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, April 5  / March 23 (Church Calendar)
Bright Week
Saints of the Day:

 

March 23 / April 5. Monk-martyr Nicon and 200 disciples with him in Sicily. St. Nicon, abbot of the Kiev Caves. Martyrs Philetas the Senator, his wife Lydia, their sons Macedon and Theoprepius, the notary Cronides, and Amphilochius the captain, in Illyria. Martyr Dometius of Phrygia. Martyr Luke the New of Mytilene (Mt. Athos). St. Basil of Mangazea in Siberia. Repose of Elder Porphyrius of Glinsk Hermitage (1868).

Photo of the Day:

CHRIST IS RISEN! TRULY HE IS RISEN!
(click for enlargement)

Quote of the Day: 

"St. Gregory of Nyssa understands that the way to divine knowledge is purity of body and soul. 
He who is going to ascend must be, as far as it is possible, pure and spotless, both in body and soul."

Metropolitan Hierotheos Vlakos

Scripture Readings for the Day:

Acts 1:12-17

The Upper Room Prayer Meeting

¹² Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day's journey. ¹³ And when they had entered, they went up into the upper room where they were staying: Peter, James, John, and Andrew; Philip and Thomas; Bartholomew and Matthew; James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot; and Judas the son of James. ¹⁴ These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers.

Matthias Chosen

¹⁵ And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples (altogether the number of names was about a hundred and twenty), and said, ¹⁶ "Men and brethren, this Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke before by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus; ¹⁷ for he was numbered with us and obtained a part in this ministry."

Acts 1:21-26

²¹ "Therefore, of these men who have accompanied us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, ²² beginning from the baptism of John to that day when He was taken up from us, one of these must become a witness with us of His resurrection."
²³ And they proposed two: Joseph called Barsabas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias. ²⁴ And they prayed and said, "You, O Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which of these two You have chosen ²⁵ to take part in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place." ²⁶ And they cast their lots, and the lot fell on Matthias. And he was numbered with the eleven apostles.

John 1:18-28

¹⁸ No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.

A Voice in the Wilderness

¹⁹ Now this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, "Who are you?"
²⁰ He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, "I am not the Christ."
²¹ And they asked him, "What then? Are you Elijah?"
He said, "I am not."
"Are you the Prophet?"
And he answered, "No."
²² Then they said to him, "Who are you, that we may give an answer to those who sent us? What do you say about yourself?"
²³ He said: "I am


      ' The voice of one crying in the wilderness:

      " Make straight the way of the LORD,"'

   as the prophet Isaiah said."
²⁴ Now those who were sent were from the Pharisees. ²⁵ And they asked him, saying, "Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?"
²⁶ John answered them, saying, "I baptize with water, but there stands One among you whom you do not know. ²⁷ It is He who, coming after me, is preferred before me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose."
²⁸ These things were done in Bethabara beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.