What is our greatest possession? What do we have that will not decay or die? The answer is our soul. God has given us our soul and we must take special care every day in our lives caring for our soul. In the parable of the greedy rich man, found in Luke 12:16-21, the man had no thought of God, his soul or charity. The greedy man had only one thought, and that was how to extend his barns and gather more crops from the land. He became a very rich man. The rich man said “I will do this … and I will say to my soul.” Do we realize what the man did? The man treated his soul like his crops. God calls him a fool. “Fool! This night your soul will be required of you.” We will be faced with the same question. Will the Lord find a soul rich for me or rich for Him? Are we caring for the most precious gift God gave us?

There were two great ascetics in the desert who devoted themselves to God praying and fasting all day and night. They prayed to God one evening to reveal to them isothere was anyone in the world who served Him better than they did. They hoped that perhaps there was someone out there they could learn from to better serve God. In their prayers indeed God revealed to them to go to a certain place and to find out what they wanted to know. The two monks found a simple man. His name was Eucharistos (literally means thanks). They asked him how he tried to fulfill God’s will. He was a very humble man and hesitated. In his presence are two monks who have devoted themselves to God, and they are asking him about devotion to God. Eucharistos hesitated for a longtime and told them that he divided all that he earned from his cattle into three parts: he gave one to the poor and needy, one he used for welcoming guests and the third he kept for his family. The monks hearing this praised his benevolence and returned to their monastery. They realized how much greater and more pleasing to God charity is than just strict asceticism. The cattle man cared for his soul with not only prayer and fasting, but almsgiving.

The evangelist St. Luke reminds us of not only how we must care for our soul, but to always be on guard against the attacks on our soul. Christ meets a man possessed by demons (Luke 8:26 -36). The gospel presents us with an icon we are uncomfortable with and would probably never place in our homes. I saw the icon taken from this gospel lesson. Christ is on one side with a few of disciples, and the two men (gospel of St. Matthew) possessed by demons who have their necks and hands chained. The gospel lesson provides us with the truth, not the denial of evil. At the same time Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Healer of souls and bodies is present, evil exists. Demon or devil in Greek is ‘diabolo,’ and literally means to ‘pull apart’ or destroy. The devil is not after us for one day, but seeks to destroy us.

The man in St. Luke was seized by evil. His divine beauty, purity was being drained by the evil one. Jesus asked the man, “What is your name?” He responded, “My name is Legion.” Legion is not a name. It is a word describing how many devils had entered him. The demons had taken his name, his personality and independence. Jesus came to restore this man. He brings him back to the awareness of his own identity. Once shackled by demons, the man begs Jesus to be with Him. His purpose in life is revealed by the Lord. He is to become a disciple for Christ. The man returns to his home to witness the great things God has done for him. This is how we should leave the church every Sunday, praising and thanking God. The man discovered his greatest possession given to him by God. He provides us the example we will hopefully apply in our own personal lives when caring for our soul. Living a life of devotion and purity, the man practiced the words of St. Paul , “Put on the whole armor of God” (Ephesians 6).