it also inherited from its mother or father. A physical illness is visible and obvious, but an illness of the soul is invisible and difficult to diagnose.
What is the general name of this illness? It’s called sin. Yes, even the small children have this evil in them. Not of course, like adults do, but to a smaller degree. If, however, the parents and teachers and priests aren’t careful, those small children, who seem like angels in their cradles, can become murderers and killers. Oh what a responsibility we have! One old man told me during the years of the [German] Occupation: “In our neighbourhood there was a little kid, blonde with blue eyes. I would hug him and call him an angel. But then what happened? He became a great criminal of Western Macedonia - he slaughtered 300 people with a knife! If I knew what would become of him, I might not have let him survive...”
A little angel! But inside is the worm, the spiritual illness. Do you want us to count some of these illnesses of the soul?
Here’s one. Do you see that small child? Where he’s sitting quietly, suddenly he gets angry, turns raendg,e lrunges at his brother and hits him. He has boiling inside him. Is anger a small passion? How many couples have separated because one of them was hot-tempered and the other was quick to take offence?
Another passion of the young soul is envy. The doctors confirm this. One mother had two children, one in the cradle and the other a little older, it could understand. And when the mother would take the baby to nurse it, the other child would turn yellow - he wanted all the milk to himself. The envious child can’t endure seeing someone give a gift to another child, or listen to the teacher praise someone else. Envy is a serious illness, difficult to heal...
Another childhood illness is stubborness. If a mother doesn’t do her little prince’s will, if she doesn’t cook the food he likes, if she doesn’t fry him an egg, he will cause a great fuss. He’ll shout, roll on the ground and hit himself. He becomes a small tyrant. And the mother doesn’t know how to raise him, to give him a few smacks, but she gives in. There is a Greek saying: the mule takes out an eye.1
Out of stubborness, homes have been destroyed, as well as villages and cities; wars have occurred and [the peace of] humanity is at stake.
Do you want to know of another childhood illness? That of indolence, laziness. It has come to us Greeks also, who were a poor and hard-working people. Now only a few farmers and stock-breeders work, everyone else goes to university to... study. The lazy child is obvious from a young age. In the morning it doesn’t wake up even if a bomb explodes. It gets up late. If she’s a girl, she doesn’t even wash the dishes. If he’s a boy, he doesn’t ask if his father needs help. Laziness is the mother of all evil, is a motto our forefathers would say.
How can you describe all the childhood illnesses?! They grow with the child as it ages. And just as a small tree can’t be uprooted once it grows and becomes large, in the same way these childhood faults, if we aren’t careful, become very difficult to uproot, and then woe to those around them (family, village, nation, society). This is why therapy of these childhood spiritual illnesses is so important.
Concerning the physical illnesses, in many cases the parents are at fault, since the illness is hereditary. They live according to their whims - but when they are intemperate, when they get drunk, are lewd and sexually immoral, then they give birth to children who are overburdened, handicapped, retarded, blind, deaf etc. Once upon a time, when the parents married as virgins, they gave birth to strong and healthy children. Now the children are the fruit of obscenity and sin. And today’s Apostle reading said, for the wages of sin is death (Rom. 6:23).
But while there are only a few children who are physically impaired, there are many children who are spiritually ill. A child may be born with a strong body, but that’s not so important. A human being also has a soul. An apple might seem nice and red, but when you cut it open there’s a worm inside. That’s how it is with a child: it might be good-looking and healthy, but internally it has vices, spiritual illnesses, which it also inherited from its mother or father. A physical illness is visible and obvious, but an illness of the soul is invisible and difficult to diagnose.
What is the general name of this illness? It’s called sin. Yes, even the small children have this evil in them. Not of course, like adults do, but to a smaller degree. If, however, the parents and teachers and priests aren’t careful, those small children, who seem like angels in their cradles, can become murderers and killers. Oh what a responsibility we have! One old man told me during the years of the [German] Occupation: “In our neighbourhood there was a little kid, blonde with blue eyes. I would hug him and call him an angel. But then what happened? He became a great criminal of Western Macedonia - he slaughtered 300 people with a knife! If I knew what would become of him, I might not have let him survive...”
A little angel! But inside is the worm, the spiritual illness. Do you want us to count some of these illnesses of the soul?
Here’s one. Do you see that small child? Where he’s sitting quietly, suddenly he gets angry, turns raendg,e lrunges at his brother and hits him. He has boiling inside him. Is anger a small passion? How many couples have separated because one of them was hot-tempered and the other was quick to take offence?
Another passion of the young soul is envy. The doctors confirm this. One mother had two children, one in the cradle and the other a little older, it could understand. And when the mother would take the baby to nurse it, the other child would turn yellow - he wanted all the milk to himself. The envious child can’t endure seeing someone give a gift to another child, or listen to the teacher praise someone else. Envy is a serious illness, difficult to heal...
Another childhood illness is stubborness. If a mother doesn’t do her little prince’s will, if she doesn’t cook the food he likes, if she doesn’t fry him an egg, he will cause a great fuss. He’ll shout, roll on the ground and hit himself. He becomes a small tyrant. And the mother doesn’t know how to raise him, to give him a few smacks, but she gives in. There is a Greek saying: the mule takes out an eye.1
Out of stubborness, homes have been destroyed, as well as villages and cities; wars have occurred and [the peace of] humanity is at stake.
Do you want to know of another childhood illness? That of indolence, laziness. It has come to us Greeks also, who were a poor and hard-working people. Now only a few farmers and stock-breeders work, everyone else goes to university to... study. The lazy child is obvious from a young age. In the morning it doesn’t wake up even if a bomb explodes. It gets up late. If she’s a girl, she doesn’t even wash the dishes. If he’s a boy, he doesn’t ask if his father needs help. Laziness is the mother of all evil, is a motto our forefathers would say.
How can you describe all the childhood illnesses?! They grow with the child as it ages. And just as a small tree can’t be uprooted once it grows and becomes large, in the same way these childhood faults, if we aren’t careful, become very difficult to uproot, and then woe to those around them (family, village, nation, society). This is why therapy of these childhood spiritual illnesses is so important.
***
You may ask: and who will heal the children of these spiritual illnesses? Is there a doctor for those things? Lately a new science has been introduced —may God protect us— psychiatry. But the psychiatrists who promise that they can heal these illnesses of the soul, in many cases don’t even believe that a soul exists! That’s why someone once said that the first people who have need of a psychiatrist, are the psychiatrists themselves! Of course there are also psychiatrists who are great doctors.
But the only true doctor is our Lord Jesus Christ. He is the doctor of both bodies and souls. When I was a preacher in Athens, I knew of mothers who would take their sick children overseas to be healed, but they remained uncured despite the large amount of money they wasted. And —it’s not a lie— they then went to church, kneeled, prayed all night, and in the morning their child was well. Panagia, the great doctor, had healed it! Just as back then, Christ healed the centurion’s slave, in the same way He also heals today. His strength has not been reduced. He remains the same yesterday and today and to the ages (Heb. 13:8). He is THE doctor. His surgery is the Church. And what are His medications? The first is faith, the second is prayer, the third is confession, the fourth is reading the Gospel, the fifth is pious company and the medication par excellence is Holy Communion, when someone receives it with fear of God, faith and love (Divine Liturgy).
We should all love this Doctor, both parents and children. We don’t have need of psychiatrists, we have need of the Great Doctor. When your child becomes ill, kneel and you’ll see God’s miracle. And when your child displays various vices and faults, kneel and implore, and God will perform His miracle. In this way, everyone, both young and old, will hymn Jesus Christ, Who was crucified and
resurrected from the dead, unto the ages of ages: Amen.
(†) Bishop Augoustinos
But the only true doctor is our Lord Jesus Christ. He is the doctor of both bodies and souls. When I was a preacher in Athens, I knew of mothers who would take their sick children overseas to be healed, but they remained uncured despite the large amount of money they wasted. And —it’s not a lie— they then went to church, kneeled, prayed all night, and in the morning their child was well. Panagia, the great doctor, had healed it! Just as back then, Christ healed the centurion’s slave, in the same way He also heals today. His strength has not been reduced. He remains the same yesterday and today and to the ages (Heb. 13:8). He is THE doctor. His surgery is the Church. And what are His medications? The first is faith, the second is prayer, the third is confession, the fourth is reading the Gospel, the fifth is pious company and the medication par excellence is Holy Communion, when someone receives it with fear of God, faith and love (Divine Liturgy).
We should all love this Doctor, both parents and children. We don’t have need of psychiatrists, we have need of the Great Doctor. When your child becomes ill, kneel and you’ll see God’s miracle. And when your child displays various vices and faults, kneel and implore, and God will perform His miracle. In this way, everyone, both young and old, will hymn Jesus Christ, Who was crucified and
resurrected from the dead, unto the ages of ages: Amen.
(†) Bishop Augoustinos
1. τὸ γινάτι βγάζει μάτι
A transcribed sermon, which was given at the church of St. George, in Proti, Florina, Greece, on 14-7-1974.
ἐκ τῆς Ἱ. Μονῆς Ἁγ. Αὐγουστίνου Φλωρίνης
from the Holy Monastery of St. Augustine in Florina