One of the most furious temptations that rages in our age is that of lust and unchastity. Cohabitation, sexual deviance, purely transactional physical relationships, and, most especially, pornography have become normal and acceptable. A great many Orthodox Christians, tempted by the spirit of the age, wrestle with the sins of the zeitgeist, and especially with the “lust of the eyes, .. the world and the lust of it” (1 Jn. 2:16 – 17). These sins are not to be taken lightly, but struggled against with sincere sorrow, humble patience, and great compassion for ourselves and others. Thankfully, in his saints, the Lord has given us powerful helpers and intercessors in spiritual struggle, and the great martyr Demetrius, whom we commemorate today, is, according to tradition, one of the saints specially “invoked by those struggling with lustful temptations.” Through the supplications of the most holy and most pure Theotokos and the prayers of Saint Demetrios, may we all strive for greater purity and, by God’s grace, finally achieve freedom from the sins that torment and harm us.
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