Planting the Seeds of Faith in the World Around Me
Many years ago one of the young monks from our brother monastic community, Holy Cross Monastery in West Virginia, drove me for a day trip to Amish country in Pennsylvania. While wandering around in a large hardware store that sold Amish supplies, I was mistaken by a little boy, who was with his vacationing parents, as the “King of the Amish”. On another occasion, while traveling by ferry to Orcas Island, in the State of Washington, a young boy thought I was the wizard from Lord of the Rings, Gandalf.
In both cases I saw this mistaken identity as one more reason I am glad we Orthodox clergy wear cassocks, and sport beards. In a society that has become increasingly secularized, and where Christian religious garb is rarely worn publicly, the identification with popular, and good, images from folklore, becomes a wonderful opening for the sharing of my Orthodox faith.
Such moments allow me to be the most loving, giving, caring, and approachable person these strangers have ever met. In turn it opens the way for the Holy Spirit to draw those persons into an occasion where they connect with the place within their own hearts where God awaits them. It also allows me to be, once again, a Johnny Appleseed of the Orthodox Church as I plant the seeds of faith.
With love in Christ,
Abbot Tryphon
Wednesday August 31, 2022 / August 18, 2022
12th Week after Pentecost. Tone two.
Fast. By Monastic Charter: Strict Fast (Bread, Vegetables, Fruits)
Martyrs Florus and Laurus of Illyria (2nd c.).
New Martyrs Archimandrite Augustine of Orans Monastery, Proto-priest Nicholas of Nizhni-Novgorod, and 15 people with them (1918).
New Hieromartyr Gregory priest and Martyr Eugene and Michael (1937).
Martyrs Hermes, Serapion, and Polyaenus of Rome (2nd c.).
Martyrs Hilarion, Dionysius, and Hermippus, Hieromartyr Emilian, and others (about 1,000) of Italy (4th c.).
Sts. John (674) and George (683), patriarchs of Constantinople.
Venerable Macarius the Monk of Pelekete (830).
Repose of Venerable John, abbot of Rila (946) (Bulgaria).
The Hodigitria Icon of the Mother of God.
Venerable Barnabus and his nephew Venerable Sophronius, monks of Mt. Mela near Trebizond (412) (Greek).
Venerable Christopher, abbot of Mt. Mela Monastery (1694) (Greek).
Venerable Sophronius of St. Anne’s Skete on Mt. Athos (Greek).
Venerable Arsenius the New of Paros (1877) (Greek).
Martyr Juliana near Strobilus (Greek).
Martyr Leo, drowned near Myra in Lycia (Greek).
St. Christodoulos the Philosopher, called the Ossetian, of Georgia (12th c.) (Georgia).
The Scripture Readings
2 Corinthians 6:11-16
Be Holy
11 O Corinthians! We have spoken openly to you, our heart is wide open. 12 You are not restricted by us, but you are restricted by your own affections. 13 Now in return for the same (I speak as to children), you also be open.
14 Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? 15 And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? 16 And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said:
“I will dwell in them
And walk among them.
I will be their God,
And they shall be My people.”
Mark 1:23-28
23 Now there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit. And he cried out, 24 saying, “Let us alone! What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth? Did You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!”
25 But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be quiet, and come out of him!” 26 And when the unclean spirit had convulsed him and cried out with a loud voice, he came out of him. 27 Then they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, “What is this? What new doctrine is this? For with authority He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him.” 28 And immediately His fame spread throughout all the region around Galilee.