Letting the Light of Christ Shine Forth In Us
Christ urged his disciples to walk in all humbleness, love, and compassion. As his disciples we must be quick to forgive others, and to overlook, even hide, the sins of our neighbor. We must speak out against injustice, and work for peace and equality for everyone. We must become living icons of the Lord of Mercy, letting the Light of Christ shine through us.
To impose moral suppositions upon people is bound to fail, for only when we render unto God the things are His, will our hearts be changed. In our own transformation, the society around us will be changed, and that which is Caesar’s will be transformed, and made holy.
Force of arms, changes nothing, for until the hearts of men become the indwelling place of the Holy Spirit, our world will remain a place of injustice, wickedness, and prone to all kinds of lawlessness, depravity, and evil. Infanticide (abortion), hatred, discrimination, lawlessness, and exploitation, will continue, unbridled, until society itself is transformed by her people. Only when the population of a nation has entered into repentance, can the nation, as a whole, become a holy people.
Love in Christ,
Abbot Tryphon
Friday September 1, 2023 / August 19, 2023
13th Week after Pentecost. Tone three.
Fast. By Monastic Charter: Strict Fast (Bread, Vegetables, Fruits)
Martyr Andrew Stratelates and 2,593 soldiers with him in Cilicia (3rd c.).
St. Nicholas priest (1933).
St. Pitirim, bishop of Perm (1455).
Martyrs Timothy, Agapius, and Thecla of Palestine (304).
Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos “Of the Don” (1591).
Uncovering of the relics of Venerable Gennadius, abbot of Kostroma (1565).
Venerable Theophanes, new wonderworker of Macedonia (Mt. Athos) (15th c.) (Greek).
St. Credan, abbot of Evesham.
The Scripture Readings
2 Corinthians 11:5-21
Paul and False Apostles
5 For I consider that I am not at all inferior to the most eminent apostles. 6 Even though I am trained in speech, yet I am not in knowledge. But we have been thoroughly manifested among you in all things.
7 Did I commit sin in humbling myself that you might be exalted, because I preached the gospel of God to you free of charge? 8 I robbed other churches, taking wages from them to minister to you. 9 And when I was present with you, and in need, I was a burden to no one, for what I lacked the brethren who came from Macedonia supplied. And in everything I kept myself from being burdensome to you, and so I will keep myself. 10 As the truth of Christ is in me, no one shall stop me from this boasting in the regions of Achaia. 11 Why? Because I do not love you? God knows!
12 But what I do, I will also continue to do, that I may cut off the opportunity from those who desire an opportunity to be regarded just as we are in the things of which they boast. 13 For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. 14 And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. 15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works.
Reluctant Boasting
16 I say again, let no one think me a fool. If otherwise, at least receive me as a fool, that I also may boast a little. 17 What I speak, I speak not according to the Lord, but as it were, foolishly, in this confidence of boasting. 18 Seeing that many boast according to the flesh, I also will boast. 19 For you put up with fools gladly, since you yourselves are wise! 20 For you put up with it if one brings you into bondage, if one devours you, if one takes from you, if one exalts himself, if one strikes you on the face. 21 To our shame I say that we were too weak for that! But in whatever anyone is bold—I speak foolishly—I am bold also.
Mark 4:1-9
The Parable of the Sower
4 And again He began to teach by the sea. And a great multitude was gathered to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat in it on the sea; and the whole multitude was on the land facing the sea. 2 Then He taught them many things by parables, and said to them in His teaching:
3 “Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow. 4 And it happened, as he sowed, that some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds of the air came and devoured it. 5 Some fell on stony ground, where it did not have much earth; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of earth. 6 But when the sun was up it was scorched, and because it had no root it withered away.7 And some seed fell among thorns; and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no crop. 8 But other seed fell on good ground and yielded a crop that sprang up, increased and produced: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.”
9 And He said to them, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”