A Paschal People

Complaining bears the fruit of bitterness

Instead of complaining, do something about your complaints. Make a difference in your life, and the lives of those around you, by keeping focused on making a difference. If there is reason to complain, change your complaint into a positive action that changes your perspective. Complainers never change a thing by their constant negativity, other than make those around them want to take a cab to the other side of town. Complaining seems to many like such a little sin, and nothing to be worried about. Yet the impact of a complaining heart is spiritually ruinous, for when we complain we bear bitter fruits that destroy our peace and the peace of those around us.

When we refuse to fill our lives with complaints, we live our lives knowing that opposing the evil that is the root of our complaints, means we preserve our inner peace. Some live as though avoiding complaining will make everything worse, for by doing so they ignore the reality of negative things. Yet when we complain, we are returning evil for evil, and giving the fallen spirits the very thing they thrive upon.

Complaining never changes a thing, but only strengthens the power of the evil that is the very basis of our complaints. When we face every bad situation with a positive response, we empower the heart to good, by diminishing the power of negativity. By keeping a positive mindset, the sin of complaining is banished from our life, and everyone around us is bathed in a healing and healthy setting.

Most of the world is stuck in Good Friday, but we are a Paschal people, living in the Resurrection. The Elder (now Saint) Paisios of Athos, said, “A positive thought is worth more than a Vigil service on Mount Athos”.

With love in Christ,
Abbot Tryphon

Monday April 13, 2015 / March 31, 2015

Entire week, fast-free.
Venerable Hypatius the Wonderworker, bishop of Gangra (ca. 360).
Repose of St. Jonah, metropolitan of Kiev, Moscow, and all Russia (1461).
St. Innocent of Moscow, enlightener of Alaska and Siberia (1879).
New Hieromartyr John priest (1938).
St. Hypatius the Healer of the Kiev Caves (14th c.).
Venerable Apollonius, ascetic of the Thebaid (395).
Martyrs Abdas the Bishop and Benjamin the Deacon, of Persia (424).
Venerable Hypatius, abbot of Rufinus in Chalcedon (446).
Appearance of the “Iberian” (“Iveron”) Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos.
Righteous Joseph the Fair, son of Jacob (ca. 1700 B.C.).
38 Martyrs, beheaded by the sword under Julian (361-363).
Saint Akakios the Confessor, Bishop of Meletinia (249-251).
Venerable Blaise of Amorium and Mt. Athos (908) (Greek).
Martyr Menander (Greek).
St. Stephen the Wonderworker, monk (Greek).

Scripture Readings

The Upper Room Prayer Meeting

12 Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey. 13 And when they had entered, they went up into the upper room where they were staying: Peter, James, John, and Andrew; Philip and Thomas; Bartholomew and Matthew; James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot; and Judas the son of James. 14 These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers.

Matthias Chosen

15 And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples[b] (altogether the number of names was about a hundred and twenty), and said, 16 “Men and brethren, this Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke before by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus; 17 for he was numbered with us and obtained a part in this ministry.”

Acts 1:21-26

21 “Therefore, of these men who have accompanied us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, 22 beginning from the baptism of John to that day when He was taken up from us, one of these must become a witness with us of His resurrection.”

23 And they proposed two: Joseph called Barsabas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias. 24 And they prayed and said, “You, O Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which of these two You have chosen 25 to take part in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place.” 26 And they cast their lots, and the lot fell on Matthias. And he was numbered with the eleven apostles.

John 1:18-28

18 No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.

A Voice in the Wilderness

19 Now this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?”

20 He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.”

21 And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?”

He said, “I am not.”

“Are you the Prophet?”

And he answered, “No.”

22 Then they said to him, “Who are you, that we may give an answer to those who sent us? What do you say about yourself?”

23 He said: “I am

‘The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
“Make straight the way of the Lord,”’

as the prophet Isaiah said.”

24 Now those who were sent were from the Pharisees. 25 And they asked him, saying, “Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?”

26 John answered them, saying, “I baptize with water, but there stands One among you whom you do not know. 27 It is He who, coming after me, is preferred before me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose.”

28 These things were done in Bethabara beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.