Our common enemy is not of flesh and blood
Many of us are horrified to be witnessing the massive changes that are taking place in our world. It would seem that there are attacks against the very soul of Western Civilization, with Christianity taking the brunt of this attack. At no time in history have we witnessed genocide against Christians in so many parts of the world. Even in countries that were once bastions of Christianity, we witness atheism, secularism, and Islam, attacking the very heart of the Christian faith.
The scandals, sexual and otherwise, that have beset certain parts of Christianity, have also contributed to a mass exodus, with atheism taking possession of the souls of countless people throughout the Western World.
The Church Militant, which is the Church of Christ here on this earth, is in the midst of a battle. In truth, the enemy is not one of flesh and blood, but one of darkness and evil. The survival of humankind is not dependent upon the number of people who accept or reject the true faith, but rather that those who do, activate the fermentation, for just as yeast acts as a starter for bread, so faith in Christ can transform the world, and the entire cosmos.
This is not an age for the faint hearted, but rather, for those who are willing to commit themselves to this battle as serious Christians, willing to stand up for Christ, and for Truth. Saint Seraphim of Sarov said, “Save yourself, and thousands around you will be saved”. Like Saint Seraphim, we must be willing to commit with our whole heart, and our whole mind and body, to the transformational power of the Holy Spirit. This is the only way the powers of darkness can be turned around, and sent back to the depths of hell, where they belong.
With love in Christ,
Abbot Tryphon
Saturday July 27, 2019 / July 14, 2019
6th Week after Pentecost. Tone four.
Apostle Aquila of the Seventy, and St. Priscilla (1st c.).
New Hieromartyr Constantine priest (1918).
New Hieromartyr Nicholas priest (1933).
Venerable Stephen, abbot of Makhrishche (Vologda) (1406).
Martyr Justus at Rome (1st c.).
Venerable Ellius (Hellius) of Egypt (4th c.).
Venerable Onesimus, of Magnesia (4th c.).
Martyr John of Merv (Turkmenistan).
Venerable Nicodemus of Mt. Athos, spiritual writer (1809).
Sts. Vladimir and Agrippina wonderworkers of Rzhev
St. Marcellinus of Utrecht, priest (8th c.) (Neth.).
St. Joseph the Confessor, archbishop of Thessalonica (Greek).
St. Heraclius, patriarch of Alexandria (246).
The Scripture Readings
Romans 9:1-5
Israel’s Rejection of Christ
9 I tell the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit, 2 that I have great sorrow and continual grief in my heart. 3 For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my countrymen according to the flesh, 4 who are Israelites, to whom pertain the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service of God, and the promises; 5 of whom are the fathers and from whom, according to the flesh, Christ came, who is over all, the eternally blessed God. Amen.
Matthew 9:18-26
A Girl Restored to Life and a Woman Healed
18 While He spoke these things to them, behold, a ruler came and worshiped Him, saying, “My daughter has just died, but come and lay Your hand on her and she will live.” 19 So Jesus arose and followed him, and so did His disciples.
20 And suddenly, a woman who had a flow of blood for twelve years came from behind and touched the hem of His garment. 21 For she said to herself, “If only I may touch His garment, I shall be made well.” 22 But Jesus turned around, and when He saw her He said, “Be of good cheer, daughter; your faith has made you well.” And the woman was made well from that hour.
23 When Jesus came into the ruler’s house, and saw the flute players and the noisy crowd wailing, 24 He said to them, “Make room, for the girl is not dead, but sleeping.” And they ridiculed Him. 25 But when the crowd was put outside, He went in and took her by the hand, and the girl arose. 26 And the report of this went out into all that land.
The love affair that American academia has with socialism and communism is truly shocking to me. I suspect 20th century history is not taught in our schools.
And the media is saturated with anti-Russian hysteria, while hardly anyone criticises China and it’s global influence.
I’m not thinking of politics when I say this. I’m thinking about what it means to be human, from a classical (Orthodox) Christian perspective.
Peace and thankyou for this down to earth information! We are being inundated with the worst corruption that ever came upon us/the world, so we must be strong and endure in constant prayer and make use of the sacramental life while we still can.
God bless!
I like your picture of the icon kiosk. I purchased three of them years ago from Our Lady of Kazan skete in Santa Rosa, CA. I kept one at my house and sold the other two through our parish bookstore. They never had any more of them; they were assembled by a monk who was staying at the skete for a while.
Abbess Susanna, of the Kazan Skete, is my sister in monasticism. Blessed Dimitry of Santa Rosa, was our spiritual father.
The time of reckoning will soon be at hand. God is speaking to us, in many ways, but it seems we are not listening.