Without Having Christ As Our Lord and Saviour, We Dare Not Call Ourselves Christian
Church attendance means nothing if we remain unrepentant. Metropolitan Anthony Bloom said, “The Church has a glorious aspect and a tragic one. Each one of us bears the aspect of the Church’s infirmity. We are within the Church and yet we are on the way to it.” If we remain unrepentant, we remain outside the Church.
In truth, if we are Orthodox without having committed ourselves to Christ as our Lord and Saviour, and have not given ourselves over to a loving relationship with the Lord Who died on the cross for us, we may call ourselves Orthodox, but in fact we are not even a Christian.
With love in Christ,
Abbot Tryphon
Photos: The Orthodox Montanica Conference that took place in Holy Trinity Serbian Orthodox Church in Butte, Montana, came to an end following the Hierarchical Liturgy on Sunday morning. It was truly a joy for me to be part of this wonderful gathering, and to spend time with my friend of over thirty years, His Eminence Metropolitan Jonah, and all the dear people who are truly a part of my family.
Monday June 20, 2022 / June 7, 2022
2nd Week after Pentecost. Tone eight.
Apostles’ (Peter & Paul) Fast. By Monastic Charter: Strict Fast (Bread, Vegetables, Fruits)
Beginning of Apostles’ (Peter & Paul) Fast
Martyr Theodotus of Ancyra (303).
New Hieromartyr Archbishop Andronicus of Perm, Alexander, Alexis, Alexander, Valentine, Benjamin, Viktor, Alexander, Paul, Vladimir, Ignatius, Michael, Nicholas, Paul, Alexander, Nicholas priests, Gregory deacon and Martyrs Athanasius and Alexsander (1918).
New Hieromartyrs Nicholas and Peter priests (1919).
St. Paul of Taganrog (Glorification 1999).
Hieromartyr Marcellinus, pope of Rome (304) and with him the Holy Martyrs Claudius, Cyrinus and Antoninus (304).
Hieromartyr Marcellus, bishop of Rome, and those with him: Sisinius and Cyriacus deacons, Smaragdus, Largus, Apronian, Saturninus, Pappias, Maurus, Crescentian, Priscilla, Lucina, and Princess Artemia (304-310).
Martyrs Kyriaki, Caleria (Valeria), and Mary, of Caesarea in Palestine (304).
Synaxis of All Saints of Ivanovo Metropolia.
Venerable Daniel of Scete in Egypt (420).
Virgin-martyr Potamiaena of Alexandria.
Martyr Zenais (Zenaida) of Caesarea in Palestine.
St. Colman, bishop of Dromore, Ireland (6th c.) (Celtic & British).
Holy women Aesia and Susanna, disciples of Venerable Pancratius of Taormina and martyred with him (1st c.) (Greek).
Martyr Lycarion of Hermopolis in Egypt (Greek).
Venerable Panagis of Cephalonia (Greek).
Martyrs Tarasius and John (Greek).
St. Stephen the hieromonk (Greek).
St. Anthimus the hieromonk (Greek).
St. Sebastian the Wonderworker (Greek).
St. Anthony (in schema Abramius), monk, of Kozha Lake (1634).
The Scripture Readings
Romans 2:28-3:18
28 For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh; 29 but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God.
God’s Judgment Defended
3 What advantage then has the Jew, or what is the profit of circumcision? 2 Much in every way! Chiefly because to them were committed the oracles of God. 3 For what if some did not believe? Will their unbelief make the faithfulness of God without effect? 4 Certainly not! Indeed, let God be true but every man a liar. As it is written:
“That You may be justified in Your words,
And may overcome when You are judged.”
5 But if our unrighteousness demonstrates the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is God unjust who inflicts wrath? (I speak as a man.) 6 Certainly not! For then how will God judge the world?
7 For if the truth of God has increased through my lie to His glory, why am I also still judged as a sinner? 8 And why not say, “Let us do evil that good may come”?—as we are slanderously reported and as some affirm that we say. Their condemnation is just.
All Have Sinned
9 What then? Are we better than they? Not at all. For we have previously charged both Jews and Greeks that they are all under sin.
10 As it is written:
“There is none righteous, no, not one;
11 There is none who understands;
There is none who seeks after God.
12 They have all turned aside;
They have together become unprofitable;
There is none who does good, no, not one.”
13 “Their throat is an open tomb;
With their tongues they have practiced deceit”;
“The poison of asps is under their lips”;
14 “Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.”
15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood;
16 Destruction and misery are in their ways;
17 And the way of peace they have not known.”
18 “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”
Matthew 6:31-34
31 “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
Matthew 7:9-11
9 Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? 11 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!
