Author: Abbot Tryphon

Forgiveness is the fruit of love Our Lord Jesus Christ, while hanging on the cross, asked the Father to forgive his murderers because they did not know what they were doing (Luke 23:34). This was the fruit of love. If we immerse ourselves in God’s love and learn to love

The true state of repentance If we think we are repenting, while all the while dwelling on the perceived sins of others, we are not repenting. If we focus on the wrongs done to us by others, we are not in a state of repentance. True repentance happens only when

The Link between the Old and New Testament Temple 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,

Complaining disturbs the heart and distracts us from the Path If we make it a habit to avoid complaining, we will disarm the enemy of our soul, for the act of complaining is like adding kindling to a fire, for it stokes our passions, and our ego is made stronger.

The saints as models for our lives Our Orthodox Christian life is not designed to be invented as we go, for by the very nature of the Church we are instructed to use as our model of living, the lives of the saints that have gone on before us. Their

The aggressive secularization of America As an American I have watched with sadness, the eroding of our Christian values and standards of living. When I was in grade school, each day was begun with the reading of the Bible, broadcast over the intercom system (yes, we had the technology when

We are both soul and body Unlike angels, who are entirely spiritual beings, God has made each of us as creatures dwelling in a material world. To be whole, we must worship God both in body and soul. This teaching is central to our Christian faith and is an affirmation

Correction regarding the Sinai monastery Dear friends, I contacted a knowledgeable person concerning my blog article’s context, after receiving a note alleging the information I received from the Russian Orthodox news site Pravoslavie Ru, was incorrect. This person is one of the Sinai monastery’s main contacts in the United States.

Bedouins attack St. Catherine’s Monastery in the Sinai The ancient Monastery of Saint Catherine’s, situated on the Biblical land of the Sinai peninsula, has been once again been attacked by Muslim extremists and local authorities, this in spite of the long standing charity provided to the Bedouins by the monks.

The authority of the Church must be grounded in love If she be true to herself, the Church acts with an authority that is grounded in love. She holds within her realm the authority to make her people the children of God. She has the authority to forgive, and the