The Church is the Promised Land
My entrance into the Orthodox Church was my personal escape from Egypt, in that I took refuge from the fallen world of my former secular existence. Coming into Orthodoxy was like the crossing the Jordan for me, for I beheld Orthodoxy as the land promised by God from the beginning of time. The Fathers of the Church characterized the Christian’s life as one of struggle for a life with Christ in the Heavenly Kingdom, and in Orthodoxy I came face to face with this Christ of the Gospels, and met Him in the Holy Mysteries of the Eucharist.
This encounter with Orthodoxy was not one of theoretical, philosophic inspection, but rather an immersion in the Church’s liturgical life, where I was to encounter a piety based on a true dogma, unchanged by the passing of time, and linked to the Ancient, Apostolic Church of Our Fathers. That Orthodoxy has preserved the biblical faith from any change or perversion, has quickened my soul, and begun the process of purifying my heart. The darkness of my previous existence, which stood as a barrier between me and knowledge of the living God, was banished by the waters of baptism, and a frequent encounter with Christ in the reception of His Holy Body and Blood in the Divine Liturgy.
Orthodoxy has preserved the faith of the early Church in the same form as received from the beginning, and has neither added nor subtracted from the faith, once delivered to the saints. She has understood the words of the book of Revelation about he who adds to or removes from this book as applying to anybody who adds or removes any of the dogmas of the New Testament, “For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life (Rev. 22:18-19).”
As an Orthodox believer, I struggle with all my might to enter into a deeper knowledge of the Orthodox faith, not in an abstract or intellectual manner, but in an ongoing pursuit to enter into the mystery of Jesus Christ. Since I know I cannot be saved without the truth, I cleave to the Church, for I am compelled by the knowledge that the mystery of the Orthodox faith, the living body of Christ, is the Church Christ founded. And only within the Church can the pure love of Jesus Christ burn within me. Within the Church, I have found the Promised Land.
With love in Christ,
Abbot Tryphon
Photo: My spiritual father, Archimandrite Dimitry (Egoroff) of blessed memory.
Friday November 25, 2016 / November 12, 2016
23rd Week after Pentecost. Tone five.
Fast. Food with Oil
St. John the Merciful, patriarch of Alexandria (620).
Venerable Nilus the Faster of Sinai (451).
New Hieromartyrs Constantine, Vladimir, Alexander, Matthew, Demetrius priests (1937).
New Hieromartyr Boris (1942).
Blessed John “the Hairy,” fool-for-Christ at Rostov (1580).
Prophet Ahijah (Achias) (960 B.C.).
St. Nilus the Myrrh-gusher of Mt. Athos (1651).
“The Merciful” Icon of the Mother of God.
New Martyr Sabbas Nigdelinus of Constantinople (1726) (Greek).
New Martyr Nicholas of Constantinople (1726).
St. Leontius, patriarch of Constantinople (1143).
Venerable Emilian of Vergegio in Iberia.
Venerable Lebuinus, missionary monk of the Netherlands (Netherlands).
St. Machar, bishop of Aberdeen (Scotland) (6th c.) (Celtic & British).
St. Sinell of Cleenish (6th c.) (Celtic & British).
St. Cadwaladr, king of the Welsh (664) (Celtic & British).
New Hieromartyr priest Theodore Gidaspov.
Synaxis of the Russian New Martyrs of Optina: Anatolius, Barnabas, Dositheus, Nectarius, Panteleimon and Vincent.
Scripture Readings
1 Thessalonians 2:14-19
14 For you, brethren, became imitators of the churches of God which are in Judea in Christ Jesus. For you also suffered the same things from your own countrymen, just as they did from the Judeans, 15 who killed both the Lord Jesus and their own prophets, and have persecuted us; and they do not please God and are contrary to all men, 16 forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they may be saved, so as always to fill up the measure of their sins; but wrath has come upon them to the uttermost.
Longing to See Them
17 But we, brethren, having been taken away from you for a short time in presence, not in heart, endeavored more eagerly to see your face with great desire. 18 Therefore we wanted to come to you—even I, Paul, time and again—but Satan hindered us. 19 For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming?
Luke 13:31-35
31 On that very day some Pharisees came, saying to Him, “Get out and depart from here, for Herod wants to kill You.”
32 And He said to them, “Go, tell that fox, ‘Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I shall be perfected.’ 33 Nevertheless I must journey today, tomorrow, and the day following; for it cannot be that a prophet should perish outside of Jerusalem.
Jesus Laments over Jerusalem
34 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, but you were not willing! 35 See! Your house is left to you desolate; and assuredly, I say to you, you shall not see Me until the time comes when you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’ ”
Father Tryphon,
Thank you for the edifying description of the quest for Orthodoxy. Last night, I was reading a book in Romanian about a recovery of a terrible, former Communist Secret Service tortionary agent and there is a quote from your notes on how the clergy has to behave. A newly installed staretz was delivering those notes to his brotherhood as a sober reminder on what purpose they are called for as well as how they should behave.
Indeed, besides the fact that are true events described there, this is one of the most amazing books that I had the chance to read. The name of the book is “The Dead return home” by Constantin Cornel Ciomazga.
Regards,
Dan