When we hold on to guilt and shame There are many people who cling to memories of past sins, holding on to guilt and shame, and reliving things long ago confessed, as though they happened yesterday. They struggle with regret, often revisiting shame as though they were archeologists, digging for
And the acquisition of a humble and a contrite heart When the monk attempts to rely on his own strength to do battle with his fallen nature, he will be defeated. The arena, his field of battle, takes place in his own heart, and will be a life long battle.
The transformational power of the Ancient Apostolic Church unchanged In an age when many Christian denominations are trying to appear relevant and modern, even to the point of preachers dressing in blue jeans and t-shirts for services, I am finding increasing numbers of people are drawn to the Ancient Faith
Banishing hell with Christ’s love One of my favorite authors as a young man, was Thomas Merton, the famous Trappist monk. In the introduction to his work New Seeds of Contemplation he wrote: “Hell was where no one has anything in common with anyone else except the fact that they
Feast of the Exaltation of the Life Giving Cross The Elevation of the Holy Cross is one of the Great Feasts of the Orthodox Church, celebrated on September 14 (Old Style). This feast is also referred to as the Exaltation of the Cross. This feast commemorates two events in the life
Taste the presence of Christ beside you We all need a good dose of silent prayer each and every day. Finding that perfect place in your home that can become your cave, or prayer closet, will afford you that sacred space wherein you can go deep into the heart and
All we need for happiness is right in front of us It is easy to resist taking care of oneself if we run at full speed as though we are the only one who can get things done. We all need to set priorities, making sure we focus on Christ
Peace in this world must begin with me When in Moscow, Russia, for the Unification of the Two Parts of the Russian Church, back in May of 2007, I treasured every moment among the Russian people. When I didn’t have a translator standing next to me, the communication exchanged was
God’s house is entered with awe and fear We must practice reverence in the temple, whether during services or when we step into the church to light a candle and venerate the holy icons. The temple is the place set apart for the worship of the Holy Trinity and is
Abbot Tryphon has been unable to post today’s blog due to technical difficulties on his aging Mac laptop. Please pray and, God-willing, he’ll be back in the saddle soon. In Christ, Monk Martin