Freedom comes with humility
Whatever the circumstances in which we find ourselves, God is giving us an opportunity to gain the freedom that comes from acquiring humility. Whatever our job, whichever task we are asked to perform, whatever life places before us, all is an opportunity to give thanks to God. Whatever difficulty or struggle we face, embracing it with a trusting heart and a willingness to please God with our response, brings on a humble heart. A humble heart opens the doors to a peace that passes all understanding and the Gates of Paradise open wide.
Love in Christ,
Abbot Tryphon
Photo: Visiting my friend, Abba Melake Birhanat, of Seattle’s Ethiopian monastery.
Monday September 28, 2015 / September 15, 2015
18th Week after Pentecost. Tone eight.
Afterfeast of the Exaltation of the Cross.
Great-martyr Nicetas the Goth (372).
New Hieromartyr John priest and Virgin-martyr Eudocia (1918).
New Hieromartyrs Andrew, Gregory, Gregory, John priests (1921).
Venerable Ignatius confessor (1932).
New Hieromartyr Demetrius priest (1935).
New Hieromartyrs John, Jacob, Peter priests and Nicholas deacon, Martyrs Mary and Ludmila (1937).
Uncovering of the relics of St. Acacius the Confessor, bishop of Melitene (257).
Martyrs Theodotus, Asclepiodotus, and Maximus of Adrianopolis (305-311).
Martyr Porphyrius the Mime of Caesaria (361).
Uncovering of the relics of the Holy Protomartyr and Archdeacon Stephen (415).
Venerable Philotheus the Presbyter of Asia Minor (10th c.).
St. Joseph, abbot, of Alaverdi in Georgia (570) (Georgia).
“Novoniketas” Icon of the Mother of God (372).
Sts. Bessarion I and Bessarion II (1540), metropolitans of Larissa (Greek).
New Martyr John of Crete (1811) (Greek).
Venerable Gerasimus, abbot, of Sourvia (1740).
St. Symeon, archbishop of Thessalonica (1430).
St. Joseph the New of Partos, metropolitan of Timisoara (1656) (Romania).
St. Mirin, abbot of Paisley.
Scripture Readings
Ephesians 4:25-32
Do Not Grieve the Spirit
25 Therefore, putting away lying, “Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor,” for we are members of one another. 26 “Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, 27 nor give place to the devil. 28 Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need. 29 Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. 32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.
Matthew 23:13-22
13 “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in. 14 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. Therefore you will receive greater condemnation.
15 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel land and sea to win one proselyte, and when he is won, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves.
16 “Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘Whoever swears by the temple, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the temple, he is obliged to perform it.’ 17 Fools and blind! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that sanctifies the gold? 18 And, ‘Whoever swears by the altar, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gift that is on it, he is obliged to perform it.’ 19 Fools and blind! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that sanctifies the gift? 20 Therefore he who swears by the altar, swears by it and by all things on it. 21 He who swears by the temple, swears by it and by Him who dwells[c] in it. 22 And he who swears by heaven, swears by the throne of God and by Him who sits on it.
Ideally, we realize that it took Creator to create us. Our physical body and its organ systems are amazing engineered devices run by complex programs. Yet, the systematic indoctrination of organized darwinists and atheists in schools and in media make some people question GOD’s existence. Certainly, there is no sky daddy sitting on the cloud. I guess that even medieval people figured that out on cloudless days. Moreover, it does not prove that there is no GOD. All it proves is that particular human concept of GOD is no true. GOD eternally exists, but the same longevity cannot be ascribed to human concepts of GOD. This life is about a hide and seek game with GOD.
Without God’s revelation to human kind, through the Logos’ condescension to take on our flesh and live among us, we would indeed not have seen the face of God in Christ Jesus. Because of this moment in time, we need not be playing a gave of “hide and seek”, for God has come down to us.
Thank you Abbot Tryphon & Abba .
Sometimes it feels like a hide and seek game with God, yes, I can relate! But… God knows the longings of my heart and whether or not I am truly trying to “find” Him. Scripture says that you will find Him when you seek Him with ALL of your heart. This world is so distracting and it daily takes us away from that search. It takes such great humility to realize how far short we are to deserve any personal relationship or Communion with the Creator of the universe. Scripture says, Draw near to Him and He will draw near to you.
Beautiful photo Fr. Tryphon. Thank-you for your example of seeking God daily and sharing your journey with so many others in this Morning Offering.