Good Deeds and Vainglory
If the performance of good deeds are done in order to attain personal benefit for oneself, or to receive the praise of others, it falls under the sin of avarice, vanity, and greed. Anyone who performs good deeds for such purposes is guilty of sinful pride, and vainglory. The performance of any good deed that is based on an ungodly foundation, is essentially a temptation inspired by the devil. Such good deeds count as nothing before God. To be truly virtuous one’s deeds must be done without showiness or fanfare. Good deeds must come from the heart, and be based on love of God, and love of neighbor.
Love in Christ,
Abbot Tryphon
Tuesday June 11, 2024 / May 29, 2024
Sixth Week of Pascha. Tone five.
Virgin-martyr Theodosia of Constantinople (730).
Repose of Blessed John of Ustiug, fool-for-Christ (1494).
Uncovering of the relics (2000) of Venerable Job, Schemamonk of Anzersk (1720).
New Hieromartyr John deacon and martyr Andrew (1938).
St. Luke, hierarch-surgeon of Simferopol (1961).
Virgin-martyr Theodosia of Tyre (308).
Commemoration of the First Ecumenical Council (325).
Pskov-Pechersk Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos “Surety of Sinners”.
Synaxis of All Saints of Krasnoyarsk Metropolia.
The Icon of the Mother of God “Non-Slumbering Eye” (“Nedremliuschee Oko”).
The Icon of the Mother of God “Imperial” (“Tsesarkaya”) Borovsk.
St. Alexander, patriarch of Alexandria (328).
New Martyr Andrew of Chios (1465) (Greek).
New Martyr John (or Nannus) at Smyrna (1802).
Blessed Constantine XII, last of the Byzantine emperors, martyred by the Turks (1453).
Hieromartyr Olbian, bishop of Aneus, and his disciples (Greek).
Martyrs Cyril, child Carellus, Primolus, Phinodus, Venustus, Gissinus, Alexander, Tredentius, and Jocunda at Caesarea in Cappadocia (253-259).
Righteouses John and Mary of Ustiug (13th c.).
The Scripture Readings
Acts 17:19-28
19 And they took him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, “May we know what this new doctrine is of which you speak? 20 For you are bringing some strange things to our ears. Therefore we want to know what these things mean.” 21 For all the Athenians and the foreigners who were there spent their time in nothing else but either to tell or to hear some new thing.
Addressing the Areopagus
22 Then Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus and said, “Men of Athens, I perceive that in all things you are very religious; 23 for as I was passing through and considering the objects of your worship, I even found an altar with this inscription:
TO THE UNKNOWN GOD.
Therefore, the One whom you worship without knowing, Him I proclaim to you: 24 God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands. 25 Nor is He worshiped with men’s hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things. 26 And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings, 27 so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; 28 for in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also His offspring.’
John 12:19-36
19 The Pharisees therefore said among themselves, “You see that you are accomplishing nothing. Look, the world has gone after Him!”
The Fruitful Grain of Wheat
20 Now there were certain Greeks among those who came up to worship at the feast. 21 Then they came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida of Galilee, and asked him, saying, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.”
22 Philip came and told Andrew, and in turn Andrew and Philip told Jesus.
23 But Jesus answered them, saying, “The hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified. 24 Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain. 25 He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26 If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor.
Jesus Predicts His Death on the Cross
27 “Now My soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? But for this purpose I came to this hour. 28 Father, glorify Your name.”
Then a voice came from heaven, saying, “I have both glorified it and will glorify it again.”
29 Therefore the people who stood by and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, “An angel has spoken to Him.”
30 Jesus answered and said, “This voice did not come because of Me, but for your sake.31 Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out. 32 And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself.” 33 This He said, signifying by what death He would die.
34 The people answered Him, “We have heard from the law that the Christ remains forever; and how can You say, ‘The Son of Man must be lifted up’? Who is this Son of Man?”
35 Then Jesus said to them, “A little while longer the light is with you. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you; he who walks in darkness does not know where he is going. 36 While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.”These things Jesus spoke, and departed, and was hidden from them.