Author: Abbot Tryphon

Prayer, Fasting, and Almsgiving Jesus Christ called for a thorough conversion of our heart and mind, and a complete turning away from the old man (our fallen nature). The main act that begins this conversion is metanoia, which means thorough change of mind. This happens when we become aware that

Holiness comes only to those who keep vigil Not an hour should pass without taking time to examine our heart, for the hour of judgement can come at any time, and we must be ready to give account to God for our life. In the Gospel of Matthew (5:8), we

Holy Tradition: The Memory of the Church The fact that protestants, by and large, have traveled far from the faith and traditions of the Apostolic Church, is testament to what happens when one departs from the “memory” of the Church. This “memory” is kept alive through Holy Tradition, from which

The Western World is in need of Christ The western world has entered a period of decadence and decline, departing far from her Christian roots. With the European Union denying the historical and cultural Christian heritage of her member states, a secular based world view reigns dominant. This, together with

The true self is composed of both body and soul Unlike angels, who are entirely spiritual beings, God has made each of us as spiritual creatures dwelling in a material world. Thus, because we are both physical and spiritual, we must commune with our Creator God in both body and

Personal effort and God’s grace Without our personal effort, God’s grace can not be activated in our lives, for we have been created with free will, and God never forces a relationship upon us. Without God’s grace, we can have no salvation, for we can not activate salvation of our

What about non-Orthodox Christians? Saint Silouan the Athonite was once traveling by train with an archimandrite who was a zealot quick to correct others about the True Faith. Coming upon a group of traveling Roman Catholics, Saint Silouan’s traveling companion proceeded to tell them that they must become Orthodox because

There is no salvation outside authentic community Orthodoxy is all about community. The fierce individualism found in much of what claims to be Christianity is in opposition to the Orthodox understanding of faith. The Church as the Body of Christ is where we are united in Christ, becoming part of

Humankind is a microcosm of the whole universe It has been said that humans are a microcosm of the whole universe because we have within ourselves the entire material world and with it all the noetic powers of the cosmos. Created as we were for immortality, it is our fallen

The journey to God begins with the first step The spiritual struggle that is required of us can not depend on our priest. The average parish priest carries the load as rector, preacher, councilor, confessor, teacher, CEO, and liturgical celebrant, and is often overwhelmed. Added to the above duties is