The Morning Offering

Solitude and Silence

Newly painted chicken coop.

A Healthy Soul is one that 
Seeks out Silence

We are addicted to noise. We find it impossible go drive our vehicles without the radio on or a CD playing. Our televisions are running from the moment we've returned from work. We take our runs with ear phones filling our minds with music. We even walk with our friends while listening to our own music. We live as though we are afraid of silence, as little children who have to sleep with a night light.

Our reasons for filling our hours with noise are varied. Some find silence disturbing and a reminder that they are alone. Others use noise as a way of keeping out the sounds of the city, or the voices of their children. There are those who use noise as a way to keep from having to communicate with others. Some even use noise to avoid themselves.

Whatever the reason, noise keeps us from connecting with our inner self, wherein we have the opportunity for communion with God. Without silence we are unable to hear the voice of God speaking in the stillness of our heart.

It is not just monks who should be seeking out moments throughout the day where solitude and silence allow us to enter into communion with God, for the humble soul and a penitent heart are fed by solitude and silence. The human heart is open to the voice of God when in silence and solitude. 

With love in Christ,

Abbot Tryphon

Monk Moses painting chicken coop.

Wednesday August 10, 2011 / July 28, 2011

 9^th Week after Pentecost. 

 

Tone seven.
Fast. By Monastic Charter: Strict Fast (Bread, Vegetables, Fruits)

Appearance of the "Smolensk" "Directress" Icon of the Mother of God brought from Constantinople in 1046.
Holy Apostles of the Seventy and Deacons: Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, and Parmenas (1st c.).
St. Pitirim, bishop of Tambov (1698).
Synaxis of All Saints of Tambov.
New Hieromartyr Nicholas deacon (1918).
New Hieromartyr Basil, Virgin-martyrs Anastasia and Hellen, Martyrs Aretha, John, John, John amd Virgin-martyr Mavra (1937).
New Hieromartyr Ignatius of Jablechna (Chelm and Podlasie, Poland) (1942).
Venerable Moses, wonderworker of the Kiev Caves (14th c.).
Martyr Julian of Dalmatia (2nd c.), Martyr Eustathius (Eustace) the Soldier of Ancyra (316) and Martyr Acacius of Apamea (321).
Venerable Paul of Xeropotamou, Mt. Athos (820).
"Grebensk" (1380), "Kostroma" (1672) and "Umileniye" ("of Tender Feeling") (1885) of Diveyevo, before which St. Seraphim reposed.
Reverence list of an "Smolensk" Icon of the Mother of God: "Ustiuzh" (1290), "Vydropussk" (15th c.), "Voronin" (1524), "Xristopor" (16th c.), "Supralsk" (16th c.), "Yug" (1615), "Igritsky" (1624), "Shuysk" (1654-16-55), "Sedmiezersk" (17th c.), "Sergievsk" (Troitsk-Sergievsky Lavra) (1730).
"Tambov" (1692) Icon of the Mother of God.
Venerable Irene Chrysoyolantou of Cappadocia (912).
Venerables Ursus and Leobatius (Leubais), brother-abbots (500) (Gaul).
St. Samson, bishop of Dol in Brittany (565) (Celtic & British).
New Martyr Christodoulos of Kassandra (1777) (Greek).
New Martyr Anastasius of Ancyra (1777) (Greek).
St. George the Builder of Iveron, Mt. Athos (1033).

Johnathan Burton from Texas, spending time with us.

The Scripture Readings for the Day:

1 Corinthians 13:4-14:5

 ⁴ Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; ⁵ does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; ⁶ does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; ⁷ bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

⁸ Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. ⁹ For we know in part and we prophesy in part. ¹⁰ But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.
¹¹ When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. ¹² For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.
¹³ And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

 

1 Corinthians 14

 

Prophecy and Tongues

 ¹ Pursue love, and desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy. ² For he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God, for no one understands him; however, in the spirit he speaks mysteries. ³ But he who prophesies speaks edification and exhortation and comfort to men. ⁴ He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the church. ⁵ I wish you all spoke with tongues, but even more that you prophesied; for he who prophesies is greater than he who speaks with tongues, unless indeed he interprets, that the church may receive edification.

Matthew 20:1-16

The Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard

  ¹ “For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. ² Now when he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard. ³ And he went out about the third hour and saw others standing idle in the marketplace, ⁴ and said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you.’ So they went. ⁵ Again he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour, and did likewise. ⁶ And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing idle, and said to them, ‘Why have you been standing here idle all day?’ ⁷ They said to him, ‘Because no one hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right you will receive.’

⁸ “So when evening had come, the owner of the vineyard said to his steward, ‘Call the laborers and give them their wages, beginning with the last to the first.’ ⁹ And when those came who were hired about the eleventh hour, they each received a denarius. ¹⁰ But when the first came, they supposed that they would receive more; and they likewise received each a denarius. ¹¹ And when they had received it, they complained against the landowner, ¹² saying, ‘These last men have worked only one hour, and you made them equal to us who have borne the burden and the heat of the day.’ ¹³ But he answered one of them and said, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? ¹⁴ Take what is yours and go your way. I wish to give to this last man the same as to you. ¹⁵ Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with my own things? Or is your eye evil because I am good?’ ¹⁶ So the last will be first, and the first last. For many are called, but few chosen.”