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, March 15 / 2 (Church Calendar)

Saints of the Day:

 

March 2 / 15. Hieromartyr Theodotus, Bishop of Cyrenia. St. Arsenius, Bishop of Tver. St. Agatho of Egypt, monk. Martyr Troadius of Neo-Caesarea. Virgin Martyr Euthalia of Sicily. 440 Martyrs slain by the Lombards. Saints Sabbas and Barsanuphius, abbots of Tver. St. Sabbatius, monk of Tver, and his disciple St. Euphrosynus. St. Chad, Bishop of Lichfield (Greek Calendar: Martyr Hesychius the Senator. St. Cointus of Phrygia, confessor and wonderworker. Martyrs Andronicus and the virgin Athanasia.) appearance of the Kolomna icon of the 'Reigning Mother' of God (1917). Repose of Abbess Philareta of Ufa (1890).

Poster of the Day:

Hieromonk Paul, serving Vigils.

(click for enlargement)

Quote of the Day:

"Special services, special foods, continence, not going to dances and events, all this awakes one to piety and reflection on our present purpose, on the past and on eternity. Seeing in ourselves a falling away from the commandments of God, we try to reconcile ourselves to God through repentance and communion of the most pure and life-giving Mysteries of Christ, which burn the thorns of our sins. You, when you have not fulfilled this duty during the year, of course will fulfill it during the Fast. The most merciful Lord loved us so much, that He gave us, through food and drink, His most pure Body and life-giving Blood, as a token of life eternal and the incorrupt future feast. Let us offer Him thanksgiving with pure hearts, lips and acts!"

 

St. Macarius of Optina

Scripture Readings for the Day:

Isaiah 37:33-38:6

³³ "Therefore thus says the LORD concerning the king of Assyria:


      ' He shall not come into this city,
      Nor shoot an arrow there,
      Nor come before it with shield,
      Nor build a siege mound against it.
       ³⁴ By the way that he came,
      By the same shall he return;
      And he shall not come into this city,'
      Says the LORD.
       ³⁵ ' For I will defend this city, to save it
      For My own sake and for My servant David's sake.'"

Sennacherib's Defeat and Death

³⁶ Then the angel of the LORD went out, and killed in the camp of the Assyrians one hundred and eighty-five thousand; and when people arose early in the morning, there were the corpses—all dead. ³⁷ So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed and went away, returned home, and remained at Nineveh. ³⁸ Now it came to pass, as he was worshiping in the house of Nisroch his god, that his sons Adrammelech and Sharezer struck him down with the sword; and they escaped into the land of Ararat. Then Esarhaddon his son reigned in his place.

Isaiah 38

Hezekiah's Life Extended

 ¹ In those days Hezekiah was sick and near death. And Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, went to him and said to him, "Thus says the LORD: 'Set your house in order, for you shall die and not live.'"
² Then Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall, and prayed to the LORD, ³ and said, "Remember now, O LORD, I pray, how I have walked before You in truth and with a loyal heart, and have done what is good in Your sight." And Hezekiah wept bitterly.
⁴ And the word of the LORD came to Isaiah, saying, ⁵ "Go and tell Hezekiah, 'Thus says the LORD, the God of David your father: "I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; surely I will add to your days fifteen years. ⁶ I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria, and I will defend this city."'

Genesis 13:12-18

¹² Abram dwelt in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelt in the cities of the plain and pitched his tent even as far as Sodom. ¹³ But the men of Sodom were exceedingly wicked and sinful against the LORD.
¹⁴ And the LORD said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him: "Lift your eyes now and look from the place where you are—northward, southward, eastward, and westward; ¹⁵ for all the land which you see I give to you and your descendants forever. ¹⁶ And I will make your descendants as the dust of the earth; so that if a man could number the dust of the earth, then your descendants also could be numbered. ¹⁷ Arise, walk in the land through its length and its width, for I give it to you."
¹⁸ Then Abram moved his tent, and went and dwelt by the terebinth trees of Mamre, which are in Hebron, and built an altar there to the LORD.

Proverbs 14:27-15:4

²⁷ The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life,
      To turn one away from the snares of death.
       ²⁸ In a multitude of people is a king's honor,
      But in the lack of people is the downfall of a prince.
       ²⁹ He who is slow to wrath has great understanding,
      But he who is impulsive exalts folly.
       ³⁰ A sound heart is life to the body,
      But envy is rottenness to the bones.
       ³¹ He who oppresses the poor reproaches his Maker,
      But he who honors Him has mercy on the needy.
       ³² The wicked is banished in his wickedness,
      But the righteous has a refuge in his death.
       ³³ Wisdom rests in the heart of him who has understanding,
      But what is in the heart of fools is made known.
       ³⁴ Righteousness exalts a nation,
      But sin is a reproach to any people.
       ³⁵ The king's favor is toward a wise servant,
      But his wrath is against him who causes shame.

Proverbs 15

 ¹ A soft answer turns away wrath,
      But a harsh word stirs up anger.
       ² The tongue of the wise uses knowledge rightly,
      But the mouth of fools pours forth foolishness.
       ³ The eyes of the LORD are in every place,
      Keeping watch on the evil and the good.
       ⁴ A wholesome tongue is a tree of life,
      But perverseness in it breaks the spirit.