Author: Abbot Tryphon

The saints are alive in Christ Jesus Vigil lights are placed before the icons of the saints, according to Saint Symeon the New Theologian, as a way of showing that without the Light, Who is Christ, the saints are nothing. It is only as the light of Christ shines on

Creating a Christian environment in the home Creating a Christian home begins with the icon corner. The bright corner becomes the center for every domestic church, where the family devotions take place. This is also the family’s way of declaring to visitors that this is a Christian home, where Christ

False humility is almost wholly the product of self-righteous hypocrisy Struggling with our pride, we must focus on bringing our own will into conformity with the will of God. We must strive for a standard of humility that takes seriously the tradition of the Church, and making it our own.

All disappointments are meaningless if we have peace of heart We often find ourselves disappointed in life. The job we really wanted is given to another person. An associate at work doesn’t invite us to the dinner party, yet invited a coworker and his wife. A person we’d love to

The litmus test for all human rights Freedom of religion has has always been the hallmark of our American way of life. Our Founding Fathers migrated to the shores of the New World primarily to seek religious freedom, fleeing as they where the religious persecution they suffered in England. The

The great virtue of forgiving our enemies There is the story of Saint Epiphanius of Cyprus who invited Hilarion the Great to dinner, and in order to show his hospitality place fried chicken on the table. Hilarion, when he saw the fried chicken, asked forgiveness, but said he had not

Eve of Apostles’ (Peter & Paul) Fast Monday is the beginning of the Apostles’ Fast. The Church has given us two weapons–prayer and fasting– in our battle against the demonic powers, yet the temptation to set aside fasting, especially during a time of year when many like to BBQ steaks

The essential element of Christianity is community 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 vacuum, but as

The link between the Old and New Testament Temples Orthodox temples have kept to the same form and function since ancient times. Using the Old Testament Temple model, Orthodox churches are divided into several courts or spaces peculiar to their function. The Holy Table, upon which is celebrated the Eucharist,

A spiritually balanced day in the life of an Orthodox Christian Balancing the spiritual life with the workplace can be quite challenging. Our work day should begin with prayer, and should be planned with the help and guidance of one’s spiritual father, priest or confessor. If you have children, you