“Love thy God with all your heart, mind…”
and secondly, “Love thy neighbor…”
We live in a world bombarded with thousands of messages, some subtle and some not-so-subtle, of merchandising that impact the way we interact with others, and the way we relate to God. Much of what we glean from these messages is narcissistic in nature, estranging us from one another.
We become so self absorbed that we fail to live authentically as Christians, being peace-makers, working towards justice, failing to forgive those who’ve wronged us, and not being compassionate towards those in need of mercy and charity. “Those who hear the word ought to give proof of the work of the word in their own souls” (St. Macarius the Great).
If we wear a cross around our neck, make the sign of the cross in perfect order, keep the fast periods, but have not the love of the poor we have gained nothing. Christ Himself told us that we can not love God Whom we’ve not seen, if we do not love our neighbor. If we do not give alms to the poor and speak out for human justice, we will have gained nothing. If we do not treat everyone with respect and love, and show mercy to all, we have not Christ in us.
We must put on Christ with the rising of the sun, and with it going down. Christ must be in every word we speak and in every action of our heart. He must reign supreme in our lives, that all see Christ in us, just as we must see Christ in every person with whom we come in contact. “I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me” (Galatians 2:20).
Love in Christ,
Abbot Tryphon
Wishing Archbishop Kyrill of San Francisco and Western America a blessed and joyous celebration of his Name Day. May God grant him many years!
Photo: Kayakers coming ashore in the Dockton Marina during a snowstorm.
Tuesday February 27, 2024 / February 14, 2024
Week of the Publican and the Pharisee. Tone five.
Fast-free Week. Fast-free
Venerable Auxentius, monk of Bithynia (470).
St. Cyril, Equal-to-the-Apostles, teacher of the Slavs (869).
St. Raphael, bishop of Brooklyn (1915).
New Hieromartyr Onisimus bishop of Tula (1937).
New Hieromartyr Tryphon deacon (1938).
Venerable Isaac, recluse of the Kiev Caves (1090).
12 Greek Master-Builders of the Dormition Cathedral in the Lavra of the Kievan Caves (11th C).
Translation of the relics of Prince-martyr Michael and his counselor, St. Theodore of Chernigov (1578).
Venerable Maron, hermit of Syria (423).
St. Abraham, bishop of Charres in Mesopotamia (ca. 423).
St. Ilarion the Georgian of Imeretia and Mt. Athos (1854) (Georgia).
Hieromartyr Philemon, bishop of Gaza.
New Martyr George the Tailor of Mitylene, at Constantinople (1693) (Greek).
New Martyr Nicholas of Corinth (1554) (Greek).
St. Peter, patriarch of Alexandria (380).
New Monk-martyr Damian the New of Philotheou, who suffered at Larissa (1568).
The Scripture Readings
2 Peter 2:9-22
9 then the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment, 10 and especially those who walk according to the flesh in the lust of uncleanness and despise authority. They are presumptuous, self-willed. They are not afraid to speak evil of dignitaries, 11 whereas angels, who are greater in power and might, do not bring a reviling accusation against them before the Lord.
Depravity of False Teachers
12 But these, like natural brute beasts made to be caught and destroyed, speak evil of the things they do not understand, and will utterly perish in their own corruption, 13 and will receive the wages of unrighteousness, as those who count it pleasure to carouse in the daytime. They are spots and blemishes, carousing in their own deceptions while they feast with you, 14 having eyes full of adultery and that cannot cease from sin, enticing unstable souls. They have a heart trained in covetous practices, and are accursed children. 15 They have forsaken the right way and gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness; 16 but he was rebuked for his iniquity: a dumb donkey speaking with a man’s voice restrained the madness of the prophet.
17 These are wells without water, clouds carried by a tempest, for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever.
Deceptions of False Teachers
18 For when they speak great swelling words of emptiness, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through lewdness, the ones who have actually escaped from those who live in error. 19 While they promise them liberty, they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by whom a person is overcome, by him also he is brought into bondage. 20 For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning. 21 For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them. 22 But it has happened to them according to the true proverb: “A dog returns to his own vomit,”and, “a sow, having washed, to her wallowing in the mire.”
Mark 13:14-23
The Great Tribulation
14 “So when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not” (let the reader understand), “then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 15 Let him who is on the housetop not go down into the house, nor enter to take anything out of his house. 16 And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes. 17 But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! 18 And pray that your flight may not be in winter.19 For in those days there will be tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the creation which God created until this time, nor ever shall be. 20 And unless the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake, whom He chose, He shortened the days.
21 “Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or, ‘Look, He is there!’ do not believe it. 22 For false christs and false prophets will rise and show signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 23 But take heed; see, I have told you all things beforehand.