Holding on to guilt and shame
There are many people who cling to memories of past sins, holding on to guilt and shame, reliving things long ago confessed, as though they happened yesterday. They struggle with regrets, often revisiting shame as though they were archeologists, digging for historical artifacts that must be preserved.
Such is not the case with God, for His interest is not in our past, but in our future. Confessed sins are counted as nothing, for God looks with interest on the transformed heart that has been made anew, with contrition. God looks to our future, for His loving mercy is upon the man who has confessed his sin, and that sin is counted as nothing. God is interested in what we are doing with our future, and as a loving Father takes pleasure in the steps we take in our journey towards Him.
For us to look back is to reject the very role of confession, for if we cling to past regrets, we are rejecting the very meaning of repentance, which means a change of heart and taking a direction that is all about the future.
Transformation is not something that happens in an instant, but is a journey towards holiness, and as long as we look to the future with hope, transformation of the heart continues, and our past becomes but a fading memory.
Love in Christ,
Abbot Tryphon
Photos: Our new proposed bell tower.
Friday September 4, 2015 / August 22, 2015
14th Week after Pentecost. Tone four.
Fast. By Monastic Charter: Strict Fast (Bread, Vegetables, Fruits)
Afterfeast of the Dormition.
Martyr Agathonicus of Nicomedia and his companions: Martyrs Zoticus, Theoprepius, Acindynus, Severian, Zeno, and others, who suffered under Maximian (4th c.).
Martyr Gorazd of Prague, Bohemia and Moravo-Cilezsk (1942).
Venerable Isaac I (Antimonov, the “Elder”) of Optina (1894).
New Martyrs Ephraim (Kuznetsov), bishop of Selenginsk and Priest John Vostorgov (1918).
New Hieromartyrs Macarius bishop of Orlov, John and Alexis priests (1918).
New Hieromartyrs Theodore bishop of Penza and with him Basil and Gabriel priests (1937).
New Hieromartyrs John bishop of Velikoluk, Alexis archbishop of Omsk, Alexander, Michael and Theodore priests, Hieromartyr Hilarion, John and Hierotheus (1937)
Hieromartyr Athanasius (270-275), bishop of Tarsus in Cilicia, Venerable Anthusa of Syria (298) and Martyrs Charesimus and Neophytus (270-275).
Virgin-martyr Eulalia of Barcelona (303).
Iveron Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos at the Monastery of St. Alexis of Moscow (1650).
Venerable Bogolep of St. Paisius of Uglich Monastery (16th c.).
St. Symphorian of Autun (2nd-3rd c.) (Celtic & British).
Venerable Sigfrid, abbot of Wearmouth (England) (688) (Celtic & British).
New Hieromartyr Andrew (Ukhtomsky), bishop of Ufa (1937).
Martyrs Irenaeus, Deakon, Or, and Oropsus (Greek).
Scripture Readings
Galatians 2:6-10
6 But from those who seemed to be something—whatever they were, it makes no difference to me; God shows personal favoritism to no man—for those who seemed to be something added nothing to me. 7 But on the contrary, when they saw that the gospel for the uncircumcised had been committed to me, as the gospel for the circumcised was to Peter 8 (for He who worked effectively in Peter for the apostleship to the circumcised also worked effectively in me toward the Gentiles), 9 and when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that had been given to me, they gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised. 10 They desired only that we should remember the poor, the very thing which I also was eager to do.
Mark 5:22-24
22 And behold, one of the rulers of the synagogue came, Jairus by name. And when he saw Him, he fell at His feet 23 and begged Him earnestly, saying, “My little daughter lies at the point of death. Come and lay Your hands on her, that she may be healed, and she will live.” 24 So Jesus went with him, and a great multitude followed Him and thronged Him.
Mark 5:35-6:1
35 While He was still speaking, some came from the ruler of the synagogue’s house who said, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?”
36 As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, He said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Do not be afraid; only believe.” 37 And He permitted no one to follow Him except Peter, James, and John the brother of James. 38 Then He came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and saw a tumult and those who wept and wailed loudly. 39 When He came in, He said to them, “Why make this commotion and weep? The child is not dead, but sleeping.”
40 And they ridiculed Him. But when He had put them all outside, He took the father and the mother of the child, and those who were with Him, and entered where the child was lying. 41 Then He took the child by the hand, and said to her, “Talitha, cumi,” which is translated, “Little girl, I say to you, arise.” 42 Immediately the girl arose and walked, for she was twelve years of age. And they were overcome with great amazement. 43 But He commanded them strictly that no one should know it, and said that something should be given her to eat.
Jesus Rejected at Nazareth
6 Then He went out from there and came to His own country, and His disciples followed Him.
That bell tower looks Protestant.
No, the bell tower looks like the ancient Orthodox bell towers of Norway. The architecture of our monastery is Norwegian, and the bell tower will be the crown of my decision to express my heritage, and the heritage of the greater Seattle area, which has one of the largest Nordic immigrant populations in the nation. I wanted to express the truth that you don’t have to be Russian or Greek, to be Orthodox. Someone else pointed out that the bell tower looks Romanian!
Fr. thank you for this response. such a simple comment may seem like such a slight misunderstanding but stands for something much more serious which keeps many from the Orthodox Church, and promotes misunderstanding about the Church. The failure to witness to our catholicity by expressing the breadth of our tradition (and even aggressively and misleadingly dismissing it!) partially kept me from entering the Church for 17 years. Now thank God I am an Orthodox Priest and try to do my small part to witness to our catholic faith which spreads across time, place, culture, language and Orthodox/Catholic liturgical tradition.
Fr. Patrick Cardine
Such an easy thing to say, accept, and believe, Father. Yet, like King David, I cannot sleep for the roaring of my mind all night long. Please pray for me.
I was reminded of the classic book “God of All Comfort”, a reflection on the Psalms by the Quaker lady, Hannah Whitall Smith.
I, too, am of Norwegian descent, and am also Orthodox – I can’t tell you how much I enjoy reading your blog every day and how much it sustains me! The more I learn about you, the more I feel a “kindred spirit”. I have told my college age son about you and your journey, as he is on one of his own, with his own doubts and questions, and I think you are and will continue to be a help and guide for him as well. Thank you.
Thank you also for showing that things don’t all have to look a certain way to be Orthodox! How boring would that be!
“Anonymous”, who posted his opinion about the bell tower being “protestant”, just wrote a nasty response to my reply. Calling my monks “fat”, and saying that I was a monk in name only, and still acting like a psychologist, he totally dismissed me as being all about my ego. I am choosing not to approve his posting, as it was written with such anger, and anonymous as well. I’d have been more inclined to post his words if he had manned up and used his own name. Can’t please everyone, all the time. He’s certainly correct in saying I’m not a very good monk, however.
The Stav Kirkes of Norway, which date to the year 1,000, were certainly Orthodox and Catholic in the true meanings and traditions that these words represent. Many have towers/steeples, not domes which are of the Slavic tradition. There are many ways to live the classical monastic traditions, both East and West, in authentic architecture and lifestyle and worship. Bless be the Vashon monks who express the fullness of life and the love of the Church in all these things!