Our rare hydrangea, together with the Celtic Cross
As we struggle to make spiritual progress we do battle with the old self. We work against old habits that have kept us stuck and prevented the change we so desire in our quest for communion with God. Our sins and passions have become familiar to us, almost like old friends, and laziness sets in. We have become comfortable with the way we are and change seems like too much work.
Spiritual laxity and sinful habits must be confronted with a renewed commitment to live as a child of God. This struggle comes with a price tag, requiring real work on our part. The Kingdom of Heaven must be taken by storm, but this struggle does not require us to battle on our own, for the Holy Spirit empowers us with the grace sufficient to win the battle over the old self. In Christ we become new creatures and the old self is put aside.
With love in Christ,
Abbot Tryphon
Sunday July 29, 2012
8th Sunday after Pentecost. Tone seven.
Commemoration of the Holy Fathers of the First Six Councils (movable holiday on Sunday closest to July 16).
Hieromartyr Athenogenes, bishop of Heracleopolis, and his ten disciples (311).
New Hieromartyrs Seraphim, Theognostus, and others of Alma-Ata (1921).
St. Magdalena, schema-abbess of New Tikhvin Convent in Siberia (1934).
New Confessor Matrona Belyakova, fool-for-Christ of Anemnyasevo (1936).
New Hieromartyr James archbishop of Barnaul and with him Hieromartyrs Peter and John priests, Hieromartyr Theodore and Martyr John (1937).
Hieromartyr Ardalion (1938).
Martyrs Paul and two sisters, Chionia (Thea) and Alevtina (Valentina), at Caesarea in Palestine (308).
Martyr Antiochus, physician of Sebaste (4th c.).
Virgin-martyr Julia of Carthage (440).
“Chirsk” (1420) (“Pskovsky”) Icon of the Mother of God.
Commemoration of the Fourth Ecumenical Council (451).
Synaxis of Russian Saints glorified on Moscow Councils in 1547 and 1549.
Martyr Helier of Jersey (6th c.) (Celtic & British).
1,015 Martyrs of Pisidia (Greek).
Martyr Athenogenes (Greek).
New Martyr John of Turnovo (1822).
St. Plechelm, bishop of Odilienberg.
St. Tenenan, bishop of Leon.
Martyr-hermit Hilier of Jersey.
You can read the life of the saint in green, by click on the name.
To all my readers who have donated towards the support of the monastery but have not received a personal “thank you” note, I want to ask forgiveness. The amount of work I do on-line, together with lecturing in area colleges, has left me feeling overwhelmed and exhausted. My good intentions aside, I just haven’t sat down in my office to personally respond to all our benefactors.
Please forgive me. I will get to all of you in time, although it may seen too little too late for some of you.
Again, please forgive me. I’m averaging four or five hours at most of sleep per night, and find myself falling asleep at my desk. Not good.Please pray for this old monk.
With love in Christ,
Abbot Tryphon
1 Corinthians 1:10-18
Sectarianism Is Sin
10Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. 11For it has been declared to me concerning you, my brethren, by those of Chloe’s household, that there are contentions among you. 12Now I say this, that each of you says, “I am of Paul,” or “I am of Apollos,” or “I am of Cephas,” or “I am of Christ.” 13Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?
14I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, 15lest anyone should say that I had baptized in my own name. 16Yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas. Besides, I do not know whether I baptized any other. 17For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of no effect.
Christ the Power and Wisdom of God
18For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
Matthew 14:14-22
14And when Jesus went out He saw a great multitude; and He was moved with compassion for them, and healed their sick. 15When it was evening, His disciples came to Him, saying, “This is a deserted place, and the hour is already late. Send the multitudes away, that they may go into the villages and buy themselves food.”
16But Jesus said to them, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.”
17And they said to Him, “We have here only five loaves and two fish.”
18He said, “Bring them here to Me.” 19Then He commanded the multitudes to sit down on the grass. And He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke and gave the loaves to the disciples; and the disciples gave to the multitudes. 20So they all ate and were filled, and they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments that remained. 21Now those who had eaten were about five thousand men, besides women and children.
Jesus Walks on the Sea
22Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, while He sent the multitudes away.