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
Friday, October 2 / September 19 (Church Calendar)

Saints of the Day:

September 19 / October 2. Afterfeast of the Exaltation of the Cross. Martyrs Trophimus, Sabbatius and Dorymedon of Synnada. St.Theodore, prince of Smolensk and Yaroslav, and his children Saints David and Constantine. Martyr Zosimas, hermit of Cilicia. Hieromartyr Januarius, Bishop of Benevento, and his companions: Sosius and Proclus, deacons; Gantiol, Eutychius, Acutius, Festus and Desiderius, at Puteoli (same as April 21). Repose of Schema-hieromonk Alexis of Zosima Hermitage (1928).

Photo of the Day:

The Iconostasis of the monastery. (click to enlarge)

Quote of the Day:

"While exercising the virtues, be not dejected by the labors involved, for there can be no virtue without labor." Saint Ephraim the Syrian

Scripture Readings for the Day:

Ephesians 4:17-25

The New Man

¹⁷ This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, ¹⁸ having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart; ¹⁹ who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.
²⁰ But you have not so learned Christ, ²¹ if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: ²² that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, ²³ and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, ²⁴ and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.

Do Not Grieve the Spirit

²⁵ Therefore, putting away lying, " Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor," for we are members of one another.

Mark 12:1-12

The Parable of the Wicked Vinedressers

 ¹ Then He began to speak to them in parables: "A man planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a place for the wine vat and built a tower. And he leased it to vinedressers and went into a far country. ² Now at vintage-time he sent a servant to the vinedressers, that he might receive some of the fruit of the vineyard from the vinedressers. ³ And they took him and beat him and sent him away empty-handed. ⁴ Again he sent them another servant, and at him they threw stones, wounded him in the head, and sent him away shamefully treated. ⁵ And again he sent another, and him they killed; and many others, beating some and killing some. ⁶ Therefore still having one son, his beloved, he also sent him to them last, saying, 'They will respect my son.' ⁷ But those vinedressers said among themselves, 'This is the heir. Come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.' ⁸ So they took him and killed him and cast him out of the vineyard.
⁹ "Therefore what will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the vinedressers, and give the vineyard to others. ¹⁰ Have you not even read this Scripture:


      ' The stone which the builders rejected
      Has become the chief cornerstone.
       ¹¹ This was the LORD's doing,
      And it is marvelous in our eyes'?"

 ¹² And they sought to lay hands on Him, but feared the multitude, for they knew He had spoken the parable against them. So they left Him and went away.