Assistant Bishop Timotei: Seek the light through constant spiritual struggle against darkness
“Let us seek the light through a constant struggle against darkness,” His Grace Timotei of Prahova, Assistant Bishop of the Archdiocese of Bucharest, urged the faithful on Sunday at the Patriarchal Cathedral.
Reflecting on the Gospel reading for the Tenth Sunday after Pentecost, the bishop explained that the power of evil is limited and that demons cannot act without God’s permission.
“The Saviour repeatedly showed that the power of demons is limited. They can do nothing without God’s permission.”
A constant struggle with our own weaknesses Commenting on the dialogue between the father of the demon-possessed boy and Christ, Bishop Timotei said that every believer is engaged in a continual struggle with personal weaknesses, while the prayer, “I believe, Lord; help my unbelief,” expresses both humility and the desire for stronger faith.
The bishop cited St Cyril of Alexandria, who wrote that “authority over unclean spirits does not belong to anyone by virtue of personal worthiness; it is a gift from God.”
He also explained that humility protects a person from falling because “the humble have nowhere to fall from. They know they are already at the lowest place.”…
