Author: Abbot Tryphon

First Responders to First Responders Chaplains are called to be for officers what the officers cannot be for themselves. Chaplains must be advocates for their police officers, before their chiefs, and with the community. Police, by their vary nature, have to be tough, often forced to swallow the pain and

Our Toxic Environment  The main speaker for our International Conference of Police Chaplains, was Samuel L. Feemster, a retired FBI Supervisory Special Agent who was assigned to the FBI Academy. According to Mr. Feemster, our police officers are serving in a society that is filled with a toxicity that necessitates

A City without Police Would be a Hell of a Place  The first time I ever visited the City of San Francisco, a friend took a photo of me on a city bus, with an ad showing just above me that read, “San Francisco Would be a Hell of a

Christos razhdayetsya! Slavite yoho! Kristos rozhdaetsya! Slav’te ego! Hristos se Rodi! Voistinu se Rodi! Almasihu Wulidah! Famajjiduhu! Today we celebrate the Feast of the Nativity of the Lord, He Who came to the world to restore peace and love. May we war against evil and the self, fighting with the

The Saints are Alive in Christ JesusVigil lights are placed before the icons of the saints, according to Saint Symeon the New Theologian, as a way of showing that without the Light, Who is Christ, the saints are nothing. It is only as the light of Christ shines on them

Nativity: December 25th or January 7th? Regarding the Church Calendar (also known as the Old Calendar, and the Julian Calendar), I am grateful that our monastery is part of a jurisdiction that has remained true to the Traditional Calendar. The move to the Papal Calendar was, to my mind, divisive,

The Royal Hours at Christmas   All Divine Liturgies in the Orthodox Church are preceded by the chanting of the Hours services, consisting of psalms, hymns and prayers. But in the great cathedral of Hagia Sophia in Constantinople, the Byzantine Emperor was present each year at the service beginning the

Mt. Rainier as seen from Vashon Island Vigilantly Exercise Virtue in the Coming Year It is a tradition among Americans to make a New Year’s Resolution, pledging ourselves to positive change in the coming months. We decide we’re going to lose weight, and set the loss of a certain amount

click on areal of monastery to enlarge The Call to Monasticism is all About Relationships The monastic vocation is a special calling from God that is all about relationships. It is a relationship that involves community (the monastic brotherhood), but primarily revolves around the monk’s relationship with God. Monks are

I want to greet all my readers as we begin the year 2013, with the words, “Glory to Jesus Christ, Glory to Him forever”. May this year be one of spiritual renewal for all of us, and may we use the allotted time God gives us profitably, and for His