A Nation Gone Mad

We Are A Culture On The Brink

We have moved from a period in which little Samuel said, “speak, Lord, for thy servant heareth,” to one in which we now say, “Listen, Lord, for thy servant speaketh.” Our American culture has become so enamored, even consumed, with the importance of “self” that we’ve made idols out of personal gain and fulfillment. Americans are ever seeking after “the things of this world,” to the degree, in fact, that we have as a culture forgotten the basic truths that our ancestors took for granted. We have forgotten the importance of living altruistic lives, of living for the ultimate good of all, rather than the limiting scope of our personal,  materialistic needs.

We have forgotten the importance of making provision for future generations, whether it be in saving the environment for those who will follow us, or in passing on those beliefs and values that make for a civilized society. Our children are no longer taught a value system that is based on the Christian concept that there is a Truth that should govern our every action. Our educational system has abandoned young people to moral relativism, leaving them rudderless in a sea of too many options.

We do not teach our children the importance of living altruistic lives, where the good of the whole comes first, failing, as we are, to pass on a foundation by which they can govern their lives in the light of the Gospels. Television programing, violent video games, easy access to pornography on line, and movies filled with sex and violence, have impacted our nation like the assault of an enemy army, and we’ve failed to act.

As a nation we are under spiritual attack and have failed to take notice. Our spiritual weapons gather dust, while we hope for the best, but do nothing to prepare our youth for victory. Relativism reigns, while Truth is forgotten, and our nation stands on the brink, having become powerless to withstand a spiritual attack it does not understand.

With love in Christ,
Abbot Tryphon

Saturday February 19, 2022 / February 6, 2022
Week of the Publican and the Pharisee. Tone one.
Fast-free Week. Fast-free
Venerable Bucolus, bishop of Smyrna (ca. 100).
New Hieromartyrs Demetrius priest and Martyr Anatolius (1921).
New Hieromartyr Basil priest (1930).
New Hieromartyr Priest Basil Nadezhnin of Moscow, (1937).
New Hieromartyr Alexander priest (1938).
Venerables Barsanuphius the Great and John the Prophet, monks of Palestine (6th c.).
St. Photius, patriarch of Constantinople (891).
Virgin-martyr Dorothea, and with her Martyrs Christina and Callista, sisters, and Theophilus, at Caesarea in Cappadocia (288-300).
Martyr Julian of Emesa (312).
Virgin-martyr Fausta, and with her Martyrs Evilasius and Maximus, at Cyzicus (ca. 305-311).
Virgin-martyrs Martha and Mary, and their brother Martyr Lycarion, in Egypt.
Venerable Dorothea, schemanun of Kashin (1629).
St. Mael, bishop of Ardagh, disciple of St. Patrick (488) (Celtic & British).
Martyrs Faustus, Basil and Silvanus of Darion in Constantinople (Greek).
Venerable John of Thebes, monk (Greek).
St. James, ascetic of Syria (ca. 460).
St. Vedast, bishop of Arras (540).
St. Amand, apostle of Maastricht (675) (Neth.).
St. Arsen of Iqalto, Georgia (1127).

The Scripture Readings

2 Timothy 3:1-9

Perilous Times and Perilous Men

3 But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: 2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, 4 traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! 6 For of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts, 7 always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. 8 Now as Jannes and Jambres resisted Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, disapproved concerning the faith; 9 but they will progress no further, for their folly will be manifest to all, as theirs also was.

Luke 20:46-21:4

46 “Beware of the scribes, who desire to go around in long robes, love greetings in the marketplaces, the best seats in the synagogues, and the best places at feasts, 47 who devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. These will receive greater condemnation.”

The Widow’s Two Mites

21 And He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury, 2 and He saw also a certain poor widow putting in two mites. 3 So He said, “Truly I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all; 4 for all these out of their abundance have put in offerings for God, but she out of her poverty put in all the livelihood that she had.”