Clergy Reflection: Saturday Of The Fourth Week

Saturday of the Fourth Week

Tomorrow, the Fourth Sunday of Great Lent is dedicated to Saint John Climacus, a monk of Saint Catherine’s Monastery on Mount Sinai who had lived a very spiritual life. He wrote of his experience in a book entitled, The Ladder of Divine Ascent, describing the spiritual life and growth in God through thirty steps, thirty rungs on the ladder. Through these thirty steps man is transfigured into continual com- munion with God, spiritual growth achieved by the action of these steps is achieved only through God’s mercy, through prayer and through fasting. The Gospel reading tomorrow is from Saint Mark (9:17-31). In it, we hear of a man who brings his son to Christ for healing. After the healing of the man’s son, Christ’s disciples ask why they could not cast out the demon earlier. Christ’s response is that it is because of their unbelief and that this type of demon can only be cast out through prayer and fasting. The Lord then gives His disciples and us the prescription for healing; prayer and fasting. This is our prescrip- tion also, that we may regain or strengthen our faith and enter into continuous communion with God.

Fr. Agathonikos Wilson