In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, one God. Amen. Let us remember the patron saint of this Church, St Gregory the Illuminator, the Enlightener of Armenia. May the holy martyr St Gregory pray for us.

The king Tiridates was a friend to St Gregory the Illuminator, but could not tolerate the Christian faith and demanded that St Gregory denounce his faith. St Gregory refused, and the king tortured the saint, including tying a stone around his neck as he was hung downwards, beating him, smoking and choking him, and forcing the saint to walk in iron sandals laden with nails. Throughout all these suffering the saint prayed the Psalms. When locked up in jail, our Lord healed the saint and he would appear before the king healed. The king was furious an repeated the torment all over again, and the saint would endure each torment, and be healed again and again. He was even thrown into a pit full of poisonous snakes and had molten tin poured over him, and he was unharmed. An angel would appear to the saint and heal him again and again, and it went on for 14 years. Eventually the saint would heal the king of his insanity, and later, would retire to Mount Sebuh until his repose.

What St Gregory’s experience showed us was how our Lord healed the saint through his suffering and torture, despite of the repeated torment the saint went through. The Lord sent His angel to heal the saint again and again. The saint simply believed, and prayed relentlessly.

Our Lord promised us, such as we reflect on Jeremiah 30:17-19 and Proverbs 4:20-23, that all our ill health and wounds, yes, wounds, whether they be physical, mental, spiritual, would be healed, as long as we are faithful to Him and His Ways.

Through Christ our Lord, we also know of Luke 6:12-19, where our Christ and Lord healed many, as the wounded sought out our Lord in earnest faith and total belief.

What are we to do as Christians? We are to testify the Truth of the Gospel in His Name (Ephesians 4:14-19), and showing what spiritual blindness can do to everyday people, and how the Truth of the Gospel can lift people out of their blindness, and in time, with repentance and prayers, seek to find this healing God promised us, and reunite with our Lord with reconciliation.

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.

Let us close with a thanksgiving prayer:

It is truly meet to call thee blest, the Theotokos, ever blessed and most pure, and the Mother of our God. More honorable than the Cherubim, and more glorious than the Seraphim, without corruption thou gavest birth to God the Word: True Theotokos, we magnify thee.

O virgin Theotokos, rejoice; O Mary full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, for thou hast borne the Savior of our souls, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Blessings
Fr Raphael+

Readings today:
Jeremiah 30:17-19
Proverbs 4:20-23
Luke 6:12-19
Ephesians 4:14-19