Religious Liberty: The Litmus Test for all Human RightsFreedom of religion has has always been the hallmark of our American way of life. Our Founding Fathers migrated to the shores of the New World primarily to seek religious freedom, fleeing as they where the religious persecution they suffered in England.
Young people from Japan visited the Monastery. 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 Monday June 4, 2012 Day
The Monastery’s new Holy Gate Correcting Others is like Hitting ThemWhen focusing on the sins of others, we set for ourselves the mission of correcting them. We see ourselves as just the right person to help this poor, unfortunate person by pointing out their sins, and telling them how they
All-Merciful Saviour Monastery, the Heart of the Forest Taking Stock of YourselfIt is much more personally comfortable to notice the failings and the sins of others, but if we do not take stock of ourselves, we will do great harm to our soul. Judging others opens wide the gates for
Syria, the Arab Spring, and RussiaA year ago, Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia joined his Syrian counterpart, Patriarch Ignatius of Antioch, whom His Holiness has known for forty years, in a street procession that took place in Damascus. During this same visit, Patriarch Kirill made an appearance with
Dockton Village, just north of the monastery True and Lasting Freedom True and lasting freedom is the internal freedom that comes in having a relationship with Christ. It has nothing to do with external or physical freedom. Many who suffered imprisonment in the gulags of the Soviet Union were freer
The Bitterness of Fleeting Joy We all have certain things in our lives that 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 running. I’d even plan vacations around
Young Coptic Sunday School teachers, from Saint Mary’s Coptic Church in Seattle, made a pilgrimage to the monastery Dead to the World, but Alive in Christ We cannot give Christ to others unless we have welcomed Him into the central place in our own heart. We must know and love
Living our Lives in Imitation of Christ If we desire to please God, we only need to live our lives in imitation of Christ, Who both taught, and lived, humility. In our steadfastness in faith, modesty of attire, and simplicity in words and conversation, we imitate Christ. In our works
Elder Pavlos of Sinai The Elder Pavlos of Sinai, who spent Saturday afternoon with us, recounted something about my own late spiritual father, Archimandrite Dimitry of Santa Rosa, that I’d forgotten. Father Dimitry, who had escaped from Communist Russia, having suffered beatings and imprisonment, never spoke against them, nor ever