Labor

Physical labor and spiritual labor

The compartmentalization of the work week can wreak havoc on the inner life. It is easier to keep your prayers, spiritual reading, and focus on Christ, reserved for the weekend. Like so many, you struggle to keep spiritually grounded while at work. So many jobs make it seem impossible to stay centered, spiritually, when you are surrounded by the office chatter, stress, gossip, and deadlines. With a boss pressing down on one side, and the worldly cares of coworkers hovering over your shoulder, you, like many Orthodox Christians, feel resigned to put on hold the things of God.

Many of today’s jobs require so much mental concentration, it can seem impossible to have even a fleeting moment with God. How does one keep your heart in Christ, when a coworker is standing in your cubicle, whispering the latest office gossip? Is it even possible to be centered, spiritually, when the boss is adding one more deadline to the pile? Can one stay focused in the heart when a coworker is taking credit for work you’ve done? Can you have a Christ-like love for others, when you are forced to watch work place backstabbers do their thing?

My purpose for writing this blog has, from the very beginning, been a labor of love for people just like you, struggling, as you are, to live Christian lives in settings that are anything but conducive to the inner life. From my monastic cell I pray for you, and try, in my meager way, to offer a small blessing for you, one that can help you get through your day, making progress on the Path to God, while mired in a spiritually hostile setting.

The daily photos, essays, biblical passages, and the posted lives of the saints, are all my offerings to you, so in those fleeting office moments, you can take a spiritual break, and be renewed. For those of you who are prevented from having religious items in your office, such as icons, you can visit my blog, and click on the green lettering found in the saints of the day, and more often than not, see the icon of a saint, together with their life story, pop up on that messy desk of yours (mine is messy).

I try to keep the topics of my daily essays relevant to your needs, but often fail, I’m sure. However I may fail in writing something inspiring, or uplifting, I still provide you with the daily scripture readings, and the lives of the saints. As well, I try to post photos that provide you with a little reprieve from the sameness of your work environment.

Even if you do not have access to a computer at your workplace, you can still take a few moments before you head off for the day, and read The Morning Offering. You can even download my Ancient Faith Radio podcasts, and listen to them while driving to work, or taking your morning run. Although I am not a theologian, nor a great spiritual father, it is my prayer that this little work of mine, will be a blessing to you, helping you walk with Jesus Christ, this day.

With love in Christ,
Abbot Tryphon

Coming soon: the Video Edition

I am hoping to produce a once a week utube video for Ancient Faith Radio, but need video recording equipment that will provide the means of producing high quality videos and sound. It has been recommended that I get a Canon body ($999.00), Canon lens ($829.00), Ultra Violet filter ($30.75), Flash Memory Card ($29.95), and a Microphone ($199.95). This would be a total of $2,088.65. Since many young people watch utube videos rather than listen to podcasts, it is my intent to use this medium as an additional missionary outreach, along with my daily blog articles, facebook, and Monday through Friday podcasts. Any donations towards this project would be gratefully received.

You can make a donation towards this project by sending a check to All-Merciful Saviour Monastery, PO Box 2420, Vashon Island, WA 98070. Or, you can donate through PayPal by visiting my blog: https://blogs.ancientfaith.com/morningoffering/

Monday September 7, 2015 / August 25, 2015

15th Week after Pentecost. Tone five.

Return of the relics of the Apostle Bartholomew from Anastasiopolis to Lipari (6th c.).
Holy Apostle Titus of the Seventy (1st c.).
Hieromartyr Moses (1931).
New Hieromartyr priest Vladimir Moschansky (1938).
Sts. Barses and Eulogius (386), bishops of Edessa, and St. Protogenes, bishop of Carrhae (4th c.), confessors.
St. Menas, patriarch of Constantinople (6th c.).
St. John the Cappadocian (520) and St. Epiphanius (535), patriarchs of Constantinople.
Synaxis of Hierarchs of Crete: Andrew the Wonderworker; Cyril, bishop of Gortyna; and Eumenius, bishop of Rome. (Greek).
St. Aredius of Limousin (591) (Gaul).
St. Gregory of Utrecht (775) (Neth.).
Translation of the relics of St. Hilda of Whitby (680) (Celtic & British).
St. Ebba the Elder, abbess of Coldingham, Northumbria, England (683) (Celtic & British).

Scripture Readings

No Return to the Law

11 Now when Peter had come to Antioch, I withstood him to his face, because he was to be blamed; 12 for before certain men came from James, he would eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing those who were of the circumcision. 13 And the rest of the Jews also played the hypocrite with him, so that even Barnabas was carried away with their hypocrisy.

14 But when I saw that they were not straightforward about the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter before them all, “If you, being a Jew, live in the manner of Gentiles and not as the Jews, why do you compel Gentiles to live as Jews? 15 We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles, 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.

Mark 5:24-34

24 So Jesus went with him, and a great multitude followed Him and thronged Him.

25 Now a certain woman had a flow of blood for twelve years, 26 and had suffered many things from many physicians. She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse. 27 When she heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment. 28 For she said, “If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well.”

29 Immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of the affliction. 30 And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that power had gone out of Him, turned around in the crowd and said, “Who touched My clothes?”

31 But His disciples said to Him, “You see the multitude thronging You, and You say, ‘Who touched Me?’”

32 And He looked around to see her who had done this thing. 33 But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth. 34 And He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction.”