Repentance is the renewal of life
To be truly repentant means we free ourselves from all negativity, and bind ourselves to everything that is good and pure. As we grow in wisdom, we realize our sinful nature has separated us from the image of God, and we make every effort to turn our life around, focusing the whole of our energy on returning to that pure state that God has intended for us. In our repentance we leave behind all egotism, and cling to the mercy of our loving God. We commit to leaving behind all care and worry, and give ourselves over to the transformational workings of the Holy Spirit. When we have committed ourselves to this life in repentance, the Lord’s grace descends upon us, we are healed, made whole, and peace overtakes us.
With love in Christ,
Abbot Tryphon
Although our monastery follows the Julian Calendar, and we will not be celebrating the Holy Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ until the 7th of January, I want to take this opportunity to wish all of my friends who are celebrating the Nativity today, a Merry Christmas!
Photo: The monastery’s hens, lovingly offering us organic eggs for our table.
Thursday December 25, 2014 / December 12, 2014
29th Week after Pentecost. Tone three.
Nativity (St. Philip’s Fast). Food with Oil
St. Spyridon the Wonderworker of Tremithon (348).
Venerable Therapontes, abbot of Monza (1597).
Hieromartyr Alexander, bishop of Jerusalem (251).
Martyr Synesius of Rome (3rd c.).
Venerable Herman, Wonderworker of Alaska (1836).
Synaxis of the First Martyrs of the American land: Hieromartyr Juvenal, Peter the Aleut, and New Martyrs of Russia Anatole (Kamensky) of Irkutsk and Seraphim (Samoilovich) of Uglich and priests John (Kochurov) of Chicago and Alexander (Khotovitsky) of New York.
Venerable Finian, founder of Clonard and Skellig Michael (Ireland) (549) (Celtic & British).
Venerable Colman of Glendalough (Ireland) (659) (Celtic & British).
St. John, metropolitan of Zichon, founder of the monastery of the Forerunner on Mt. Menikion (1333) (Greek).
Sts. Amonathus and Anthus, monks (Greek).
Martyr John, abbot of the Zedazeni, Georgia (9th c.) (Georgia).
Scripture Readings for the Day
Hebrews 7:1-6
The King of Righteousness
7 For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, 2 to whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all, first being translated “king of righteousness,” and then also king of Salem, meaning “king of peace,” 3 without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God, remains a priest continually.
4 Now consider how great this man was, to whom even the patriarch Abraham gave a tenth of the spoils. 5 And indeed those who are of the sons of Levi, who receive the priesthood, have a commandment to receive tithes from the people according to the law, that is, from their brethren, though they have come from the loins of Abraham; 6 but he whose genealogy is not derived from them received tithes from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises.
Mark 9:10-16
10 So they kept this word to themselves, questioning what the rising from the dead meant.
11 And they asked Him, saying, “Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?”
12 Then He answered and told them, “Indeed, Elijah is coming first and restores all things. And how is it written concerning the Son of Man, that He must suffer many things and be treated with contempt? 13 But I say to you that Elijah has also come, and they did to him whatever they wished, as it is written of him.”
A Boy Is Healed
14 And when He came to the disciples, He saw a great multitude around them, and scribes disputing with them. 15 Immediately, when they saw Him, all the people were greatly amazed, and running to Him, greeted Him. 16 And He asked the scribes, “What are you discussing with them?”