Hieromonk Paul, mowing the lawn Authority Comes with Responsibility The recent scandal revolved around Penn State University’s assistant football coach have brought to light an ugly secret. The sexual exploitation and abuse of children seems to have reach epidemic proportions in our society, and the arrest of a respected university
Author: Abbot Tryphon
I am abbot of All-Merciful Saviour Orthodox Monastery (ROCOR) on Vashon Island, WA. The island is a twenty minute ferry ride from West Seattle, and a fifteen minute crossing from Tacoma.
Surrounded by the Salish Sea, the island is some 87% undeveloped forest, with a rural population of around eleven thousand citizens. If you wish to contact me personally, you can email me at: abbottryphon@vashonmonks.com
The Prince of Peace is the Victorious Conqueror Revolutions, wars of conquest, and battles between nations, are all the sad consequences of our fallen world. Death and destruction are the results of our having fallen from grace, and giving in to personal pride and arrogance, all in the face of
Wild Foxglove, growing abundantly on the grounds of the monastery Putting Aside all Hypocrisy and Living for ChristHow easy it is to worship with all piety and correctness while standing in a service within an Orthodox temple, yet make no effort to live Orthodoxy during the rest of our week.
Even tractors get flats Suffering is Meant to be Salvific The Lord does not allow anything beyond our power of endurance, to afflict us. Whenever difficulties come our way, we only sin if we are unwilling to endure. Suffering is meant to be salvific, for the Holy Apostle Paul tells
Our lower forest It Pleases the Lord When We do His Will “Blessed is he who strives to please the Lord as others try to please men.” These words of Saint John Climacus should serve as the theme for our every hour. It is so easy to surrender to social
When We Turn Away from God When we turn away from God, the Lord lets us go it on our own. He will not force Himself upon us. We get ourselves into trouble when we push God aside, and wonder why we have such difficulties with life. With love in
Tending the Garden of the Heart Both my Norwegian grandfather, and my mother, were avid gardeners, so I grew up surrounded by the beauty of plants and flowers. The cottage garden is a distinct style of garden that is certainly my favorite. The use of traditional materials, in an informal
Facing Down Our Weaknesses When we face down our own weaknesses, we can begin the process of constructing the foundation for an intimate relationship with God. Ignoring those things that keep us stuck in the quagmire that is the ego, prevents spiritual growth, and the joy of being immersed in
And the Rise of the ChurchThe public scandal of bishops protecting clergy and church workers, in the wake of the sexual abuse of countless children, have shocked the world, and undermined the spiritual and moral authority of the Roman Catholic Church. This, together with the very public moral failings of
Reformation of the Nation Must Begin with Me The wife of a priest friend, a school teacher, told me how horrified a number of fellow teachers were, when they found out her husband was a priest. One teacher avoided talking to her for the next three months, and another commented