A servant cannot be greater than his master
The Sovereign Lord of the Universe came down to earth as a humble servant. He Who sits upon the seraphim, was born to us in a stable. The King of kings came as the Good Shepherd Who laid down His life for His sheep. We who serve as His priests and bishops can be true to our vocation, only if we serve in all humility, love, and gentleness. The bishop or priest who would set himself up as lord over his people, betrays the Lord Whom he serves. Any priest or bishop who lords over his people as though he were their superior, rather than their servant, betrays the standard of the office, as set in the earliest of times. The bishop is to be both servant to his people and father to his flock. He represents Christ in the midst of his diocese and must be compassionate, sweet, longsuffering, humble, and kindhearted. He must be available to his people. The bishop must be humble, lest he fall into the trap of seeing this sacred office as his divine right to lord over those under him.
The love and respect shown to our bishops is the same as the love shown to fathers by their children. As Christ in their midst, the bishops rule not by tyranny and fear but by love and holiness of life. They serve as archetypes of the Good Shepherd, who laid down His life for his flock. The honor we show our bishops is honor that is shown to Christ Himself, just as when we kiss icons, our love and honor are passed on to the archetype. We call our bishops Lord in the Liturgy, not because they are princely overlords, but because they are Christ in our midst. We love and honor them, because they, like Christ, first loved us. And the love and honor we show them (as icons of Christ) are passed on to the prototype, Christ Himself.
Just as bishops serve as Christ among us, so too the priests serve as the presence of the bishop among his people. They must also be humble and holy servants of their people. They must be loving fathers in the midst of their congregations, knowing that they represent the bishop and therefore Christ Himself. The love of Christ must be visible in the fatherly humility of the priest for his people, and he must lead his people in showing love and respect for their bishop. Priests must support their bishops, realizing the heavy burden that rests upon their shoulders. The priest must pray for his bishop, support his bishop, and love his bishop, even as his own father.
Keeping these biblical images of priest and bishop, the Church is able to keep Her focus on Christ and is protected from becoming like the worldly governments and institutions that surround Her. The Church, in Her wisdom, knows that the world does not need another worldly institution but rather the saving power of a hospital for the soul. The world is in terrible decline and desperate for the example of the selfless service and sacrificial love that only the Church can offer.
The world needs Christ, not an institution, and the Church can not be Her intended self without her bishops and priests becoming simple, humble, and holy servants. The Church’s clergy must serve in imitation of the Lord, in all humility and love. If we priests and bishops are to be true to our vocation, we must remember, “a servant cannot be greater than his Master (John 13:16)”.
Love in Christ,
Abbot Tryphon
Photo: Father Photios Dumont of Saint Demetrius Greek Orthodox Church in Seattle, together with his long time friend, Father John Manuel of Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church in Virginia Beach, VA, visited the monastery on Thursday afternoon.
Friday October 7, 2016 / September 24, 2016
16th Week after Pentecost. Tone six.
Fast. Food with Oil
Holy Protomartyr and Equal-to-the-Apostles Thecla of Iconium (1st c.).
St. Gabriel, of Pskov-Eleazar Monastery and Kazan (1915).
New Hieromartyr Basil deacon (1918).
New Hieromartyrs Andrew and Paul priests, Hieromartyr Vitaly and Martyrs Basil, Sergius and Spiridon (1937).
New Hieromartyr Nicander priest (1939).
Venerable Nicander, hermit of Pskov (1581).
Martyrdom of St. Galacteon, monk of Vologda (1612).
Venerable Coprius of Palestine (530).
Saint Vladislav of Serbia (1239).
Icons of the Most Holy Theotokos of “Mirozh” and “Of the Myrtle Tree” (1198).
Venerable Abramius, abbot of Mirozh (Pskov) (1158).
Venerables Stephen the First-Crowned (in monasticism Simon) (1224), David, and Vladislav (1239), of Serbia.
Righteous Euphrosyne, daughter of St. Paphnutius of Egypt.
Venerable Dorothea of Kashin (1629).
Arrival in America of the first Orthodox Mission: Sts. Herman, Juvenaly, and others (1794).
St. Isarnus of Marseilles (1043).
Scripture Readings
Ephesians 1:7-17
7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace 8 which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, 9 having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, 10 that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth—in Him. 11 In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, 12 that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory.
13 In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.
Prayer for Spiritual Wisdom
15 Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, 16 do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers: 17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him,
Luke 4:22-30
22 So all bore witness to Him, and marveled at the gracious words which proceeded out of His mouth. And they said, “Is this not Joseph’s son?”
23 He said to them, “You will surely say this proverb to Me, ‘Physician, heal yourself! Whatever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in Your country.’” 24 Then He said, “Assuredly, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own country. 25 But I tell you truly, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, and there was a great famine throughout all the land; 26 but to none of them was Elijah sent except to Zarephath, in the region of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow.27 And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian.”
28 So all those in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath, 29 and rose up and thrust Him out of the city; and they led Him to the brow of the hill on which their city was built, that they might throw Him down over the cliff. 30 Then passing through the midst of them, He went His way.