The Priesthood is Not About Privilege and Power
Christ consecrated Himself for the ministry and our redemption. “And for their sake I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth” (John 17:19). To sanctify means to consecrate. All the ranks of the priesthood are consecrated for ministry, according to the example of Christ, the High Priest, and if we truly follow the example of Christ, we will serve His people as simple servants.
This world cannot well afford the remnant of Christianity to continue living the bad example of privilege, power and wealth, while witnessing the slaughter of innocent Christians in the Middle East, the mass turning away from Christ in the West, and the masses of people lost in poverty and hopelessness.
It would do us well, as priests and bishops, to remember that the kissing of our hand by the laity is not about us. It is given as a way of honoring Our Lord Jesus Christ, for the priest is a servant of Christ and steward of the Mysteries. When someone kisses his right hand, it is about Christ, and Christ only.
Love in Christ,
Abbot Tryphon
Tuesday June 3, 2025 / May 21, 2025
Afterfeast of the Ascension. Tone six.
The Meeting of the “Vladimir” Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos (was established to commemorate the deliverance of Moscow from an invasion of Tatars led by Khan Makhmet-Girei in 1521).
Holy Equals-to-the-Apostles Emperor Constantine (337) and Helen, his mother (327).
St. Constantine (1205) and his children Sts. Michael and Theodore, wonderworkers of Murom.
Uncovering of the relics of Blessed Andrew of Symbiksk (1998).
Venerable Cassian the Greek, monk, of Uglich (1504).
Synaxis of Hieromartyrs of Kerel.
Synaxis of Hieromartyrs of Simbir.
Synaxis of Hieromartyrs of Ufa.
Honour list of Icon of the Mother of God “Virgin of Tenderness” from Pskov-Pechersk (1524), Zaonikievsky (1588), Krasnogorsk, or Chernogorsk (1603), Oransk (1634).
Venerable Agapitus, abbot of Markushev (Vologda) (1578).
St. Basil, bishop of Ryazan (1295).
St. Hospicius of Trier (Gaul).
New Martyr Pachomius of Patmos (Mt. Athos) (1730) (Greek).
Hieromartyr Secundus and those with him in Alexandria (356).
St. Cyril, bishop of Rostov (1262).
St. Helen of Dechani, Serbia (1350).
The Scripture Readings
Luke 1:39-49, 56 Matins Gospel
39
Now Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country with haste, to a city of Judah,
40
and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth.
41
And it happened, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, that the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.
42
Then she spoke out with a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!
43
But why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
44
For indeed, as soon as the voice of your greeting sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.
45
Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord.
46
And Mary said: “My soul magnifies the Lord,
47
And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.
48
For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant; For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed.
49
For He who is mighty has done great things for me, And holy is His name.
56
And Mary remained with her about three months, and returned to her house.
26
Then Paul took the men, and the next day, having been purified with them, entered the temple to announce the expiration of the days of purification, at which time an offering should be made for each one of them.
27
Now when the seven days were almost ended, the Jews from Asia, seeing him in the temple, stirred up the whole crowd and laid hands on him,
28
crying out, “Men of Israel, help! This is the man who teaches all men everywhere against the people, the law, and this place; and furthermore he also brought Greeks into the temple and has defiled this holy place.”
29
(For they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian with him in the city, whom they supposed that Paul had brought into the temple.)
30
And all the city was disturbed; and the people ran together, seized Paul, and dragged him out of the temple; and immediately the doors were shut.
31
Now as they were seeking to kill him, news came to the commander of the garrison that all Jerusalem was in an uproar.
32
He immediately took soldiers and centurions, and ran down to them. And when they saw the commander and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul.
2
They will put you out of the synagogues; yes, the time is coming that whoever kills you will think that he offers God service.
3
And these things they will do to you because they have not known the Father nor Me.
4
But these things I have told you, that when the time comes, you may remember that I told you of them. And these things I did not say to you at the beginning, because I was with you.
5
But now I go away to Him who sent Me, and none of you asks Me, ‘Where are You going?’
6
But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart.
7
Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you.
8
And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:
9
of sin, because they do not believe in Me;
10
of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more;
11
of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.
12
I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.
13
However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.
Philippians 2:5-11 Epistle, Theotokos
5
Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus,
6
who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God,
7
but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.
8
And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.
9
Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name,
10
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth,
11
and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Luke 10:38-42; 11:27-28 Gospel, Theotokos
38
Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house.
39
And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word.
40
But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.”
41
And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things.
42
But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.
27
And it happened, as He spoke these things, that a certain woman from the crowd raised her voice and said to Him, “Blessed is the womb that bore You, and the breasts which nursed You!”
28
But He said, “More than that, blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it!”
Acts 26:1-5, 12-20 Equals-to-the-Apostles
1
Then Agrippa said to Paul, “You are permitted to speak for yourself.” So Paul stretched out his hand and answered for himself:
2
I think myself happy, King Agrippa, because today I shall answer for myself before you concerning all the things of which I am accused by the Jews,
3
especially because you are expert in all customs and questions which have to do with the Jews. Therefore I beg you to hear me patiently.
4
My manner of life from my youth, which was spent from the beginning among my own nation at Jerusalem, all the Jews know.
5
They knew me from the first, if they were willing to testify, that according to the strictest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee.
12
While thus occupied, as I journeyed to Damascus with authority and commission from the chief priests,
13
at midday, O king, along the road I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining around me and those who journeyed with me.
14
And when we all had fallen to the ground, I heard a voice speaking to me and saying in the Hebrew language, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’
15
So I said, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And He said, ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.
16
‘But rise and stand on your feet; for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to make you a minister and a witness both of the things which you have seen and of the things which I will yet reveal to you.
17
‘I will deliver you from the Jewish people, as well as from the Gentiles, to whom I now send you,
18
‘to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.’
19
Therefore, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision,
20
but declared first to those in Damascus and in Jerusalem, and throughout all the region of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent, turn to God, and do works befitting repentance.
John 10:1-9 Equals-to-the-Apostles
1
Most assuredly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.
2
But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.
3
To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.
4
And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.
5
Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.
6
Jesus used this illustration, but they did not understand the things which He spoke to them.
7
Then Jesus said to them again, “Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.
8
All who ever came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them.
9
I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.