Let my prayer arise as incense before Thee From Old Testament times believers have burned incense as an offering when worshiping God. The ancient temple in Jerusalem even had priests whose sole duty was to keep the censer burning twenty-four hours a day. Ancient pagan kings were often escorted with
Arrival of the Wonderworking Kursk-Root Icon Church as Hospital of the Soul Our Orthodox Faith defines sin as an illness that is in need of healing, not as a crime that requires punishment. The Church is a hospital for the soul whose therapists (priests) first sought therapy and then became
The Church is to be led by servants, not by lords The biblical image of the bishop is that of the good shepherd who is willing to lay down his life for his flock. He is one who serves his priests and his people as a loving father, guiding his
When I was a young man I regularly went to the gym for weight lifting. A few years ago after having had a hip replaced, I decided I needed to strengthen my body in order to give support to the other hip, and fight off the arthritis that was starting
As we struggle with our passions, the only way we can overcome our sin is through humility. The snares of the enemy are all around us, and if we think we can win the battle with the enemy without humility, we are wrong. Love in Christ, Abbot Tryphon Monday December
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
Darkness Does not Exist in its Own Right Our Orthodox Christian theology views evil not as a primeval essence that is coeternal and equal to God, but rather a falling away from good. Evil does not exist in and of itself, and was not created by God. Our Orthodox Church
Archimandrite Irenei, Bishop Theodosius, and Abbot Tryphon Thoughts That Arouse you to Judge Your Neighbor At the very first sign we are tempted to judge our neighbor, we must condemn ourselves. Self-condemnation is the only weapon that assures us of escaping the sin of judging another, for when we make
Jesus is the Sole Mediator between God and Man Most Protestant churches strongly reject all saintly intercession, citing passages such as 1 Timothy 2:1-5, which says that Jesus is the sole mediator between God and man, as well as Deuteronomy 18:10-11 which seems to forbid invoking departed souls. They also
An Elder said: Just as a tree cannot bear fruit if it is often transplanted, so neither can a monk bear fruit if he frequently changes his abode. In an age when people change addresses as often as those in past generations changed their socks, stability of place is almost