Arjerej Vicar of Kotor-Tivat, Parish Priest of Kotor, Archpriest Nemanja Krivokaipić, on the fourth Sunday of Holy Lent - Mid-Lent, dedicated to St. John Lestvičnik, today, April 14, when our Holy Church celebrates the Venerable Mary of Egypt, he served the Holy Liturgy in the Church of St. Ports in the Old Town of Kotor.

"On this day, the fourth Sunday of Lent, the Church recommends the Gospel according to Mark, which describes another miracle performed by Christ when he healed a demon-possessed boy," said Fr. Nemanja in an address to the many believers who received Holy Communion on this day.

Adding that, described in the Gospel, one of the many miracles performed by Jesus, the Lord of all laws.

Pointing out the importance of faith and trust in God, he said that the point of reading today's Gospel is "to emphasize the importance of fasting and prayer in the fight against our common enemy - the Devil, whose job it is to hinder us in our spiritual growth".

"During fasting days, the Church reminds us of the power of prayer and fasting and what follows, which is Holy Communion.
Let us fast and pray that we may be as worthy as possible for Holy Communion, the very body and blood of Christ. In such extreme cases, when someone is really devilish, fasting, prayer and Holy Communion also overcome such cases. However, what is described is not only for those cases but for all of us who have a struggle with devils, more or less. Through prayer, fasting and holy communion, we have help from God himself. We should not forget, and this is also a trap of the Devil, that the Devil exists and that he will constantly stumble us. We should keep that in mind, as well as that, if we are with God, no one can do anything to us, not even the Devil. We are with God when we work hard, fast, pray and receive communion," said Fr. Nemanja.

Today's holiday, he continues, reminds us of a saint to whom today's Sunday is dedicated, namely St. John the Ladder.

"What we read in the Holy Gospel is the very word of God, and it is also the experience of the holy fathers. That is why we often remember the holy fathers who are an example of such a life and struggle with temptations and passions", said Fr. Nemanja, reminding that St. Jovan Lestvičnik lived in the seventh century and ventured on Sinai, a peninsula - a mountain, where living conditions are extremely difficult.

There St. Jovan Lestvičnik did asceticism, but also taught other monks, hermits, who came with the same intention, and he was their abbot.

Since he had a lot of experience, he also helped others. What he learned and what he transmitted was recorded in his famous work called "The Ladder", after which he is also named.

"It is one of the most important monastic and ascetic readings in general, where St. Jovan Lestvičnik instructs monks in the secrets of feats by degrees. And why are we reading it? Because we all have the same struggle, only their feat is greater. Certainly, it is a read that is always recommended for everyone to read. It is called "Ladder" because it talks about gradually growing up through hard work and prayer towards the final goal, union with God. Therefore, everything in the Church is gradual, nothing can happen all at once, but with gradual growth, strengthening and constant progress", said Fr. Nemanja.

In this work, he continues, St. Jovan Lestvičnik especially teaches us how to fight with passions, that is, what repels us from God.

"God, who created man, gave him the ability to save himself. God creates only what is good, and he also gave people the power of virtues," said Fr. Nemanja, adding that man is given the potential to be in the Kingdom of God, but with constant growth and improvement.

Based on the free will that God gave us, these same forces, as he said, when used incorrectly are passions.

"Passions are a substitute for virtue. Misused what we need for our aspiration towards God. So how do we fight passion? Precisely by strengthening our virtues. The more we use these forces in the right way, through our virtues, the more we will escape from passion. Every passion has its opposite - virtue", said Fr. Nemanja, citing the example of abstinence as a virtue and overeating as passion, charity and greed...

By strengthening virtue, we move away from passion, and this is the essence of the exploits of today's Holy Gospel and the celebration of Saint John the Ladder, so that in our spiritual struggle, in the ongoing fasting, we too become stronger, remembering those who had a better experience than us and imitating them so that we too can be saved. May the Lord, through the prayers of St. John the Ladder, grant us to fight with our passions and win to save ourselves, amen", said Fr. Nemanja.

The gallery also contains photos from the Holy Liturgy in the Church of St. Basil of Ostro in Dobrota, served by Fr. Nenad Kalem.

Mk. 40 (9:17-31)

At that time, a certain man came to Jesus bowing down and said: Master, I have brought you my son, in whom the spirit is mute. 18. And whenever he catches it, he breaks it, and throws foam, and gnashes it with his teeth; and it dries. And I told your disciples to cast him out; and they could not. 19. And he answered and said: O faithless relatives, how long will I be with you? How long will I put up with you? Bring him to me. 20. And they brought him to him; and when the spirit saw it, it immediately began to break it; and falling to the ground, he rolled, throwing up foam. 21. And he asked his father: How long has it been since this happened to him? And he said: From childhood. 22. And many times he throws him into the fire and into the water to destroy him; but if you can, help us, have mercy on us. 23. And Jesus said to him: If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes. 24. And immediately the child's father cried out and spoke with tears: I believe, Lord, help my unbelief! 25. And Jesus, seeing that the people were gathering, threatened the unclean spirit, saying to him: You mute and deaf soul, I command you, come out of it and do not enter it again! 26. And having cried out and broken him very much, he came out; and he would be as dead so that many people said: he died. 27. And Jesus, taking him by the hand, lifted him up; and got up. 28. And when he entered the house, his disciples asked him privately: Why couldn't we drive him out? 29. And he said to them: This kind cannot be driven out by anything except prayer and fasting. 30. And leaving thence they went through Galilee; and he did not want anyone to know, 31. Because he taught his disciples and told them that the Son of Man will be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him, and when they kill him, he will rise again on the third day.

О. НемањаКривокапић | О оружју против ђавола и страсти - YouTube

(Video and photo: Andrea Ševaljević)