Holy Prophet Amos (8th c. BC). Venerable Jerome, Presbyter of Stridonium (420).
Apostles’ Fast.
Romans 6:11-17. Matthew 8:14-23.
Read Romans 6:11-17
Maybe you have heard the famous Bob Dylan song “Serve Somebody” where Dylan famously sings: “Well it might be the devil, or it may be the Lord, but you’re going to have to serve somebody.” These are true words in St. Paul’s time, Dylan’s and in ours today! We all indeed must serve someone, we all have a choice to make. St. Paul implores his readers not to let sin reign in their bodies and become slaves to the passions. Giving room for sin means squeezing yourself out as sin becomes a type of addiction which robs us of our choice and our freedom. Instead of yielding to temptation we should yield ourselves to Christ and His righteousness. If we do this, we will find the paradox that although we can’t “do what we want” in sin, we will actually be free because our passions, or sinful behaviors, will not have control of us. We can be slaves of sin or slaves of Christ. Only one Master gives us real and lasting freedom.
St. Irenaeus writes: “In these same members in which we used to serve sin and bring forth fruit unto death, God wants us to be obedient unto righteousness, that we may bring forth fruit unto life.” (Against Heresies 5.14.4)