Author: Abbot Tryphon

As many of you already know, I had applied for a religious exemption regarding the Washington State governor’s requirement that any state employees be vaccined against Covid, or be fired. Although chaplains do not receive a salary, we were coming under this same requirement. Many of my chaplain friends around

The Meaning of Salvation in the Ancient Church According to Protopresbyter George Metallinos, Dean of the Athens University School of Theology, “For we Orthodox the unique and absolute goal of life in Christ is theosis, our union with God, so that man – through his participation in God’s uncreated energy

Joy is the Infallible Sign of God’s Presence Although we have no written evidence that Our Lord Jesus Christ laughed, I am personally convinced that he did. How could He not have shared in our humanity with perfection had he not had a sense of humor, and shared moments of

Short Prayers used in Personal Devotion Many Church Fathers taught the use of the “arrow prayer”, deliberately short prayers for personal devotion that were easily remembered, and could communicate one’s love for God, while seeking His help. They were like arrows being shot into the air, wholeheartedly demonstrating our sincerity

The Energy of the Mind Inside the Heart The patristic tradition teaches that the heart is the center of our self-awareness. This self-awareness is the energy of the mind inside the heart, something the holy fathers referred to as our “noetic faculty”. There is an important distinction that must be

Let us not react, but be at peace Each day brings on new challenges regarding the health of our soul. Those moments when a family member or coworker makes a remark that are meant to anger us, are those times we need to guard our hearts. When those around us

The Forerunners of Antichrist Manufacture the Image of ‘Political Criminals’ For anyone with eyes to see, the parallels between pre revolutionary Russia, and that which is happening in America, are clear. If we have any chance of reversing this sad decline in our American democracy, we need, as Christians, to

We have reasons to rejoice!

We Must Become the Image of Christ to Others If we are to be true to our calling as the children of God, we must live in imitation of Christ. We must imitate His meekness and humility. We must love others just as did He. We must be willing to

Community is the Essential Element to Living the Christian Life Christianity is a communal faith, one that requires it’s followers to be actively involved with others. The Church’s worship is communal, and salvation itself is a corporate act, one that necessitates interaction with others. One is not “saved” in a