Our thoughts determine our lives
“Our life depends on the kind of thoughts we nurture. If our thoughts are peaceful, calm, meek, and kind, then that is what our life is like. If our attention is turned to the circumstances in which we live, we are drawn into a whirlpool of thoughts and can have neither peace nor tranquility (Elder Thaddeus of Vitovnica)”.
Saint Saraphim of Sarov said that if we “acquire peace, a thousand around us will be saved”, for having been created in the image of God, and we are part of the Divine thought that was made material in time and space. We not only influence those around us with our thoughts, but we even influence the cosmos. If we focus on the negative, those negative thoughts impact everyone around us, and even the whole world. The Elder Thaddeus tells us we can be either very good, or very bad, depending on the thoughts and desires we breed.
There is a lot that is wrong with the world, but it begins with me. If there is to be peace in our world, it must begin with me. If hatred, anger, envy, lust, and spite, are to end, it must end with me. When we allow destructive thoughts to destroy our peace, the peace around us is destroyed. We can not blame the world, or even those around us, for that which happens around us, radiates from us. Blame for all that is wrong with the world, can not be placed beyond our own hearts.
Love in Christ,
Abbot Tryphon
Tuesday July 21, 2015 / July 8, 2015
8th Week after Pentecost. Tone six.
Appearance of the “Kazan” Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos (1579).
Holy Great-martyr Procopius of Caesarea in Palestine (303).
St. Procopius, fool-for-Christ, wonderworker of Ustiug (Vologda) (1303).
New Hieromartyrs Alexander and Theodore priests (1918).
Righteous Procopius, fool-for-Christ of Usya (Vologda) (17th c.).
Miracle of the Annunciation Icon of the Mother of God at Ustiug (1290).
Reverence list of an “Kazan” Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos: at Moscow (1612), Kazan (1579), Petersburg (1721) and Shlisselburg (1702); “Iaroslav” (1588), “Viazniky” (1624), “Nizhnelomov” (1543), “Tobolsk” (1661), “Kaplunovka” (1689), “Tambov” (1695), “Penza” (1717), “Peschanka” (1754), “Chimeev” (1770), “Vysochinovsky” (18th c.), “Vyshensky” (1812).
“Jacobshtad” Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos (17th c.)
Venerable Theophilus the Myrrh-gusher of Pantocrator Monastery, Mt. Athos (1548) (Greek).
New Martyr Anastasius at Constantinople (1743) (Greek).
Martyrs Epictetus and Astion at Halmyris in Scythia Minor (290) (Romania).
Blessed King Edgar the Peaceable (975) (Celtic & British).
Martyr Theodosia, mother of Great-martyr Procopius. (Greek).
Martyr Mirdat the King of Kartli (410) (Georgia).
Translation of the relics (1779) of Venerable Demetrius Basarbov of Bulgaria (1685).
Synaxis of Saints of Diveyevo: Alexandra, Martha, and Helen.
St. Grimbald, hieromonk of Winchester.
Translation of the relicts of St. Withburga, hermitess of East Dereham.
Virgim-martyr Urith (Hieritha) of Chittlehampton.
The Scripture Readings for the Day
Philippians 2:5-11
The Humbled and Exalted Christ
5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. 9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Luke 10:38-42
Mary and Martha Worship and Serve
38 Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. 39 And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word. 40 But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.”
41 And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. 42 But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.”
Luke 11:27-28
Keeping the Word
27 And it happened, as He spoke these things, that a certain woman from the crowd raised her voice and said to Him, “Blessed is the womb that bore You, and the breasts which nursed You!”
28 But He said, “More than that, blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it!”
Amen. I find this to be a great challenge: to remember, in the very moment my heart and mind are besieged by thoughts that disturb the peace God has given me, to offer them back to God, through the Jesus prayer or in any way at hand. Thank you, yet again, Abbot Tryphon.
I met, while spending time at a local coffee shop, a woman who was reading “The Secret” which is a book about the power of our thought life and how to take control of our thought life to make the world a better place.
The west coast of the U.S. — California, Oregon, and Washington — is awash with the counterfeit version of your reflection for today.
The subtle yet profound difference between creating a better world through the use of our thought life and what you and the elders you are quoting is essential to articulate.