Culture Shock
Vashon Island, in the Salish Sea |
The Return to the United States
After having
spent almost a month in Greece, including ten days on Mount Athos, the return
to the United States, via New York City, was major culture shock. I found
myself grieving for the loss of the simple life of the Holy Mountain, with its
lack of phones, electricity, vehicles, and noise. From the monks and pilgrims
traversing the medieval cobblestone roads, with walking sticks in hand, and the
occasional monk leading his donkey, laden with supplies, to the rush of an
American airport, was a shock. Running between connecting flights, coupled with
the seemingly endless flight to the West Coast, made me feel as though I had
been ripped from paradise.
The return
to the old farmhouse on Vashon Island, which had served as our temporary
monastery, was for me, paradise regained. It enabled me to reenter the rhythm
of daily monastic life, with services, the cell rule, gardening, spiritual
reading, and simple monastic food, keeping me connected to the Holy Mountain. Although
I felt sad that the co-founder of the monastery, Father Paul, had not been able
to experience Mount Athos, I also knew he was committed, as was I, to create a
Holy Mountain on Vashon Island, where God had placed us.
With love in Christ,
Abbot Tryphon
Sunday: The Planting of a Monastery (chapter 11)
Saturday October 27, 2012 / October 14, 2012
21st Week after Pentecost. Tone three.
Martyrs Nazarius, Gervase, Protase, and Celsus of Milan (1st c.).
Venerable Parasceva (Petka) of Epibatima, Thrace, whose relics are in Iasi, Romania (11th c.).
New Hieromartyr Michael priest (1921).
New Hieromartyr Peter priest (1937).
New Hieromartyr Maximilian (1938).
Venerable Nikola Sviatosha, prince of Chernigov and wonderworker of the Kiev Caves (1143).
Hieromartyr Silvanus of Gaza (311).
"Yakhrom" (15th c.) Icon of the Mother of God.
Venerable Cosmas, abbot of Yakhroma (1494).
Venerable Euthymius the New of Thessalonica, confessor (889) (Greek).
St. Ignatius, metropolitan of Mithymna (1566) (Greek).
Martyr Peter Apselamus of Eleutheropolis in Palestine (309).
St. Burchard, first bishop of Wurzburg, English missionary to Germany (754).
St. Cosmas the Hymnographer, bishop of Maiuma (787) (Greek).
Venerable Manacca, abess of Cornwall.
You can read the life of the saint in green, by click on the name.
For those who would like to be kept informed about the persecution that is taking place against Christians throughout the Middle East, I recommend you subscribe to: http://www.jihadwatch.org/
THANK
YOU, to all of you who have been able to contribute towards the support
of the monastery. These difficult times of economic hardship have
impacted the monastery, and those of you who have been able to donate,
have been our lifeline. May God bless you for your generosity, and
kindness.
With love in Christ,
Abbot Tryphon
Donations can be made directly to the monastery through PayPal, or you may send donations to:Abbot Tryphon
All-Merciful Saviour Monastery
PO Box 2420
Vashon Island, WA 98070-2420 USA
2 Corinthians 3:12-18
12 Therefore, since we have such hope, we use great boldness of speech— 13 unlike Moses, who put a veil over his face so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the end of what was passing away. 14 But
their minds were blinded. For until this day the same veil remains
unlifted in the reading of the Old Testament, because the veil is taken away in Christ. 15 But even to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart. 16 Nevertheless when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. 17 Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. 18 But
we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the
Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory,
just as by the Spirit of the Lord.
3 But Jesus answering them said, “Have you not even read this, what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him: 4 how he went into the house of God, took and ate the showbread, and also gave some to those with him, which is not lawful for any but the priests to eat?” 5 And He said to them, “The Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath.”
Luke 6:1-10
Jesus Is Lord of the Sabbath
6 Now it happened on the second Sabbath after the first that He went through the grainfields. And His disciples plucked the heads of grain and ate them, rubbing them in their hands. 2 And some of the Pharisees said to them, “Why are you doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath?”3 But Jesus answering them said, “Have you not even read this, what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him: 4 how he went into the house of God, took and ate the showbread, and also gave some to those with him, which is not lawful for any but the priests to eat?” 5 And He said to them, “The Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath.”
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