The Orthodox Home

Creating an Orthodox Christian environment in the home

Creating an Orthodox Christian home begins with the icon corner. The “bright corner” becomes the center for every domestic church, where the family devotions take place. Each member of the family should have their own patron saint’s icon, and a wonderful practice from ancient times is to have a family icon written so that all their patron saints are represented in the same icon. This is also the family’s way of declaring to visitors that this is a Christian home with Christ as it’s head.

The family should try as best they can to have dinner together every night of the week. Watching TV while eating dinner is a very bad idea, for the meal should be the time when the parents can talk to their children about school, or other activities. In these modern times there are almost always school or work related activities that don’t always allow everyone to be together for that all important family meal, but every effort should be made to make this happen as often as possible.

The blessing of the meal, with the father or mother making the sign of the cross over the meal with their fingers together as done when blessing oneself, should never be avoided. If we always say a blessing over our food at home, we are more likely to do so when at school or in a restaurant.

Television, and the overuse of the Internet, wreak havoc on family life, and as such, have become foreign invaders in our homes, having replaced Christ as head of our household. Bad habits are hard to overcome, so replacing these with communal time in the living room may be difficult at first, but this is necessary as the basic foundation of any Orthodox Christian home.

We must guard our home from other invaders as well. Magazines and other reading material should be in sync with our Christian values. If we’d rather our priest not see a magazine or certain book in our home, it shouldn’t be there in the first place. As well, the music played should be uplifting, devoid of profanity and vulgarity.

Regular family meetings where everyone has an opportunity to share  about things, and where the atmosphere is loving, open and safe, help create trust and a sense of security for everyone. Although it is natural for parents to argue on occasion, this should never take place in front of the children, for they need to feel safe and secure in the home.

Boys need to see their fathers as icons of Christ, always demonstrating the biblical image of a husband and father. Men need, for the sake of their children, to give witness to the importance of prayer and church attendance. Statistically, children, whose father is a church goer, are far more likely to remain in the faith as adults. Because the husband is a sort of domestic priest (the priesthood of all believers), it is important that he be the one who leads the entire family in prayer. Men should not leave spiritual instruction up to their wives, but should remember they will ultimately be held accountable before the Lord, come judgement day.

Men should not let their wives do all the house cleaning and cooking. In an age where both husband and wife often need to hold down jobs in order to make ends meet, a woman’s work is not just household work. She should not have to come home from work and be expected to do all the housework and cooking by herself. Men need to teach their children by example to help around the house.

Children should be given a small allowance (according to age) so they can learn to manage money, and an important part of money managing is the tithe. The biblical command to give ten percent of one’s income back to God is almost never practiced in the Orthodox Church, which is why so many clergy are given such meager salaries, and parishes have to hold festivals and bazaars in order to keep the temple open. When we fail to tithe we are stealing from God, and the child who tithes ten percent of his allowance will grow into an adult Orthodox Christian who tithes.

These are basic suggestions for creating an Orthodox home. If you begin to implement these suggestions, the Lord will reward you with a family that stands strong and your children will grow up as spiritually healthy Christians, grounded in biblical teachings and moral fortitude. Your grandchildren will, in return, be raised with the same biblical principles and you will be the most blessed grandparents on your block!

With love in Christ,
Abbot Tryphon

Thursday June 28, 2018 / June 15, 2018
5th Week after Pentecost. Tone three.
Apostles’ (Peter & Paul) Fast. Fish Allowed

St. Jonah, metropolitan of Moscow (1461).
Prophet Amos (8th c. B.C.).
New Hieromartyr Amos priest (1918).
St. Michael, first metropolitan of Kiev (992).
Venerables Gregory and Cassian, abbots of Avnezh (Vologda) (1392) (translation of the relics, 1524).
Martyrs Vitus, Modestus, and Crescentia at Lucania (303).
Martyr Dulas of Cilicia (305-313).
Venerable Dulas the Passion-bearer of Egypt.
Venerable Jerome (Hieronymus) of Stridonium (420).
Translation of the relics (9th c.) of Theodore the Sykeote (613).
Great-martyr Tsar Venerable Lazar of Serbia (1389).
St. Ephraim, patriarch of Serbia (1400).
Blessed Augustine, bishop of Hippo (430), and his mother Monica (387).
Venerable Orsiesius of Tabenna, disciple of St. Pachomius the Great (368-380).
Virgin Martyrs Leonis, Libye, and Eutropia, and their mother, who suffered in Palmyra of Syria (305).
St. Symeon, archbishop of Novgorod (1421).
Venerable Abraham, abbot, of Auvergne (477) (Gaul).
Apostles Fortunatus, Achaicus, and Stephen (Greek).
Venerable Joseph, monk, of Bethlehem (Greek).
Martyr Grace (Greek).
St. Cedronus, patriarch of Alexandria (107).
Martyr Hesychius the Soldier of Dorostolum and two others in Moesia (302).
St. Spyridon, patriarch of Serbia (1388).
All New Martyrs of Serbia.
St. Trillo, abbot of Llandrillo..

The Scripture Readings

John 10:1-9

Jesus the True Shepherd

10 “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. 2 But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. 5 Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” 6 Jesus used this illustration, but they did not understand the things which He spoke to them.

Jesus the Good Shepherd

7 Then Jesus said to them again, “Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. 8 All who ever came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. 9 I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.

Romans 15:17-29

17 Therefore I have reason to glory in Christ Jesus in the things which pertain to God. 18 For I will not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ has not accomplished through me, in word and deed, to make the Gentiles obedient— 19 in mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God, so that from Jerusalem and round about to Illyricum I have fully preached the gospel of Christ. 20 And so I have made it my aim to preach the gospel, not where Christ was named, lest I should build on another man’s foundation, 21 but as it is written:

“To whom He was not announced, they shall see;
And those who have not heard shall understand.”

Plan to Visit Rome

22 For this reason I also have been much hindered from coming to you. 23 But now no longer having a place in these parts, and having a great desire these many years to come to you, 24 whenever I journey to Spain, I shall come to you. For I hope to see you on my journey, and to be helped on my way there by you, if first I may enjoy your company for a while. 25 But now I am going to Jerusalem to minister to the saints. 26 For it pleased those from Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain contribution for the poor among the saints who are in Jerusalem. 27 It pleased them indeed, and they are their debtors. For if the Gentiles have been partakers of their spiritual things, their duty is also to minister to them in material things. 28 Therefore, when I have performed this and have sealed to them this fruit, I shall go by way of you to Spain. 29 But I know that when I come to you, I shall come in the fullness of the blessing of the gospel of Christ.

Matthew 12:46-13:3

Jesus’ Mother and Brothers Send for Him

46 While He was still talking to the multitudes, behold, His mother and brothers stood outside, seeking to speak with Him. 47 Then one said to Him, “Look, Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, seeking to speak with You.”

48 But He answered and said to the one who told Him, “Who is My mother and who are My brothers?” 49 And He stretched out His hand toward His disciples and said, “Here are My mother and My brothers! 50 For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother.”

The Parable of the Sower

13 On the same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the sea. 2 And great multitudes were gathered together to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore.

3 Then He spoke many things to them in parables, saying: “Behold, a sower went out to sow.