Author: Abbot Tryphon

Our sovereignty and the capacity to reject the will of God According to Saint Gregory Palamas, God has given us lordship over all the earth because of our capacity for sovereignty. With this sovereignty comes the responsibility to be good stewards of that which God has given us. Saint Gregory

How to end isolation In an age when families no longer eat dinner together, children watch TV, play computer games, and text message their friends from their bedrooms. When adults can be seen walking in our cities talking on cell phones. At a time in our history when people can

Children must be taught kindness at an early age More and more frequently we read about children taking their own lives, having reached a place where they would rather be dead than live another hour suffering from bullying. Too often parents and teachers have ignored the problem of bullying, dismissing

Forgiveness is the fruit of love This holy season of the Nativity of Christ is a time that brings family and loved ones together, often gathering for the only time during the year. Stress levels are often off the charts, as family members prepare to spend time with relatives who

Waging war against the flesh Since the eyes and the ears are the doors of the soul, an Orthodox Christian must not leave the body without attention. Unlike the religion of Gnosticism, which teaches the separation of soul and body, with the physical world being evil and something to be

Christianity confronts the world without being part of it Christianity confronts the world, but does not seek to be part of the fallen spirit of this world. The genuineness of the simple message of our Christian faith should teach us that we must bring thought and action into Godly and

The necessity of Christian friendships In this age where secularism is on the rise, and materialism has become a major distraction from spiritual pursuits, Christian friendship has never been more important. The pursuit of personal fulfillment, entertainment, worldly pleasure, and the acquisition of material goods, has become the dominant theme

A humble heart opens the door to peace Whatever the circumstances in which we find ourselves, God is giving us an opportunity to gain the freedom that comes from acquiring humility. Whatever our job, which ever task we are asked to perform, whatever life places before us, all is an

The battle for my soul Every morning I must examine my heart, lest the enemy of my soul cause me to stumble. Not an hour should pass without my taking time to to look closely at my speech, my motives, my hidden sins, and my relationship with those around me.

The things of God are beyond our finite mind The science of the soul is noetic and can be examined and experience only through the activation of the nous. The nous in Orthodox Christian theology is the eye (mind) of the heart or soul. Since the human intellect is not