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
Sunday, August 30 / August 17 (Church Calendar)

Saints of the Day:

August 17 / 30. Afterfeast of the Dormition. Martyr Myron of Cyzicus . Martyrs Straton, Philip, Eutychian and Cyprian of Nicomedia. Martyrs Thyrsus, Leucius and Coronatus, with others at Caesarea in Bithynia. Martyrs Paul and his sister Juliana of Syria. Martyr Patroclus of Troyes. St. Alypius the Iconographer of the Kiev Caves. St. Philip, monk of Yankov (Vologda). New-Martyr Demetrius of Samarina in Epirus. Blessed Theodoretus, Enlightener of the Laps (Solovki). Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos of Armatia. Repose of Schemamonk Onuphrius of Valaam (1912).

Photo of the Day:

This past Thursday, Abbot Tryphon hosted King County Fire Fighters, and chaplains, for a luncheon, held in the monastery's trapeza. (click to enlarge)

Quote of the Day:

"The head of every good striving and the pinnacle of all corrections is to persevere in prayer, by which we may ever obtain, through entreaty with God, all the other virtues as well. By prayer those who are worthy partake of the sanctity of God and spiritual activity and the union of the mind with the Lord in unutterable love. He who constantly forces himself to endure in prayer is roused by spiritual love to Divine fervor and flaming desire towards God, and he receives, according to his measure, the grace of spiritual, sanctifying perfection."

St. Macarius the Great

"Spiritual Homilies" (Homily 40)

Scripture Readings for the Day:

1 Corinthians 15:1-11

The Risen Christ, Faith's Reality

 ¹ Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, ² by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.
³ For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, ⁴ and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, ⁵ and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. ⁶ After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. ⁷ After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles. ⁸ Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time.
⁹ For I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. ¹⁰ But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. ¹¹ Therefore, whether it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.

Matthew 19:16-26

Jesus Counsels the Rich Young Ruler

¹⁶ Now behold, one came and said to Him, "Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?"
¹⁷ So He said to him, "Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments."
¹⁸ He said to Him, "Which ones?"
Jesus said, " 'You shall not murder,' 'You shall not commit adultery,' 'You shall not steal,' 'You shall not bear false witness,' ¹⁹ 'Honor your father and your mother,' and, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'"
²⁰ The young man said to Him, "All these things I have kept from my youth. What do I still lack?"
²¹ Jesus said to him, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me."
²² But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

With God All Things Are Possible

²³ Then Jesus said to His disciples, "Assuredly, I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. ²⁴ And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."
²⁵ When His disciples heard it, they were greatly astonished, saying, "Who then can be saved?"
²⁶ But Jesus looked at them and said to them, "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."