Having returned on the 16th of September after a very long stay in the hospital, I am struggling to get back to fulfilling what I believe God has called me to do. I care so deeply for all of you, yet my pain level, together with exhaustion, has served as
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
We All Need to Set Priorities We must pay attention when the Lord is calling us to slow down. It is easy to resist taking care of oneself if we run at full speed as though we are the only one who can get things done. We all need to
Today is the Church’s Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross. The universal symbol of the Christian faith, the cross, represents Christ’s victory over death. The feast celebrates the redemptive transformation of a barbaric instrument of torture into a divine “tree of life” that brings hope to humankind. I greet
Tempting Trials If we are to avoid the pit of “self-love” that leads to depression, it is imperative that we focused on loving God and neighbor. This state of despondency is often referred to as the demon of noonday, and must not be allowed to distract us from the love
The doctrine of original sin as espoused in the West, is foreign to Orthodoxy, yet in no way suggests we do not need to be born again (born anew). We believe, as did the Early Church Fathers, that we inherit only the results of Adam’s sin, not his guilt.
Old Abbot Tryphon is still unable to negotiate the steps of our monastery’s temple, so I needed our Hieromonk Nicodemus to bring the Holy Mysteries to my monastic cell. Just as we all need the Eucharist to sustain us, when one is struggling with health issues the need is often
A Defeatist Attitude is a Prescription for Defeat Our attitude, and even our speech, reflect on the health of our soul, and should be a key sign as to the wellness of our heart. If we are prone to complaining about our lives, or complaining about those around us, it
How to Find Hope When you Face Mortality I was listening to one of the last songs recorded by Johnny Cash, probably the best country western singer of all time, and I was struck by the line in his song, “put me in my box on the 309,” coming from
Fruitful When Faithful God made man to glorify Him, love Him, and contemplate Him while both living like Him and living with Him. Consequently, for us to fully flourish, we must abide with Him as a Christian. Then we are united to Him spiritually and physically, and are empowered
Do All and StandFinally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against