The Morning Offering

The Orthodox Church is evangelical, but not Protestant. It is orthodox, but not Jewish. It is catholic, but not Roman. It isn't non-denominational - it is pre-denominational. It has believed, taught, preserved, defended and died for the Faith of the Apostles since the Day of Pentecost 2000 years ago.

Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory to Him forever!

The Morning Offering
Saturday, July 4 / June 21 (Church Calendar)
Saint John the Wonderworker of Shanghai and San Francisco

Saints of the Day:

June 21 / July 4. Martyr Julian of Tarsus in Cilicia. Hieromartyr Terence (Tertius), Bishop of Iconium. St. Julius, presbyter of Novara, and his brother St. Julian the deacon. New-Martyr Nicetas of Nisyros near Rhodes. Martyrs Archil II and Luarsab II, kings of Georgia. Martyr Aphrodisius in Cilicia. (Greek Calendar: Martyr Julian of Libya. Hieromartyr Anthony, Anastasius who was raised from the dead, Celsius and his mother Vasilissa, 20 prison guards and 7 brothers, martyred with St. Julian.)

Photo of the Day:

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This photo of me was taken by my brother, on his boat, as we were going up a subsidiary the Clark Fork River, near Hope, Idaho. This river empties out into Lake Pend Oreille, a fifty-five mile long lake, some 1500 feet deep. I'm in Hope, Idaho for a family reunion, and will be spending the first 4th of July with my family since I was 20 years old! Sunday, following a concelebrated Liturgy with my parents former priest, I will be giving a talk on Orthodoxy in nearby Sandpoint, Idaho, my home town. (click to enlarge)

Thought for the Day:

"Take no greater care than to correct your will and inward disposition. In this consists all the power of Christian piety."

St. Tikhon of Zadonsk

 Scripture Readings for the Day:

Romans 6:11-17

¹¹ Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
¹² Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. ¹³ And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. ¹⁴ For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.

From Slaves of Sin to Slaves of God

¹⁵ What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not! ¹⁶ Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one's slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness? ¹⁷ But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered.

Matthew 8:14-23

Peter's Mother-in-Law Healed

¹⁴ Now when Jesus had come into Peter's house, He saw his wife's mother lying sick with a fever. ¹⁵ So He touched her hand, and the fever left her. And she arose and served them.

Many Healed in the Evening

¹⁶ When evening had come, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed. And He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick, ¹⁷ that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying:


      " He Himself took our infirmities
      And bore our sicknesses."

The Cost of Discipleship

¹⁸ And when Jesus saw great multitudes about Him, He gave a command to depart to the other side. ¹⁹ Then a certain scribe came and said to Him, "Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go."
²⁰ And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head."
²¹ Then another of His disciples said to Him, "Lord, let me first go and bury my father."
²² But Jesus said to him, "Follow Me, and let the dead bury their own dead."

Wind and Wave Obey Jesus

 ²³ Now when He got into a boat, His disciples followed Him.