O all-wise and godly Saints, today the whole Church, showing honour to you all, doth now in spirit sing your praise; for ye contested in her behalf, O right-victorious Martyrs of Christ our God.

Today's Gospel Reading - 27th September 2025: [Fast Free Day] Luke 4:31-36 At that time, Jesus went down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee. And he was teaching them on the sabbath; and they were astonished at his teaching, for his word was with authority. And in the synagogue there was a man who had the spirit of an unclean demon; and he cried out with a loud voice, "Ah! What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God." But Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be silent, and come out of him!" And when the demon had thrown him down in the midst, he came out of him, having done him no harm. And they were all amazed and said to one another, "What is this word? For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits, and they come out."

Holy Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian, intercede for us.

Today's Gospel Reading - 26th September 2025: [Fast Day - Wine & Oil Allowed] John 21:14-25 At that time, Jesus revealed himself to the disciples after he was raised from the dead. And he said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you." He said to him, "Feed my lambs." A second time he said to him, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you." He said to him, "Tend my sheep." He said to him the third time, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, "Do you love me?" And he said to him, "Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you." Jesus said to him, "Feed my sheep. Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you girded yourself and walked where you would; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish to go." (This he said to show by what death he was to glorify God.) And after this he said to him, "Follow me." Peter turned and saw following them the disciple whom Jesus loved, who had lain close to his breast at the supper and had said, "Lord, who is it that is going to betray you?" When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, "Lord, what about this man?" Jesus said to him, "If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? Follow me!" The saying spread abroad among the brethren that this disciple was not to die; yet Jesus did not say to him that he was not to die, but, "If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you?" This is the disciple who is bearing witness to these things, and who has written these things; and we know that his testimony is true. But there are also many other things which Jesus did; were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. Amen.

Satan, an angel, fell before human creation in an eternal moment, choosing pride over God’s goodness, introducing evil as a privation, not created by God. He sways humans through temptation, exploiting free will to incite sin, as in Genesis 3.

Great film worth a watch about good and evil: Nefarious (2023) https://youtu.be/9NqeQCtUnDk?si=YvmiIY029nLlf0BI

Angels, existing outside time, made a single, eternal choice to obey or reject God. Fallen angels chose against God’s goodness, introducing evil as a privation, not something God created or authorized. Satan, originally a high-ranking angel, possessed free will and existed outside temporal constraints in an eternal “now.” In a single, irrevocable act, he chose pride and rebellion against God, turning away from divine goodness. This choice introduced evil as a privation, a corruption of his created goodness, not as something God authorized or created. As a result, Satan became the chief adversary, leading other angels in their fall, perpetually opposing God’s will while remaining subject to His ultimate authority.

The Orthodox Christian view is evil is not a substance or something created or authorized by God. It is a privation, a lack or corruption of the good that God intended. Evil arises from the misuse of free will, turning away from God’s perfect design, and has no independent existence.

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