The Enemy Of Christ Stops At Nothing
For those of you who have been reading my blog articles concerning The Orthodox Montanica Conference that took place at Holy Trinity Serbian Orthodox Church in Butte, Montana, you are already aware of how excited we all were that 95 percent of the participants were young men from across the country.
In an age of mass apostasy, much of it steeped in fear that has been engendered by Leftist political figures steeped in Marxism, is it any wonder that the Christian faith is being demonized? Are any of us surprised by the fact that National Public Radio would have stooped to a new level of leftist propaganda by airing a segment accusing the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad as an institution that is attracting young white supremacists and neo-natzis?
Having spent time with a large number of young men, some of them new to Orthodoxy, at a conference on evangelism, I can tell you that they are attracted to Orthodoxy, not because of right wing politics, but because only in Orthodoxy have they found that which they needed the most, a faith soundly grounded in the New Testament, and in historic, Apostolic Christianity.
That the young participants in the conference identify as politically conservative simply shows they reject the left wing politics that pushes the belief that Christianity is a thing of the past, and that “progress” for America can only become a reality when true Christanity is pushed off the cliff. That anyone who would believe the family is central to raising children to be good citizens, as well as serious Christians, is a thing that must be suppressed has its roots in the sick minds of leftists who would lead us all into a One World Government, where we would all “own nothing, but be happy”.
Is anyone who knows this to be a lie created by the Devil surprised that the powers that be are blindly laying the ground for the coming antichrist? Does anyone seeing this lie not see the evilness of such dark forces that they would circulate a photo of an Orthodox abbot (me), standing with pious young Orthodox men in a museum on a historic tour of Butte, Montana, not see a staged photo holding a toy gun?
What would they have done if I’d been photographed looking through the bars of the turn of the century jail? And do these same servants of the devil actually think anyone who knows me, or any of the young men in the photo, are nazis and white supremists?
This old monk was willing to go on this below ground tour, in spite of the terrible cold and dampness, and going up and down numerous staircases with my cane, because of my love and commitment to this younger generation. And for anyone who would condem me for posing with a group of young men for such a photograph, I would say that in an age where most young people are left on their own, without guidance and love by the older generation, when the old tour guide who took the photo handed me a toy rifle, I took it.
It is important for my readers to know that this photo was never intended for public view, but one of the young men at the conference innocently posted it, and I am only reposting it in order for my readers to see that the young men in the photo are not carrying weapons, but only posing for a “fun” photo that none thought would be made public. The fellow who did post it feels very bad about the negative results, and I have of course forgiven him. I only repost it now in order for people to see the innocence on the faces of these dear young men, and to show that this is, indeed, set in a museum.
To these creators of myth, I stand firm at the feet of Jesus Christ, and in my faith in the Saviour. I stand boldly before the dark forces of the leftist neo marxists who tried to destroy Orthodoxy with their evil revolution to overthrow the God-anointed Czar of Imperial Russia. I stand before the world in my loyalty to the Holy Orthodox Church, and to her god annointed bishops. To these followers of darkness and evil, I say, begone satan! I am not afraid of you because I fear God more than I fear man.
With love in Christ,
Abbot Tryphon
Photos: The museum referred to in my essay, and the photo that is circulating around the internet.
Wednesday June 22, 2022 / June 9, 2022
2nd Week after Pentecost. Tone eight.
Apostles’ (Peter & Paul) Fast. Food with Oil
St. Cyril, archbishop of Alexandria (444).
Venerable Cyril, abbot of White Lake (Byelozersk) (1427).
St. Alexius Mechev, priest of Moscow (1923).
Uncovering of the relics of Venerable Raphael, the Confessor (2005).
Venerable Alexander, abbot of Kushta (Vologda) (1439).
Five nuns beheaded in Persia: Martyrs Thecla, Mariamne, Martha, Mary, and Enmatha (346).
Righteous Cyril of Velsk or Vazhe (Vologda) (15th c.).
St. Columba of Iona (597) (Celtic & British).
St. Baithene of Tiree (600) (Celtic & British).
Hieromartyr Alexander, bishop of Prusa (Greek).
Venerable Cyril, monk (Greek).
Three Virgin-martyrs of Chios (Greek).
St. John of Shavtel-Gaenati, Georgia (13th c.) (Georgia).
The Scripture Readings
Romans 4:13-25
The Promise Granted Through Faith
13 For the promise that he would be the heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. 14 For if those who are of the law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise made of no effect, 15 because the law brings about wrath; for where there is no law there is no transgression.
16 Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the seed, not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all 17 (as it is written, “I have made you a father of many nations”) in the presence of Him whom he believed—God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did; 18 who, contrary to hope, in hope believed, so that he became the father of many nations, according to what was spoken, “So shall your descendants be.” 19 And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah’s womb. 20 He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, 21 and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform. 22 And therefore “it was accounted to him for righteousness.”
23 Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him, 24 but also for us. It shall be imputed to us who believe in Him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead, 25 who was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of our justification.
Matthew 7:21-23
I Never Knew You
21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’
