WEBVTT 00:00:00.330 --> 00:00:02.770 In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and 00:00:02.770 --> 00:00:06.410 of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Glory to Jesus Christ. 00:00:06.710 --> 00:00:16.190 Glory to Christ. I'd like to speak about the 00:00:16.190 --> 00:00:19.949 Feast of All Saints just for a moment. You know, 00:00:19.969 --> 00:00:22.690 the Orthodox Church celebrates All Saints on 00:00:22.690 --> 00:00:26.350 the Sunday after Pentecost in the West. It's 00:00:26.350 --> 00:00:32.340 established in the following way. No groaning, 00:00:32.380 --> 00:00:34.140 please. I'm not going to talk about this the 00:00:34.140 --> 00:00:36.479 way you think I'm going to talk about this. I 00:00:36.479 --> 00:00:45.899 promise. On November 1st, the year 732, I think 00:00:45.899 --> 00:00:49.380 I have the facts right, but Father James can 00:00:49.380 --> 00:00:53.060 correct me if I'm not. Pope Gregory, Pope St. 00:00:53.240 --> 00:00:57.240 Gregory III called a local council in St. Peter's 00:00:57.240 --> 00:01:04.890 Basilica bishops and he consecrated there a side 00:01:04.890 --> 00:01:09.609 chapel to the Theotokos and for the feast of 00:01:09.609 --> 00:01:14.370 all saints and all martyrs and they hung several 00:01:14.370 --> 00:01:18.189 icons there and they pronounced with the bishops 00:01:18.189 --> 00:01:22.370 there against the iconoclasts who were raging 00:01:22.370 --> 00:01:25.030 in the church in the east icons were being destroyed 00:01:25.030 --> 00:01:30.510 in that time the 700s the mid 700s in the year 00:01:31.159 --> 00:01:35.719 In 835, so remember we celebrate the feast of 00:01:35.719 --> 00:01:40.579 the Sunday of Orthodoxy in 843. In 835, Pope 00:01:40.579 --> 00:01:47.140 Gregory IV, another Gregory, ordered that this 00:01:47.140 --> 00:01:49.719 feast of all saints be kept throughout the whole 00:01:49.719 --> 00:01:54.260 Western Church as a universal festival in response 00:01:54.260 --> 00:01:57.340 to the persecutions that were still going on 00:01:57.340 --> 00:02:01.640 by the iconoclasts in the East. So this Western 00:02:01.640 --> 00:02:05.180 Feast of All Saints is akin to our Sunday of 00:02:05.180 --> 00:02:09.780 Orthodoxy celebration and akin to our Sunday 00:02:09.780 --> 00:02:14.199 of All Saints as a banner, a statement, an affirmation 00:02:14.199 --> 00:02:19.219 of the propriety of the veneration of icons. 00:02:19.419 --> 00:02:22.800 Remember, we spoke about icons. Was it last week? 00:02:22.939 --> 00:02:29.349 Yes. So All Hallows' Eve, All Saints' Eve. Halloween, 00:02:29.430 --> 00:02:33.389 All Saints Eve, is this feast. Now, there's a 00:02:33.389 --> 00:02:36.050 murky history of this feast from that point on, 00:02:36.090 --> 00:02:38.550 and I'm not qualified to speak about it, and 00:02:38.550 --> 00:02:41.849 I'm not interested to speak about it. All I can 00:02:41.849 --> 00:02:44.889 say, and I'll say very little, is what we now 00:02:44.889 --> 00:02:47.689 know of Halloween, unless you're Roman Catholic, 00:02:47.930 --> 00:02:52.669 I suppose, it's devoid of any liturgical content, 00:02:52.810 --> 00:02:58.490 of any festal... joy and meaning for people. 00:03:00.030 --> 00:03:03.330 Halloween in our society is about spending vast 00:03:03.330 --> 00:03:08.610 amounts of money to celebrate I don't know what 00:03:08.610 --> 00:03:12.110 and it's become a strange amalgamation of different 00:03:12.110 --> 00:03:15.650 world views containing within itself some pleasant 00:03:15.650 --> 00:03:19.409 customs and also some positively evil practices 00:03:19.409 --> 00:03:24.870 very much on display. If I was a kid And I wanted 00:03:24.870 --> 00:03:27.569 to celebrate the feast, and I'll call it All 00:03:27.569 --> 00:03:31.610 Saints. It is a church, after all. I certainly 00:03:31.610 --> 00:03:36.509 think, what saint, what saint, a very important 00:03:36.509 --> 00:03:39.889 and beloved saint, near to All Saints Feast, 00:03:39.990 --> 00:03:45.909 what saint would I choose to dress up as? That'd 00:03:45.909 --> 00:03:50.009 be St. Demetrius of Thessalonica, martyred in 00:03:50.009 --> 00:03:55.110 306. Our St. Demetrius, his icon, is here. We 00:03:55.110 --> 00:03:57.889 had vestments for him on Friday, liturgy yesterday, 00:03:58.110 --> 00:04:02.090 and we're continuing the feast today along with 00:04:02.090 --> 00:04:08.689 his disciple, Nestor. Our St. Demetrius was holy 00:04:08.689 --> 00:04:13.229 before he was martyred. He had been a soldier, 00:04:13.349 --> 00:04:16.029 but he had been promoted, and now he was a governor 00:04:16.029 --> 00:04:19.990 of that whole region around Thessalonica. He 00:04:19.990 --> 00:04:24.610 was a servant of... He was a Christian. He was 00:04:24.610 --> 00:04:28.189 sanctified by the Spirit of God. He was transfigured 00:04:28.189 --> 00:04:31.610 by God. He was a temple of God. And because of 00:04:31.610 --> 00:04:35.990 that, the gospel was being spread. One saint, 00:04:36.069 --> 00:04:38.370 I think it's St. Gregory of Palamas, says he's 00:04:38.370 --> 00:04:43.310 a new St. Paul. He's equal to the apostles, sharing 00:04:43.310 --> 00:04:47.829 the good news of salvation in a very dark and 00:04:47.829 --> 00:04:52.560 strange pagan time. persecutions were still going 00:04:52.560 --> 00:04:58.899 on but were almost over. Almost over. A church 00:04:58.899 --> 00:05:02.500 was built where he was martyred and the altar 00:05:02.500 --> 00:05:07.360 was right above the spot of his martyrdom. And 00:05:07.360 --> 00:05:13.379 sometime later it was discovered that myrrh was 00:05:13.379 --> 00:05:17.019 streaming from his holy relics. I've been in 00:05:17.019 --> 00:05:20.269 this church a number of times. The most recent 00:05:20.269 --> 00:05:23.550 time was 2018 when I went with my sons and my 00:05:23.550 --> 00:05:26.889 son -in -law. And I remember the look on their 00:05:26.889 --> 00:05:29.810 face when we walked into this magnificent basilica. 00:05:29.870 --> 00:05:33.589 It is a basilica. It doesn't have a dome. It's 00:05:33.589 --> 00:05:36.509 very large. It was rebuilt in 1912 after the 00:05:36.509 --> 00:05:39.230 great fire in Thessalonica. It's magnificent. 00:05:39.709 --> 00:05:42.949 And there's a whole place where you go and you 00:05:42.949 --> 00:05:46.009 can receive some of the myrrh from St. Demetrius. 00:05:46.759 --> 00:05:50.680 Your heart leaps when you're there. It's touched. 00:05:50.980 --> 00:05:54.459 It's one of the oldest churches that there is. 00:05:56.120 --> 00:05:59.660 It's very much beloved. So I'd dress up as St. 00:05:59.759 --> 00:06:04.639 Demetrius. I'm halfway there right now. I'd have 00:06:04.639 --> 00:06:07.899 that sword and that spear that you see. There's 00:06:07.899 --> 00:06:13.040 a wonderful fresco behind the choir. Please remember 00:06:13.040 --> 00:06:16.660 that he was martyred by the sword. And the spear. 00:06:16.860 --> 00:06:20.819 He's carrying it. Not as a sign of offense to 00:06:20.819 --> 00:06:23.439 someone else. Except to the demons of course. 00:06:23.740 --> 00:06:29.839 But a sign of his own martyrdom. And resolute 00:06:29.839 --> 00:06:35.360 testimony to the Lord's resurrection and life. 00:06:37.680 --> 00:06:41.220 I'd have that armor. I'd have that breastplate. 00:06:41.459 --> 00:06:46.180 That shield because of what St. Paul said. Stand 00:06:46.180 --> 00:06:48.720 therefore having fastened on the belt of truth. 00:06:49.459 --> 00:06:51.939 Having put on the breastplate of righteousness. 00:06:52.800 --> 00:06:56.579 Take up the shield of faith. With which you can 00:06:56.579 --> 00:06:59.740 extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil 00:06:59.740 --> 00:07:03.740 one. Take the helmet of salvation. The sword 00:07:03.740 --> 00:07:07.519 of the spirit. Which is the word of God. He doesn't 00:07:07.519 --> 00:07:11.339 mean a book. He means Christ within him. Christ's 00:07:11.339 --> 00:07:15.269 word dwelling richly within him. Praying at all 00:07:15.269 --> 00:07:17.790 times in the spirit with all prayer and supplication. 00:07:17.810 --> 00:07:20.470 This is what St. Paul says about all that armor. 00:07:22.269 --> 00:07:27.329 Why do we put on all that armor? St. Paul says, 00:07:27.610 --> 00:07:31.670 so that you may be able to stand against the 00:07:31.670 --> 00:07:35.509 schemes of the devil. Which is what St. Demetrius 00:07:35.509 --> 00:07:39.129 did. Which is what we do when we make the sign 00:07:39.129 --> 00:07:41.490 of the cross. When we call upon the name of the 00:07:41.490 --> 00:07:44.819 Lord, St. James says, the devil flees. especially 00:07:44.819 --> 00:07:48.620 the Jesus prayer. St. Paul goes on, he says, 00:07:48.639 --> 00:07:52.680 we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but 00:07:52.680 --> 00:07:54.959 against the rulers, against the authorities, 00:07:55.220 --> 00:07:58.040 against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, 00:07:58.220 --> 00:08:01.680 against the spiritual forces of evil in the air, 00:08:01.779 --> 00:08:06.819 in the heavenly places. And that brings me to 00:08:06.819 --> 00:08:10.839 the gospel account from this morning. Let's remember 00:08:10.839 --> 00:08:13.949 these words from St. Paul. about what we struggle 00:08:13.949 --> 00:08:18.149 against. Let's remember that the first thing 00:08:18.149 --> 00:08:21.970 Jesus did after he was baptized was go into the 00:08:21.970 --> 00:08:25.250 wilderness. You remember in the story we just 00:08:25.250 --> 00:08:32.389 heard, this man was possessed by a legion of 00:08:32.389 --> 00:08:35.269 demons. He was fragmented. He was broken. He 00:08:35.269 --> 00:08:38.970 was violent. He was obscene. He was naked. He 00:08:38.970 --> 00:08:44.610 was living in the tombs. Spirit seized him. And 00:08:44.610 --> 00:08:47.309 he broke the shackles. And was driven by the 00:08:47.309 --> 00:08:50.970 demon. Into the wilderness. Jesus goes into the 00:08:50.970 --> 00:08:53.889 wilderness. And he confronts the devil. That's 00:08:53.889 --> 00:08:57.950 the first thing he does. And the devil has nothing 00:08:57.950 --> 00:09:02.250 in him. And Jesus then. Continues his ministry. 00:09:03.330 --> 00:09:09.509 Mark. His gospel very clear. As the others. He 00:09:09.509 --> 00:09:15.629 goes and heals those that were possessed. Now, 00:09:15.649 --> 00:09:21.129 you and I, mostly, haven't seen anything this 00:09:21.129 --> 00:09:24.929 dramatic. What have I to do with thee, Jesus, 00:09:24.950 --> 00:09:27.509 Son of the Most High, says this demon. I usually 00:09:27.509 --> 00:09:30.159 don't quote demons in church. But this is the 00:09:30.159 --> 00:09:33.139 gospel. I beg you, do not torment me. For he 00:09:33.139 --> 00:09:35.299 had commanded the unclean spirit to come out 00:09:35.299 --> 00:09:38.220 of the man. For it often seized him. And he was 00:09:38.220 --> 00:09:41.080 kept under guard, bound with chains and shackles. 00:09:41.139 --> 00:09:44.500 He wore no clothes. Neither did he live in a 00:09:44.500 --> 00:09:47.820 house, but in the tombs. And when he saw Jesus, 00:09:48.000 --> 00:09:51.000 he fell down before him. Because he knew who 00:09:51.000 --> 00:10:00.429 Jesus was. This gospel is a partner. is an illumination 00:10:00.429 --> 00:10:05.009 of what we heard last week. I spoke to you about 00:10:05.009 --> 00:10:08.649 the temple of God, that you are the temple of 00:10:08.649 --> 00:10:12.690 God, that the Holy Spirit was given to you at 00:10:12.690 --> 00:10:15.909 your baptism and your chrismation. And now, says 00:10:15.909 --> 00:10:19.029 St. Paul, don't you know you've been bought with 00:10:19.029 --> 00:10:21.509 a price? You are the temple of the living God. 00:10:22.850 --> 00:10:26.690 This story here is a partner to that. It illustrates... 00:10:26.970 --> 00:10:30.690 What happens to a person that pursues something 00:10:30.690 --> 00:10:35.250 different and opens himself up to the hatred 00:10:35.250 --> 00:10:39.830 and the violence of demonic power? Yes, I've 00:10:39.830 --> 00:10:47.350 seen it. Go down to the tenderloin. The devil 00:10:47.350 --> 00:10:50.370 doesn't need to do much anymore. He just gets 00:10:50.370 --> 00:10:55.539 people addicted. And they lose their minds. And 00:10:55.539 --> 00:10:57.860 they lose their consciousness and they become 00:10:57.860 --> 00:11:05.320 legion also. So the reason I'm telling you this, 00:11:05.340 --> 00:11:08.200 dear brothers and sisters, is not because I'm 00:11:08.200 --> 00:11:11.279 afraid any of this is going to happen to us. 00:11:12.700 --> 00:11:15.820 I'm telling you this because the devil does strive 00:11:15.820 --> 00:11:22.210 against us. We struggle not against flesh and 00:11:22.210 --> 00:11:24.389 blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, 00:11:24.490 --> 00:11:28.490 against cosmic powers. Because we are the temple 00:11:28.490 --> 00:11:34.789 of God. He would like to destroy, if not destroy, 00:11:35.049 --> 00:11:40.289 at least harm. And if not harm, make a big mess 00:11:40.289 --> 00:11:44.090 in that temple so that you don't even know that 00:11:44.090 --> 00:11:46.549 that Holy Spirit is within you, the Spirit of 00:11:46.549 --> 00:11:53.159 God. My encouragement to you today is to rejoice 00:11:53.159 --> 00:11:56.919 at this miracle that occurred to this man because 00:11:56.919 --> 00:12:02.639 what happened? The demons had to ask for permission 00:12:02.639 --> 00:12:06.840 from Christ and Christ sent them into the swine. 00:12:06.899 --> 00:12:10.799 Why swine? Was that cruel to the pigs? Well, 00:12:10.820 --> 00:12:15.159 why swine is because swine provide the preferred 00:12:15.159 --> 00:12:18.899 meat at the pagan sacrifices. In the pagan temples. 00:12:20.259 --> 00:12:25.700 And they went. And the man was then healed. They 00:12:25.700 --> 00:12:29.759 found him. Sitting at the feet of Jesus. Clothed 00:12:29.759 --> 00:12:34.080 and in his right mind. He became then. The temple 00:12:34.080 --> 00:12:42.740 of God. Clothed. Beautiful. Peaceful. So. So 00:12:42.740 --> 00:12:46.019 attached to the Lord. That he didn't want to 00:12:46.019 --> 00:12:48.559 let him out of. his sight for a moment, and listen 00:12:48.559 --> 00:12:53.340 to what he did. Jesus says, tell everybody the 00:12:53.340 --> 00:12:56.299 things that God has done for you. And he says, 00:12:56.539 --> 00:13:00.879 and he goes off, and he went his way and proclaimed 00:13:00.879 --> 00:13:04.019 throughout the whole city what things Jesus, 00:13:04.120 --> 00:13:08.580 parentheses, bracket, in the scriptures, I would 00:13:08.580 --> 00:13:12.179 think, Jesus, our Savior and God, had done for 00:13:12.179 --> 00:13:15.259 him. This is why we have this story, to remind 00:13:15.259 --> 00:13:19.740 us. That last week we may have spoken about the 00:13:19.740 --> 00:13:22.820 icons in the temple of God and that we are sanctified. 00:13:22.899 --> 00:13:25.679 This week we see what happens if a person is 00:13:25.679 --> 00:13:29.679 not. And we give glory to God for what we have 00:13:29.679 --> 00:13:34.779 been given. That we have been saved. And let 00:13:34.779 --> 00:13:39.340 me remind you why Jesus came. St. John says it 00:13:39.340 --> 00:13:41.779 very clearly. He came to destroy the works of 00:13:41.779 --> 00:13:45.700 the devil. First letter of John. Came to destroy 00:13:45.700 --> 00:13:50.639 the works of the devil. So we too. You get up 00:13:50.639 --> 00:13:54.799 in the morning. You say your prayers. This is 00:13:54.799 --> 00:13:57.440 the works of God. No other work can take place 00:13:57.440 --> 00:14:00.200 after that. No work of the devil can happen. 00:14:01.559 --> 00:14:05.519 You forgive your neighbor. The work of God happens 00:14:05.519 --> 00:14:09.240 again. And more grace comes to you. You spend 00:14:09.240 --> 00:14:11.460 a little time reading the scriptures. You look 00:14:11.460 --> 00:14:15.200 into your heart. Maybe you see. The image of 00:14:15.200 --> 00:14:18.899 Christ in your heart. And if we do that all our 00:14:18.899 --> 00:14:23.539 life, when we leave this life, we will be sanctified 00:14:23.539 --> 00:14:26.220 and we will have the great joy and the knowledge 00:14:26.220 --> 00:14:30.980 of the grace of God dwelling within us. Be careful 00:14:30.980 --> 00:14:35.899 of your temple. You have been bought with a price. 00:14:37.639 --> 00:14:41.240 We work for the Lord. We rejoice in the Lord. 00:14:42.220 --> 00:14:47.179 And we honor him as much as we can. To our Lord 00:14:47.179 --> 00:14:51.320 who has saved us, be glory and honor now and 00:14:51.320 --> 00:14:53.120 ever to ages of ages. Amen.