Within the Fold but Without Love
That our Orthodox Church possesses the Truth is a given, yet in our weakness as believers, the obviousness of that Truth is often invisible to others. In our weakness as a people, clergy as well as laity, we fail to demonstrate a love and joy that would make our faith attractive to others.
When people visit an Orthodox temple for the first time, if all they see is beautiful ritual, and a mystical interior, but do not receive an inviting welcome from the participants, they can walk away thinking this Faith has no impact on the soul. Beautiful worship and sublime theology mean nothing if we don’t live it out in love for others.
Love in Christ,
Abbot Tryphon
Friday April 19, 2013
Fifth Week of the Great Lent. Tone four.
Great Lent. By Monastic Charter: Strict Fast (Bread, Vegetables, Fruits)
St. Eutychius, patriarch of Constantinople (582).
New Hieromartyr John priest (1934).
New Hieromartyr James priest (1943).
St. Sebastian, Elder of Optina and Karaganda (1966).
St. Methodius, Equal-to-the-Apostles, enlightener of the Slavs (885).
Venerable Platonida (Platonis) of Nisibis (308).
120 Martyrs of Persia (345).
Martyrs Jeremiah and Archilias the Presbyter.
Venerable Gregory of St. Athanasius monastery on Mt. Athos, instructor of St. Gregory Palamas (1308).
Venerable Gregory the Sinaite (1346).
2 Martyrs from Ascalon.
New Martyr Nicholas of Lesbos (1463).
New Monk-martyr Gennadius of Dionysiou, Mt. Athos, who suffered at Constantinople (1818).
New Martyrs Manuel, Theodore, George, Michael, and another George, of Samothrace (1835).
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
The Scripture Readings
Genesis 22:1-18
Abraham’s Faith Confirmed
22 Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham!”
And he said, “Here I am.”
2Then He said, “Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.”
3So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son; and he split the wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God had told him. 4Then on the third day Abraham lifted his eyes and saw the place afar off. 5And Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; the lad and I will go yonder and worship, and we will come back to you.”
6So Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife, and the two of them went together. 7But Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, “My father!”
And he said, “Here I am, my son.”
Then he said, “Look, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?”
8And Abraham said, “My son, God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering.” So the two of them went together.
9Then they came to the place of which God had told him. And Abraham built an altar there and placed the wood in order; and he bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, upon the wood. 10And Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son.
11But the Angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!”
So he said, “Here I am.”
12And He said, “Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.”
13Then Abraham lifted his eyes and looked, and there behind him was a ram caught in a thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it up for a burnt offering instead of his son. 14And Abraham called the name of the place, The-Lord-Will-Provide; as it is said to this day, “In the Mount of the Lord it shall be provided.”
15Then the Angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time out of heaven, 16and said: “By Myself I have sworn, says the Lord, because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son— 17blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies. 18In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.”
Proverbs 17:17-18:5
17A friend loves at all times,
And a brother is born for adversity.
18A man devoid of understanding shakes hands in a pledge,
And becomes surety for his friend.
19He who loves transgression loves strife,
And he who exalts his gate seeks destruction.
20He who has a deceitful heart finds no good,
And he who has a perverse tongue falls into evil.
21He who begets a scoffer does so to his sorrow,
And the father of a fool has no joy.
22A merry heart does good, like medicine,
But a broken spirit dries the bones.
23A wicked man accepts a bribe behind the back
To pervert the ways of justice.
24Wisdom is in the sight of him who has understanding,
But the eyes of a fool are on the ends of the earth.
25A foolish son is a grief to his father,
And bitterness to her who bore him.
26Also, to punish the righteous is not good,
Nor to strike princes for their uprightness.
27He who has knowledge spares his words,
And a man of understanding is of a calm spirit.
28Even a fool is counted wise when he holds his peace;
When he shuts his lips, he is considered perceptive.
18 A man who isolates himself seeks his own desire;
He rages against all wise judgment.
2A fool has no delight in understanding,
But in expressing his own heart.
3When the wicked comes, contempt comes also;
And with dishonor comes reproach.
4The words of a man’s mouth are deep waters;
The wellspring of wisdom is a flowing brook.
5It is not good to show partiality to the wicked,
Or to overthrow the righteous in judgment.
