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, July 16 / 3 (Church Calendar)

Saints of the Day:

July 3 / 16. Martyr Hyacinth of Caesarea in Cappadocia. Translation of the Relics of Hieromartyr Philip, Metropolitan of Moscow. Martyrs Mocius (Mucian) and Mark. Martyrs Diomedes, Eulampius, Asclepiodotus and Golinduch, who suffered with Hyacinth. St. Anatolius, Patriarch of Constantinople. St. Alexander, founder of the Unsleeping Ones. Holy Princes Basil and Constantine of Yaroslav. St. Anatolius, recluse of the Kiev Caves. St. Anatolius (another) of the Kiev Caves. Saints John and Longinus, Wonderworkers of Yarensk (Solovki). Blessed John of Moscow, fool-for-Christ. St. Nicodemus, abbot of Kazhe-ezersk. Blessed Michael and Thomas, fools-for-Christ of Solvychegodsk (Vologda). (Greek Calendar: Martyrs Theodotus and Theodota, martyred with St. Hyacinth. Monk-martyr Gerasimus the New of Carpenision.) Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos the Milk-Giver of Chilandar Monastery on Mt. Athos. Repose of Righteous Nun Euphrosyne the Unknown (1855).

Photo of the Day:

One of the windows in the abbot's study.

(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 11:8-22

⁸ For man is not from woman, but woman from man. ⁹ Nor was man created for the woman, but woman for the man. ¹⁰ For this reason the woman ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels. ¹¹ Nevertheless, neither is man independent of woman, nor woman independent of man, in the Lord. ¹² For as woman came from man, even so man also comes through woman; but all things are from God.
¹³ Judge among yourselves. Is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered? ¹⁴ Does not even nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a dishonor to him? ¹⁵ But if a woman has long hair, it is a glory to her; for her hair is given to her for a covering. ¹⁶ But if anyone seems to be contentious, we have no such custom, nor do the churches of God.

Conduct at the Lord's Supper

¹⁷ Now in giving these instructions I do not praise you, since you come together not for the better but for the worse. ¹⁸ For first of all, when you come together as a church, I hear that there are divisions among you, and in part I believe it. ¹⁹ For there must also be factions among you, that those who are approved may be recognized among you. ²⁰ Therefore when you come together in one place, it is not to eat the Lord's Supper. ²¹ For in eating, each one takes his own supper ahead of others; and one is hungry and another is drunk. ²² What! Do you not have houses to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God and shame those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you in this? I do not praise you.

Matthew 17:10-18

¹⁰ And His disciples asked Him, saying, "Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?"
¹¹ Jesus answered and said to them, "Indeed, Elijah is coming first and will restore all things. ¹² But I say to you that Elijah has come already, and they did not know him but did to him whatever they wished. Likewise the Son of Man is also about to suffer at their hands." ¹³ Then the disciples understood that He spoke to them of John the Baptist.

A Boy Is Healed

¹⁴ And when they had come to the multitude, a man came to Him, kneeling down to Him and saying, ¹⁵ "Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and suffers severely; for he often falls into the fire and often into the water. ¹⁶ So I brought him to Your disciples, but they could not cure him."
¹⁷ Then Jesus answered and said, "O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him here to Me." ¹⁸ And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him; and the child was cured from that very hour.