Guilt

When Guilt Destroys Us

The conscience is that gift God has bestowed upon us that tells us when we have sinned against Him, and against our neighbor. The conscience calls us to turn from our sin, and seek to change the patterns of behavior that have caused us to sin in the beginning.

This tug by our conscience can be counterproductive if we make no effort at changing our behavior. It can also be counterproductive if we simply give in to despair, and resign ourselves to our sinful behavior, as though there is no cure for our illness. That sense of guilt is meant to aid in the fight to turn around our bad behavior.

When we have sinned, and our sins are tormenting us, it is at that moment that we must seek out Christ, for only His sacrifice for our sins is eternal and living. When we lay our sins before the face of that sacrifice, we have nothing to fear, for we recognize that we can not be saved by your own efforts.

If we simply surrender to guilt, we will find nothing but destruction, and our conscience will have been of no benefit whatsoever, and victory will not be ours.

With love in Christ,Abbot Tryphon

Sunday January 12, 2014

29^th Sunday after Pentecost. Tone four.Sviatki. Fast-free

Sunday after the Nativity of our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ, holy ancestors.Righteous Joseph the Betrothed, Holy Righteous David the King, and James the Brother of the Lord (movable holiday on the Sunday after the Nativity of our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ).Afterfeast of the Nativity of Christ.St. Macarius, metropolitan of Moscow (1563).Virgin-martyr Anysia at Thessalonica (298).Martyr Zoticus of Constantinople, feeder of orphans (4th c.).New Hieromartyr Priest Sergius Florinsky of Rakvere, Estonia (1918).Virgin-martyr Mary (1946).Apostle Timon the Deacon (1st c.).Martyr Philoterus of Nicomedia, and with him six soldiers and one count (311).Venerable Theodora, nun of Caesarea in Cappadocia (8th cen.).Venerable Theodora, nun, of Constantinople (940).New Martyr Gideon of Karakallou, Mt. Athos (1818) (Greek). Martyrs Magistrianus, Paulinus, Umbrius, Verus, Severus, Callistratus, Florentius, Arianus, Anthimus, Ubricius, Isidore, Euculus, Sampson, Studius, and Thespesius, who suffered under Julian the Apostate (4th c.). Opening of the relics (1652) of Venerable Daniel of Pereyaslavl (1540). St. Egwin, bishop of Worcester (717) (Celtic & British).St. Tryphon, bishop of Rostov (1468).St. Leo the Archimandrite (Greek). St. Isaacius of Dalmaton (Greek).
You can read the life of the saint by clicking on the highlighted name.

THANKS to all of you who have been able to contribute towards the support of the monastery. These difficult times of economic hardship have impacted the monastery, and those of you who have been able to donate, have been our lifeline. May God bless you for your generosity, and kindness.
With love in Christ,
Abbot Tryphon

The Scripture Readings for the Day

Galatians 1:11-19

Call to Apostleship

¹¹But I make known to you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. ¹²For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through the revelation of Jesus Christ. ¹³For you have heard of my former conduct in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God beyond measure and tried to destroy it. ¹⁴And I advanced in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries in my own nation, being more exceedingly zealous for the traditions of my fathers. ¹⁵But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace, ¹⁶to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately confer with flesh and blood, ¹⁷nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me; but I went to Arabia, and returned again to Damascus.

Contacts at Jerusalem

¹⁸Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and remained with him fifteen days. ¹⁹But I saw none of the other apostles except James, the Lord’s brother.

Matthew 2:13-23

The Flight into Egypt

¹³Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, “Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him.” ¹⁴When he arose, he took the young Child and His mother by night and departed for Egypt, ¹⁵and was there until the death of Herod, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, “Out of Egypt I called My Son.”

Massacre of the Innocents

¹⁶Then Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men, was exceedingly angry; and he sent forth and put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the wise men. ¹⁷Then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying:
¹⁸“A voice was heard in Ramah,Lamentation, weeping, and great mourning,Rachel weeping for her children,Refusing to be comforted,Because they are no more.”

The Home in Nazareth

¹⁹Now when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, ²⁰saying, “Arise, take the young Child and His mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the young Child’s life are dead.” ²¹Then he arose, took the young Child and His mother, and came into the land of Israel. ²²But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea instead of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And being warned by God in a dream, he turned aside into the region of Galilee. ²³And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, “He shall be called a Nazarene.”