The Morning Offering

The Monastery's Icon of Saint Nicholas, with Relic

Sunday
December 19, 2010 / December 6, 2010

Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker, 

Archbishop of Myra in Lycia

30^th Sunday after Pentecost. Tone five.
Nativity (St. Philip's Fast). Fish Allowed

St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, Archbishop of Myra in Lycia (345).
Blessed Maximus, metropolitan of Kiev (1305).
New Martyr Nicholas of Karamanos in Asia Minor (1657) (Greek).
St. Nicholas, bishop of Patara.
St. Theophilus, bishop of Antioch (181).
St. Abramius, bishop of Cratea in Bithynia (6th c.).

Quote of the Day:
"We spoke of building churches. Once again, I want to emphasise that this is not because we simply want more churches, this is not so that we can send more priests, this is so that we can change the lives of our people…Next to the churches we must build community centres and social centres, work with young people, people with various illnesses and older people. The parish is the centre of social and cultural life in villages, it always has been. If we all work together to revive the social aspects of the Orthodox parish, we shall really change the face of Russia…Today, it is very important to understand that true patriotism is connected with faith, because faith awakens our moral strength, it strengthens our spirit. If we wish to save our country, we can only do so by relying on this strength." 

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill

Scripture Readings for the Day:

Hebrews 13:17-21

¹⁷ Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you.

Prayer Requested

¹⁸ Pray for us; for we are confident that we have a good conscience, in all things desiring to live honorably. ¹⁹ But I especially urge you to do this, that I may be restored to you the sooner.

Benediction, Final Exhortation, Farewell

²⁰ Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, ²¹ make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.

Luke 6:17-23

Jesus Heals a Great Multitude

¹⁷ And He came down with them and stood on a level place with a crowd of His disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem, and from the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear Him and be healed of their diseases, ¹⁸ as well as those who were tormented with unclean spirits. And they were healed. ¹⁹ And the whole multitude sought to touch Him, for power went out from Him and healed them all.

The Beatitudes

   
²⁰ Then He lifted up His eyes toward His disciples, and said:
      “ Blessed are you poor,
For yours is the kingdom of God.
       ²¹ Blessed are you who hunger now,
For you shall be filled.
      Blessed are you who weep now,
For you shall laugh.
       ²² Blessed are you when men hate you,
And when they exclude you,
And revile you, and cast out your name as evil,
For the Son of Man’s sake.
       ²³ Rejoice in that day and leap for joy!
For indeed your reward is great in heaven,
For in like manner their fathers did to the prophets.