Third Sunday of the Great Fast: Veneration of the Holy Cross. Octoechos Tone 2. Our Venerable Fathers Martyred by the Saracens at the Monastery of St. Sabbas (580-97)
Hebrews 4:14-5:6; Mark 8:34-9:1
Great Fast Day 21. Matins Resurrectional Gospel 10. The Divine Liturgy of St. Basil the Great is celebrated today.
Read Mark 8:34-9:1
Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory forever!
What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? (Mk 8:36)
Some have made deals with the devil and offered their souls to him. It reminds me of Esau who gives up his birthright to his brother Jacob for one bowl of stew. Esau is extremely short-sighted by seeking immediate gratification. But similarly the one who gave up his eternal soul for a relatively short time of power could also be seen as short-sighted by seeking immediate gratification. (Does anyone come to mind?)
Lent is a time to practise in different ways giving up immediate gratification. For example, one could wait for a certain period of time before reading something online that sounds interesting. I remember one year when I was still quite crazy about baseball and very much looking forward to the first game of the season. Then I heard this quiet voice saying, “What if you waited for half an hour and missed the first few innings?” It was one of the most difficult half hours I have ever endured. But then after that half hour of waiting and doing other things, I noticed that that baseball game did not seem so important.