The Morning Offering

Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory to Him forever!

The Morning Offering
Monday, June 1 / May 19 (Church Calendar)

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23rd Annual Monastery Pilgrimage
Beginning with the Feast of Saint Olav of Norway, Tuesday, August 11th, and Concluding with the Patronal Feast of the Monastery, The Feast of the All-Merciful Saviour, Friday, August 14th (August 1st, Old Style). Camping space is available in the Monastery's Saint Seraphim's Wood, and there are many B&B's available on the island. Those who wish to do so, may camp through the weekend.

Saints of the Day:

May 19 / June 1. Hieromartyr Patrick, Bishop of Prusa, and his companions: Presbyters Acacius, Menander, and Polyenus. St. Cornelius, abbot of Komel (Vologda). Martyr Acolothus of the Thebaid. St. John, Bishop of Goths in Crimea. St. John, prince of Uglich, tonsured as Ignatius (Vologda). St. Sergius, monk of Shukhtov. St. Cornelius, abbot of Paleostrov. (Greek Calendar: Martyrs Cyriaca and Theotima.) Commemoration of ascetics of St. Anthony of Syandem Monastery: Elias (also of Valaam), Theophanes, and Dionysius.

Photo of the Day:

Norwegian, by heritage, I chose to build the monastery using Norwegian architecture. The church is a traditional Norwegian Stave Church, with a Slavic onion dome added to the top. Northern Russian and Scandinavian church architecture is very similar, of course, because they shared the same blood, (and same Orthodox faith, prior to the Great Schism). Saint Vladimir had Viking blood running through his veins!

Thought for the Day:

"Of a truth our natural passions were in harmony with nature and above nature in Christ. For they were stirred in Him after a natural manner when He permitted the flesh to suffer what was proper to it: but they were above nature because that which was natural did not in the Lord assume command over the will. For no compulsion is contemplated in Him but all is voluntary. For it was with His will that He hungered and thirsted and feared and died."

St. John of Damascus

Scripture Readings for the Day:

Acts 21:8-14

⁸ On the next day we who were Paul's companions departed and came to Caesarea, and entered the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven, and stayed with him. ⁹ Now this man had four virgin daughters who prophesied. ¹⁰ And as we stayed many days, a certain prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. ¹¹ When he had come to us, he took Paul's belt, bound his own hands and feet, and said, "Thus says the Holy Spirit, 'So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man who owns this belt, and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.'"
¹² Now when we heard these things, both we and those from that place pleaded with him not to go up to Jerusalem. ¹³ Then Paul answered, "What do you mean by weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus."
¹⁴ So when he would not be persuaded, we ceased, saying, "The will of the Lord be done."

John 14:27-15:7

²⁷ Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. ²⁸ You have heard Me say to you, 'I am going away and coming back to you.' If you loved Me, you would rejoice because I said, 'I am going to the Father,' for My Father is greater than I.
²⁹ "And now I have told you before it comes, that when it does come to pass, you may believe. ³⁰ I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming, and he has nothing in Me. ³¹ But that the world may know that I love the Father, and as the Father gave Me commandment, so I do. Arise, let us go from here.

John 15

The True Vine

 ¹ "I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. ² Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. ³ You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. ⁴ Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.
⁵ "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. ⁶ If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. ⁷ If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.