Prayer
The Cure for Our Disordered State
Man is living in a perpetual state of disorder, far from the ordered life God intended for him. The cure for this disordered state is to be found in prayer. It is in the foundation of prayer that we seek out the healing that will restore us to the image that God intended at the moment of creation. Prayer is the yearning of the soul towards the image of its prototype. When we are purified by God's grace, it is an attraction of like to like. We are deified by contact with the Creator, returned to an ordered state, and made whole.
We can achieve nothing by our own efforts alone; yet if we commit ourselves to a prayer rule, and stick with it, the Lord will reward us with an abundance of grace, and we will be restored to the ordered life we were intended to enjoy. Just as it takes two men, cooperating with one another, to move a broken down old car to the side of the road for repairs, so too much we cooperate with God, if we are to be made whole.
Someone once complained to me that he wasn't sure there was anything to this "God thing", sharing he had real doubts as to whether any of the Church's teachings were true. I pointed out that he was hardly cooperating with the cure for his illness, since his church attendance was erratic, and his prayer life non-existent.
You don't enroll in a French class, not show up, and expect to learn French. Nor do you take a woman out for dinner, refuse to engage her in conversation, and expect her to accept an invitation for another date. Likewise, if we want to learn about the things of God, we will show up for services, read books on Orthodoxy, and otherwise avail ourselves to the healing that takes place within the Church. A relationship with God, like in any human relationship, depends on our own commitment, for a relationship is dependent on both parties active participation.
Love in Christ,
Abbot Tryphon
We can achieve nothing by our own efforts alone; yet if we commit ourselves to a prayer rule, and stick with it, the Lord will reward us with an abundance of grace, and we will be restored to the ordered life we were intended to enjoy. Just as it takes two men, cooperating with one another, to move a broken down old car to the side of the road for repairs, so too much we cooperate with God, if we are to be made whole.
Someone once complained to me that he wasn't sure there was anything to this "God thing", sharing he had real doubts as to whether any of the Church's teachings were true. I pointed out that he was hardly cooperating with the cure for his illness, since his church attendance was erratic, and his prayer life non-existent.
You don't enroll in a French class, not show up, and expect to learn French. Nor do you take a woman out for dinner, refuse to engage her in conversation, and expect her to accept an invitation for another date. Likewise, if we want to learn about the things of God, we will show up for services, read books on Orthodoxy, and otherwise avail ourselves to the healing that takes place within the Church. A relationship with God, like in any human relationship, depends on our own commitment, for a relationship is dependent on both parties active participation.
Love in Christ,
Abbot Tryphon
Wednesday September 25, 2013 / September 12, 2013
14th Week after Pentecost. Tone four.
Fast. By Monastic Charter: Strict Fast (Bread, Vegetables, Fruits)
Apodosis of the Nativity of the Theotokos.Fast. By Monastic Charter: Strict Fast (Bread, Vegetables, Fruits)
Hieromartyr Autonomus, bishop in Italy (313).
Venerable Athanasius (1401), disciple of Venerable Sergius of Radonezh and abbot of the Vysotsk Monastery in Serpukhov, and his disciple Venerable Athanasius (1395).
New Hieromartyrs Theodore, John, Nicholas priests and Martyr Alexis (1937).
Blessed Alexis of Elnat and Zharki, near Kineshma (1937).
Translation of the relics (1704) of Righteous Simeon of Verkhoturye (1642).
Venerable Bassian of Tiksna (Vologda) (1624).
Martyr Julian of Galatia, and forty martyrs with him (4th c.).
Hieromartyr Theodore, archbishop of Alexandria (606).
St. Coronatus, bishop of Iconium (3rd c.).
Martyr Macedonius in Phrygia, and with him Martyrs Tatian and Theodulus (4th c.).
St. Sacerdos, bishop of Lyons in Gaul (Gaul).
Venerable Daniel of Thassos, monk (843) (Greek).
St. Andronicus of Atroa (9th c.) (Greek).
Hieromartyr Dositheus of Tbilisi, Georgia (1795) (Georgia).
St. Ailbhe (Elvis) of Emly (527) (Celtic & British).
You can read the life of the saint by clicking on the highlighted name.
THANKS 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
Abbot Tryphon
Donations can be made directly to the monastery through PayPal, or you may send donations to:
All-Merciful Saviour Monastery
PO Box 2420
Vashon Island, WA 98070-2420 USA
The Scripture Readings for the Day
2 Corinthians 13:3-13
5 Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified. 6 But I trust that you will know that we are not disqualified.
Paul Prefers Gentleness
7 Now I pray to God that you do no evil, not that we should appear approved, but that you should do what is honorable, though we may seem disqualified. 8 For we can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth. 9 For we are glad when we are weak and you are strong. And this also we pray, that you may be made complete. 10 Therefore I write these things being absent, lest being present I should use sharpness, according to the authority which the Lord has given me for edification and not for destruction.Greetings and Benediction
11 Finally, brethren, farewell. Become complete. Be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you.12 Greet one another with a holy kiss.
13 All the saints greet you.
Mark 4:35-41
Wind and Wave Obey Jesus
35 On the same day, when evening had come, He said to them, “Let us cross over to the other side.” 36 Now when they had left the multitude, they took Him along in the boat as He was. And other little boats were also with Him. 37 And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling. 38 But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?”39 Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace, be still!” And the wind ceased and there was a great calm. 40 But He said to them, “Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?” 41 And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, “Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!”
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