The Transfer from Edessa to Constantinople of the Holy Icon “Not Made with Hands” of Our Lord, God and Saviour Jesus Christ, also Called the Holy Veil, and the Holy Martyr Diomedes (284-305)
2 Corinthians 8:7-15; Mark 3:6-12
Post-feast of the Dormition
Read Mark 3:6-12
One of my late seminary professors, Msgr. Squiller, used to often remind us that there are three keys to success: commitment, consistency, and perseverance.
In today’s Gospel reading we read about a lot of people who committed themselves to come to Jesus. Those people were hoping to be cured from all of their infirmities, since they had heard that Jesus healed others in different places.
Out of His everlasting mercy, Jesus did cure many this time as well (Mk 3:10), so their commitment brought some success or reward. What about the ultimate reward though – eternal life?
Did all those people, who were healed, continue to follow Jesus, glorifying God for the rest of their earthly lives, or they returned to their previous lifestyles, disregarding the One Who showed them mercy and healed them?
In other words, were they consistent with their commitment or after the healing they committed to something else, a false teaching, maybe a false god or a worldly promise?
How consistent is our commitment to Jesus, considering all the blessings we continually receive from Him? Are we willing to persevere in our faith in Jesus, regardless of the temptations that we encounter during our lifetime on earth?