The Holy Martyrs Proclus and Hilary; Our Venerable Father Michael of Maleon.
Romans 8:14-21; Matthew 9:9-13.
Read Matthew 9:9-13
In a world often obsessed with external health and strength, we can easily forget the deeper sickness that afflicts us all: sin. This inner wound, invisible yet fatal without grace, is something no human medicine can cure. The Gospel reveals that Jesus came not for the righteous, but for sinners. We may try to fool ourselves into thinking we are spiritually well, but without recognizing our sin and our desperate need for a physician, we cannot experience the healing Christ brings.
St. Augustine wrote, “The physician comes to the sick: they are great fools who deem themselves whole, and yet need the physician” (Sermon 175.3). His words remind us of the truth that only those who know they are wounded will seek healing. Sin is more than a moral failure; it is a disease of the soul. St. Cyril of Jerusalem similarly taught, “The wound is within, the physician is within; the wound is in the secret places, so also is the physician” (Catechetical Lectures 1.2). This means that Christ does not wait for us to heal ourselves before coming. He enters the hidden places of our hearts to bind our wounds with love and mercy.
In Matthew 9, Jesus says, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick”(Matt 9:12). All of us are the sick in need of the Divine Physician. Recognizing our condition is the first step toward healing. Sin isolates, weakens, and blinds, but Christ restores, strengthens, and enlightens those humble enough to ask for help.