Проповедь в Неделю четвёртую Великого поста

I have talked with you many times about fasting and prayer, but I have not yet explained to your God-loving ears what gifts Christians who ardently practice these two virtues are awarded. So, the greatest gift of fasting and prayer is power over unclean spirits. In today's Gospel reading (Mark 9:17-31), the Lord, leaving the demon-possessed child lying before Him, turns to his father. The Savior wants to help the unfortunate parent strengthen his faith, or rather, strengthen his trust in the One who is able to heal his child. Christ fights with him for this trust and therefore does not pay attention to his lack of faith. Christ helps the suffering father to believe so that he can witness a miracle. And in the end, the father answers Him like this: “I believe, Lord, help my unbelief.” Then Christ commands the demon to come out, takes the sick youth by the hand and lifts him up - healed and freed from all devilish influence. What we should notice here is that we too must extend our hand to Christ. This stretching out of His hand is an expression of our will and readiness for action. The fact that after this Christ, taking us by the hand stretched out to Him, will raise us healed from our passions and sufferings, will be a manifestation of the uncreated and life-giving energy of God, Who gives every soul what it asks for with love. So, are prayer and fasting necessary in order for all persistent evil that the devil, who takes advantage of our own negligence, to come out of us? Certainly necessary. After all, only by fasting can the body be curbed and its rebellions restrained. Through prayer, every evil movement of the soul and every thought that irritates passion is immobilized and pacified. By striving to drive out passions from oneself, a person receives enormous benefits. It is not enough for us to be liberated only from sins that we commit in an external, bodily way. We also need to cleanse the internal energy of the soul, because evil thoughts come from within, from the heart. It happens that the body does not participate in sin, but it occurs inside a person. But when the attacks of the evil one are rejected by attention, sorrow for God, fasting and prayer from the heart, then the whole person participates in sanctification. And his body gradually acquires immobility towards evil. Therefore, by making every effort to ensure that we do not neglect our internal thoughts, we will be able to overcome external passions. After all, if the root is holy, then the branches will also be holy. If the leaven is pure, then the bread baked with it will taste good. A man looks a man in the face. God looks into a person's heart. If it is full of evil thoughts, then a person is worthy of God turning away from him. And if the heart is pure, then the reward of this purity will be the vision of God, which is granted to those who are considered poor and humble in spirit. Such people, through asceticism, will become heirs of the Kingdom of Heaven. Inner humility in the heart and a good disposition bring corresponding external fruits. So I beg you, brothers, to be careful and cleanse your hearts from all uncleanness. Let us fervently desire that prayer with tenderness and peace take root in us. Without them, none of us will ever see the Lord. Let us try to do everything possible in order to achieve this spiritual contemplation, because the Lord promised that the pure in heart will see God.