Chaplains

First responders to first responders

Chaplains are called to be for officers what the officers cannot be for themselves. Chaplains must be advocates for their police officers, before their chiefs, and with the community.

Police, by their vary nature, have to be tough, often forced to swallow the pain and evil they see on a daily basis, because to be weak could get them killed. They are targets for criminals, ever having to be vigilant with doing the rounds, not knowing if the next block is going to see gunfire directed at them. They enter domestic violence scenes, where moms have been beaten, and where little children are showing signs of sexual abuse. They see the evil that at times seems to dominate their whole world, and they take it home with them, unable to share what they’ve seen with their spouses.

Being tough guys, they can’t let down their guard, nor can they sometimes see that this evil has not completely won the battle. Trust becomes harder for the officers, because they come in contact with the evil throughout their work week.

When I was a high school student my father was a police officer, as well as a golf pro during the short golfing season of Northern Idaho. An influential lady came up to me after church and complained about a speeding ticket my father had given her, and how he’d “done a power trip on her because he’d been overzealous. She was angry because, as a fellow Lutheran, he should not have ticketed her. I surprised myself by telling her that if she were such a good Lutheran, my dad wouldn’t have had to pull her over for speeding, and that furthermore, since he was an honest cop, he had the duty to give everyone a ticket, if they deserved it, regardless of where they went to church. The woman walked off in anger.

Police protect us from ourselves, it would seem, and often take abuse from the very people who need their services the most. It doesn’t hurt to thank an officer for doing his or her duty, when you are at fault, and deserve the ticket. You should be thanking the officer for pulling you over because you’ve been drinking, and be grateful they’re not pulling your body out of a crumpled wreckage.

We need to be mindful that police deserve to receive smiles, and friendly expressions of our gratefulness for protecting us from the bad guys, all the while not acting like one of the bad guys ourselves. They are appointed to be our protectors, and we should not act like the spoiled brat that resents being reminded that we will not be allowed to break the law. There are enough truly bad guys out there without us contribution to the breakdown of civilization ourselves.

Write a commendation letter to the officer’s chief, letting the department know how much you appreciated the politeness of the officer as he was writing your ticket. Let the officer know you are grateful he’s kept you from doing something stupid, and that he’s like a guardian angel, keeping you safe from yourself.

As members of society we need to show our love and respect to the men and women in uniform, and not let ourselves act like rough teenagers who want to party without adult supervision. We need to take a new look at how very much we need their services, for our society would break down overnight, without them.

With love in Christ,
Abbot Tryphon

Wednesday November 26, 2014 / November 13, 2014

25th Week after Pentecost. Tone seven.
Fast. By Monastic Charter: Strict Fast (Bread, Vegetables, Fruits)

St. John Chrysostom, archbishop of Constantinople (407).
Martyrs Antoninus, Nicephorus, and Germanus of Caesarea in Palestine (308).
Martyr Manetha of Caesarea in Palestine (308).
New Martyr Damascene of Mt. Athos (1681).
St. Bricius, bishop of Tours (444) and St. Quintianus, bishop of Clermont (525) (Gaul).
St. Euphrasius, bishop of Clermont (515) (Gaul).
St. Leonien of Vienne (518) (Gaul).

Tuesday November 25, 2014 / November 12, 2014

25th Week after Pentecost. Tone seven.

St. John the Merciful, patriarch of Alexandria (620).
Venerable Nilus the Faster of Sinai (451).
New Hieromartyrs Constantine, Vladimir, Alexander, Matthew, Demetrius priests (1937).
New Hieromartyr Boris (1942).
Blessed John “the Hairy,” fool-for-Christ at Rostov (1580).
Prophet Ahijah (Achias) (960 B.C.).
St. Nilus the Myrrh-gusher of Mt. Athos (1651).
“The Merciful” Icon of the Mother of God.
New Martyr Sabbas Nigdelinus of Constantinople (1726) (Greek).
New Martyr Nicholas of Constantinople (1726).
St. Leontius, patriarch of Constantinople (1143).
Venerable Emilian of Vergegio in Iberia.
Venerable Lebuinus, missionary monk of the Netherlands (Netherlands).
St. Machar, bishop of Aberdeen (Scotland) (6th c.) (Celtic & British).
St. Sinnell of Cleenish (6th c.) (Celtic & British).
St. Cadwaladr, king of the Welsh (664) (Celtic & British).
New Hieromartyr priest Theodore Gidaspov.
Synaxis of the Russian New Martyrs of Optina: Anatolius, Barnabas, Dositheus, Nectarius, Panteleimon and Vincent.

Scripture Readings for the Day

Hebrews 7:26-8:2

26 For such a High Priest was fitting for us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and has become higher than the heavens; 27 who does not need daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the people’s, for this He did once for all when He offered up Himself. 28 For the law appoints as high priests men who have weakness, but the word of the oath, which came after the law, appoints the Son who has been perfected forever.

The New Priestly Service

8 Now this is the main point of the things we are saying: We have such a High Priest, who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, 2 a Minister of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle which the Lord erected, and not man.

John 10:9-16

9 I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. 10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep. 12 But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them. 13 The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep. 14 I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own. 15 As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. 16 And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd.