Becoming Partakers of the Divine Nature
Although our regeneration began with baptism, our repentance opens the gates to grace after grace. Repentance is the second regeneration in that through our repentance, the door to the mercy of God opens wide. In being regenerated by God’s mercy, we are justified before God, but not in the judicial sense of evangelical protestant theology, for Orthodox theology holds that justification includes also the actual making of the person righteous. We partake of a “real righteousness” whereby we are in fact made righteous by being “in Christ”.
We become partakers of Divine Nature by entering the path of theosis or deification. Orthodox theology includes what evangelical protestants understand as regeneration and sanctification in the meaning of justification. The Orthodox Church denies justification by faith alone and includes good works as necessary in justification. This is because justification includes the concept of being transformed into the likeness of God. Justification is included in the process of “salvation” or “deification” (being transformed into the likeness of God through union with Christ).
With love in Christ,
Abbot Tryphon
Tuesday July 25, 2023 / July 12, 2023
8th Week after Pentecost. Tone six.
Martyrs Proclus and Hilary of Ancyra (2nd c.).
Venerable Michael, monk, of Maleinus (962).
Martyrs Theodore and his son John of Kiev (983).
Venerable Arsenius of Novgorod, fool-for-Christ (1570).
Venerable Simon, abbot of Volomsk (1641).
Martyr Golinduc, in holy baptism Mary, of Persia (591).
Venerables John (998) and Gabriel (10th c.), of Georgia and Iveron, Mt. Athos (Georgia).
Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos “Of the Three Hands”, Hilandar, Mt. Athos.
Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos “Samonapisavshaiasia” (1863).
Blessed Serapion, bishop of Vladimir (1275).
St. Veronica, the woman with the issue of blood who was healed by the Saviour.
Translation of the relics (1620) of St. Anthony, abbot of Leokhnov (Novgorod) (1611).
New Martyrs Andrew the Soildier, Heraclius, Taustus, Menas, and others (Greek).
Martyr Mamas near Sigmata (Greek).
Translation of the relics (2004) of New Hieromartyr Momcilo Grgurevic of Serbia (1940s) (Serbia).
The Scripture Readings
Luke 1:39-49
Mary Visits Elizabeth
39 Now Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country with haste, to a city of Judah, 40 and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth. 41 And it happened, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, that the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42 Then she spoke out with a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! 43 But why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 For indeed, as soon as the voice of your greeting sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. 45 Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord.”
The Song of Mary
46 And Mary said:
“My soul magnifies the Lord,
47 And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.
48 For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant;
For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed.
49 For He who is mighty has done great things for me,
And holy is His name.
Luke 1:56
56 And Mary remained with her about three months, and returned to her house.
1 Corinthians 10:5-12
5 But with most of them God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness.
6 Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted. 7 And do not become idolaters as were some of them. As it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.” 8 Nor let us commit sexual immorality, as some of them did, and in one day twenty-three thousand fell; 9 nor let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed by serpents; 10 nor complain, as some of them also complained, and were destroyed by the destroyer. 11 Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.
12 Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.
Matthew 16:6-12
6 Then Jesus said to them, “Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees.”
7 And they reasoned among themselves, saying, “It is because we have taken no bread.”
8 But Jesus, being aware of it, said to them, “O you of little faith, why do you reason among yourselves because you have brought no bread? 9 Do you not yet understand, or remember the five loaves of the five thousand and how many baskets you took up? 10 Nor the seven loaves of the four thousand and how many large baskets you took up? 11 How is it you do not understand that I did not speak to you concerning bread?—but to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” 12 Then they understood that He did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees.
Philippians 2:5-11
The Humbled and Exalted Christ
5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7 but [b]made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. 9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Luke 10:38-42
Mary and Martha Worship and Serve
38 Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. 39 And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word. 40 But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.”
41 And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. 42 But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.”
Luke 11:27-28
Keeping the Word
27 And it happened, as He spoke these things, that a certain woman from the crowd raised her voice and said to Him, “Blessed is the womb that bore You, and the breasts which nursed You!”
28 But He said, “More than that, blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it!”