The Morning Offering

Hammi, Our Beloved Norwegian Forest Cat

November 30 / 17

28^th Week after Pentecost. Tone two.
Nativity (St. Philip's Fast). Fish Allowed

St. Gregory the Wonderworker of Neo-Caesarea (266).
Venerable Nikon, abbot of Radonezh, disciple of St. Sergius (1426).
Venerable Lazarus the iconographer of Constantinople (857).
Martyr Gobron (Michael) and 133 soldiers of Georgia (914) (Georgia).
Venerable Longinus of Egypt (4th c.).
St. Maximus (Maximian), patriarch of Constantinople (434).
Venerable Gennadius, abbot of Vatopedi, Mt. Athos (14th c.).
St. Gregory, bishop of Tours, and with him Venerable Aredius, abbot of Limoges and Venerable Vulfolaic, stylite of Trier (Gaul).
Venerable Hilda, abbess of Whitby (680) (British).
Martyrs Zachariah the Cobbler and his wife, Mary (3rd c.) (Greek).
Hieromartyr Basil, bishop of Hamah (282).
Martyrs Gregory, Victor, and Geminus of Heracleon in Thrace (304).
150 philosophers converted by St. Catherine, and who suffered in Alexandria (305).
St. John the Cobbler of Olumba, Cairo, and Sinai (7th c.). 

Thought for the Day:
Sunday afternoon, our beloved Hammi, a Norwegian Forest Cat, disappeared. We spent many hours throughout the early evening, and way into the night, looking for him. I stayed up till three o'clock, Monday morning, looking for him, and calling out his name. By morning, we'd given up, and feared for the worst. Since we have very large raccoons, as well as great horned owls, and coyotes, we were pretty sure Hammi had been killed. Around ten o'clock this morning, before driving to Vashon town, where I'd planned to print up a reward poster, for the return of our beloved Hammi, I received a call from my friend, Father John Calbom, who suggested that I pray to Saint Columban, a Celtic saint who loved animals. Within ten minutes of praying to Saint Columban, Father Moses called, to say he'd found Hammi in the garden shed. The garden shed was locked, and I am convinced that this was a miracle performed by Saint Columban, and that Hammi is safe because of the intercession of this great Celtic saint. Glory to God, Who is glorified in His saints.

Abbot Tryphon
 
Scripture Readings of the Day:2 Timothy 3:16-4:4

¹⁶ All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, ¹⁷ that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

2 Timothy 4

Preach the Word

 ¹ I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: ² Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. ³ For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; ⁴ and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.

Luke 14:25-35

Leaving All to Follow Christ

²⁵ Now great multitudes went with Him. And He turned and said to them, ²⁶ “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. ²⁷ And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. ²⁸ For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it— ²⁹ lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, ³⁰ saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish’? ³¹ Or what king, going to make war against another king, does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? ³² Or else, while the other is still a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks conditions of peace. ³³ So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.

Tasteless Salt Is Worthless

³⁴ “Salt is good; but if the salt has lost its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? ³⁵ It is neither fit for the land nor for the dunghill, but men throw it out. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”