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
Monday, December 7 / November 24 (Church Calendar)
 
Saints of the Day:

November 24 / December 7. Afterfeast of the Entry into the Temple. Great-Martyr Catherine of Alexandria [Eph 6:10-17; Lk21:12-19]. Great-Martyr Mercurius of Caesarea in Cappadocia. (services combined) Martyr Mercurius of Smolensk. MartyrsAugusta the Empress, Porphyrius, and 200 soldiers at Alexandria with Great-Martyr Catherine. Virgin Mastridia of Alexandria. St.Gregory of Pontus. Martyr Alexander at Corinth. St. Simon, abbot of Soiga Monastery (Vologda). St. Luke, steward of the Kiev Caves. St. Hermogenes, Bishop of Agrigentum. St. Portianus of Arthone (Gaul). (Greek Calendar: St. Malchus. MartyrsPhilemenus, Christopher, Eugene, Procopius, and another Christopher. Martyr Chrysogenes and Monk-martyr Mark Triglinos.Hieromartyrs Clement, Bishop of Rome, and Peter, Bishop of Alexandria.)

Photo of the Day:

 (Click on photo to enlarge.)

Quote of the Day:

"No one can plead the weakness of the flesh as an excuse when he sins; for the union of our humanity with the divine Logos through the Incarnation has renewed the whole of nature by lifting the curse, and so we have no excuse if our will remains attached to the passions. For the divinity of the Logos, which always dwells by grace in those who believe in Him, withers the rule of sin in the flesh."

 

St. Maximus the Confessor

"Third Century of Various Texts"

(The Philokalia)

Scripture Readings for the Day:

1 Timothy 5:1-10

Treatment of Church Members

 ¹ Do not rebuke an older man, but exhort him as a father, younger men as brothers, ² older women as mothers, younger women as sisters, with all purity.

Honor True Widows

³ Honor widows who are really widows. ⁴ But if any widow has children or grandchildren, let them first learn to show piety at home and to repay their parents; for this is good and acceptable before God. ⁵ Now she who is really a widow, and left alone, trusts in God and continues in supplications and prayers night and day. ⁶ But she who lives in pleasure is dead while she lives. ⁷ And these things command, that they may be blameless. ⁸ But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.
⁹ Do not let a widow under sixty years old be taken into the number, and not unless she has been the wife of one man, ¹⁰ well reported for good works: if she has brought up children, if she has lodged strangers, if she has washed the saints' feet, if she has relieved the afflicted, if she has diligently followed every good work.

Luke 17:20-25

The Coming of the Kingdom

²⁰ Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, "The kingdom of God does not come with observation; ²¹ nor will they say, 'See here!' or 'See there!' For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you."
²² Then He said to the disciples, "The days will come when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it. ²³ And they will say to you, 'Look here!' or 'Look there!' Do not go after them or follow them. ²⁴ For as the lightning that flashes out of one part under heaven shines to the other part under heaven, so also the Son of Man will be in His day. ²⁵ But first He must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation.