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,
Correcting Others is like Hitting Them When focusing on the sins of others, we set for ourselves the mission of correcting them. We see ourselves as called to help this poor, unfortunate one by pointing out their sins, and telling them how they can be a better person. We are
Preparing ground for another building. The Ability to Express One’s Emotions, and be Empathetic to the Needs of Others When we are in our head, we are more judgmental, yet when we are in our heart, we become non-judgmental. Being critical of others is not an Orthodox trait, for being
Quarter Master Harbor, near the Monastery Replacing Temporal Joy with Lasting Joy We all have certain things in our lives we feel passionate about. When I was a young man, long distance running was my passion, and nothing gave me more joy than the run. Every day was organized around