By Abbot Tryphon
Imitate the publican and you will not be condemned with the pharisee. Choose the meekness of Moses and you will find your heart which is a rock changed into a spring of water. Imitate the Publican | The Saints Serve As Models For Our Live.
Our Orthodox Christian life is not designed to be invented as we go, for by the very nature of the Church we are instructed to use as our model of living, the lives of the saints that have gone on before us. Their lives are held up before us as examples of holiness. Their charity is to become our model of charity. Their sacrifice is to become the model of our sacrifice. Their asceticism is to be the model of our own asceticism. Their humility must be the model by which we are to lead lives in all humility.
Their love of God and neighbor must become the supreme example for our own struggle to love God above all else, and to love our neighbor as our self. Their willingness to suffer persecution for Christ’s sake, must be the model by which we are willing to face persecution, and even martyrdom, for our faith.
Saint Syncletica, a 4th century desert mother, said, “Imitate the publican and you will not be condemned with the pharisee. Choose the meekness of Moses and you will find your heart which is a rock changed into a spring of water.” Whereas the pharisee was proud before God and men for his piety and accomplishments, even boldly standing in the temple in all arrogance, thanking God that he was not like other men, the publican stood afar, head lowered, beating his breast and saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner! (Luke 18:13).”
The Lord Jesus Christ told his disciples that the publican went away justified.
We must take care of whom we set as the model for our own living, that we not take as our example the man who is worldly, self-centered, greedy, unloving, and devoid of any interest in the spiritual life. Rather, we must look to the saints as examples of how to live, and how to love, that we, like the publican, will stand before God having been justified.
With love in Christ,
Abbot Tryphon
About The Brotherhood of the All-Merciful Saviour Monastery
All-Merciful Saviour Monastery is a monastery of the Western American Diocese, under the omophor of His Eminence Kyrill, Archbishop of San Francisco and Western America. The Monastery is a non-profit 501 C3 organization under IRS regulations. All donations are therefore tax deductible.
We depend on the generosity of our friends and benefactors. You can donate to the monastery through PayPal, or by sending donations directly to the monastery’s mailing address:
All-Merciful Saviour Monastery
P.O. Box 2420
Vashon Island, WA 98070-2420 USA
Another small way to contribute to the monastery if one already purchases items through the amazon.com website is to use the smile.amazon.com link associated with our monastery. Purchases will accrue a small percentage that will eventually be given to the monastery in time. For more information, please go our website page here: https://vashonmonks.com/using-amazon-smile
By: Abbot Tryphon | The All-Merciful Saviour Orthodox Monastery on Vashon Island. Washington, United States
Delivered to you by COPTICNN™ | Coptic News Network on 2020-02-22 from Washington, United States
COPTICNN™ | Coptic News Network & COPTICNN™ DIRECTORY | Christian Business Directory
Columnists: COPTICNN™ award-winning columnists are a fundamental pillar of our coverage. They range in their interests from orthodoxy, faith, politics, to world affairs, to business, to the arts, to the way we live. No matter the issue, they are always in the middle of our Christian discourse. They are trusted by our readers and followed by many Coptic Orthodox Christians worldwide. Influential, provocative, and engaging, our columnists provide insights and analysis that can’t be found elsewhere, making them a prime destination for WORLD readers.
![You Must Be Born Again! The Anabaptists [Part 2]](https://www.copticnn.com/wp-content/uploads/post_news-4159-you-must-be-born-again-the-anabaptists-p2-165x109.png)
