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
Friday, August 7 / July 25 (Church Calendar)
Dormition of Saint Anna

Saints of the Day:

July 25 / August 7. Dormition of the Righteous Anna, mother of the Most Holy Theotokos [Gal 4:22-31; Lk 8:16-21]. Holy Women Olympias (Olympiada) the deaconess of Constantinople, and Virgin Eupraxia of Tabenna. St. Macarius, abbot of Sheltovod and Unzha. St. Christopher, abbot of Solvychegodsk (Vologda). Martyrs Sanctus, Maturus, Attalus, and Blandina of Lyons. Commemoration of the Holy 165 Fathers of the Fifth Ecumenical Council.

Photo of the Day:

Interior view of the new bookstore, taken from
the monastery's new office. 
(click to enlarge)

Quote of the Day:

"..Never insist that anything should be according to your will, for this gives birth to anger. Do not judge or humiliate anyone, for this exhausts the heart and blinds the mind, and thereon leads to negligence and makes the heart unfeeling. Watch constantly..." St. Barsanuphius and St. John "Directions in Spiritual Work"

Scripture Readings for the Day:

1 Corinthians 14:26-40

Order in Church Meetings

²⁶ How is it then, brethren? Whenever you come together, each of you has a psalm, has a teaching, has a tongue, has a revelation, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification. ²⁷ If anyone speaks in a tongue, let there be two or at the most three, each in turn, and let one interpret. ²⁸ But if there is no interpreter, let him keep silent in church, and let him speak to himself and to God. ²⁹ Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others judge. ³⁰ But if anything is revealed to another who sits by, let the first keep silent. ³¹ For you can all prophesy one by one, that all may learn and all may be encouraged. ³² And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets. ³³ For God is not the author of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints.
³⁴ Let your women keep silent in the churches, for they are not permitted to speak; but they are to be submissive, as the law also says. ³⁵ And if they want to learn something, let them ask their own husbands at home; for it is shameful for women to speak in church.
³⁶ Or did the word of God come originally from you? Or was it you only that it reached? ³⁷ If anyone thinks himself to be a prophet or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things which I write to you are the commandments of the Lord. ³⁸ But if anyone is ignorant, let him be ignorant.
³⁹ Therefore, brethren, desire earnestly to prophesy, and do not forbid to speak with tongues. ⁴⁰ Let all things be done decently and in order.

Matthew 21:12-14

Jesus Cleanses the Temple

¹² Then Jesus went into the temple of God and drove out all those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves. ¹³ And He said to them, "It is written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer,' but you have made it a 'den of thieves.'"
¹⁴ Then the blind and the lame came to Him in the temple, and He healed them.

Matthew 21:17-20

¹⁷ Then He left them and went out of the city to Bethany, and He lodged there.

The Fig Tree Withered

¹⁸ Now in the morning, as He returned to the city, He was hungry. ¹⁹ And seeing a fig tree by the road, He came to it and found nothing on it but leaves, and said to it, "Let no fruit grow on you ever again." Immediately the fig tree withered away.

The Lesson of the Withered Fig Tree

²⁰ And when the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, "How did the fig tree wither away so soon?"