The salvific role of suffering in our lives
I received words of encouragement from a brother priest in our diocese, and wanted to share it with my readers. Father Alexander quoted the words of Saint John of Kronstadt, who wrote: “Rejoice, O Christian when you feel the weight of your cross! That means that you have one, for a Christian without a cross is not a Christian.“
These words of Saint John were especially meaningful to me, for I’ve been struggling for more than a year with a cross that has sometimes seemed too overwhelming for me to bear in my weakness, leaving me with temptations to walk away, and head to some remote place on the Oregon coast, where I could live out the remainder of my life as a hermit. This too often has seemed to be the only solution for a certain sadness that has sometimes overtaken me.
Elder John of Valaam once counseled a spiritual child who was suffering, not to try and come up with reasons on his own why suffering befell him. The Elder John said it is all too easy to ascribe things “to our sins” or even worse because “we are suffering for the truth”. Instead we are to humble ourselves beneath what God’s Providence sends our way and respond as best we can with gratitude, diving beneath the waves of life in humility, as the Psalmist teaches.
The words of these great saints are a reminder that I am where God has placed me, and the suffering that has befallen me is, indeed, my cross, and has been permitted by God. And, I am reminded of the words of Mother Gavrilia, who said, “Not knowledge you learn, but knowledge you suffer. That’s Orthodox spirituality.” So, I remain where I am, and rest on the knowledge that God is with me in my suffering, and that I have in Christ, a Co-Suffering Saviour.
Even a monk of forty years can give in to the temptation of despair, but my faith tells me to stay the course, and trust that whatever suffering comes my way, is for my salvation.
With love in Christ,
Abbot Tryphon
Tuesday January 22, 2019 / January 9, 2019
35th Week after Pentecost. Tone one.
Martyr Polyeuctus of Melitene in Armenia (259).
Hieromartyr Philip, metropolitan of Moscow and all Russia (1569).
St. Jonah (Peter in schema), founder of Holy Trinity Monastery in Kiev (1902).
New Hieromartyr Paul priest (1943).
Prophet Shemaiah (Samaia, Semeias) (10th c. B.C.).
St. Peter, bishop of Sebaste in Armenia (395), and brother of St. Basil the Great and St. Gregory of Nyssa.
Venerable Eustratius the Wonderworker of Tarsus (821).
St. Adrian of Canterbury (709) (Celtic & British).
St. Berhtwald Archbishop of Canterbury (731) (Celtic & British).
St. Fillan (Foelan) of Strathfillan (VIII) (Celtic & British).
New Martyr Parthena of Edessa in Macedonia (1375).
Translation of the relics of St. Judoc, hermit of Ponthieu.
St. Fillan, abbot of Strathfillan.
The Scripture Readings
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.
Hebrews 9:8-10
8 the Holy Spirit indicating this, that the way into the Holiest of All was not yet made manifest while the first tabernacle was still standing. 9 It was symbolic for the present time in which both gifts and sacrifices are offered which cannot make him who performed the service perfect in regard to the conscience— 10 concerned only with foods and drinks, various washings, and fleshly ordinances imposed until the time of reformation.
Hebrews 9:15-23
15 And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.
The Mediator’s Death Necessary
16 For where there is a testament, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. 17 For a testament is in force after men are dead, since it has no power at all while the testator lives. 18 Therefore not even the first covenant was dedicated without blood. 19 For when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and goats, with water, scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, 20 saying, “This is the blood of the covenant which God has commanded you.” 21 Then likewise he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle and all the vessels of the ministry. 22 And according to the law almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission.
Greatness of Christ’s Sacrifice
23 Therefore it was necessary that the copies of the things in the heavens should be purified with these, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.
Mark 8:22-26 New King James Version (NKJV)
A Blind Man Healed at Bethsaida
22 Then He came to Bethsaida; and they brought a blind man to Him, and begged Him to touch him. 23 So He took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the town. And when He had spit on his eyes and put His hands on him, He asked him if he saw anything.
24 And he looked up and said, “I see men like trees, walking.”
25 Then He put His hands on his eyes again and made him look up. And he was restored and saw everyone clearly. 26 Then He sent him away to his house, saying, [a]“Neither go into the town, nor tell anyone in the town.”
Mark 8:22-26
A Blind Man Healed at Bethsaida
22 Then He came to Bethsaida; and they brought a blind man to Him, and begged Him to touch him. 23 So He took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the town. And when He had spit on his eyes and put His hands on him, He asked him if he saw anything.
24 And he looked up and said, “I see men like trees, walking.”
25 Then He put His hands on his eyes again and made him look up. And he was restored and saw everyone clearly. 26 Then He sent him away to his house, saying, “Neither go into the town, nor tell anyone in the town.”
Amen Dear Father, Amen.
You are in my prayers.
Jesus is our Healer! Adding my prayer under the weight of your Cross.
“For indeed your reward is great in heaven,
For in like manner their fathers did to the prophets.”
Praying for you.
Praying for you, Dear Father!
What an act of courage to reveal your despair, Father. I can identify with that desire to isolate and declare the whole lot of life a miserable exercise in futility.
My prayers are with you and all of us…
Thank you for sharing this. It is an encouragement to my soul.
You are in my prayers. I remember a story Fr. Thomas Hopko, blessed be his memory, told. He was going through a very dark time, I don’t remember the situation or if he even said exactly what it was. But I do remember the remark that a friend made, “Don’t come down from your cross!” It is so tempting to do that. I also read a book by a Romanian elder who gave this advice to his spiritual children who were struggling spiritually. Read Psalm 90/91 “He who dwells in the help of the Most High” 40 times for 3 days and then every day after that. I am sure that you know all of this. We are praying for you!
Remember, even Jesus retreated for a while. Please take some time away from the monastery; it’s what your own heartfelt words are telling you to do. Why is ok for us lay people and Jesus to go on retreat and not you? Everyone needs a time out to receive the peace of Christ in his own time. You can’t be a healing presence for all people without having time to receive God’s healing for yourself. We are all human beings with needs; you are not super human just because you’ve chosen to be a religious. Please be with you. Janet
I always keep you in my prayers and I will continue. Thank you for sharing…..
Father bless.
May God strengthen and comfort you. You are in my daily prayers,
Dear father, you are always in my prayers. Because of a recent, very painful illness, I was feeling extremely sorry for myself, and a friend advised me to pray to Saint Nikiforos the Leper (Jan. 4). That was a tremendous blessing and encouragement for me! May God grant us all patience with our crosses! With love in Christ, Jan/Photini
Father, May God hear your prayers. Praying for you and sending angels to protect you as well. Love and prayers,
Harriet
God bless you ,Abbot. Sometimes I remember that everyone I see is struggling with some problem in life ,and am reminded to try not to judge. My own struggles come from a life of mistakes and failures and negative self image, caused by familial ADD, and perhaps Autism spectrum. So if one can goof it up, I can, and then I can’t get over it for a long time. My cross perhaps is to be able to bear the shame of my failings,and still have faith in God’s forgiveness and love.
May we both find peace in the Lord.
You are in my prayers Father Tryphon. You encourage me daily with your words. You also encourage me with your struggle as a Christian. Just as all the Bible heroes struggled. That is the thing about Christians. Even in the blackest times we know they are the brightest times because we have Jesus. The martyrs knew this as we carry this truth in jars of clay. Know you are precious and loved and in my prayers.
Hi Abbot Tryphon, May God’s Joy be with you. Praying for you. It brings sadness & sorry to see evil welling up in the world. Praying for the conversion of the world, May God’s will be done! Holy Holy Holy is the Lord of hosts, all the heavens & the earth are filled with his glory!
Our crosses are so various and weighty. My faith saw me through three life-changing and horrific events. When I see how others react to their own crosses I am so thankful that I recognize God is with me. But, there are times when I, too, feel like walking away and becoming a hermit. I do try to keep some form of normalcy about myself but sometimes I cannot; ie., sometimes I just sits and sometimes I just sits and thinks. Thank you for your beautiful words today sir. I shall pray for you. Could you please pray for me?
I am a hermit of the Orthodox Church . Blessed to wear the Great Schema. Let me tell you clearly that we hermits do not sit around in peace and pray ! May i suggest you purchase a book from Alexander Alexander Press on The mothers and fathers of the desert . Bookfinder. com is another good site. Here is an exact title for you:
The Forgotten Desert Mothers” by Laura Swan. Another: The Paradise of the Holy Fathers ” vol 1&2 , translated by E.A.Wallis Budge. It is totally wrong to think of hermits of the Orthodox Church as peaceful happy campers sitting by the water. I live as many hermits do in the city. Ive have lived in woods too. Hermits are called to carry the sufferings of the world the creation and humanity. Plus our own life of repentance. And we work with our hands. We Love with Gods Love . We live in the Holy Spirit Who lives as promissed in our hearts. This is a vast grace yet a greatly misunderstood vocation. You may be sure you are in my heart and prayers.
Ignorance is our Enemy. Study and read and inform yourself about the hidden Christians who pray day and night without ceasing as we are given to do by our Lord. God be with you my friend.
MM
Dear Abbot Tryphon,
I pray for you everyday. Thank you for all of your prayers and sufferings and for this daily blog that has pulled me through on many dark days.
Monica
Father Bless, I am selfishly glad that God has placed you in the position that you are. I am enlightened and comforted by your words and look forward to your blogs daily. You help me to start my day off with the right foot (really the right part of my heart). Thank you. I will pray for strength, patience and perserverence as you face your trials; though I remember reading that without trials there is little spiritual growth. Remain steadfast. When I am troubled and need encouragement, I remember what Christ said to St. Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.”… “Therefore I (St. Paul) take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecution, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” God bless you.
God bless you and hold you in the palms of His hands.
you are in my prayers!
Serge Lopoukhine
”Merci” for this, dear Father. What you wrote here (or said in your podcast) is worth a lot for many of us. Thank God for that. You are such a humble and important messenger for Him!
Love in XC
Luc
Montréal