Wednesday, May 11, 2011

101 Year Old Abbot Tryphon
Thursday
May 12, 2011 / April 29, 2011

Third Week of Pascha. Tone two.
Nine Martyrs at Cyzicus: Theognes, Rufus, Antipater, Theostichus, Artemas, Magnus, Theodotus, Thaumasius, and Philemon (3rd c.).
Venerable Memnon the Wonderworker of Corfu (2nd c.).
Venerable Nektarius of Optina (1928).
Venerable Amphilochius of Pochaev (1970).
Martyrs Diodorus and Rhodopianus, deacon, at Aphrodisia in Anatolia (284-305).
St. Basil, bishop of Ostrog in Montenegro (Serbia) (1671).
Saint John of Romania.
Holy Martyrs of Lazeti (Georgia) (17th-18th c.).
Venerable Secundellas the Deacon, in Gaul (Gaul).
Apostles Jason and Sosipater of the Seventy (Greek).
St. John, metropolitan of Thebes, the new merciful one (12th c.) (Greek).
St. John Tolaius, patriarch of Alexandria (482).
St. Nicetas, abbot of Synnada (9th c.).
St. Arsenius, archbishop of Suzdal (1627).
New Martyr Stanko the Shepherd of Montenegro (1712).
St. Nicephorus of Sebaze (9thc.).
St. Endelienta (Endellion), nun-recluse of Cornwall.



 

A Word from the Abbot:


It was made clear to me, a few days ago, that I need to pay more attention to the fact that I'm getting older, and that I must be prepared, each and every day, to stand before the Lord, and make account of my life.

Seated in a restaurant on the waterfront in the City of Edmonds, Washington, having lunch with two friends, a priest, and a doctor,  I noticed two women sitting at a table near ours. One woman looked exceptionally old, and was laboring, quite slowly, to bring her spoon to her mouth. I was sitting, as I prefer to do, with my back to the window, with my two friends facing me from across the table. To my immediate right was an exit door, leading to the boardwalk outside the restaurant. The younger of the two women, upon the completion of their meal, pushed the older woman, who was in a wheelchair, past me, and was attempting to open the door. Seeing her struggle, I stood up, stepped forward, and asked to be of assistance. I opened the door, and as they were passing through, the younger woman announced that her mother was celebrating her 101st birthday. Hearing this, I leaned forward, taking the elderly woman's hands into mine, and wished her a happy birthday. Being a gentleman, I told her that I would consider myself a lucky man, should I, when reaching 80, look as young as she, on her 101st birthday. The sweet woman looked into my face with a big smile, and said, "We're of the same generation, aren't we!" (I'm sixty-five.)

As I stepped back into the restaurant, my friend, Dr. Bakken commented on what a sweet old woman she was. When I told them what she's said to me, my friends broke up laughing. A moment later, the young waitress came to pour more coffee, and told us that the old woman, for whom I held the door, was celebrating her 101st birthday. Dr. Bakken responded, "so is Father Tryphon."

Nothing like being mistaken for 101, to remind oneself of the necessity of being prepared for the Judgment Day.

Abbot Tryphon


Scripture Readings for the Day:


Acts 8:26-39

Christ Is Preached to an Ethiopian

26 Now an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, “Arise and go toward the south along the road which goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is desert. 27 So he arose and went. And behold, a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under Candace the queen of the Ethiopians, who had charge of all her treasury, and had come to Jerusalem to worship, 28 was returning. And sitting in his chariot, he was reading Isaiah the prophet. 29 Then the Spirit said to Philip, “Go near and overtake this chariot.”
30 So Philip ran to him, and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah, and said, “Do you understand what you are reading?”
31 And he said, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he asked Philip to come up and sit with him. 32 The place in the Scripture which he read was this:


      “ He was led as a sheep to the slaughter;
      And as a lamb before its shearer is silent,
       So He opened not His mouth.
       33 In His humiliation His justice was taken away,
      And who will declare His generation?
      For His life is taken from the earth.”

34 So the eunuch answered Philip and said, “I ask you, of whom does the prophet say this, of himself or of some other man?” 35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning at this Scripture, preached Jesus to him. 36 Now as they went down the road, they came to some water. And the eunuch said, “See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?”
37 Then Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.”
And he answered and said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”
38 So he commanded the chariot to stand still. And both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him. 39 Now when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away, so that the eunuch saw him no more; and he went on his way rejoicing.

John 6:40-44

40 And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.”
Rejected by His Own
41 The Jews then complained about Him, because He said, “I am the bread which came down from heaven.” 42 And they said, “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How is it then that He says, ‘I have come down from heaven’?”
43 Jesus therefore answered and said to them, “Do not murmur among yourselves. 44 No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day.

No comments:

Post a Comment