The Abbot’s Cell
Submitting to the Will of God
Pride keeps us from living according to the will of God, and pride causes us to focus only on self. Without submission to God, we wallow in the dankness of our fallen world, and our true self remains dormant. One cannot submit to God without humility, and when we submit to the will of God, we gain true freedom, and are able to be triumphant over the powers of darkness that attack us. “Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you (James 4:7).”
Our submission to the will of God begins when we submit, as children, to our parents, and as adults to lawful authority, be it civil or ecclesiastical. The Holy Apostle Peter writes, “Young men, in the same way be submissive to those who are older. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble’ (1 Peter 5:5).” Submission to lawful authority builds humility, for self will is by necessity set aside.
Submission begins with trust. We trust God loves us, and that our submission to His commandments will return us to our inheritance, which is God’s Kingdom. In our submission, we permit the grace of God to transform our fallen nature, and return us to full sonship in Our Father’s Kingdom. In submitting to the will of God, the Lord Himself begins to lead us, and we are healed of our sickness, and made whole.
When we submit to God, our soul is filled with the Holy Spirit, His Kingdom is actualized in our heart, and we become living tabernacles of the Most High. The soul that has submitted to the will of God, fears nothing. And whatever should happen, it says, “It is God’s will.” When the body is ill, such a man thinks, “God has seen fit to send me this illness for my salvation, otherwise I would not be ill. When such a man is persecuted, and when suffering comes down upon his head, he is not disturbed, for he knows that God is with him, and that this is meant for his salvation. And so his soul remains at peace.
Love in Christ,
Abbot Tryphon
The Abbot’s Cell
Tuesday February 14, 2012
Week of the Prodigal Son. Tone two.
Forefeast of the Meeting of Our Lord
Martyr Tryphon of Campsada near Apamea in Syria (250).
New Hieromartyr Archpriest Peter Skipetrov, of Petrograd (1918).
New Hieromartyr Nicholas priest (1938).
Martyrs Perpetua, a woman of Carthage, and the catechumens Saturus, Revocatus, Saturninus, Secundulus, and Felicitas (202-203).
Venerable Peter of Galatia, hermit near Antioch in Syria (429).
Venerable Vendemianus (Bendemianus), hermit of Bithynia (512).
Venerable Tryphon, bishop of Rostov (1468).
St. Tryphon of Pechenga or Kola (1583).
St. Brigid of Ireland (523) (Celtic & British).
St. Seiriol, abbot of Penmon (Anglesey) (6th c.) (Celtic & British).
St. Basil, archbishop of Thessalonica (895) (Greek).
Venerable Timothy the Confessor (Greek).
New Martyr Anastasius at Nauplion (1655) (Greek).
Martyrs Theion with 2 children at Kariona (Greek).
Martyr Elias the New of Damascus (779).
Sts. David (784), Symeon (843), and George (844), confessors of Mitylene.
I wish to thank those of you who have been contributing towards the principle of our mortgage ($250,000.00). For those of you who can’t donate due to the depressed economy, please remember to pray for the monastery. It would be such a great blessing if we were able to retire the mortgage debt altogether.
Donations can be made directly to the monastery through PayPal, or you may send donations to:
All-Merciful Saviour Monastery
PO Box 2420
Vashon Island, WA 98070-2420 USA
1 John 3:11-20
11For this is the message that you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another, 12not as Cain who was of the wicked one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his works were evil and his brother’s righteous.13Do not marvel, my brethren, if the world hates you. 14We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death. 15Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.
The Outworking of Love
16By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. 17But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?18My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. 19And by this we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him. 20For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things.
Mark 14:10-42
Judas Agrees to Betray Jesus
10Then Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Him to them. 11And when they heard it, they were glad, and promised to give him money. So he sought how he might conveniently betray Him.
Jesus Celebrates the Passover with His Disciples
12Now on the first day of Unleavened Bread, when they killed the Passover lamb, His disciples said to Him, “Where do You want us to go and prepare, that You may eat the Passover?”
13And He sent out two of His disciples and said to them, “Go into the city, and a man will meet you carrying a pitcher of water; follow him. 14Wherever he goes in, say to the master of the house, ‘The Teacher says, “Where is the guest room in which I may eat the Passover with My disciples?”’ 15Then he will show you a large upper room, furnished and prepared; there make ready for us.”
16So His disciples went out, and came into the city, and found it just as He had said to them; and they prepared the Passover.
17In the evening He came with the twelve. 18Now as they sat and ate, Jesus said, “Assuredly, I say to you, one of you who eats with Me will betray Me.”
19And they began to be sorrowful, and to say to Him one by one, “Is it I?” And another said, “Is it I?”
20He answered and said to them, “It is one of the twelve, who dips with Me in the dish. 21The Son of Man indeed goes just as it is written of Him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been good for that man if he had never been born.”
Jesus Institutes the Lord’s Supper
22And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.”
23Then He took the cup, and when He had given thanks He gave it to them, and they all drank from it. 24And He said to them, “This is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many. 25Assuredly, I say to you, I will no longer drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.”
26And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.
Jesus Predicts Peter’s Denial
27Then Jesus said to them, “All of you will be made to stumble because of Me this night, for it is written:‘I will strike the Shepherd,
And the sheep will be scattered.’
28“But after I have been raised, I will go before you to Galilee.”
29Peter said to Him, “Even if all are made to stumble, yet I will not be.”
30Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you that today, even this night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times.”
31But he spoke more vehemently, “If I have to die with You, I will not deny You!”And they all said likewise.
The Prayer in the Garden
32Then they came to a place which was named Gethsemane; and He said to His disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” 33And He took Peter, James, and John with Him, and He began to be troubled and deeply distressed. 34Then He said to them, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch.”
35He went a little farther, and fell on the ground, and prayed that if it were possible, the hour might pass from Him. 36And He said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for You. Take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will.”
37Then He came and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “Simon, are you sleeping? Could you not watch one hour? 38Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
39Again He went away and prayed, and spoke the same words. 40And when He returned, He found them asleep again, for their eyes were heavy; and they did not know what to answer Him.
41Then He came the third time and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? It is enough! The hour has come; behold, the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners. 42Rise, let us be going. See, My betrayer is at hand.”
The podcast is always different than the blog article.
I read your blog routinely and have learned alot from you; for that I am thankful. That said, my apology for being dense, but what is the difference between submitting to God's will and permissiveness? <br /><br />The differences between the two are awfully gray and foggy to me. In one of your next blogs, could you please elaborate somewhat on how the two are different, please.