The Limits of Human Reason and the Knowledge of God There is the seen, and there is the unseen, the material and the immaterial. That which is material can be scientifically examined and experienced, the immaterial can only be seen and experienced spiritually. These are two worlds that are only
Within the Fold but Without Love That our Orthodox Church possesses the Fullness of Truth is a given, yet in our weakness as believers, the obviousness of that Truth is often invisible to others. In our weakness as sinful people, we Orthodox clergy, as well as the laity, often fail
Heavenly Worship Must Enter the Heart The beauty of Orthodox worship is meant to lift us up, and connect us to the Heavenly Worship that is eternally taking place before the Throne of God. The very description of Heavenly Worship as found in the Book of Revelation is clearly an
The Acquisition of Virtue The struggle for the acquisition of virtue must be continuous, otherwise we are in danger of losing ground. To become virtuous, we must struggle every hour, and every day. Love in Christ, Abbot Tryphon Friday October 25, 2013 18th Week after Pentecost. Tone eight. Fast. By
Humility Requires Struggle Only through struggle can we acquire humility. Our natural inclination is to flee struggle, and cling to our comfortable pride. When difficulties and humiliations come our way, we must embrace them, as from God, for the Lord knows what we need. If we are to acquire true
Replacing Doubt with Faith In the Gospel narratives we read the Apostle Thomas told his fellow apostles he would not believe the Lord had risen from the dead unless he put his hand in the wounds of Christ. When He actually saw Jesus, he immediately said “My Lord and my
Hieromonk Paul and Abbot Tryphon How do We find God in an Unbelieving World? God is a merciful God, quick to forgive, quick to show mercy, quick to embrace us when we turn to Him. In all of eternity our God chose to create humankind in His image and likeness,
The Feast of Saint Tryphon, Abbot of Vyatka By Archpriest Basil Rhodes Today we celebrate our venerable father Tryphon of Vyatka. This great ascetic and monastery builder was also a missionary. He had a heart for people, and his one goal was to bring the light of Christ to those
A Defeatist Attitude is a Prescription for Defeat As Christians we must believe that our ultimate welfare is in the hands of God and recognize that our life, although filled with many difficulties and struggles, is a journey of anticipation to the Eternal Life that is to come. Because this
Bringing the Kingdom of God into this World The Gospel demands Christians usher the Kingdom of God into this world, not by political ideology, but by the individual Christian’s transformation of self. This command to usher in the Kingdom of God is not about neutrality in the face of evil,