Author: Abbot Tryphon

The Christian response to poverty Americans are witnessing the widest gap between the highest and lowest income families since officials began tracking the data a decade ago. As many conservative members of Congress continue to press for cutbacks in programs, such as food stamps, medical coverage, and housings subsidies, all

Taking Christ into our imperfect bodies As we continue our Lenten journey, this is a time when the Church puts much emphasis on the role of repentance. We strive to go to confession more frequently during Great Lent, just as we’ve increased our level of fasting, and frequency of attending

Accuse myself, blame myself, judge myself We see people’s sins, but we don’t know whether they have made peace with God. We don’t know if the person who has sinned regrets it, but we are not called to judge them, but only to forgive them. As we become aware of

The God of Christianity does not punish, He educates One of the primary differences between Islam and Christianity has to do with the basic view of the nature of God. Islam teaches total surrender to a god who demands submission. There is no invitation to enter into a relationship, freely,

Changing the world begins with me The Elder Sophroni of Essex said he believed in changing the world, one person at a time. These words are in agreement with those of Saint Seraphim of Sarov, who said acquiring inner peace causes a thousand around us to be saved. As long

Taste the presence of Christ in 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 wherein you can go deep into the heart and

Thinking upon our own death Saint Sisoes, the great ascetic, standing before the tomb of Alexander the Great, beheld the skeletal remains of one who was once covered in magnificent garments.  Astonished, the saint mourned for the vicissitudes of time and the transience of glory, and tearfully proclaimed, “The mere

The Journey of Joyful Sorrow in the expectation of the Resurrection The main reason Christianity spread so rapidly following the Resurrection of Christ, was the power behind the resurrection. The truth of Christ’s resurrection empowered believers to joyfully embrace martyrdom, knowing that they would be joined in eternal bliss with

Those who hold authority must guard their hearts When people are hurting, and seeking professional help, they are vulnerable, and the trust they place in the professional makes them particularly open to exploitation. This is why we must have institutions and lines of authority that hold professionals accountable. We can

The purpose of the Church is for the cure of humankind The heart is not simply a natural operation that serves as a pump circulating blood. According to Orthodox Patristic teaching the heart is the center of our self-awareness, and the place wherein resides the “nous” (the eye of the