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, May 20  / 7 (Church Calendar)

Saints of the Day:

May 7 / 20. Commemoration of the Apparition of the Sign of the Precious Cross over Jerusalem in 351 A.D. Martyr Acacius the centurion at Byzantium. Repose of of St. Nilus, abbot of Sora. St. John of Zaden in Georgia, and 12 disciples Saints Shio, David, Anthony, Thaddeus, Stephen, Isidore, Michael, Pyrrhus, Zeno, Jesse, Joseph, and Abibus. New-Martyr Pachomius of Patmos. Opening of the Relics of St. Nilus the Myrrh-gusher of Mt. Athos. Zhirovits Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos. Repose of Hieromonk Eulogius of Valaam (1969).Photo of the Day:

Photo of the Day:

Wisteria and enclosure, as seen from the

Saint John the Wonderworker Chapel.

(click for enlargement)

Quote of the Day: 

"He who prays to the Lord, to the Mother of God, to the angels and saints, must first of all endeavour to amend his heart and his life, and afterwards to imitate them, as it is written, Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful, and again, Be ye holy, for I am holy. Those who pray to the Mother of God must imitate her humility, her unimaginable purity, submission to the will of God and patience. Those who pray to the the angels must ponder upon the higher life, and strive to become truly spiritual, gradually laying aside all the lusts of the flesh, and striving for ardent love love to God and their neighbor. Let those who pray to the saints imitate them in their love for God, and their contempt for the world, their prayers, abstinence, unselfishness, patience in sickness, sorrows, and misfortunes, their love for their neighbor. Without such imitation our prayer will be as useless as beating the air."

St. John of Kronstadt

"My Life in Christ"

Scripture Readings for the Day:

Acts 25:13-19

Paul Before Agrippa

¹³ And after some days King Agrippa and Bernice came to Caesarea to greet Festus. ¹⁴ When they had been there many days, Festus laid Paul's case before the king, saying: "There is a certain man left a prisoner by Felix, ¹⁵ about whom the chief priests and the elders of the Jews informed me , when I was in Jerusalem, asking for a judgment against him. ¹⁶ To them I answered, 'It is not the custom of the Romans to deliver any man to destruction before the accused meets the accusers face to face, and has opportunity to answer for himself concerning the charge against him.' ¹⁷ Therefore when they had come together, without any delay, the next day I sat on the judgment seat and commanded the man to be brought in. ¹⁸ When the accusers stood up, they brought no accusation against him of such things as I supposed, ¹⁹ but had some questions against him about their own religion and about a certain Jesus, who had died, whom Paul affirmed to be alive.

John 16:23-33

²³ "And in that day you will ask Me nothing. Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you. ²⁴ Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.

Jesus Christ Has Overcome the World

²⁵ "These things I have spoken to you in figurative language; but the time is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figurative language, but I will tell you plainly about the Father. ²⁶ In that day you will ask in My name, and I do not say to you that I shall pray the Father for you; ²⁷ for the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me, and have believed that I came forth from God. ²⁸ I came forth from the Father and have come into the world. Again, I leave the world and go to the Father."
²⁹ His disciples said to Him, "See, now You are speaking plainly, and using no figure of speech! ³⁰ Now we are sure that You know all things, and have no need that anyone should question You. By this we believe that You came forth from God."
³¹ Jesus answered them, "Do you now believe? ³² Indeed the hour is coming, yes, has now come, that you will be scattered, each to his own, and will leave Me alone. And yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me. ³³ These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."