The role of obedience in the acquisition of humility
In the Christian life there are two paths to salvation and whichever road you chose must be embraced with your whole being. The married state and monasticism both have as their primary means of aiding in your salvation the acquisition of a humble and a contrite heart. Without having attained this, there is no salvation.
The salvific role of the institution of marriage and the monastic vocation are both based on the destruction of self-will. In marriage the husband and wife are charged with being obedient to one another. The symbolism of the crowns used in the Orthodox marriage ceremony represent the crowns of martyrdom. Death to self. The obedience a monk gives to his abbot, and the obedience to the typicon of the community the abbot gives himself over to, are also paths to the destruction of self will. The ego is the enemy, for like the tempting of Adam and Eve in the Garden, Satan uses the ego to keep us from communion with God.
When we are disobedient to our spouse or the rule of the monastery, God’s grace departs from us. If you argue with your spouse or your abbot it is pride and self will that rule and you become the loser.
When you give yourself over to humble obedience, grace abounds! Each day you should begin with the prayer, ” Lord Jesus Christ, help me to pass through this day without sin.” The use of the Jesus Prayer throughout the day is a good way to keep yourself centered in that plea to Christ to help you through your day. “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner.”
The crushing down of self will takes effort and struggle, for our fallen nature is all about ME and is in rebellion against God. Ascetic struggle, keeping the fasts, being strict in your observance of your prayer rule, making the services at the parish a center of your week, all contribute to your eventual triumph in your struggle for the prize, humbleness of heart.
God’s grace abounds and is our ready helper. Like Saint Paul we can say that anything good we have done is Christ in us. God did not create us as robots, but gave us the freedom of choice. Choice wisely and eternal life with God is yours for eternity.
Love in Christ,
Abbot Tryphon
Photo: Our long awaited iconostasis panels have been installed. Reproductions of iconostasis panels found in a Norwegian Stavkirke (stav church) of over a thousand years old, they were executed by master carver, Father Jerome Sanderson. (You can click on the photos to enlarge them.)
Saturday January 31, 2015 / January 18, 2015
34th Week after Pentecost. Tone eight.
St. Athanasius the Great (373) and St. Cyril (444), archbishops of Alexandria.
Venerable Cyril, schemamonk, and Venerable Maria, schemanun (1337) (parents of St. Sergius of Radonezh).
New Hieromartyr Michael priest (1919).
New Hieromartyr Eugine priest (1930).
New Hieromartyrs Vladimir, Nicholas, Sergius Alexander priests (1938).
Venerable Athanasius, abbot of Syanzhema (Valaam) (1550).
Venerable Athanasius of Novolok, monk (16th-17th c.).
Venerable Marcian of Cyrrhus in Syria, monk (ca. 303).
Martyr Xenia.
St. Maximus of Serbia, metropolitan (1516) (Serbia).
Venerable Silvanus, of Palestine, monk.
St. Leobardus of Marmoutier (6th c.) (Gaul).
Martyr Theodula and her companions Helladius, Boethius, Evagrius and Macarius of Anazarbus in Cilicia, (304).
St. Ephraim the Lesser, the Philospher (1101) (Georgia).
Venerable Hieromonk Alexi (Shushania) of Teklati (1923) (Georgia).
St. Joachim, patriarch of Turnovo (1235).
St. Ninnidh of Inismacsaint (6th c.) (Celtic & British).
Scripture Readings for the Day:
2 Timothy 2:11-19
11 This is a faithful saying:
For if we died with Him,
We shall also live with Him.
12 If we endure,
We shall also reign with Him.
If we deny Him,
He also will deny us.
13 If we are faithless,
He remains faithful;
He cannot deny Himself.
Approved and Disapproved Workers
14 Remind them of these things, charging them before the Lord not to strive about words to no profit, to the ruin of the hearers. 15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 16 But shun profane and idle babblings, for they will increase to more ungodliness. 17 And their message will spread like cancer. Hymenaeus and Philetus are of this sort, 18 who have strayed concerning the truth, saying that the resurrection is already past; and they overthrow the faith of some. 19 Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: “The Lord knows those who are His,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of Christ[a] depart from iniquity.”
Luke 18:2-8
2 saying: “There was in a certain city a judge who did not fear God nor regard man. 3 Now there was a widow in that city; and she came to him, saying, ‘Get justice for me from my adversary.’ 4 And he would not for a while; but afterward he said within himself, ‘Though I do not fear God nor regard man, 5 yet because this widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.’”
6 Then the Lord said, “Hear what the unjust judge said. 7 And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? 8 I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?”
The newly installed iconostasis wood carvings by Father Jerome are simply beautiful! These exquisite ancient Christian (both East and West) religious serpentine symbols also draw the eye to the beautifully carved serpentine columns. As a priest and physician of Norwegian heritage, I find them powerfully evocative of the thousand year old Stavkirke (Stav church) carvings that adorn those wooden temples of worship. They also remind us of the equally ancient medical caduceus and the healing power of God in Christ and the Church.
I love the new carvings on the iconostasis. Though they be Norwegian in origin here, they remind me of many beautiful Celtic Christian ornaments. Surely there was Christian cross-pollination going on. In the Book of Kells (dating from the 6th to 9th centuries) the serpent was seen to symbolize the resurrection because it sheds its skin and is reborn again in a new skin. Though people may have a knee-jerk reaction due to the wicked serpent in the Garden of Eden, yet even among Christians, this symbol was used in illustrations and carvings as a symbol of wisdom (“be shrewd as snakes and innocent as doves”) as well as of the resurrection.
Beautiful panels, Father! The Irish Book of Kells (itself an illuminated Gospel lectionay) has a good deal of beautiful serpentine knotwork throughout, both as border/letter decoration and in works of iconography
The carvings add a beautiful three-dimensional aspect to the iconostasis, much like the serpentine columns already in place. As Fr. Martin pointed out this sort of imagery has been used in the church since at least the Sixth century.
Ironically, I was looking over my Norwegian heritage, last night, that dates back to 1537 (that’s as far as the written records go) when your photos of your new iconostasis panel arrived. These additions are a wonderful reminder of the “ancient” Christian heritage, in the stave churches, that once was part of this great Northern region. Fr. David “Hovik” (with roots is Askvol, Norway)
Thank you for this…
Every time that I have seen your photos of the newly carved panels on the iconostasis, I marvel at how they are the finish frame of the royal doors. What better than carved panels like these, done in the style of a Stav Norwegian church, to accent so well the center and focal point of of the Monastery’s church. I don’t know what else could be more fitting and beautiful for this part of the iconostasis. It provides a richness which makes you feel like your right there, in Norway, in a Stav church. Father Jerome has mastered this wonderful carving in such a way that demonstrates his love for his work, his subject and most of all it shows his creation was guided by the hand of God. I can’t wait to see it in person.