Blessed Dimitry of Santa Rosa, and the Island of my salvation
Following my return from a pilgrimage to the Holy Mountain of Athos, we were faced with mounting bills, rising rent costs, little income, and my personal desire to return to Mt. Athos to continue my monastic struggle. I went so far as to ask a blessing from my spiritual father, Archimandrite Dimitry of Santa Rosa, California’s Kazan Skete, for a blessing to return to the Holy Mountain. Much to my surprise, Father Dimitry told me, “your salvation is on Vashon Island”.
It seemed, given our near financial ruin, to be utter nonsense. How could this possibly be true, living as we were in a rental house, with no prospects of owning property, and no viable way of founding a monastery in the Puget Sound region. However, I knew as a monk I was bound by my vows in obedience to my spiritual father. I also believed, as did many, that Father Dimitry had been blessed with the gift of clairvoyance, and that he could see something in the future that was hidden to me. So I withdrew my request and committed myself to Vashon Island as the place God had chosen for me to work out my salvation.
In June of 1991 my elder, Archimandrite Dimitry (Egoroff) reposed, and the loss for all of his spiritual children was devastating. We drove south to Santa Rosa, for his funeral service, which took place in the small chapel of the Kazan Skete, where Mother Susanna, my spiritual sister, was abbess.
Northern California had been suffering under a severe drought, with the usual rainy season having passed, and the whole region parched with lack of rain. Yet on the morning of the funeral the skies opened, and we were hit with torrential rains that lasted all day. During the drive to Healdsburg, where Father’s holy relics where to be laid to rest, it poured so hard we could hardly see the pavement ahead. For Russians, it has always been seen a sign of God’s blessings for it to rain on the day of one’s burial.
With love in Christ,
Abbot Tryphon
Photo: This icon was painted for me by Shayne John Swenson, of Spokane, WA., one of the best iconographers around.
Wednesday May 29, 2019 / May 16, 2019
Apodosis of Prepolovenie. Tone four.
Fast. Fish Allowed
Venerable Theodore the Sanctified (368), disciple of St. Pachomius the Great.
Translation of the relics (1545) of Venerable Ephraim, abbot of Perekom (1492).
St. Matthew, Hieromonk of Yaransk in Vyatka (1927).
Venerables Cassian (1537) and Laurence (1548), abbots of Komel (Vologda).
St. Alexander, archbishop of Jerusalem (3rd c.).
Martyrs Vitus, Modestus and Crescentia at Lucania (303).
Blessed child Musa of Rome (5th c.).
Monk-martyrs of the community of St. Sava the Sanctified (610).
St. George II, bishop of Mitylene (842).
Martyr Vukasin of Serbia (1943).
Martyr Abdiesus, bishop, and companions in Persia (418).
St. Nicholas Mystikos, patriarch of Constantinople (930) (Greek).
New Martyr Nicholas of Metsovo, whose relics are at Meteora (1617) (Greek).
Martyrs Vitus, Modestus, and Crescentia at Lucania (303).
Venerable Brendan the Voyager, abbot of Clonfert (577) (Celtic & British).
Martyr Peter of Blachernae (Greek).
St. Euphemia near Neaorion (Greek).
Hieromartyr Theodore of Vrsac in Banat, Serbia (1595).
St. Carantoc of Carhampton.
The Scripture Readings
Acts 13:13-24
At Antioch in Pisidia
13 Now when Paul and his party set sail from Paphos, they came to Perga in Pamphylia; and John, departing from them, returned to Jerusalem. 14 But when they departed from Perga, they came to Antioch in Pisidia, and went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day and sat down. 15 And after the reading of the Law and the Prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent to them, saying, “Men andbrethren, if you have any word of exhortation for the people, say on.”
16 Then Paul stood up, and motioning with his hand said, “Men of Israel, and you who fear God, listen: 17 The God of this people Israel chose our fathers, and exalted the people when they dwelt as strangers in the land of Egypt, and with an uplifted arm He brought them out of it. 18 Now for a time of about forty years He put up with their ways in the wilderness. 19 And when He had destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan, He distributed their land to them by allotment.
20 “After that He gave them judges for about four hundred and fifty years, until Samuel the prophet. 21 And afterward they asked for a king; so God gave them Saul the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years. 22 And when He had removed him, He raised up for them David as king, to whom also He gave testimony and said, ‘I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after Myown heart, who will do all My will.’ 23 From this man’s seed, according to the promise, God raised up for Israel a Savior—Jesus— 24 after John had first preached, before His coming, the baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel.
John 6:5-14
5 Then Jesus lifted up His eyes, and seeing a great multitude coming toward Him, He said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread, that these may eat?” 6 But this He said to test him, for He Himself knew what He would do.
7 Philip answered Him, “Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may have a little.”
8 One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to Him, 9 “There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two small fish, but what are they among so many?”
10 Then Jesus said, “Make the people sit down.” Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand. 11 And Jesus took the loaves, and when He had given thanks He distributed them to the disciples, and the disciples to those sitting down; and likewise of the fish, as much as they wanted. 12 So when they were filled, He said to His disciples, “Gather up the fragments that remain, so that nothing is lost.” 13 Therefore they gathered them up, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves which were left over by those who had eaten. 14 Then those men, when they had seen the sign that Jesus did, said, “This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world.”