Fr.Djuro's Sermon Delivered on the 17th Sunday after Pentecost, October 4th, 2009:

Today's Gospel is very clear in giving us a message on the importance of perseverance. The woman in the Gospel is begging for Christ to help her daughter. She does not get a response…and she does not give up on getting Christ's attention.

Perseverance is a life skill. Some think small children have perseverance when they don't give up on asking for something. They are begging sometimes and it seems as though they will never give up. Often times we as parents, like Christ in the Gospel finally answer the child.

There are many stories of athletes who had great perseverance and against all odds never gave up. When a plane crashed killing the entire Marshal University football team and coaches, the remaining students persevered until a new team was made to carry on the college tradition. Many football games as we know are won in the final seconds because of the perseverance of the team.

Where the world would be in Christ gave up on us? The Serbian people and Serbian Orthodox Church have suffered for many reasons through many centuries. That history of religious persecution serves today as a model for perseverance. The struggles and sacrifices are those of a Christian nation and a Christian people. We should respect and never forget the horrific persecution they endured especially the children, and remember them and pray for them when we are facing something in our own lives that calls for us to persevere. If the children before us suffered that we can survive as well. The Jewish people and Greek people are also great examples of knowing the value of perseverance and never forgetting those who struggled before them. We are surrounded by examples and reasons to face great challenges and to survive them.

Today's message is very clear in that Christ is teaching us that there will be times when a solution does not seem to be in sight, but never never give up.

Today's gospel is guaranteeing us that it may appear that God is not listening or cannot hear our cry, but we cannot give up because the gospel also assures us that God is everywhere.

Perseverance is the hard work you do after you get tired of doing the hard work you already did.

Someone once said that you don't trip over mountains, but rather you trip over small stones….Life teaches us though that if we trip over many stones, we might make it to the top of the mountain.

Today's gospel reminds us that there will be many struggles in life but if like the woman in the message today…we never give up, the struggles will be overcome and eventually things of the past. I once read the quote that said: Consider the postage stamp: its usefulness consists in the ability to stick to one thing, till it gets there.

Each of us needs to take with us today, the thought that we need to stick to something, whether it is something at work, something in school, something in sports or in a hobby, we need to stick to it.

Perseverance is a reminder that life will have suffering. Suffering is the reminder that life is not perfect. All our dreams will not come true.

Christ is telling us to keep on asking and it will be given to you, keep on seeking and you will find and keep on knocking and it will be opened.

In life though many people give up too soon. They don't realize that those who persist are the ones who benefit. It's not enough to hold onto if we don't have something to hold on to. Christ is what we need to hold onto.

Persevere for the right things and the right reasons. Knowing and practicing truth will help us greatly. In order to persevere we must trust in the Lord. Trusting in God will get us through the difficulties like nothing else will.

At every age in life the things we persevere for are different. So whether you are being persistent about something you want to buy, or a sport you are playing, or class you are taking, or an illness you are battling, a relationship that is bothering you, a problem that is hanging over you. Whatever the case. …never give up in seeking the comfort, help and blessings of Christ. He will always be there and be with you.

Again, as I have said before, with God, everything is possible.

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