Loving Ourselves

The Measure of Love is to
Fulfill Christ’s Commandment

Sometimes we’ve done things that cause us to wonder how we can ever forgive ourselves. Perhaps we’ve hurt someone we love or disappointed people we respect by behaving in a way we deeply regret. Maybe we’ve said some unkind thing to someone and caused them terrible hurt and embarrassment. We are so horrified by our behavior that we want to crawl under a rock. How can we ever forgive ourselves? We’ve been able to ask their forgiveness, but forgiving ourselves is quite another matter.

When Christ gave us the great commandment He told us that we must love God above all things, and we must love our neighbor as ourselves. The ability to love others is in direct correlation to our love of God and self. If we hate ourselves, how can we begin to love God and neighbor?

Loving ourselves must begin with learning to forgive ourselves.The measure of love is to fulfill Christ’s commandment to love others as yourself.  Therefore you must love yourself (as well as others), in respect to “If you love Me you will keep My commandments (John 14:15).”

With love in Christ,
Abbot Tryphon

Friday July 20, 2012

7^th Week after Pentecost. Tone five.
Fast. By Monastic Charter: Strict Fast (Bread, Vegetables, Fruits)

Venerable Thomas of Mt. Maleon (10th c.).
Venerable Acacius of Sinai, who is mentioned in The Ladder (6th c.).
New Hieromartyr Paul priest (1918).
Venerable Eudocia, in monasticism Euphrosyne, grand-duchess of Moscow (1407).
Uncovering of the relics (2001) of Venerable Gerasimus, abbot of Boldino.
Martyrs Peregrinus, Lucian, Pompeius, Hesychius, Pappias, Saturninus, and Germanus, of Dyrrachium in Macedonia..
Martyrs Epictetus, presbyter, and Astion in Scythia (290).
Martyr Evangelus, Bishop of Tomi (Constanta) in Rumania.
Martyr Cyriaca (Domnica or Nedelja) of Nicomedia (289).
Translation (1654) of the Icon of the Mother of God “Vlaherensk” to Russia.
St. Hedda, bishop of the West Saxons (705) (Celtic & British).
St. Willibald, bishop of Eichstatt (786) (Celtic & British).
St. Maelruin of Tallaght (792) (Celtic & British).
St. Pantaenus the Confessor of Alexandria (203).
Hieromartyr Eustace (Greek).
Martyr Polycarp the New (Greek).

You can read the life of the saint in green, by click on the name.

THANK YOU, 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

1 Corinthians 7:35-8:7

³⁵And this I say for your own profit, not that I may put a leash on you, but for what is proper, and that you may serve the Lord without distraction.
³⁶But if any man thinks he is behaving improperly toward his virgin, if she is past the flower of youth, and thus it must be, let him do what he wishes. He does not sin; let them marry. ³⁷Nevertheless he who stands steadfast in his heart, having no necessity, but has power over his own will, and has so determined in his heart that he will keep his virgin, does well. ³⁸So then he who gives her in marriage does well, but he who does not give her in marriage does better.
³⁹A wife is bound by law as long as her husband lives; but if her husband dies, she is at liberty to be married to whom she wishes, only in the Lord. ⁴⁰But she is happier if she remains as she is, according to my judgment—and I think I also have the Spirit of God.

Be Sensitive to Conscience

8 Now concerning things offered to idols: We know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies. ²And if anyone thinks that he knows anything, he knows nothing yet as he ought to know. ³But if anyone loves God, this one is known by Him.
⁴Therefore concerning the eating of things offered to idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is no other God but one. ⁵For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as there are many gods and many lords), ⁶yet for us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we for Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and through whom we live.
⁷However, there is not in everyone that knowledge; for some, with consciousness of the idol, until now eat it as a thing offered to an idol; and their conscience, being weak, is defiled.

Matthew 15:29-31

Jesus Heals Great Multitudes

²⁹Jesus departed from there, skirted the Sea of Galilee, and went up on the mountain and sat down there. ³⁰Then great multitudes came to Him, having with them the lame, blind, mute, maimed, and many others; and they laid them down at Jesus’ feet, and He healed them. ³¹So the multitude marveled when they saw the mute speaking, the maimed made whole, the lame walking, and the blind seeing; and they glorified the God of Israel.