Enlighten Your Darkness
Transparency of the heart must rule if we are to have an honest relationship with God. Nothing can be hidden from the Lord, yet we often live as though we can hide that which we know is not pleasing to God. Putting on a face may work with relatives we’d rather not see, but trying to fake piety and goodness does not work with God. We can not hide our innermost thoughts from God, yet we often act as though this was possible. If we are truly desirous of a relationship with God, we must begin by being honest with ourselves, confronting that part of ourselves that needs to be changed.
Honesty with self begins when we reveal our sins openly and without reservation to our confessor in the Sacrament of Confession. Because it is easy to hide the truth from ourselves, the role of the confessor becomes all the more important, for the priest acts as witness before Christ, helping us dig deeper to expose the sin that needs to be rooted out. It is impossible to continue a charade when we have revealed our faults before a witness, and the spiritual direction we receive from the confessor helps us in our struggle for conversion of life.
Transformation begins with the grace that is received from God when we have made a good confession, and helps us set the course for change. The transparency that comes when we are honest with our confessor, is like washing a window clean. We can see through the window for the first time, and the nous is opened, making way for the Lord to take up residence in our heart. This cleansing of the nous is like cleaning up the pollution that has kept us trapped in bad behavior, and unable, or perhaps unwilling, to look too closely at our darkened, corrupted self. With this transparency comes compunction, and with compunction comes the gift of tears, washing away the grit and grime that has darkened the nous, and kept God at bay.
Love in Christ,
Abbot Tryphon
Quote of the Day
“Completely have trust in God, leave everything in His hands, and believe that His love will act for your own benefit. Then God will take care of everything, because there is nothing He cannot do; everything is easy for Him. The difficult thing is for man to decide to humble himself and leave everything to God’s providence and love.”
-St. Paisios of Mount Athos
Sunday, August 05, 2024 (7532) / August 18, 2024
8th Sunday after Pentecost; Tone VII
Fast: Wine and oil allowed
Forefeast of the Transfiguration of the Lord
Martyr Eusignios of Antioch († 362)
Hieromartyr Antherus († 236) and Fabian († 250), the Popes of Rome
Martyrs Cantidius, Cantidianus, and Sibella in Egypt
Martyrs Pontius the Roman at Cimella in France († c 257)
Righteous Nonna, mother of St Gregory the Theologion
St Euthimius, Patriarch of Constantinople
New Martyrs Eudoxia, Daria, Daria, and Maria († 1919)
New Martyr Simeon, bishop of Ufa († 1921)
Daily Scripture Readings
[Matutinal Gospel 8] (8th Sunday after Pentecost)
12 And seeth two angels in white sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain.
13 And they say unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? She saith unto them, Because they have taken away my LORD, and I know not where they have laid him.
14 And when she had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus.
15 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou? She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away.
16 Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master.
17 Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.
18 Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the LORD, and that he had spoken these things unto her.
[Divine Liturgy] (8th Sunday after Pentecost)
11 For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you.
12 Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ.
13 Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul?
14 I thank God that I baptized none of you, but Crispus and Gaius;
15 Lest any should say that I had baptized in mine own name.
16 And I baptized also the household of Stephanas: besides, I know not whether I baptized any other.
17 For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect.
18 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.
15 And when it was evening, his disciples came to him, saying, This is a desert place, and the time is now past; send the multitude away, that they may go into the villages, and buy themselves victuals.
16 But Jesus said unto them, They need not depart; give ye them to eat.
17 And they say unto him, We have here but five loaves, and two fishes.
18 He said, Bring them hither to me.
19 And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the grass, and took the five loaves, and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed, and brake, and gave the loaves to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude.
20 And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the fragments that remained twelve baskets full.
21 And they that had eaten were about five thousand men, beside women and children.
22 And straightway Jesus constrained his disciples to get into a ship, and to go before him unto the other side, while he sent the multitudes away.