The Morning Offering

Saturday

March 5, 2011 / February 20, 2011

Week of the Last Judgment. Tone seven.
Maslenitsa. Meat is excluded

All of the venerable fathers, lit up with great deeds (movable holiday on Saturday of the Cheese-fare Week).
Venerable Leo, bishop of Catania in Sicily (ca. 780).
Abbot Macarius and 34 monks and novices of Valaam Monastery martyred by the Lutherans: hieromonk Titus, schemamonk Tikhon, monks Gelasius, Sergius, Varlaam, Sabbas, Conon, Silvester, Cyprian, Pimen, John, Simonas, Jonah, David, Cornelius, Niphon, Athanasius, and Serapion, and novices Varlaam, Athanasius, Anthony, Luke, Leontius, Thomas, Dionysius, Philip, Ignatius, Basil, Pachomius, Basil, Theophilus, John, Theodore, and John (1578).
New Hieromartyr Nicholas priest (1938).
St. Yaroslav the Wise (1054).
Venerable Agatho, wonderworker of the Kiev Caves (13th-l4th c.).
Beheading of Venerable Cornelius, abbot of the Pskov Caves (1570), and his disciple St. Bassian of Murom.
Hieromartyr Sadoc (Sadoth), bishop of Persia, and 128 Martyrs with him (342).
Venerable Agatho, pope of Rome (682).
Venerable Bessarion the Great, wonderworker of Egypt (466) (Greek).
St. Cindeus, bishop of Pisidia (Greek).
Hieromartyr Eleutherius, bishop in Byzantium (2nd c.).
St. Eleutherius, bishop of Tournai (531).
St. Eucherius, bishop of Orleans (740).

A Word from Abbot Tryphon:

 
Despair and despondency must be avoided, for they are used by demons to make us feel hopeless. When we confess our sins, and receive Christ's absolution through His agent (the priest,) we must depart with joy, for our sins have been forgiven. Repentance is the key to receiving this joy, and the antidote to despondency. If we, however, cling in despair, out of a false sense of humility, we are denying God's promise of forgiveness. Likewise, if we do not quickly forgive others, who've sought our forgiveness, but hold to the memory of their transgression, we can lead them into a state of despondency, and deprive them of the joy that comes with repentance. Forgiving others, and accepting forgiveness for ourselves, brings joy, and dispels all despair and despondency, which is the tool of the enemy.


Photo of the Day:

Photo taken from the north end of Vashon Island, looking east towards West Seattle.   

Scripture Readings for the Day:
 
Galatians 5:22-6:2

²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. ²⁴ And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. ²⁵ If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. ²⁶ Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

Galatians 6

Bear and Share the Burdens

 ¹ Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted. ² Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

Matthew 11:27-30

²⁷ All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him. ²⁸ Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰ For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

Click on photo to enlarge.