The Feast of Saint Tryphon, Abbot of Vyatka
By Archpriest Basil Rhodes (one of my dearest friends). Father Basil is rector of Saint Nicholas Orthodox Church in Saratoga, CA.
Today we celebrate our venerable father Tryphon of Vyatka. This great ascetic and monastery builder was also a missionary. He had a heart for people, and his one goal was to bring the light of Christ to those who were still in darkness.
Sometimes we imagine (wrongly) that monasticism and evangelism are mutually exclusive. They are not. In fact, quite the opposite. Monasticism in Russia was the very reason that the Gospel spread as quickly as it did, not only throughout Russia, but into North America as well.
Near where the city of Perm is today, St. Tryphon brought to Christ two pagan tribes: the Ostyaks and Voguli. How did he accomplish this? With a stern, disapproving gaze and lengthy discussions on the minutiae of the Typikon? Hardly. He won them to Christ because he cared about them and for them. He won them to Christ because he loved them. Shortly before he died in 1612, St. Tryphon wrote: “Fathers and brethren, the flock gathered about Christ! Heed me, a sinner. Though I am coarse and worse than any, God and His All-Pure Mother have permitted me, a sinner, to manage His household. I beseech you, for the sake of the Lord and His Mother, to have spiritual love among yourselves. Without this no virtue is complete before God. The lips of Christ spoke to the disciples, “Love one another” (John. 13:34). And in the words of the Apostle Paul, “Bear one another’s burdens” (Gal. 6: 2). Do not condemn one another before God, whether in the temple or in the cell, either alone or in common with the brethren. Pray with the fear of God. And by no means neglect church singing; although there are other matters, hasten to church to God for spiritual song. First give to God what is God’s, and then fulfill the other matters.”
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Please pray for me on this, my Name Day. I honor my patron with his icon which hangs in the icon corner of my study.
Love in Christ,
Abbot Tryphon
Saturday October 21, 2023 / October 8, 2023
20th Week after Pentecost. Tone two.
Venerable Pelagia the Penitent of the Mount of Olives (457).
New Hieromartyrs Demetrius archbishop of Mozhaysk and with him John deacon, Hieromartyr Ambrosius and Pakhomius, Virgin-martyr Tatiana, Martyr Nicholas, Virgin-martyrs Mary and Nadezhda (1937).
New Hieromartyr Jonah bishop of Velizhsk, Hieromartyr Seraphim, New Hieromartyrs Peter, Basil, Paul, Peter, Vladimir priests, Martyrs Victor, John, Nicholas and Virgin-martyr Elizabeth (1937).
New Hieromartyr Barlaam (end of 1930th).
Venerable Dositheus, abbot of Verkneostrov (Pskov) (1482).
Synaxis of All Saints of Vyatka.
Venerable Thais (Taisia) of Egypt (4th c.).
Virgin-martyr Pelagia of Antioch (303).
New Monk-martyr Ignatius of Bulgaria and Mt. Athos (1814).
St. Anthony, bishop of Novgorod (1232).
St. Keyene, hermitess of Cornwall.
St. Iwi, hierodeacon of Lindisfarne.
Translation of the relics of St. Aidan, bishop of Lindisfarne and enlightener of Northumbria.
Translation of the relics of St. Ceolfrith, abbot of Wearmouth and Jarrow.
St. Triduana, nun of Restalrig.
2 Corinthians 1:8-11Delivered from Suffering
8 For we do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, of our trouble which came to us in Asia: that we were burdened beyond measure, above strength, so that we despaired even of life. 9 Yes, we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead, 10 who delivered us from so great a death, and does deliver us; in whom we trust that He will still deliver us, 11 you also helping together in prayer for us, that thanks may be given by many persons on our behalf for the gift granted to us through many.
Luke 5:27-32
Matthew the Tax Collector
27 After these things He went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, “Follow Me.” 28 So he left all, rose up, and followed Him.
29 Then Levi gave Him a great feast in his own house. And there were a great number of tax collectors and others who sat down with them. 30 And their scribes and the Pharisees [b]complained against His disciples, saying, “Why do You eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?”
31 Jesus answered and said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 32 I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”