They drive me to the cave of God’s mercy
Because we are all created in God’s image and likeness, we are responsible for the way we impact others. Often by our very existence we are a source of great irritation and anxiety for other people. The only way we can change that is by loving them, and praying for them. We love them as our friend and brother, yet receive no love in return.
Saint Nikolai (Velimirovich) of Ziča tells us, “My friends flatter me, and are of no help to my salvation. However, my enemies (cruel friends) drive me like a wild beast to the cave of God’s mercy and love.” We don’t offer our prayers that they see their errors in not appreciating us, and loving us, but that they may see that their hatred for us is bad for their soul. We pray that they be relieved of the burden of resenting us, or anyone.
Priest-martyr Roman Medved, in a letter to his daughter from the Gulag in 1932, said, “It is joyful to feel that we do not and cannot have any enemies among men, but only unhappy brethren who are deserving of pity and help, even when, through misunderstanding, they become our enemies and fight against us. Woe! They do not understand that the enemy is found within ourselves and that first of all, one must cast him out of ourselves, and then also help others to do the same.”
Avoiding people who dislike us does not prosper our soul, for in avoiding people, or ignoring them because they dislike us, is not the way Christ would have us act. We love these people, and we pray for them, not to change their attitude about us, but that they find peace by seeing that their resentment is destroying their soul.
Love in Christ,
Abbot Tryphon
Photo: Mount Rainier as viewed from Vashon Island.
Saturday February 29, 2020 / February 16, 2020
Week of the Last Judgment. Tone three.
Maslenitsa. Meat is excluded
All of the venerable fathers, lit up with great deeds (movable holiday on Saturday of the Cheese-fare Week).
Martyrs Pamphilus presbyter, Valens deacon, Paul, Seleucus, Porphyrius, Julian, Theodulus, Elias, Jeremiah, Isaiah, Samuel, and Daniel, at Caesarea in Palestine (307-309).
St. Macarius, metropolitan of Moscow, apostle to the Altai (1926).
New Hieromartyrs Priests Elias Chetverukhin (1934) of Moscow and Peter Lagov (1931).
New Hieromartyr Paul priest (1938).
Venerable Marutha, bishop of Sophene and Martyropolis, and others with him in Mesopotamia (422).
St. Flavian, Archbishop of Antioch (381-404).
New Monk-martyr Romanus of Carpenision, who suffered at Constantinople (1694) (Greek).
St. Mary the New of Byzia in Thrace (9th c.).
St. Basil Gryaznov of Pavlovo-Posadsky (1869).
The Scripture Readings
Galatians 5:22-6:2
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. 24 And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.
Bear and Share Burdens
6 Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted. 2 Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.
Matthew 11:27-30
27 All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him. 28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
Thank you Father. May the Lord give us a gentle and lowly heart so we can change and receive Him and others.
Yes, the enemy is found within ourselves – very profound!
Thankyou and God bless…..
Forgive me if I have offended you. Please pray for us sinners.
A pure heart and a steadfast spirit, create in me, O God.
I do not want to be like a Pharisee, it is difficult not to, but with God’s help it will be possible, I hope. Until recently, I was not even aware of being like a Pharisee, always judging what others do or doesn’t do in Church, but then I was reprimanded, quite sharply, and told it is non of my business, but God’s.
God bless Abbot Tryphon, I very much love to see and hear you on youtube, one forgets you are on the other side of the globe, when seeing you “face to face”.
However, I am sorry to bring this up, but, I have a question, your white hair looks so beautiful, what is the secret?
I guess I inherited my mother’s genes. She, like myself, turned white at an early age. This is not to imply I’m young though, as I’m seventy-four. Good grief.
Ok, the colour comes from your genes, but what I was really wondering is this:
Your hair looks so healthy and shiny, what is the secret? Good water supply? Conditioner? Food? If you can bottle it, it would sell well I believe.
Especially at over seventy, it is very unusual to see such a quality hair.
Sorry for asking this, but it is so fascinating, my favourite character in The Lord of the Rings, was Gandalf, and I think in my imagination he would have looked a lot like you, but perhaps smaller and thinner, no offence though.
I get called Gandalf a lot! I don’t use a conditioner, and I rarely use shampoo. So, it must be the water, and my monastic diet.
Dear Father, this was such a soul-profiting post. Thank you! We keep you in our prayers. Blessed Lent!
I am sad to have to admit this, but I don’t like being around most people and find them tiresome. I am an introvert and loathe crowds and even small groups. I have prayed about this often and I force myself to be around people and attend church functions. But, I am sometimes overwhelmed and flee – even from services. This is a bad way to be I know. How can I overcome this?