The Morning Offering

Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory to Him forever!

The Morning Offering
Thursday, June 4 / May 22 (Church Calendar)

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Saints of the Day:

May 22 / June 4. Martyr Basiliscus, Bishop of Comana. St. John-Vladimir, ruler of Serbia. New Hieromartyr Zachariah of Prusa. Blessed James, youth, of Borovichi (Novgorod). Commemoration of the Second Ecumenical Council. Righteous Melchizedek, king of Salem. (Greek Calendar: Martyrs Marcellus and Codratus. Martyr Sophia and physician. New Monk-martyr Paul of Tripoli.) Repose of Cleopas of Valaam, disciple of St. Paisius Velichkovsky (1816).

Photo of the Day:

One of the many beautiful beaches of Vashon Island (click to enlarge).

Thought for the Day:

"...he who has been purified of the passions through inward grief perceives the hidden mysteries in all the Scriptures and is astonished by them all, especially by the words and actions recorded in the Holy Gospels. He is amazed to see how the wisdom of God renders what is difficult easy, so that gradually it deifies man. He is filled with goodness, so that he loves his enemies; he is merciful, as his Father is merciful (cf. Luke 6:36); he is dispassionate, as God is dispassionate; he is endowed with every virtue and is perfect, as the Father is perfect (cf. Matt. 5:48). In short, the Holy Bible teaches us that what befits God befits man as well, so that he becomes god by divine adoption."

St. Peter of Damascus

Scripture Readings for the Day:

Acts 25:13-19

Paul Before Agrippa

¹³ And after some days King Agrippa and Bernice came to Caesarea to greet Festus. ¹⁴ When they had been there many days, Festus laid Paul's case before the king, saying: "There is a certain man left a prisoner by Felix, ¹⁵ about whom the chief priests and the elders of the Jews informed me , when I was in Jerusalem, asking for a judgment against him. ¹⁶ To them I answered, 'It is not the custom of the Romans to deliver any man to destruction before the accused meets the accusers face to face, and has opportunity to answer for himself concerning the charge against him.' ¹⁷ Therefore when they had come together, without any delay, the next day I sat on the judgment seat and commanded the man to be brought in. ¹⁸ When the accusers stood up, they brought no accusation against him of such things as I supposed, ¹⁹ but had some questions against him about their own religion and about a certain Jesus, who had died, whom Paul affirmed to be alive.

John 16:23-33

²³ "And in that day you will ask Me nothing. Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you. ²⁴ Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.

Jesus Christ Has Overcome the World

²⁵ "These things I have spoken to you in figurative language; but the time is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figurative language, but I will tell you plainly about the Father. ²⁶ In that day you will ask in My name, and I do not say to you that I shall pray the Father for you; ²⁷ for the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me, and have believed that I came forth from God. ²⁸ I came forth from the Father and have come into the world. Again, I leave the world and go to the Father."
²⁹ His disciples said to Him, "See, now You are speaking plainly, and using no figure of speech! ³⁰ Now we are sure that You know all things, and have no need that anyone should question You. By this we believe that You came forth from God."
³¹ Jesus answered them, "Do you now believe? ³² Indeed the hour is coming, yes, has now come, that you will be scattered, each to his own, and will leave Me alone. And yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me. ³³ These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."