The Morning Offering

Sunday

March 20, 2011 / March 7, 2011

Second Sunday of the Great Lent. Tone two.

Great Lent. Food with Oil

St. Gregory Palamas the Archbishop of Thessalonica (movable holiday on the 2nd Sunday of the Great Lent).
Synaxis of all Venerable Fathers of the Kiev Caves (movable holiday on the 2nd Sunday of the Great Lent).
The Holy Hieromartyrs of Cherson: Basil, Ephraim, Capito, Eugene, Aetherius, Elpidius, and Agathodorus (4th c.).
New Hieromartyr Nicholas priest (1930).
New Hieromartyr Nilus, Virgin-martyrs Matrona, Mary, Eudocia, Ecaterina, Antonina, Nadezhda, Xenia, and Anna (1938).
Venerable Paul the Simple of Egypt, disciple of St. Anthony the Great (4th c.).
St. Paul the Confessor, bishop of Prusias in Bithynia (850).
Venerable Emilian of Rome.
Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos "Surety of Sinners" in Korets (1622), Odrin (1843) and Moscow (1848).
Sts. Nestor and Arcadius, bishops of Tremithus (Greek).
Venerable Laurence, founder of the monastery of the Mother of God on Salamis (1707) (Greek).
St. Ephraim, Patriarch of Antioch (546).
St. Dandus and all Saints of Thrace.
St. Eosterwine, abbot of Wearmount.

Quote for the Day:

"The demons that wage war on us through our shortcomings in virtue are those that teach unchastity, drunkenness, avarice and envy. Those that wage war on us through our excessive zeal for virtue teach conceit, self-esteem and pride; they secretly pervert what is commendable into what is reprehensible."

Saint Maximos the Confessor

                                            

Scripture Readings for the Day:

Hebrews 1:10-2:3

¹⁰ And:



      “ You, LORD, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth,
      And the heavens are the work of Your hands.
       ¹¹ They will perish, but You remain;
      And they will all grow old like a garment;
       ¹² Like a cloak You will fold them up,
      And they will be changed.
      But You are the same,
      And Your years will not fail.”


¹³ But to which of the angels has He ever said:



      “ Sit at My right hand,
      Till I make Your enemies Your footstool”?

   

 ¹⁴ Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation?

 

Hebrews 2

Do Not Neglect Salvation

 ¹ Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away. ² For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward, ³ how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him,

Mark 2:1-12

Jesus Forgives and Heals a Paralytic

 ¹ And again He entered Capernaum after some days, and it was heard that He was in the house. ² Immediately many gathered together, so that there was no longer room to receive them, not even near the door. And He preached the word to them. ³ Then they came to Him, bringing a paralytic who was carried by four men. ⁴ And when they could not come near Him because of the crowd, they uncovered the roof where He was. So when they had broken through, they let down the bed on which the paralytic was lying.
⁵ When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven you.”
⁶ And some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts, ⁷ “Why does this Man speak blasphemies like this? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”
⁸ But immediately, when Jesus perceived in His spirit that they reasoned thus within themselves, He said to them, “Why do you reason about these things in your hearts? ⁹ Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Arise, take up your bed and walk’? ¹⁰ But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins”—He said to the paralytic, ¹¹ “I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.” ¹² Immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went out in the presence of them all, so that all were amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!”

Click on photo to enlarge.