The Feast of Saint Tryphon, Abbot of Vyatka
Please pray for me on this my Names Day. I honor my patron with his icon hanging on my icon corner in my study. I am sharing this homily by my friend Archpriest Basil Rhodes, rector of Saint Nicholas Church in Saratoga, CA, posted on his facebook page a number of years ago.
Love in Christ,
Abbot Tryphon
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 who were still in darkness.
Sometimes we imagine (wrongly) that monasticism and evangelism are mutually exclusive. They are not. In fact, quite the opposite. Monasticism in Russia was the very reason that the Gospel spread as quickly as it did, not only throughout Russia, but into North America as well.
Near where the city of Perm is today, St. Tryphon brought to Christ two pagan tribes: the Ostyaks and Voguli. How did he accomplish this? With a stern, disapproving gaze and lengthy discussions on the minutiae of the Typikon? Hardly. He won them to Christ because he cared about them and for them. He won them to Christ because he loved them. Shortly before he died in 1612, St. Tryphon wrote: “Fathers and brethren, the flock gathered about Christ! Heed me, a sinner. Though I am coarse and worse than any, God and His All-Pure Mother have permitted me, a sinner, to manage His household. I beseech you, for the sake of the Lord and His Mother, to have spiritual love among yourselves. Without this no virtue is complete before God. The lips of Christ spoke to the disciples, “Love one another” (John. 13:34). And in the words of the Apostle Paul, “Bear one another’s burdens” (Gal. 6: 2). Do not condemn one another before God, whether in the temple or in the cell, either alone or in common with the brethren. Pray with the fear of God. And by no means neglect church singing; although there are other matters, hasten to church to God for spiritual song. First give to God what is God’s, and then fulfill the other matters.”
Thursday October 21, 2021 / October 8, 2021
18th Week after Pentecost. Tone eight.
Venerable Pelagia the Penitent of the Mount of Olives (457).
New Hieromartyrs Demetrius archbishop of Mozhaysk and with him John deacon, Hieromartyr Ambrosius and Pakhomius, Virgin-martyr Tatiana, Martyr Nicholas, Virgin-martyrs Mary and Nadezhda (1937).
New Hieromartyr Jonah bishop of Velizhsk, Hieromartyr Seraphim, New Hieromartyrs Peter, Basil, Paul, Peter, Vladimir priests, Martyrs Victor, John, Nicholas and Virgin-martyr Elizabeth (1937).
New Hieromartyr Barlaam (end of 1930th).
Venerable Dositheus, abbot of Verkneostrov (Pskov) (1482).
Venerable Tryphon, abbot of Vyatka (1612).
Synaxis of All Saints of Vyatka.
Venerable Thais (Taisia) of Egypt (4th c.).
Virgin-martyr Pelagia of Antioch (303).
New Monk-martyr Ignatius of Bulgaria and Mt. Athos (1814).
St. Anthony, bishop of Novgorod (1232).
St. Keyene, hermitess of Cornwall.
St. Iwi, hierodeacon of Lindisfarne.
Translation of the relics of St. Aidan, bishop of Lindisfarne and enlightener of Northumbria.
Translation of the relics of St. Ceolfrith, abbot of Wearmouth and Jarrow.
St. Triduana, nun of Restalrig.
The Scripture Readings
Ephesians 5:33-6:9
33 Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.
Children and Parents
6 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 “Honor your father and mother,” which is the first commandment with promise: 3 “that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth.”
4 And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.
Bondservants and Masters
5 Bondservants, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in sincerity of heart, as to Christ; 6 not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, 7 with goodwill doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men, 8 knowing that whatever good anyone does, he will receive the same from the Lord, whether he is a slave or free.
9 And you, masters, do the same things to them, giving up threatening, knowing that your own Master also is in heaven, and there is no partiality with Him.
Luke 7:17-30
17 And this report about Him went throughout all Judea and all the surrounding region.
John the Baptist Sends Messengers to Jesus
18 Then the disciples of John reported to him concerning all these things. 19 And John, calling two of his disciples to him, sent them to Jesus, saying, “Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?”
20 When the men had come to Him, they said, “John the Baptist has sent us to You, saying, ‘Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?’ ” 21 And that very hour He cured many of infirmities, afflictions, and evil spirits; and to many blind He gave sight.
22 Jesus answered and said to them, “Go and tell John the things you have seen and heard:that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have the gospel preached to them. 23 And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me.”
24 When the messengers of John had departed, He began to speak to the multitudes concerning John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? 25 But what did you go out to see? A man clothed in soft garments? Indeed those who are gorgeously appareled and live in luxury are in kings’ courts. 26 But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet. 27 This is he of whom it is written:
‘Behold, I send My messenger before Your face,
Who will prepare Your way before You.’
28 For I say to you, among those born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.”
29 And when all the people heard Him, even the tax collectors justified God, having been baptized with the baptism of John. 30 But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the will of God for themselves, not having been baptized by him.