SUNDAY, APRIL 14, 2024

Fourth Sunday of Great Lent – Четврта недеља поста
ST. JOHN OF THE LADDER - СВЕТОГ ЈОВАНА ЛЕСТВИЧНИКА

(Divine Liturgy of Saint Basil the Great) 

The Venerable John Climacus is the author of The Ladder of Divine Ascent. John came to Mount Sinai as a sixteen-year-old youth and remained there, first as a novice, later as a recluse, and finally as abbot of Sinai until his eightieth year, when he reposed, in about the year 649. His biographer, the monk Daniel, says about him: “His body ascended the heights of Sinai, while his soul ascended the heights of heaven.” He remained under obedience to his spiritual father, Martyrius, for nineteen years. Anastasius of Sinai, seeing the young John, prophesied that he would become the abbot of Sinai. After the death of his spiritual father, John withdrew into a cave, where he lived a life of strict asceticism for twenty years. His disciple, Moses, fell asleep one day under the shade of a large stone. John, at prayer in his cell, saw that his disciple was in danger and prayed to God for him. Later, when Moses returned, he fell on his knees and gave thanks to his spiritual father for saving him from certain death. He related that in a dream he had heard John calling him, and that he had jumped up at the moment the stone had fallen. Had he not jumped, the stone would have crushed him. At the insistence of the brotherhood, John agreed to become abbot, and he directed the salvation of the souls of men with zeal and love. Certain people reproached John for talking too much. Not at all angered by this, John nevertheless remained silent for an entire year. He did not utter a word until the brothers implored him to speak, and to continue teaching them his God-given wisdom. On one occasion, when six hundred pilgrims came to the Monastery of Sinai, everyone saw an agile youth in Jewish attire serving at table, giving orders to other servants and assigning duties. Suddenly, this young man disappeared. When everyone noticed this and began to ask questions, John said to them: “Do not seek him, for that was Moses the Prophet serving in his own place.” During his silence in the cave, John wrote many worthwhile books, of which the most glorious is The Ladder. This book is still read by many, even today. In this book, John describes the method of raising the soul to God, comparing it to the climbing of a ladder. Before his death, John designated George, his brother in the flesh, as abbot. George grieved much because of his separation from John. Then John said to him that, if he were found worthy to be near God in the other world, he would pray to Him that George would be taken to heaven that same year. And so it came to pass. After ten months George fell asleep and settled among the citizens of heaven as his great brother, John, had done.

THE READING FROM THE EPISTLE OF THE HOLY APOSTLE PAUL TO THE HEBREWS (6: 13-20)

Brethren, for when God made a promise to Abraham, because He could swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself, saying, “Surely blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply you.” And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise. For men indeed swear by the greater, and an oath for confirmation is for them an end of all dispute. Thus God, determining to show more abundantly to the heirs of promise the immutability of His counsel, confirmed it by an oath, that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us. This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil, where the forerunner has entered for us, even Jesus, having become High Priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.

THE GOSPEL READING FROM ST. MARK (9: 17-31)

At that time, one of the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, I brought You my son, who has a mute spirit. And wherever it seizes him, it throws him down; he foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth and becomes rigid. So I spoke to Your disciples, that they should cast it out, but they could not.” He answered him and said, “O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him to Me.” Then they brought him to Him. And when he saw Him, immediately the spirit convulsed him, and he fell on the ground and wallowed, foaming at the mouth. So He asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. And often he has thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.” Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord I believe; help my unbelief!” When Jesus saw that the people came running together, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “Deaf and dumb spirit, I command you, come out of him and enter him no more!” Then the spirit cried out, convulsed him greatly, and came out of him. And he became as one dead, so that many said, “He is dead.” But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose. And when He had come into the house, His disciples asked Him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?” So He said to them, “This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting.” Then they departed from there and passed through Galilee, and He did not want anyone to know it. For He taught His disciples and said to them, “The Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill Him. And after He is killed, He will rise the third day.”

HEALING THROUGH PRAYER AND FASTING

Do you see how He now proceeds to lay beforehand in them the foundation of His doctrine about fasting? ...You see, at any rate, how many blessings spring from them both. For he who is praying as he ought, and fasting, has not many wants, and he who has not many wants cannot be covetous; he who is not covetous, will be also more disposed for almsgiving. He who fasts is light, and winged, and prays with wakefulness, and quenches his wicked lusts, and propitiates God, and humbles his soul when lifted up. Therefore even the apostles were almost always fasting. He who prays with fasting has his wings double, and lighter than the very winds ...nothing is mightier than the man who prays sincerely ...But if your body is too weak to fast continually ...although you cannot fast, yet you can avoid luxurious living.

St. John Chrysostom. Homily LVII on Matthew XVII, 4, 5. B#54, 

Читање из посланице Јеврејима светог Апостола Павла (6: 13-20)

Браћо, јер кад Бог Авраму обећа, не имајући ничим већим да се закуне, закле се собом, Говорећи: Заиста благосиљајући благословићу те, и умножавајући умножићу те. И тако трпећи дуго, доби обећање. Јер се људи већим куну, и свакој њиховој свађи свршетак је заклетва за потврђење. Зато и Бог кад хтеде наследницима обећања обилније да покаже тврђу завета свог, учини посредника клетву: Да би у двема непоколебљивим стварима, у којима Богу није могуће слагати, имали јаку утеху ми који смо прибегли да се ухватимо за наду која нам је дана, Који имамо као тврд и поуздан ленгер душе, који улази и за најдаље завесе, Где Исус уђе напред за нас, поставши поглавар свештенички довека по реду Мелхиседековом.

Читање светог Јеванђеља по Марку (9: 17-31)

У време оно, један од народа рече: Учитељу! Доведох к Теби сина свог у коме је дух неми. И сваки пут кад га ухвати ломи га, и пену баца и шкргуће зубима; и суши се. И рекох ученицима Твојим да га истерају; и не могоше. А Он одговарајући му рече: О роде неверни! Докле ћу с вама бити? Докле ћу вас трпети? Доведите га к мени. И доведоше га к Њему; и кад Га виде одмах га дух стаде ломити; и паднувши на земљу ваљаше се бацајући пену. И упита оца његовог: Колико има времена како му се то догодило? А он рече: Из детињства. И много пута баца га у ватру и у воду да га погуби; него ако шта можеш помози нам, смилуј се на нас. А Исус рече му: Ако можеш веровати: све је могуће ономе који верује. И одмах повикавши отац детињи са сузама говораше: Верујем, Господе! Помози мом неверју. А Исус видећи да се стиче народ, запрети духу нечистом говорећи му: Душе неми и глуви! Ја ти заповедам, изађи из њега и више не улази у њега. И повикавши и изломивши га врло изађе; и учини се као мртав тако да многи говораху: Умре. А Исус узевши га за руку подиже га: и уста. И кад уђе у кућу, питаху Га ученици Његови насамо: Зашто га ми нисмо могли истерати? И рече им: Овај се род ничим не може истерати до молитвом и постом. И изашавши оданде иђаху кроз Галилеју; и не хтеше да ко дозна. Јер учаше ученике своје, и говораше им да ће се Син човечји предати у руке људске, и убиће Га, и пошто Га убију устаће трећи дан.

ЗААМВОНА МОЛИТВА У ЧЕТВРТУ НЕДЕЉУ ПОСТА Ти све људе подупиреш и понижене усправљаш, Христе Боже наш. Ти си из недара отачких неодељено произишао и од Свете Дјеве Марије се оваплотио и у свет си дошао да би природу нашу, отпалу од раја, и од нетелесних и душегубних разбојника нападнуту, обнажену трулежношћу и зло рањену, бриге удостојио и древној отаџбини повратио. Ти Сам Владико невидљиве наше убоје исцели и телесне погибли свежи, преко часне крви Твоје, коју си за нас излио, и светог печата Твог који си нам даровао. И избави нас од непрестаних рана и од невидљивих злодетеља који хитају да нам отму веру и наду у Тебе, и хоће да са нас свуку Твоју благодат. Не лиши нас Твога човеко љубљ а, гостионице и спаситељног Твога лечилишта да бисмо се, излечени и, од свакога порока очишћени, удостојили да будемо записани са првороднима Цркве небеске; Јер си Ти лекар видљивих и невидљивих болести; Ти и благочестивом роду нашем саборац буди.

Од свих химни и молитава за време поста, једна кратка молитва може да се означи као Молитва поста. Предање је приписује једном од великих учитеља духовног живота - Светом Јефрему Сирину. Ево њеног текста:

Господе и Владару живота мога, дух лењости, унинија, властољубља и празнословља не дај ми.

Дух целомудрености, смиреноумља, дуготрпљења и љубави, даруј ми слуги Твоме.

О Господе Царе, дај ми да сагледам сагрешења своја и да не осуђујем браћу и сестре своје, јер си благословен у векове векова. Амин.

Ова се молитва чита два пута на крају сваке службе у посту од понедељка до петка (не суботом и недељом, јер, како ћемо доцније видети, службе у ове дане нису по обрасцу посних служби). Код првог читања, метанише се после сваке молбе. Тада се сви клањамо дванаест пута говорећи: „Боже, очисти ме грешног". Цела молитва се понавља са једним метанијем на крају.

LENTEN PRAYER OF SAINT EPHREM

O Lord and Master of my life, take from me the spirit of sloth,

despair, lust of power, and idle talk.

But give rather the spirit of chastity, humility, patience, and love to Thy servant.

Yea, O Lord and King, grant me to see my own transgressions, and not to judge my brother, for blessed art Thou, unto ages of ages. Amen.