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
Saturday, January 16 / 3 (Church Calendar)

Saints of the Day:

January 3 / 16. Prophet Malachias. Martyr Gordius at Caesarea in Cappadocia . St. Genevieve of Paris. Repose of Schema-hierodeacon Elder Pantileimon, founder of Kostychev Convent (1884).

Photo of the Day:

I'm truly grateful to our friend and supporter, Nick Buick, of San Francisco, for making it possible for us to have this four wheal drive Tahoe. It not only will allow us to drive to the village for supplies, if we should get another winter like last year's, when we were marooned in our monastery, with snow too deep for our vehicles. But, the greatest blessing in the gift of this SUV, is the fact that it makes a great vehicle for a police and fire chaplain, like myself. Don't you agree? Thank you, Nick!
With love in Christ,
Abbot Tryphon

(click for enlargement)

Quote for the Day:

"Love little things, and strive for that which is modest and simple. The Lord watches over us, and He is pleased that you long for His peace. Until the soul is ready, He will only sometimes allow us to see that He is present everywhere and fills all things. At these moments the soul feels such joy!… But then the Lord conceals Himself from us again, in order that we might long for Him and seek Him with our hearts!"

—Elder Thaddeus of Vitovnica

Scripture Readings for the Day:

1 Thessalonians 5:14-23

¹⁴ Now we exhort you, brethren, warn those who are unruly, comfort the fainthearted, uphold the weak, be patient with all. ¹⁵ See that no one renders evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good both for yourselves and for all.
¹⁶ Rejoice always, ¹⁷ pray without ceasing, ¹⁸ in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
¹⁹ Do not quench the Spirit. ²⁰ Do not despise prophecies. ²¹ Test all things; hold fast what is good. ²² Abstain from every form of evil.

Blessing and Admonition

²³ Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Luke 17:3-10

³ Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. ⁴ And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you, saying, 'I repent,' you shall forgive him."

Faith and Duty

⁵ And the apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith."
⁶ So the Lord said, "If you have faith as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, 'Be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea,' and it would obey you. ⁷ And which of you, having a servant plowing or tending sheep, will say to him when he has come in from the field, 'Come at once and sit down to eat'? ⁸ But will he not rather say to him, 'Prepare something for my supper, and gird yourself and serve me till I have eaten and drunk, and afterward you will eat and drink'? ⁹ Does he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I think not. ¹⁰ So likewise you, when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, 'We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do.'"