When charity becomes an occasion for self worship
Food is a common problem for many people, for food so often fills a void, becoming a way of comforting oneself when faced with the stresses that are a part of our modern, everyday world. Being in service to others, such as volunteering for many charitable, worthy causes, can be a way of seeking other people’s approval, and, in the process, making oneself “feel” better.
Food is, in this case, not the only addiction that can overtake a believer. The need for love and approval can be a form of addiction, and can even replace a fulfilling relationship with God. In serving others, we can sometimes find ourselves displacing God, and making charity a form of self worship.
This in no way suggests that “what we do for these, the least”, is not a godly direction to take, for we are directed by Christ Himself to be in service to others. However, we want to make sure our charity is based on love of God and neighbor, and not on love of self.
We avoid this sin of pride by living in a state of constant repentance. When we notice pride rising to the surface, we repent. We always seek to make Christ the cause and foundation of our charity, and not the praise of others. This can only be done if we are open with our confessor, and squashing the ego before it has a chance to take hold.
With love in Christ,
Abbot Tryphon
Saturday October 23, 2021 / October 10, 2021
18th Week after Pentecost. Tone eight.
Martyrs Eulampius and Eulampia at Nicomedia and 200 Martyrs with them (296).
St. Innocent, bishop of Penza (1819).
Venerable Ambrose of Optina (1891).
New Hieromartyr Theodore (Pozdeev) archbishop of Volokolamsk (1937).
Saint Amphylochius, Bishop of Vladimir-Volyn (1122).
Synaxis of the seven Saints of Volhynia: Sts. Stephen and Amphilocius (1122), bishops of Vladimir in Volhynia; St. Theodore (in monasticism Theodosius), prince of Ostrog (1483); St. Juliana Olshanskaya (1540); Venerable Job of Pochaev (1651); Hieromartyr Macarius, archimandrite of Kanev (1678); and St. Yaropolk-Peter, prince of Vladimir in Volhynia (1086).
Blessed Andrew of Totma, fool-for-Christ (1673).
Martyr Theotecnus of Antioch (4th c.).
Venerable Bassian of Constantinople (ca. 458).
Venerable Theophilus the Confessor of Bulgaria (716).
Martyrdom of the 26 Martyrs of Zographou Monastery on Mt. Athos by the Latins: Abbot Thomas, monks Barsanuphius, Cyril, Micah, Simon, Hilarion, Job, James, Cyprian, Sabbas, James, Martinian, Cosmas, Sergius, Paul, Menas, Ioasaph, Ioannicius, Anthony, Euthymius, Dometian, Parthenius, and four laymen (1284).
St. Paulinus, archbishop of York (644) (Celtic & British).
St. Pinytus, bishop of Knossos in Crete (2nd. c.).
Zographou Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos “Of the Akathist”.
Synaxis of the Saints of Optina: Leo (1841), Macarius (1894), Moses (1862), Anthony (1865), Hilarion (1873), Ambrose (1891), Anatolius (1894), Isaacius (1894), Joseph (1911), Barsanuphius (1913), Anatolius (1922), Nectarius (1928), Nicon (1931), and Isaacius (1936).
Martyrs of the Theban Legion along the Rhine: Sts. Cassius and Florentius at Bonn, Sts. Gereon and Companions at Cologne, and Sts. Victor and Companions at Xanten (Germany) (304).
Photos: Saint Basil’s Orthodox Mission, Marietta, Georgia.
The Scripture Readings
Matthew 11:27-30
27 All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him. 28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart,and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
1 Corinthians 15:39-45
39 All flesh is not the same flesh, but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of animals, another of fish, and another of birds.
40 There are also celestial bodies and terrestrial bodies; but the glory of the celestial isone, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. 41 There is one glory of the sun, another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for one star differs from another star in glory.
42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption. 43 It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. 44 It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. 45 And so it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.
Luke 5:27-32
Matthew the Tax Collector
27 After these things He went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, “Follow Me.” 28 So he left all, rose up, and followed Him.
29 Then Levi gave Him a great feast in his own house. And there were a great number of tax collectors and others who sat down with them. 30 And their scribes and the Pharisees [b]complained against His disciples, saying, “Why do You eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?”
31 Jesus answered and said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 32 I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”
Galatians 5:22-6:2
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. 24 And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.
Bear and Share Burdens
6 Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted. 2 Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.
Luke 6:17-23
Jesus Heals a Great Multitude
17 And He came down with them and stood on a level place with a crowd of His disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem, and from the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear Him and be healed of their diseases, 18 as well as those who were tormented with unclean spirits. And they were healed. 19 And the whole multitude sought to touch Him, for power went out from Him and healed them all.
The Beatitudes
20 Then He lifted up His eyes toward His disciples, and said:
“Blessed are you poor,
For yours is the kingdom of God.
21 Blessed are you who hunger now,
For you shall be filled.
Blessed are you who weep now,
For you shall laugh.
22 Blessed are you when men hate you,
And when they exclude you,
And revile you, and cast out your name as evil,
For the Son of Man’s sake.
23 Rejoice in that day and leap for joy!
For indeed your reward is great in heaven,
For in like manner their fathers did to the prophets.