Yes, even monasteries can be in debt. After posting my occasional plea for funds I had a number of my readers comment that they were disturbed to hear that we have a mortgage. Many years ago we were forced to go into debt in order to purchase the neighboring eleven
Category: The Morning Offering
The Church is to be led by servants, not by lords The biblical image of the bishop is that of the good shepherd who is willing to lay down his life for his flock. He is one who serves his priests and his people as a loving father, guiding his
of the Soul Be not Fearful for God is Near Sometimes we enter a dark night of the soul, where God seems distant from us. This is only an illusion, for God is closer to us than our own breath. These times are allowed by God to bring us closer
Abbot Tryphon serving the chapel service at Trinity Lutheran College Spiritual Pain Control or Spiritual Healing? Since the Church is a hospital for the soul wherein we come for healing, it is important that we take full advantage of all the resources the Church offers us for such healing. Frequent
Way of a Pilgrim Bookstore () Taste the Presence of Christ Beside You We all need a good dose of silent prayer each and every day. Finding that perfect place in your home that can become your cave, or prayer closet, will afford you that sacred space wherein you can
The Giving of Ourselves over to Depression There are times when we are tempted by what has been called the Noonday Demon, and give ourselves over to depression. This tendency can often find life in an almost chronic habit of complaining. We complain about our health to the extent that
A cold, sunny day at the monastery The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly There is a lot of good that can be discovered on line. A number of years ago I was charged by my archbishop with the task of addressing our Diocesan Pastoral Conference on the subject of
The Importance of Frequent Communion Eternity is an everlasting banquet (the Divine Liturgy) that takes place in the heavenly realm. Every time we participate in the Divine Liturgy we are transported into a place where there is neither time nor space, and participate in that very banquet. As we receive
Jesus is the Sole Mediator between God and Man Most Protestant churches strongly reject all saintly intercession, citing passages such as 1 Timothy 2:1-5, which says that Jesus is the sole mediator between God and man, as well as Deuteronomy 18:10-11 which seems to forbid invoking departed souls. They also
Continue to Suffer The declaration of Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russian regarding the continued attacks on the Coptic Orthodox Christians of Egypt The Russian Orthodox Church views the events in Egypt with pain and sorrow. Again blood has been shed and Christian temples destroyed. On the face of