The First Steps on the Path of Holy Sobriety

Cultivating and treasuring the salvific caution born out of love of God

When we first begin to take our Orthodoxy seriously, we tend to throw ourselves into it in such a way that it is like diving deep into the sea. Many generations of experienced and holy men and women have told us that as regards our faith, we will know that it would be better to wade into the shallows for a while, acclimating ourselves to the water, and then, with sober, humble, caution, born of love, slip ever deeper into the depths of the mystery that is Orthodoxy.

To do otherwise would mean that we would likely embrace our newfound faith with all the baggage of our previous understanding of Christianity, and miss the immense differences between Ancient Biblical Christanity, and that which masquerades as Christianity in our present age.

Orthodoxy is profoundly deep, and we must head slowly and without haste into the depths of the traditions and teachings of this ancient Church. If we plunge into the depths of our newfound faith, we take the chance that we will miss the transformational power that will change us from within, and we will have lost the “pearl of great price” before we even find it.

Saint Macarius of Egypt tells us, “Truly the soul is incapable by itself of studying its own thoughts and discerning them. But with the divine lamp lit, the light dispels the darkness from the house. Then a person sees his own thoughts, how they have been covered by impurity and the mud of sin. The sun rises and the soul sees its loss and begins to revoke the thoughts that had been so mixed with dirt and squalor”.

True progress on the path to salvation must be taken step-by-step, lest we lose our footing, and falter along the way. The deeper we go, with patience, and the guidance of a confessor, the more likely we will avail ourselves to the transformational power of the Orthodox Faith. The depths of Orthodoxy must be embraced with a humble heart, and patience, lest we tragically stray from the path under the influence of our seemingly “good” thoughts, ideals and/or feelings.

With love and blessings,
Abbot Tryphon

Photo: Working on a blog article in my study.

Thursday October 29, 2020 / October 16, 2020
21st Week after Pentecost. Tone three.
Venerable Longinus the Centurion, who stood at the Cross of the Lord (1st c.).
St. Gregory confessor, priest (1931).
New Hieromartyr Eugene priest (1918).
New Hieromartyr Alexis priest (1938).
New Hieromartyr John priest (1942).
Venerable Longinus the Gate-keeper of the Kiev Caves (13th c.).
St. Longinus of Yaranga (1544).
Venerable Longinus, monk, of Koryazhemka (Vologda) (1540).
Venerable Eupraxia, abbess, before tonsure Princess Euphrosyne of Pskov (1243).
Venerable Malus the Hermit.
Venerable Gall, Irish monk and enlightener of Switzerland (646) (Celtic & British).
Venerable Sabinus, monk (Greek).
Martyrs Isaurus and Aphrodisius, who suffered with St. Longinus (1st. c.).
St. Domna, fool-for-Christ of Tomsk (1872).

The Scripture Readings

Luke 9:7-11

Herod Seeks to See Jesus

7 Now Herod the tetrarch heard of all that was done by Him; and he was perplexed, because it was said by some that John had risen from the dead, 8 and by some that Elijah had appeared, and by others that one of the old prophets had risen again. 9 Herod said, “John I have beheaded, but who is this of whom I hear such things?” So he sought to see Him.

Feeding the Five Thousand

10 And the apostles, when they had returned, told Him all that they had done. Then He took them and went aside privately into a deserted place belonging to the city called Bethsaida. 11 But when the multitudes knew it, they followed Him; and He received them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who had need of healing.

2 Timothy 2:1-10

Be Strong in Grace

2 You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 2 And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. 3 You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. 4 No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier. 5 And also if anyone competes in athletics, he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. 6 The hardworking farmer must be first to partake of the crops. 7 Consider what I say, and may the Lord give you understanding in all things.

8 Remember that Jesus Christ, of the seed of David, was raised from the dead according to my gospel, 9 for which I suffer trouble as an evildoer, even to the point of chains; but the word of God is not chained. 10 Therefore I endure all things for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.

Matthew 27:33-54

33 And when they had come to a place called Golgotha, that is to say, Place of a Skull, 34 they gave Him sour wine mingled with gall to drink. But when He had tasted it, He would not drink.

35 Then they crucified Him, and divided His garments, casting lots, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet:

“They divided My garments among them,
And for My clothing they cast lots.”

36 Sitting down, they kept watch over Him there. 37 And they put up over His head the accusation written against Him:

THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS.

38 Then two robbers were crucified with Him, one on the right and another on the left.

39 And those who passed by blasphemed Him, wagging their heads 40 and saying, “You who destroy the temple and build it in three days, save Yourself! If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross.”

41 Likewise the chief priests also, mocking with the scribes and elders, said, 42 “He saved others; Himself He cannot save. If He is the King of Israel, let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe Him. 43 He trusted in God; let Him deliver Him now if He will have Him; for He said, ‘I am the Son of God.’ ”

44 Even the robbers who were crucified with Him reviled Him with the same thing.

Jesus Dies on the Cross

45 Now from the sixth hour until the ninth hour there was darkness over all the land. 46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” that is, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”

47 Some of those who stood there, when they heard that, said, “This Man is calling for Elijah!” 48 Immediately one of them ran and took a sponge, filled it with sour wine and put it on a reed, and offered it to Him to drink.

49 The rest said, “Let Him alone; let us see if Elijah will come to save Him.”

50 And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit.

51 Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split, 52 and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; 53 and coming out of the graves after His resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many.

54 So when the centurion and those with him, who were guarding Jesus, saw the earthquake and the things that had happened, they feared greatly, saying, “Truly this was the Son of God!”