Fr. Alexis Kouri: Welcome! I’m Fr. Alexis, and we are going to be reading through the Bible together, and I’ve got some friends that will be helping us, so let’s get started. We’re just humming along in Matthew’s gospel as we come to Episode 60 today. Constantine’s with us! Hey, Constantine, how about telling us the chapter?

Constantine: Matthew, chapter 12.

Fr. Alexis: And our verses today?

Constantine: Verses 43 through 45.

Fr. Alexis: Beautiful! Let’s get started.

Constantine:

When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none. Then he says, “I will return to my house, from which I came,” and when he comes, he finds it empty, swept, and put in order. Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits, more wicked than himself, and they go and dwell there. And the last state of man is worse than the first. So shall it also be with this wicked generation.

Fr. Alexis: Great, Constantine. Thanks.

The other day, I talked about getting rid of the bad things in our hearts, the things that make us have bad fruit. Jesus says today that we need to more than get rid of things in our heart, but we need to also fill our hearts with him. It’s important to avoid doing wrong things, but it’s also important to fill our hearts with the right things. That’s what happens when we pray, receive Communion, worship, read the Bible, help other people: things like that. We are filling our hearts with good things, with Jesus, and with the Holy Spirit of God.

So, thanks again for reading, Constantine! I’m Fr. Alexis, and remember: Christ is in our midst!

Constantine: He is and ever shall be!