The Morning Offering

The Courtyard, on a Rainy Afternoon

November 16  / 3
Saints of the Day:
Martyrs Acepsimus the bishop, Joseph the presbyter, and Aeithalas the deacon, of Persia Dedication of theChurch of the Great-Martyr George in Lydda. (services combined) Martyrs Atticus, Agapius, Eudoxius, Carterius, Istucarius(Styrax), Pactobius (Tobias) and Nictopolion, at Sebaste. St. Acepsimas, hermit of Cyrrhus in Syria. St. Snandulia of Persia. St Elias of Egypt. St. Achaemonides, confessor of Persia. St. Anna, daughter of Prince Vsevolod I Yaroslavich. (Greek Calendar St Theodore, confessor, Bishop of Ancyra. Martyrs Dacius, Severus, Andronas, Theodotus, and Theodota. New Hieromartyr George of Neopolis.)

Quote of the Day:
"Our Saviour said this saying, One thing is needful (Luke 10:42) to us all, O Christians! Many Christians trouble themselves and take care for one thing or another, but they themselves often do not know for what they trouble themselves. The Lord warns us of this useless care and says to all, One thing is needful. What is it? Eternal salvation. This is the foremost task of a Christian. With Christians the most foremost care ought to be for this."

Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk

Photo of the Day:
The courtyard, on a rainy afternoon.

Scripture Readings for the Day:
1 Timothy 1:8-14

⁸ But we know that the law is good if one uses it lawfully, ⁹ knowing this: that the law is not made for a righteous person, but for the lawless and insubordinate, for the ungodly and for sinners, for the unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, ¹⁰ for fornicators, for sodomites, for kidnappers, for liars, for perjurers, and if there is any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine, ¹¹ according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God which was committed to my trust.

Glory to God for His Grace

¹² And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me, because He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry, ¹³ although I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man; but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. ¹⁴ And the grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant, with faith and love which are in Christ Jesus.

Luke 11:34-41

³⁴ The lamp of the body is the eye. Therefore, when your eye is good, your whole body also is full of light. But when your eye is bad, your body also is full of darkness. ³⁵ Therefore take heed that the light which is in you is not darkness. ³⁶ If then your whole body is full of light, having no part dark, the whole body will be full of light, as when the bright shining of a lamp gives you light.”

Woe to the Pharisees and Lawyers

³⁷ And as He spoke, a certain Pharisee asked Him to dine with him. So He went in and sat down to eat. ³⁸ When the Pharisee saw it, he marveled that He had not first washed before dinner.
³⁹ Then the Lord said to him, “Now you Pharisees make the outside of the cup and dish clean, but your inward part is full of greed and wickedness. ⁴⁰ Foolish ones! Did not He who made the outside make the inside also? ⁴¹ But rather give alms of such things as you have; then indeed all things are clean to you.