The Importance of Sharing Orthodoxy With This Present Generation
Recently, we received a text message from a woman, telling us that she had been getting telephone calls concerning Abbot Tryphon. She claimed there are people who saw the photo of me standing with a group of young men in the speakeasy museum in Butte, Montana, holding a rifle, while surrounded by “white supremacists”. She said these people are all horrified that I would pose for such a photo. That we were tourists at a museum, taking photos, just like hundreds of other tourists before us who descend into this subterranean walking tour. Like hundreds before us, the tour guide took photos of us standing behind the old speakeasy bar, holding the same toy rifle.
This woman accused me of making myself, the monastery, and ROCOR, look like “white supremacists”, thus confirming the NPR lie that had its basis in an attack on my brother monks in Wayne, West Virginia, and the whole of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad. I tried reaching out to her with love, but only received further rage and abuse.
It should be noted that the “scholar” whose book defamed Holy Cross Monastery, and suggested the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia was attracting young white supremacists, is a member of the Orthodox Church in America. This sort of attack is not good for Orthodox unity in this country, and it is particularly tragic that this “scholar’s” book was the basis for the National Public Radio airing.
You can imagine the stress I’ve been subjected to, after finding out that many individuals have been bombarding the diocese about that photo, demanding something be done about me. It is obvious to the young men who accompanied me to this subterranean museum, as well as Metropolitan Jonah, who was also a speaker at the conference, that it was a simple act on my part to demonstrate my love for them by descending into this below street, and very cold, area that included jail cells from the turn of the century, as my way of lovingly supporting these young Orthodox men.
I descended with them, not because I really wanted to, but because I felt they needed “grandpa” to be with them. My heart breaks with the knowledge that so many young people have walked away from the faith, and that so many priests are not reaching out with the love and friendship that would help them see their need to be walking with Christ. I certainly regret that I agreed to hold the toy gun, even though I know that hundreds of individuals who have gone on this tour have done so in the past. But, as a monk I should have been more aware of how it might cause some to be offended, should the photo go public, but when the man giving the guided tour handed the toy to me, I agreed to hold it, not even thinking the photo might go viral.
At seventy-six I am no spring chicken, as the saying goes, and I am aware of the need to be prepared for my own inevitable demise. The clock is ticking for all of us, but once you face a heart condition you hear it ticking for the first time. When my cardiologist referred me to a specialist dealing with the electro-vascular, I realized my heart problems could bring about my death sooner than expected. The fact that I’ve needed a cane to keep my balance (I’ve fallen numerous times in the past month), is also a clear wakeup call that my own death may be sooner than I expect.
I ask for your prayers, dear ones. The stress that I’ve faced in the past week has been hard on me, and I do not want to face my end in a state of stress and worry. I want to repose with a smile on my face.
Love in Christ,
Abbot Tryphon
Friday June 24, 2022 / June 11, 2022
2nd Week after Pentecost. Tone eight.
Apostles’ (Peter & Paul) Fast. Food with Oil
Venerable Barlaam of Khutyn (1192) (movable holiday on the 1st Friday of Apostles’ Fast).
“Tabynsk” and “Kursk-Root” Icons of the Most Holy Theotokos (movable holiday on the 9th Friday of Pascha).
Holy Apostles Bartholomew and Barnabas (1st c.).
Venerable Barnabas, abbot of Vetluga (1445).
New Hieromartyr Mitrophan priest, and those with him (1900).
Uncovering of the relics (1572) of Venerable Ephraim, abbot of New Torzhok (1053).
Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos “It is Truly Meet” (“Axion Estin”) (10th c.).
Translation of the relics of Venerable Arcadius, monk of Vyazma and New Torzhok (1077).
St. Niphont patriarch of Constantinople (Romania).
Commemoration of the appearance of the Archangel Gabriel (10th c.) to a monk on Mt. Athos, and the revelation of the hymn “It Is Truly Meet” (Axion Estin).
St. Barnabus of Basa near Limasol in Cyprus (Greek).
Martyr Theopemptus and four others (Greek).
This is the 40th day since the repose of our beloved Metropolitan Hilarion. May his memory be eternal.
The Scripture Readings
John 21:15-25
Jesus Restores Peter
15 So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?”
He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.”
He said to him, “Feed My lambs.”
16 He said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?”
He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.”
He said to him, “Tend My sheep.”
17 He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?”
And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.”
Jesus said to him, “Feed My sheep. 18 Most assuredly, I say to you, when you were younger, you girded yourself and walked where you wished; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish.” 19 This He spoke, signifying by what death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, “Follow Me.”
The Beloved Disciple and His Book
20 Then Peter, turning around, saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following, who also had leaned on His breast at the supper, and said, “Lord, who is the one who betrays You?” 21 Peter, seeing him, said to Jesus, “But Lord, what about this man?”
22 Jesus said to him, “If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you? You follow Me.”
23 Then this saying went out among the brethren that this disciple would not die. Yet Jesus did not say to him that he would not die, but, “If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you?”
24 This is the disciple who testifies of these things, and wrote these things; and we know that his testimony is true.
25 And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. Amen.
Romans 5:17-6:2
17 For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.)
18 Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. 19 For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous.
20 Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, 21 so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Dead to Sin, Alive to God
6 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?
Matthew 9:14-17
Jesus Is Questioned About Fasting
14 Then the disciples of John came to Him, saying, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but Your disciples do not fast?”
15 And Jesus said to them, “Can the friends of the bridegroom mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast. 16 No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; for the patch pulls away from the garment, and the tear is made worse. 17 Nor do they put new wine into old wineskins, or else the wineskins break, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined. But they put new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.”
Acts 11:19-26
Barnabas and Saul at Antioch
19 Now those who were scattered after the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word to no one but the Jews only. 20 But some of them were men from Cyprus and Cyrene, who, when they had come to Antioch, spoke to the Hellenists, preaching the Lord Jesus. 21 And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number believed and turned to the Lord.
22 Then news of these things came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent out Barnabas to go as far as Antioch. 23 When he came and had seen the grace of God, he was glad, and encouraged them all that with purpose of heart they should continue with the Lord. 24 For he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were added to the Lord.
25 Then Barnabas departed for Tarsus to seek Saul. 26 And when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. So it was that for a whole year they assembled with the church and taught a great many people. And the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.
Acts 11:29-30
29 Then the disciples, each according to his ability, determined to send relief to the brethren dwelling in Judea. 30 This they also did, and sent it to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul.
Luke 10:16-21
16 He who hears you hears Me, he who rejects you rejects Me, and he who rejects Me rejects Him who sent Me.”
The Seventy Return with Joy
17 Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.”
18 And He said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. 19 Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you. 20 Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven.”
Jesus Rejoices in the Spirit
21 In that hour Jesus rejoiced in the Spirit and said, “I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight.