Author: Abbot Tryphon

Animals as Gifts from God Our beloved Norwegian Forest Cat, Hammi, is most happy when the entire monastic brotherhood is gathered together with him in our library and community room. We all consider him an important member of our community, and Hammi is the only cat I know who has

What we put into our minds  does make a difference We have become a nation obsessed with violence, and our entertainment proves it. Movies portraying extremes in violence make huge sums of money for producers, studios and actors, while polluting the minds of millions of people with sick images of

Divided Loyalties “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon” (Matthew 6:24). One should always be mindful of where we place our priorities.

Godly Friends and Spiritual Progress It is easy to feel trapped by our bad habits. We don’t like certain behavioral patterns that have become habitual, and we feel helpless in our attempt to change. Growing as Christians is often fraught with failure, and we find ourselves stuck. Our spiritual progress

The Saints are Alive in Christ Jesus  Vigil 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

Community: The Essential Element Christianity is a communal faith, one that requires its followers to be actively involved with others. The Church’s worship is communal, and salvation itself is a corporate act, one that necessitates interaction with others. One is not “saved” in a vacuum, but as part of the

Fasting is for both Body and Soul “But as for me, when they (the demons) troubled me, I put on sackcloth. And I humbled my soul with fasting, and my prayer shall return to my bosom” (Psalm 34:13). In order to be pleasing to the Lord, our fasting must be

Important for both Confessor and Penitent The Seal of Confession is a hard and fast rule throughout the history of the Orthodox Church. Since the priest, in Orthodox theology, is but a witness to the confession, since the confession is given to Christ Himself, confidentiality is an absolute must. The

The Essential Element for the Salvific Union of Two People The western world has seen a terrible downward trend in the number of couples choosing to get married. Of those couples who do, almost fifty percent of their marriages end in divorce. Those marriages that do last, see only a tiny

The Hermit’s Contribution to Community The personalism of Orthodox asceticism in the life of a hermit is inseparable from the life of the Church. Saint Seraphim of Sarov tells us that if we acquire the Holy Spirit a thousand around us will be saved. Hermits, although distancing themselves from the