The Link Between Repentance and Humility In an age when “self-focus” is the rule of the day, and where the ego seems to reign, it is hard for people to see the value of humility. Many people, from politicians to rock stars, seem to climb the ladder of success by
Author: Abbot Tryphon
I am abbot of All-Merciful Saviour Orthodox Monastery (ROCOR) on Vashon Island, WA. The island is a twenty minute ferry ride from West Seattle, and a fifteen minute crossing from Tacoma.
Surrounded by the Salish Sea, the island is some 87% undeveloped forest, with a rural population of around eleven thousand citizens. If you wish to contact me personally, you can email me at: abbottryphon@vashonmonks.com
Taking Orthodoxy Beyond the Self-Congratulatory We must guard against noticing when another parishioner seems careless in the making of the sign of the cross, while we go about demonstrating for all around us, the proper way. Making sweeping signs of the cross that are done in such a way as
Cremation Versus the Orthodox Practice of Burial The first time I ever attended a funeral service where cremation of the body of the deceased had taken place was in Portland, Oregon, many years ago. An Episcopal priest friend had died and had requested his body be cremated. Walking into the
Our Thoughts Determine Our Lives “Our life depends on the kind of thoughts we nurture. If our thoughts are peaceful, calm, meek, and kind, then that is what our life is like. If our attention is turned to the circumstances in which we live, we are drawn into a whirlpool
Metaphysical Philosophy and Pure Theology There are only a few Orthodox saints who’ve been given the honor of being called “theologians”. Saint John the Theologian, and Saint Symeon the New Theologian, to give two examples, were declared Theologians by the Church, because their theology was the result of their having
Christians must stand firm against this radical takeover As an American I have clearly seen, over these past fifty years or so, the secularization of our nation, with the end result that evil is taking root. Consequently, the American people are being deceived by an atheism that is ripping our
The Struggle for Purity in the Christian’s Life Sins of a sexual nature are common among many people today. Much of the struggle is directly related to the fact that people do not take advantage of having a spiritual father or mother. If we are our own guide the struggles
We Must Put Aside Our Arrogance “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap (Galatians 6:7).” The massively destructive and deadly fires we witnessed across the West Coast of the United States this past summer, should not have been a
Blessed is the Kingdom of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit The Divine Liturgy begins with the words, Blessed is the kingdom of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and forever and to the ages of ages. This kingdom is our true home