True Vocation

Abbot Tryphon and Abbot Seraphim

When we work on strengthening our relationship with God, our love increases for all those around us. By increasing our faith we diminish the estrangement between ourselves and others, while increasing the bond between ourselves and God. This is our true vocation, that we decrease while Christ increases.
With love in Christ,
Abbot Tryphon

Abbot Seraphim of Holy Cross Monastery praying in Holy Virgin Cathedral

Photos: I am in San Francisco, CA. spending time with my dear friend Abbot Seraphim of Holy Cross Monastery in West Virginia. He asked me to meet him in San Francisco during his first pilgrimage to the holy relics of Saint John the Wonderworker.

Monday July 23, 2012

8^th Week after Pentecost. Tone six.The Placing of the Precious Robe of the Lord at Moscow (1625).
Holy 45 Martyrs at Nicopolis in Armenia, including Leontius, Maurice, Daniel, Anthony, Alexander, Anicetus, Sisinius, Meneus, and Belerad (Verelad) (319).
Venerable Anthony of the Kiev Caves (1073).
New Hieromartyrs Peter ans Stephen priests, Gregory and Nestor deacons (1918).
Venerables Eumenes (1920) and Parthenius (1905) of Gortyna.
Venerable Silouan of the Far Caves in Kiev (13th-l4th c.).
Martyr Apollonius of Sardis (3rd c.).
Martyrs Silvanus of Pisidia (4th c.).
10,000 Fathers of the desert and caves of Scetis martyred by the impious Patriarch Theophilus of Alexandria (398).
“Konevits” Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos.
Translation of the relics (1609) of St. Basil, bishop of Ryazan (1295).
St. Gregory, bishop of Assos near Ephesus (1150) (Greek).
New Hieromartyr Archpriest Joseph of Damascus and Companions (1860).
Synaxis of All Saints of Vatopedi Monastery, Mt. Athos.

You can read the life of the saint in green, by click on the name.

To all my readers who have donated towards the support of the monastery but have not received a personal “thank you” note, I want to ask forgiveness. The amount of work I do on-line, together with lecturing in area colleges, has left me feeling overwhelmed and exhausted. My good intentions aside, I just haven’t sat down in my office to personally respond to all our benefactors.

Please forgive me. I will get to all of you in time, although it may seen too little too late for some of you.

Again, please forgive me. I’m averaging four or five hours at most of sleep per night, and find myself falling asleep at my desk. Not good.Please pray for this old monk.

With love in Christ,
Abbot Tryphon

1 Corinthians 9:13-18

¹³Do you not know that those who minister the holy things eat of the things of the temple, and those who serve at the altar partake of the offerings of the altar? ¹⁴Even so the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should live from the gospel.¹⁵But I have used none of these things, nor have I written these things that it should be done so to me; for it would be better for me to die than that anyone should make my boasting void. ¹⁶For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for necessity is laid upon me; yes, woe is me if I do not preach the gospel! ¹⁷For if I do this willingly, I have a reward; but if against my will, I have been entrusted with a stewardship. ¹⁸What is my reward then? That when I preach the gospel, I may present the gospel of Christ without charge, that I may not abuse my authority in the gospel.

Matthew 16:1-6

The Pharisees and Sadducees Seek a Sign

16 Then the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and testing Him asked that He would show them a sign from heaven. ²He answered and said to them, “When it is evening you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red’; ³and in the morning, ‘It will be foul weather today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ Hypocrites! You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times. ⁴A wicked and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign shall be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.” And He left them and departed.

The Leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees

⁵Now when His disciples had come to the other side, they had forgotten to take bread. ⁶Then Jesus said to them, “Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees.”