Author: Abbot Tryphon

Avoiding this present darkness For those who embrace the enjoyment of partying and entertainment, all in an attempt to avoid the hardships and life struggles that make great souls, they will have failed to embrace the essential element that makes this life journey salvific. They will have avoided their service

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

Taste the presence of Christ within you We all need a good dose of silent prayer each and every day. Finding that perfect place in your home that can become your cave, or prayer closet, will afford you that sacred space where you can go deep into the heart and

The giving of ourselves over to depression There are times when we are tempted by what has been called the Noonday Demon, and we struggle with depression. It is during periods like this that depression can take on a life of it’s own, and we feel helpless and overwhelmed. Depression

The saints serve as our guides in serving the poor In many parts of the American countryside one can find the remnants of poorhouses (sometimes called workhouses), institutions run by local county or state governments as a means of dealing with the issue of the unemployed poor and homeless. These

When we conceal our sins from our confessor A number of people have privately shared that they were hesitant to confess certain sins for fear of being embarrassed before their priest. One woman said she couldn’t handle the idea that a man would hear the details of her sinful actions,

We must struggle that our prayer not become lifeless When we find ourselves struggling with prayer, and feel that it has become dry and lifeless, we are sometimes tempted to stop praying. When our prayer has become a struggle, it is good to remember that God knows our needs, and

Fasting is an essential part of our Orthodox journey Fasting was established by God Himself, as clearly seen in both the Old and New Testaments. The Lord Jesus Christ even went out into the desert for 40 days of fasting before beginning His early ministry.  Regarding fasting Christ said “When

Dangerous times require priestly service that is gentle, patient, and merciful Orthodoxy has traditionally avoided clericalism, yet in more recent times this very corruption of priestly service has entered the doors of the Orthodox Church. It has led some clergy to seek out princely honor, danger not only to their

The sin of our first parents, Adam and Eve, resulted in our inheritance of death The fact that we Orthodox do not accept the doctrine of original sin as espoused in the West, does in no way suggest that we do not need to be born again (born anew). We