The Morning Offering

Wednesday

April 6, 2011 / March 24, 2011

Fifth Week of the Great Lent. Tone four.
Great Lent. By Monastic Charter: Strict Fast (Bread, Vegetables, Fruits)

Forefeast of the Annunciation.
Venerable Zacharias the Recluse of Egypt (4th c.).
St. Artemon, bishop of Seleucia (1st c.).
New Hieromartyr Vladimir priest (1920).
Venerable Zachariah, faster of the Kiev Caves (13th c.).
Martyrs Stephen and Peter of Kazan (1552).
Venerable James the Confessor, bishop of Catania (802-811).
"The Clouded Mount" Icon of the Mother of God.
Hieromartyr Parthenius, patriarch of Constantinople (1657).
St. Savvas the New of Kalymnos (1948) (Greek).
Eight Martyrs of Caesarea in Palestine (Greek).
Venerable Martin of Thebes, monk (Greek).
St. Thomas, abbot of the monastery of St. Euthymius (542).
St. Severus of Catania (802-811).
St. Artemius, bishop of Thessalonica.
St. Dunchad, abbot of Iona.

Quote for the Day:

"'The pure of heart will see God,' according to the Lord's infallible word (Mt. 5:8), according to his capacity, receiving as much as his mind can sustain; yet the infinite and incomprehensible nature of the Godhead remains beyond all understanding. For 'the magnificence of His glory,' as the Prophet says (Ps. 144-5), has no end, and as we contemplate Him He remains ever the same, at the same distance above us. The Great David enjoyed in his heart those glorious elevations as he progressed from strength to strength; and yet he cried to God: Lord, 'Thou art the most High,' forever and ever (Ps. 82:19). And by this I think he means that in all the infinite eternity of centuries, the man who runs towards Thee constantly becomes greater as he rises higher, ever growing in proportion to his increase in grace. 'Thou,' indeed, 'art the most High,' abiding forever, and canst never seem smaller to those who approach Thee, for Thou art always to the same degree higher and loftier than the faculties of those who are rising."

Saint Gregory of Nyssa                                                                                                                                                                                                                
Scripture Readings for the Day:

Isaiah 41:4-14

⁴ Who has performed and done it,
      Calling the generations from the beginning?

      ‘ I, the LORD, am the first;
      And with the last I am He.’”
       ⁵ The coastlands saw it and feared,
      The ends of the earth were afraid;
      They drew near and came.
       ⁶ Everyone helped his neighbor,
      And said to his brother,

      “ Be of good courage!”
       ⁷ So the craftsman encouraged the goldsmith;
      He who smooths with the hammer inspired him who strikes the anvil,
      Saying, “It is ready for the soldering”;
      Then he fastened it with pegs,
      That it might not totter.
       ⁸ “ But you, Israel, are My servant,
      Jacob whom I have chosen,
      The descendants of Abraham My friend.
       ⁹ You whom I have taken from the ends of the earth,
      And called from its farthest regions,
      And said to you,

      ‘ You are My servant,
      I have chosen you and have not cast you away:
       ¹⁰ Fear not, for I am with you;
      Be not dismayed, for I am your God.
      I will strengthen you,
      Yes, I will help you,
      I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’
       ¹¹ “ Behold, all those who were incensed against you
      Shall be ashamed and disgraced;
      They shall be as nothing,
      And those who strive with you shall perish.
       ¹² You shall seek them and not find them—
      Those who contended with you.
      Those who war against you
      Shall be as nothing,
      As a nonexistent thing.
       ¹³ For I, the LORD your God, will hold your right hand,
      Saying to you, ‘Fear not, I will help you.’
       ¹⁴ “ Fear not, you worm Jacob,
      You men of Israel!
      I will help you,” says the LORD
      And your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.

Genesis 17:1-9

The Sign of the Covenant

 ¹ When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am Almighty God; walk before Me and be blameless. ² And I will make My covenant between Me and you, and will multiply you exceedingly.” ³ Then Abram fell on his face, and God talked with him, saying: ⁴ “As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, and you shall be a father of many nations. ⁵ No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you a father of many nations. ⁶ I will make you exceedingly fruitful; and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come from you. ⁷ And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and your descendants after you. ⁸ Also I give to you and your descendants after you the land in which you are a stranger, all the land of Canaan, as an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.”
⁹ And God said to Abraham: “As for you, you shall keep My covenant, you and your descendants after you throughout their generations.

Proverbs 15:20-16:9

²⁰ A wise son makes a father glad,
      But a foolish man despises his mother.
       ²¹ Folly is joy to him who is destitute of discernment,
      But a man of understanding walks uprightly.
       ²² Without counsel, plans go awry,
      But in the multitude of counselors they are established.
       ²³ A man has joy by the answer of his mouth,
      And a word spoken in due season, how good it is!
       ²⁴ The way of life winds upward for the wise,
      That he may turn away from hell below.
       ²⁵ The LORD will destroy the house of the proud,
      But He will establish the boundary of the widow.
       ²⁶ The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the LORD,
      But the words of the pure are pleasant.
       ²⁷ He who is greedy for gain troubles his own house,
      But he who hates bribes will live.
       ²⁸ The heart of the righteous studies how to answer,
      But the mouth of the wicked pours forth evil.
       ²⁹ The LORD is far from the wicked,
      But He hears the prayer of the righteous.
       ³⁰ The light of the eyes rejoices the heart,
      And a good report makes the bones healthy.
       ³¹ The ear that hears the rebukes of life
      Will abide among the wise.
       ³² He who disdains instruction despises his own soul,
      But he who heeds rebuke gets understanding.
       ³³ The fear of the LORD is the instruction of wisdom,
      And before honor is humility.

Proverbs 16

 ¹ The preparations of the heart belong to man,
      But the answer of the tongue is from the LORD.
       ² All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes,
      But the LORD weighs the spirits.
       ³ Commit your works to the LORD,
      And your thoughts will be established.
       ⁴ The LORD has made all for Himself,
      Yes, even the wicked for the day of doom.
       ⁵ Everyone proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD;
      Though they join forces, none will go unpunished.
       ⁶ In mercy and truth
      Atonement is provided for iniquity;
      And by the fear of the LORD one departs from evil.
       ⁷ When a man’s ways please the LORD,
      He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.
       ⁸ Better is a little with righteousness,
      Than vast revenues without justice.
       ⁹ A man’s heart plans his way,
      But the LORD directs his steps.

Genesis 28:10-17

Jacob’s Vow at Bethel¹⁰ Now Jacob went out from Beersheba and went toward Haran. ¹¹ So he came to a certain place and stayed there all night, because the sun had set. And he took one of the stones of that place and put it at his head, and he lay down in that place to sleep. ¹² Then he dreamed, and behold, a ladder was set up on the earth, and its top reached to heaven; and there the angels of God were ascending and descending on it.
¹³ And behold, the LORD stood above it and said: “I am the LORD God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and your descendants. ¹⁴ Also your descendants shall be as the dust of the earth; you shall spread abroad to the west and the east, to the north and the south; and in you and in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed. ¹⁵ Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have spoken to you.”
¹⁶ Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, “Surely the LORD is in this place, and I did not know it.” ¹⁷ And he was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven!”

Ezekiel 43:27-44:4

²⁷ When these days are over it shall be, on the eighth day and thereafter, that the priests shall offer your burnt offerings and your peace offerings on the altar; and I will accept you,’ says the Lord GOD.”

Ezekiel 44

The East Gate and the Prince

 ¹ Then He brought me back to the outer gate of the sanctuary which faces toward the east, but it was shut. ² And the LORD said to me, “This gate shall be shut; it shall not be opened, and no man shall enter by it, because the LORD God of Israel has entered by it; therefore it shall be shut. ³ As for the prince, because he is the prince, he may sit in it to eat bread before the LORD; he shall enter by way of the vestibule of the gateway, and go out the same way.”

Those Admitted to the Temple

⁴ Also He brought me by way of the north gate to the front of the temple; so I looked, and behold, the glory of the LORD filled the house of the LORD; and I fell on my face.

Proverbs 9:1-11

The Way of Wisdom

 ¹ Wisdom has built her house,
      She has hewn out her seven pillars;
       ² She has slaughtered her meat,
      She has mixed her wine,
      She has also furnished her table.
       ³ She has sent out her maidens,
      She cries out from the highest places of the city,
       ⁴ “ Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!”
      As for him who lacks understanding, she says to him,
       ⁵ “ Come, eat of my bread
      And drink of the wine I have mixed.
       ⁶ Forsake foolishness and live,
      And go in the way of understanding.
       ⁷ “ He who corrects a scoffer gets shame for himself,
      And he who rebukes a wicked man only harms himself.
       ⁸ Do not correct a scoffer, lest he hate you;
      Rebuke a wise man, and he will love you.
       ⁹ Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser;
      Teach a just man, and he will increase in learning.
       ¹⁰ “ The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom,
      And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
       ¹¹ For by me your days will be multiplied,
      And years of life will be added to you.


Click photo to enlarge.