Best Friend

Your closest and most intimate friend is yourself

If you have never learned to accept and love yourself, you will never be able to love another person. If you don’t learn to forgive yourself, you will never be able to forgive another person. You must learn to be your own best friend.

To love yourself is not about narcissism, an excessive focus on oneself that can be a sign of serious mental illness. Rather, the love of oneself that is healthy, is the love we have for what God has created. We recognize we have been created in His image and likeness, and we are worthy of love, because God Himself loves us.

Being our own best friend is a recognition that what God has created is good, and the invitation to commune with our Creator God has set us apart from the rest of creation. Being our own best friend is the way to kindle within ourselves, a grateful heart, and open us to the love God has for us, and, in turn, give us the ability to love God, and to love others.

With love in Christ,
Abbot Tryphon

Friday January 22, 2016 / January 9, 2016
34th Week after Pentecost. Tone eight.
Fast. Fish Allowed
Afterfeast of the Theophany.

Martyr Polyeuctus of Melitene in Armenia (259).
Hieromartyr Philip, metropolitan of Moscow and all Russia (1569).
New Hieromartyr Paul priest (1943).
Prophet Shemaiah (Samaia, Semeias) (10th c. B.C.).
St. Peter, bishop of Sebaste in Armenia (395), and brother of St. Basil the Great and St. Gregory of Nyssa.
Venerable Eustratius the Wonderworker of Tarsus (821).
St. Adrian of Canterbury (709) (Celtic & British).
St. Berhtwald Archbishop of Canterbury (731) (Celtic & British).
St. Fillan (Foelan) of Strathfillan (VIII) (Celtic & British).
New Martyr Parthena of Edessa in Macedonia (1375).
St. Jonah (Peter in schema), founder of Holy Trinity Monastery in Kiev (1902).
Translation of the relicts of St. Judoc, hermit of Ponthieu.
St. Fillan, abbot of Strathfillan.

Scripture Readings

Hebrews 7:18-25

18 For on the one hand there is an annulling of the former commandment because of its weakness and unprofitableness, 19 for the law made nothing perfect; on the other hand, there is the bringing in of a better hope, through which we draw near to God.

Greatness of the New Priest

20 And inasmuch as He was not made priest without an oath 21 (for they have become priests without an oath, but He with an oath by Him who said to Him:

“The Lord has sworn
And will not relent,
‘You are a priest forever
According to the order of Melchizedek’”),

22 by so much more Jesus has become a surety of a better covenant.

23 Also there were many priests, because they were prevented by death from continuing. 24 But He, because He continues forever, has an unchangeable priesthood. 25 Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.

Mark 13:1-8

Jesus Predicts the Destruction of the Temple

13 Then as He went out of the temple, one of His disciples said to Him, “Teacher, see what manner of stones and what buildings are here!”

2 And Jesus answered and said to him, “Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone shall be left upon another, that shall not be thrown down.”

The Signs of the Times and the End of the Age

3 Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked Him privately, 4 “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign when all these things will be fulfilled?”

5 And Jesus, answering them, began to say: “Take heed that no one deceives you. 6 For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am He,’ and will deceive many. 7 But when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be troubled; for such things must happen, but the end is not yet. 8 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be earthquakes in various places, and there will be famines and troubles.These are the beginnings of sorrows.