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 October 4, 2013
15th Week after Pentecost. Tone five.
Fast. By Monastic Charter: Strict Fast (Bread, Vegetables, Fruits)
Apodosis of the Exaltation of the Cross.
Apostle Quadratus of the Seventy (130).
Uncovering of the relics (1752) of St. Demetrius, metropolitan of Rostov (1709).
New Hieromartyrs Alexander, Alexis, Constantine, John priests (1918).
New Hieromartyr Mavrikius and with him Martyr Basil and Vladimir (1937).
New Hieromartyrs Valentin, Alexander, John, Andrew, Peter, John priests (1937).
New Hieromartyr Theophan (Tuliakov), metropolitan of Lipetsk and Belo-Russia (1937).
New Hieromartyr John priest (1938).
New Hieromartyr Basil priest (1942).
Venerable Daniel, abbot of Shugh Hill (Novgorod) (16th c.).
Venerable Joseph of Zaonikiev Monastery (Vologda) (1612).
Hieromartyr Hypatius, bishop of Ephesus, and his presbyter Andrew (730).
Sts. Isaacius and Meletius, bishops of Cyprus.
Martyr Eusebius of Phoenicia (2nd c.) and Martyr Priscus of Phrygia.
Martyrs Eusebius, Nestabus, Zeno, and Nestor the Confessor of Gaza (4th c.).
Venerable Jonah the Sabbaite (9th c.) (Greek).
Synaxis of All Saints of Uglich.
You can read the life of the saint by clicking on the highlighted name. THANKS to all of you who have been able to contribute towards the support of the monastery. These difficult times of economic hardship have impacted the monastery, and those of you who have been able to donate, have been our lifeline. May God bless you for your generosity, and kindness.
With love in Christ,
Abbot Tryphon
The Scripture Readings for the Day
Galatians 4:8-21
Fears for the Church
8But then, indeed, when you did not know God, you served those which by nature are not gods. 9But now after you have known God, or rather are known by God, how is it that you turn again to the weak and beggarly elements, to which you desire again to be in bondage? 10You observe days and months and seasons and years. 11I am afraid for you, lest I have labored for you in vain.
12Brethren, I urge you to become like me, for I became like you. You have not injured me at all. 13You know that because of physical infirmity I preached the gospel to you at the first. 14And my trial which was in my flesh you did not despise or reject, but you received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus. 15What then was the blessing you enjoyed? For I bear you witness that, if possible, you would have plucked out your own eyes and given them to me. 16Have I therefore become your enemy because I tell you the truth?
17They zealously court you, but for no good; yes, they want to exclude you, that you may be zealous for them. 18But it is good to be zealous in a good thing always, and not only when I am present with you. 19My little children, for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you, 20I would like to be present with you now and to change my tone; for I have doubts about you.
Two Covenants
21Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do you not hear the law?
Luke 4:22-30
22So all bore witness to Him, and marveled at the gracious words which proceeded out of His mouth. And they said, “Is this not Joseph’s son?”
23He said to them, “You will surely say this proverb to Me, ‘Physician, heal yourself! Whatever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in Your country.’” 24Then He said, “Assuredly, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own country. 25But I tell you truly, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, and there was a great famine throughout all the land; 26but to none of them was Elijah sent except to Zarephath, in the region of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. 27And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian.”
28So all those in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath, 29and rose up and thrust Him out of the city; and they led Him to the brow of the hill on which their city was built, that they might throw Him down over the cliff. 30Then passing through the midst of them, He went His way.