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, January 14 / 1 (Church Calendar)
Circumcision of Our Lord

Saints of the Day:

January 1 / 14. The Circumcision of Our Lord Jesus Christ; St. Basil the Great, Archbishop of Caesaria in Cappadocia. Martyr Basilof Ancyra. St. Fulgentius, Bishop of Ruspe in North Africa. Martyr Theodotus. St. Gregory, Bishop of Nazianzus and father of St.Gregory the Theologian. St. Theodosius of Tryglia, abbot. New-martyr Peter of the Peloponnesus. New-Martyr Bishop Platon of Revel, Estonia, and with him priests Michael and Nicholas (1919).

Photo of the Day:

Myself, together with some of my chaplain friends, during the Northwest Regional Training Seminar of the International Conference of Police Chaplains, held in Cannon Beach, Oregon. (click for enlargement)

Quote for the Day:

"One type of watchfulness consists in closely scrutinizing every mental image or provocation; for only by means of a mental image can satan fabricate an evil thought and insinuate this into the intellect in order to lead it astray."

St. Hesychios the priest

Scripture Readings for the Day:

Colossians 2:8-12

⁸ Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. ⁹ For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; ¹⁰ and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.

Not Legalism but Christ

¹¹ In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, ¹² buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.

Luke 2:20-21

²⁰ Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.

Circumcision of Jesus

²¹ And when eight days were completed for the circumcision of the Child, His name was called JESUS, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb.

Luke 2:40-52

⁴⁰ And the Child grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him.

The Boy Jesus Amazes the Scholars

⁴¹ His parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. ⁴² And when He was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem according to the custom of the feast. ⁴³ When they had finished the days, as they returned, the Boy Jesus lingered behind in Jerusalem. And Joseph and His mother did not know it; ⁴⁴ but supposing Him to have been in the company, they went a day's journey, and sought Him among their relatives and acquaintances. ⁴⁵ So when they did not find Him, they returned to Jerusalem, seeking Him. ⁴⁶ Now so it was that after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions. ⁴⁷ And all who heard Him were astonished at His understanding and answers. ⁴⁸ So when they saw Him, they were amazed; and His mother said to Him, "Son, why have You done this to us? Look, Your father and I have sought You anxiously."
⁴⁹ And He said to them, "Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father's business?" ⁵⁰ But they did not understand the statement which He spoke to them.

Jesus Advances in Wisdom and Favor

⁵¹ Then He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was subject to them, but His mother kept all these things in her heart. ⁵² And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.