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

Tuesday, July 13 / June 30 (Church Calendar)

Synaxis of the 12 Apostles
Saints of the Day:

June 30 / July 13. Synaxis of the Holy, Glorious and All-Praised Twelve Apostles: Peter, Andrew, James and John the sons of Zebedee, Philip, Bartholomew, Thomas, Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, Jude the brother of James, Simon Zelotes, and Matthias . St. Sophronius, Bishop of Irkutsk. New-Martyr Michael of Athens. St. Andrew, prince of Bogoliubsk. (Greek Calendar: Martyr Meleton. Martyr Peter of Synope.) Repose of Bishop Nestor of San Francisco and Alaska (1882).

Photo of the Day:

Inside the trapeza.

(click for enlargement)

Quote of the Day:

"It is our sacred wisdom that should legitimately be called a gift of God and not a natural gift, since even simple fishermen who receive it from on high become, as Gregory the Theologian says, sons of Thunder whose word has encompassed the very bounds of the universe. By this grace, even publicans are made merchants of souls, and even the burning zeal of persecutors is transformed, making them Pauls instead of Sauls, turning away from the earth to attain 'the third heaven' and 'hear ineffable things.' By this true wisdom we too can become conformed to the image of God and continue to be such after death."

St. Gregory Palamas

Scripture Readings for the Day:

1 Corinthians 10:5-12

⁵ But with most of them God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness.
⁶ Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted. ⁷ And do not become idolaters as were some of them. As it is written, "The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play." ⁸ Nor let us commit sexual immorality, as some of them did, and in one day twenty-three thousand fell; ⁹ nor let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed by serpents; ¹⁰ nor complain, as some of them also complained, and were destroyed by the destroyer. ¹¹ Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.
¹² Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.

Matthew 16:6-12

⁶ Then Jesus said to them, "Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees."
⁷ And they reasoned among themselves, saying, "It is because we have taken no bread."
⁸ But Jesus, being aware of it, said to them, "O you of little faith, why do you reason among yourselves because you have brought no bread? ⁹ Do you not yet understand, or remember the five loaves of the five thousand and how many baskets you took up? ¹⁰ Nor the seven loaves of the four thousand and how many large baskets you took up? ¹¹ How is it you do not understand that I did not speak to you concerning bread?—but to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees." ¹² Then they understood that He did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees.