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

The Royal Martyrs of Russia
Saturday, July 17 / 4 (Church Calendar)

Saints of the Day:

July 4 / 17. St. Andrew, Archbishop of Crete. St. Martha, mother of St. Symeon Stylites the Younger. Holy Royal Martyrs of Russia Tsar Nicholas II, Tsaritsa Alexandra, Crown Prince Alexis, and Grand-duchesses Olga, Tatiana, Maria and Anastasia, and those martyred with them (1918). Hieromartyr Theodore, Bishop of Cyrene in Libya, and with him Martyrs Cyprilla, Aroa and Lucia. Martyrs Theodotus and Theodota at Caesarea in Cappadocia. Opening of the Relics of St. Euthymius, archimandrite of Suzdal. Burial of St. Andrew, prince of Bogoliubsk. Saints Tychon, Basil, and Nicon, monks of Solovki. St. Andrew the Russian of Cairo. St. Andrew Rublev, iconographer. New-Martyr Hieromonk Nilus of Poltava (1918). (Greek Calendar: St. Asclepias the Wonderworker. Hieromartyr Theophilus. St. Menignus, monk. Hieromartyr Theodotus. St. Donatus of Libya,Repose of Schema-hieromonk John, founder of Sarov Monastery (1737).

Photo of the Day:

Holy Royal Martyrs
Tsar Nicholas II
  and Family,
Pray Unto God For Us!

(click for enlargement)

Quote of the Day:

"Divine Scripture commands nothing impossible, since the Apostle himself both sang psalms and read and ministered and prayed without ceasing. For unceasing prayer is to keep the mind in great reverence and attached to God by desire, and to cling always to hope in Him, to be of good courage in Him in all things, alike in our activity and in what befalls us. It was in such a disposition that the Apostle said: 'Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?"

St. Maximus the Confessor

Video of the Day:

Here is the video of a Russian Orthodox priest at the recent Presbyterian Church (USA) General Assembly, speaking the truth in love:

http://www.getreligion.org/?p=38791

Scripture Readings for the Day:

Romans 13:1-10

Submit to Government

 ¹ Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. ² Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. ³ For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same. ⁴ For he is God's minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God's minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil. ⁵ Therefore you must be subject, not only because of wrath but also for conscience' sake. ⁶ For because of this you also pay taxes, for they are God's ministers attending continually to this very thing. ⁷ Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor.

Love Your Neighbor

⁸ Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law. ⁹ For the commandments, "You shall not commit adultery," "You shall not murder," "You shall not steal," "You shall not bear false witness," "You shall not covet," and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." ¹⁰ Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

Matthew 12:30-37

³⁰ He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad.

The Unpardonable Sin

³¹ "Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men. ³² Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come.

A Tree Known by Its Fruit

³³ "Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit. ³⁴ Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. ³⁵ A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things. ³⁶ But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. ³⁷ For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned."