In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, one God. Amen. Dear beloved, let us remember the St Procla, may the saint pray for us.

When Pontius Pilate was presiding as the judge over our Lord Jesus Christ, his wife St Procla sent a private message to Pilate, “Don’t do anything to this good man, because I have suffered a great deal because of a dream about him.” (Matthew 27:19) Unfortunately, Pilate ignored the advice from his wife.

In our lives, we will face adversity. We will confront danger and snares. We will examine many crossroads and wonder where we should go next. We will even be utterly lost at what to do at certain junctures of our lives.

And the Divine Mystery that life is, will always lend an open window to us, even as doors shut on us. God is Merciful and His Gifts abound. He will often send angels, saints and others in our midst, to come to our aid, and to give us wise counsel that would help us emerge better. That was the case with St Procla, wife of Pontius Pilate, whom God used to convey to Pilate that Jesus Christ is to be spared. If only Pilate listened to St Procla, he would have found the “safety” in Proverbs 11:14-19, which would have been salvation.

Unity is strength. The strength of many who all labor and pray unto God together, is part of the flock of Christ. Just as we reflect on Ecclesiastes 4:9-13, two are better than one, because one can lift up the other when one falls. The wise counsel of those who are together the children of God in His Church, who admonish and labor together unto God, will have the good reward for their labors.

And our Lord reminded us to be with Him, and not against Him (Luke 11:14-23). It was at first seen as a warning, but more importantly, it was a reminder that we are His Kin, and that by leaning on Him, we will find our salvation through Him, for He is the only Way to God. Through leaning on our Lord, we gain His Strength against adversity, and we gain the strength to repent, to pray, to stand up from our falls, and to walk on again.

Just as the Apostle Paul reminded us in 1 Thessalonians 2:9-14, we are to be open about our faith in God, to shine our joy outwards, because we are witnesses of our Lord. And the Apostle reminded us too, to pray unceasingly.

Let us pray, “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner”.

Let us close by praying the 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.

Fr Raphael+

Readings:
Ecclesiastes 4:9-13
Proverbs 11:14-19
Luke 11:14-23
1 Thessalonians 2:9-14