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, January 22 / 9 (Church Calendar)

Saints of the Day:

January 9 / 22. Afterfeast of the Theophany. Martyr Polyeuctus of Melitine in Armenia. Hieromartyr Philip, Metropolitan of Moscow and All Russia. St. Eustratius the wonderworker. Prophet Shemaiah (Samaia, Semeias) (III Kgs 12:22). St. Peter, Bishop of Sebaste in Armenia, and brother of St. Basil the Great and St. Gregory of Nyssa. New-Martyr Paul (Florensky). Repose of ElderJonah (Peter in schema), founder of Holy Trinity Monastery in Kiev (1902).

Photo of the Day:

Holy Protection Monastery Church.  (click for enlargement)

Quote of the Day:

"In order, then, that Christ may win us all into obedience, He promises us surpassing honors, and deigns us the highest love, saying, 'My mother and My brethren are those who hear the word of God and do it.' For who among men is so obdurate and ungentle, as to refuse to honor, and accord the most complete love to his mother and brethren? For the all-powerful law of nature, even without our will, obliges us to this. When, therefore, bowing our neck to the Savior's commands, we become His followers, and so are in the relation of a mother and brethren to Him."

St. Cyril of Jerusalem

Scripture Readings for the Day:

2 Peter 1:1-10

Greeting the Faithful

 ¹ Simon Peter, a bondservant and apostle of Jesus Christ,

To those who have obtained like precious faith with us by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ:

² Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, ³ as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, ⁴ by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

Fruitful Growth in the Faith

⁵ But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, ⁶ to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, ⁷ to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. ⁸ For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁹ For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins.
¹⁰ Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble;

Mark 13:1-8

Jesus Predicts the Destruction of the Temple

 ¹ Then as He went out of the temple, one of His disciples said to Him, "Teacher, see what manner of stones and what buildings are here!"
² And Jesus answered and said to him, "Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone shall be left upon another, that shall not be thrown down."

The Signs of the Times and the End of the Age

³ Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked Him privately, ⁴ "Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign when all these things will be fulfilled?"
⁵ And Jesus, answering them, began to say: "Take heed that no one deceives you. ⁶ For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am He,' and will deceive many. ⁷ But when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be troubled; for such things must happen, but the end is not yet. ⁸ For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be earthquakes in various places, and there will be famines and troubles. These are the beginnings of sorrows.