We must strive to make a good confession
Following His glorious Resurrection, as He appeared to His Disciples, the Lord Jesus Christ gave the command that, “Whosoever’s sins you remit, they are remitted unto them; and whosoever’s sins you retain, they are retained John 20:23.” From that moment in history, the Church has seen the Mystery of Confession as one of the great mysteries (or sacraments), for it is through repentance that we receive the divine forgiveness of Christ for any sins that have been confessed.
Jesus Christ bestowed His authority upon the Church to forgive sins, and the priest or the bishop, as His representatives on earth through their ordinations, pray to God for the salvation of the person who repents of his sins, and Christ forgives through the vehicle of the priesthood. The Mystery of Confession is holy because it connects God and His children, with the priest acting as the bridge.
To make a good confession it is necessary to prepare oneself carefully, asking God to grant grace sufficient for us to make a thorough examination of the conscience. Sometimes we get so bogged down with regret, we fail to move on and grasp the moment. The wonderful thing about confession is the ability we are given, by our loving God, to receive His forgiveness, and move toward the future with hope. The past is forgiven, and we needn’t occupy ourself past regret, but look forward to the future with a clean slate.
Love in Christ,
Abbot Tryphon
Tuesday October 18, 2016 / October 5, 2016
18th Week after Pentecost. Tone eight.
Martyr Charitina of Amisus (304).
Sts. Peter (1326), Alexis (1378), Jonah (1461), Macarius (1563), Philip (1569), Hermogenes (Germogen) (1612), Philaret (1867), Innocent (Veniaminov) (1879), and Tikhon (1925), metropolitans of Moscow.
Venarable Gabriel confessor (1959).
Venerable Damian the Healer (1071), and Venerables Jeremiah(1070) and Matthew (1085), clairvoyants of the Kiev Caves.
Venerable Charitina, princess of Lithuania (1281).
Hieromartyr Dionysius, bishop of Alexandria (265).
Martyr Mamelta (Mamelchtha) of Persia (344).
Venerable Gregory (Grigol) the Archimandrite of Chandzoe in Klarjeti, Georgia (861) (Georgia).
Venerable Fathers and Mothers of the Klarjeti Wilderness (9th c.).
Venerable Cosmas, abbot in Bithynia (10th c.).
Uncovering of the relics (1841) of Venerable Eudocimus the Unknown, monk of Vatopedi, Mt. Athos (Greek).
Venerable Methodia of Cimola (1908) (Greek).
St. John (Mavropos), metropolitan of Euchaita (1100).
St. Sabbas of Vatopedi, Mt. Athos (1350).
St. Varlaam, desert-dweller of Chikoysk (1846).
Uncovering of the relics of New Hieromartyr Bishop Basil of Kineshma (1945).
Scripture Readings
John 10:9-16
9 I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. 10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep. 12 But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them.13 The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep. 14 I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep,and am known by My own. 15 As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. 16 And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd.
Ephesians 5:20-26
20 giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 21 submitting to one another in the fear of God.
Marriage—Christ and the Church
22 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. 24 Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything.
25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, 26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word,
Luke 6:37-45
Do Not Judge
37 “Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. 38 Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.”
39 And He spoke a parable to them: “Can the blind lead the blind? Will they not both fall into the ditch? 40 A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is perfectly trained will be like his teacher. 41 And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not perceive the plank in your own eye? 42 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me remove the speck that is in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the plank that is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck that is in your brother’s eye.
A Tree Is Known by Its Fruit
43 “For a good tree does not bear bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. 44 For every tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble bush. 45 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.