THE KINDLY PRIEST

The Kindly Priest and the American Tourist

A protestant woman from Tacoma, WA. was on vacation with her husband in the Greek city of Athens. Each day she walked to a small sidewalk cafe near the hotel for her coffee and watched the locals pass by. One of these locals was an Orthodox priest who’d pass by the cafe on his way to his parish church. The woman would smile and the priest would nod, smile back, and continue on his way.

One day this Greek priest, who spoke English, noticed that the American woman had a sad look on her face and walked over to her table and asked if something was troubling her. She burst into tears and told the priest about her husband’s medical problems, and that she feared for the worst. The priest sat with her and prayed for she and her husband. Each day he’d stop to sit at her table, praying for her husband’s recovery.

A few weeks passed and the husband recovered from his illness and returned to the United States with his wife. The memory of this priest’s compassion for a foreign woman has remained with her all these many years. She shared her memories with her doctor, who is a friend of mine, and I now share her memories with you.

What a true disciple and servant of the Lord, was this kindly priest. May we, like this priest, be attuned to those who are in need and of whom the Lord places before us. May we reach out with open hearts and bring healing to those who are suffering, letting them know that we care and that they have a friend during their time of sorrow, need and despair.

With love in Christ,
Abbot Tryphon

Tuesday July 20, 2021 / July 7, 2021
5th Week after Pentecost. Tone three.
Venerable Thomas of Mt. Maleon (10th c.).
Venerable Acacius of Sinai, who is mentioned in The Ladder (6th c.).
New Hieromartyr Paul priest (1918).
Venerable Eudocia, in monasticism Euphrosyne, grand-duchess of Moscow (1407).
Uncovering of the relics (2001) of Venerable Gerasimus, abbot of Boldino.
Martyrs Peregrinus, Lucian, Pompeius, Hesychius, Pappias, Saturninus, and Germanus, of Dyrrachium in Macedonia..
Martyrs Epictetus, presbyter, and Astion in Scythia (290).
Martyr Evangelus, Bishop of Tomi (Constanta) in Rumania.
Martyr Cyriaca (Domnica or Nedelja) of Nicomedia (289).
Translation (1654) of the Icon of the Mother of God “Vlaherensk” to Russia.
St. Hedda, bishop of the West Saxons (705) (Celtic & British).
St. Willibald, bishop of Eichstatt (786) (Celtic & British).
St. Maelruin of Tallaght (792) (Celtic & British).
St. Pantaenus the Confessor of Alexandria (203).
Hieromartyr Eustace (Greek).
Martyr Polycarp the New (Greek).

The Scripture Readings

Romans 14:9-18

9 For to this end Christ died and rose and lived again, that He might be Lord of both the dead and the living. 10 But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. 11 For it is written:

“As I live, says the Lord,
Every knee shall bow to Me,
And every tongue shall confess to God.”

12 So then each of us shall give account of himself to God. 13 Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother’s way.

The Law of Love

14 I know and am convinced by the Lord Jesus that there is nothing unclean of itself; but to him who considers anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean. 15 Yet if your brother is grieved because of your food, you are no longer walking in love. Do not destroy with your food the one for whom Christ died. 16 Therefore do not let your good be spoken of as evil; 17 for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. 18 For he who serves Christ in these things is acceptable to God and approved by men.

Matthew 12:14-16

14 Then the Pharisees went out and plotted against Him, how they might destroy Him.

Behold, My Servant

15 But when Jesus knew it, He withdrew from there. And great multitudes followed Him, and He healed them all. 16 Yet He warned them not to make Him known,

Matthew 12:22-30

A House Divided Cannot Stand

22 Then one was brought to Him who was demon-possessed, blind and mute; and He healed him, so that the blind and mute man both spoke and saw. 23 And all the multitudes were amazed and said, “Could this be the Son of David?”

24 Now when the Pharisees heard it they said, “This fellow does not cast out demons except by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons.”

25 But Jesus knew their thoughts, and said to them: “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand. 26 If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand?27 And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they shall be your judges. 28 But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God,surely the kingdom of God has come upon you. 29 Or how can one enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? And then he will plunder his house. 30 He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad.