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, November 26 / 13 (Church Calendar)
Thanksgiving Day

Saints of the Day:

November 13 / 26. St. John Chrysostom, Archbishop of Constantinople . Martyrs Antoninus, Nicephorus, and Germanus of Caesaria in Palestine. Martyr Manetha of Caesaria in Palestine. New-Martyr Damascene of Mt. Athos. St. Quintianus, Bishop ofClermont (Gaul). Repose of schema-nun Irene Myrtidiotissa of Chios (1960) and Archbishop Ioasaph of Canada (1955)

Photo of the Day:

The Eucharist, meaning "Thanksgiving". (Click to enlarge)

Thought for  the Day:

"Thanksgiving Day (for we Americans) should not be a time of giving thanks to God for all the worldly and pleasurable things in our lives. Rather, as Christians, we must be filled with gratitude for those things that lead, ultimately, to Life Eternal. Being grateful only for those things that are pleasurable and self-centered (nice house, great friends, good family, wonderful job, lots of money in the bank), but not being thankful for the difficulties and hardships that come our way, is not the way of a Christian. Only when we can be grateful for hardships and sorrows that lead to total dependency upon the mercy of God, can we acquire a grateful and contrite heart."

Love in Christ,
Abbot Tryphon

Scripture Readings for the Day:

2 Thessalonians 2:13-3:5

Stand Fast

¹³ But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth, ¹⁴ to which He called you by our gospel, for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. ¹⁵ Therefore, brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions which you were taught, whether by word or our epistle.
¹⁶ Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace, ¹⁷ comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work.

2 Thessalonians 3

Pray for Us

 ¹ Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may run swiftly and be glorified, just as it is with you, ² and that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men; for not all have faith.
³ But the Lord is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from the evil one. ⁴ And we have confidence in the Lord concerning you, both that you do and will do the things we command you.
⁵ Now may the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the patience of Christ.

Luke 13:1-9

Repent or Perish

 ¹ There were present at that season some who told Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. ² And Jesus answered and said to them, "Do you suppose that these Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans, because they suffered such things? ³ I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish. ⁴ Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they were worse sinners than all other men who dwelt in Jerusalem? ⁵ I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish."

The Parable of the Barren Fig Tree

⁶ He also spoke this parable: "A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. ⁷ Then he said to the keeper of his vineyard, 'Look, for three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree and find none. Cut it down; why does it use up the ground?' ⁸ But he answered and said to him, 'Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and fertilize it. ⁹ And if it bears fruit, well. But if not, after that you can cut it down.'"