The Holiest Place

The holiest place is where you are

Some twenty-six years ago I made a pilgrimage to the Holy Mountain of Athos, where I was able to visit seven ancient monasteries. Upon my return to the United States, I asked by spiritual father, the Ever-Memorable Archimandrite Dimitri, for a blessing to return to Mt. Athos, where I said I’d like to spend the remainder of my life in monastic repentance. Father Dimitri told me that I must stay here, that my “salvation is on Vashon Island”.

At the time I thought it rather peculiar that Father Dimitri had not quickly granted his blessing, for what better place to live as a monk, than the Holy Mountain? A monastic republic of such great historical and spiritual significance to the whole of the Orthodox world, and Father Dimitry thought I should remain on Vashon Island? As well, we didn’t even own the old farm house we were renting. We had no money, no regular income, and neither of us was a priest, so we were required to leave the island for various parishes, when we wanted to attend the Divine Liturgy.

Yet, I also knew the importance of monastic obedience to one’s spiritual father. I knew that Arcimandrite Dimitri was known as a living saint, and clairvoyant (one blessed with great spiritual gifts of discernment and prophecy). So, by God’s grace, I received this word from my Elder as a clear sign from God, was obedient, and remained on Vashon Island.

Years later, I remember asking Abbess Susanna, my spiritual sister, if she might not be tempted to sell their property, and find a more suitable and beautiful setting for the Kazan Skete. Mother looked at me with her sweet and humble smile, and said, “But, Father, this is my holy mountain”.

Abbess Susanna’s words reminded me of the words of Saint Gregory of Nyssa, where he wrote in his great work, “On Pilgrimages”, the following:

“We confessed that the Christ Who was manifested is very God, as much before as after our travel to Jerusalem; our faith in God was not increased afterwards any more than it was diminished. Before we saw Bethlehem we knew God made man by means of the Virgin; before we saw His grave we believed in His Resurrection from the dead; apart from seeing the Mount of Olives, we confessed that His Ascension into heaven was real. We derived only this much profit from our traveling there: namely that we came to know by being able to compare them, that our own places are far holier than those abroad. Wherefore, you who fear the Lord, praise Him in the places where you now are. Change of place does not effect any drawing nearer to God, but wherever you may be, God will come to you, if the chambers of your soul be found of such a sort that He can dwell in you and walk in you. But if you keep your inner man full of wicked thoughts, even if you were on Golgotha, even if you were on the Mount of Olives, even if you stood on the memorial-rock of the Resurrection, you will be as far away from receiving Christ into yourself, as one who has not even begun to confess Him.”

With love in Christ,
Abbot Tryphon

Sunday November 2, 2014 / October 20, 2014

21st Sunday after Pentecost. Tone four.

Great-martyr Artemius at Antioch (362).
New Martyr Priest Nicholas (Liubomudrov) of Latskoye village, Yaroslavl (1918).
New Hieromartyrs Herman bishop of Alatyr, Zosima, John, John, John, Nicholas, Leonid, John and Alexander priests, Michael and Peter deacons and Martyr Paul (1937).
St. Artemius of Verkola (1545).
Martyrs Aborsam ans Senoe, of Persia (341).
Martyrs Eboras and Eunous of Persia.
Venerable Matrona of Chios (1462).
Martyr Zebinas of Caesarea in Palestine.
Venerable Gerasimus the New, ascetic of Cephalonia (1579) (Greek).
St. Acca, bishop of Hexham (England) (ca. 740) (Celtic & British).
Translation of the relics of New Monk-martyr Ignatius of Mt. Athos (1814) (Greek).

The Scripture Readings for the Day

Galatians 2:16-20

16 knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified.

17 “But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is Christ therefore a minister of sin? Certainly not! 18 For if I build again those things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor. 19 For I through the law died to the law that I might live to God. 20 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

Luke 16:19-31

The Rich Man and Lazarus

19 “There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day. 20 But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate, 21 desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. 22 So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried. 23 And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.

24 “Then he cried and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.’ 25 But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented. 26 And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.’

27 “Then he said, ‘I beg you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father’s house, 28 for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.’ 29 Abraham said to him, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.’ 30 And he said, ‘No, father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ 31 But he said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.’”