The Morning Offering

Living the evangelical life of Orthodox monasticism in witness to the salvific truth of the Gospels of Our Lord, God, and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory to Him forever!

The Morning Offering
Thursday, August 20 / August 7 (Church Calendar)

Saints of the Day:

August 7 / 20. Afterfeast of the Transfiguration. Martyr Dometius of Persia and two disciples. Martyrs Marinus the soldier and Asterius the senator at Caesaria in Palestine. St. Poemen (Pimen) the Much-ailing of the Kiev Caves. St. Hor (Horus) of the Thebaid. St. Pimen, faster of the Kiev Caves. Translation of the Relics of St. Metrophanes, first Bishop of Voronezh. Virgin Potamia. St. Dometius of Philotheou Monastery on Mt. Athos. St. Mercurius, Bishop of Smolensk (Kiev Caves). Elder Anthony of Optina (1865). (Greek Calendar: Holy Ten Thousand Ascetics of Thebes. Hieromartyr Narcissus of Jerusalem. St. Hyperechius of the Paradise. St. Sozon of Nicomedia. St. Theodosius the New, healer of Peloponnesus. St. Nicanor, Wonderworker of Mt. Calistratus.) Repose of Elder Adrian of South Dorotheus Monastery (1853), and Schemamonk John the Blind of Valaam (1894). Repose of Elder Callinicus the Hesychast of Mt. Athos (1930).

Photo of the Day:

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 Trapeza during the Pilgrimage. (click to enlarge)

Quote of the Day:

"The heart is poisoned and darkened by pleasure and sensuality. Then, since it is darkened, it does the works of darkness, grieving the Holy Spirit Whom it had received through rebirth in the sacred baptismal font."
Elder Ephraim

 

 

Scripture Readings for the Day:

2 Corinthians 4:1-6

The Light of Christ's Gospel

 ¹ Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we do not lose heart. ² But we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness nor handling the word of God deceitfully, but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God. ³ But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, ⁴ whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them. ⁵ For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your bondservants for Jesus' sake. ⁶ For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

Matthew 24:13-28

¹³ But he who endures to the end shall be saved. ¹⁴ And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.

The Great Tribulation

   
¹⁵ "Therefore when you see the 'abomination of desolation,' spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place" (whoever reads, let him understand), ¹⁶ "then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. ¹⁷ Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house. ¹⁸ And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes. ¹⁹ But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! ²⁰ And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath. ²¹ For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. ²² And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake those days will be shortened.
²³ "Then if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or 'There!' do not believe it. ²⁴ For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. ²⁵ See, I have told you beforehand.
²⁶ "Therefore if they say to you, 'Look, He is in the desert!' do not go out; or 'Look, He is in the inner rooms!' do not believe it. ²⁷ For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. ²⁸ For wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered together.