Deacon:  Wisdom. Stand up. Hear the Holy Gospel.

Priest:   Peace to you all. 

People:  And to your spirit.

Deacon: A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Saint Luke [8:26-39]

People:  Glory to You Lord. Glory to You.

Priest:   Listen.

Deacon:

At that time, Jesus arrived at the region of Gerasene, opposite Galilee. 

As he was getting out of the boat, a man from the city and who was possessed by devils came towards Him.

For a long time the man had been living without any clothes, and not in a house, but in the cemetery.

Seeing Jesus, he shouted out, fell before Jesus, and called out at the top of his voice, ‘What do you want of me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?  I beg You, do not torture me.’

Jesus had been telling the filthy spirit to come out of the man. A great many times it had seized him. Then he was tied up with chains and shackles to restrain him. But he always broke the restraints and the evil spirit would force him out into the wild lands.

So Jesus asked him, ‘What is your name?’

He answered, ‘Legion’, for many evil spirits had entered him. They begged Him not to order them into the Abyss.

Now a large herd of pigs was feeding there on the hill. The evil spirits begged Jesus to let them enter the pigs.  Jesus agreed.

The evil spirits came out of the man and entered the pigs, and the herd charged down the slope into the lake, and drowned.

When the pig herders saw what happened, they ran off, and told their version in the city and around the country. The people came to find out what actually happened.

When they reached Jesus, they found the man the evil spirits had left, sitting at the feet of Jesus, wearing clothes, and in his right mind. And they were afraid.

The people who had seen what happened, told them how the man who had been possessed was cured.

So all the people of Gerasene and region were greatly afraid. And they begged Him to leave them. So he went back to the boat to leave.

The man the evil spirits had left asked permission to stay with him. But Jesus let him go saying, ‘Go back to your home, and tell all that God has done for you.’

So the man went away telling all the city everything Jesus had done for him.

People: Glory to You Lord, Glory to You.