The Morning Offering

 We wish to thank our friends who've been using PayPal to support the Monastery. These are difficult times for all of us, and the Monastery's coffee business, like so many businesses, has been diminished during these lean times. Your generosity, and kindness, are needed now, more than ever. May God bless you for your support of this holy monastery.
Abbot Tryphon

Saturday

May 14, 2011 / May 1, 2011

Third Week of Pascha. Tone two.

Prophet Jeremiah (650 B.C.).
Venerable Paphnutius, abbot of Borovsk (1477).
Virgin-martyr Nina (1938).
Hieromartyr Macarius, metropolitan of Kiev (1497).
Venerable Gerasimus, abbot of Boldino (1557).
Martyr Batas of Nisibis (395).
St. Tamara, queen of Georgia (1213).
New Martyrs Euthymius, Ignatius (1814), and Acacius the Serbian of Mt. Athos (1815).
The Tsarevokokshaisk, or "Myrrh-Bearing" (1647), Andronikos (14th c.), "Unexpected Joy" and Byzantine Icons of the Mother of God.
Asaph or Asa Bishop of Llanelwy (6th - 7th c.) (Celtic & British).
St. Panaretus, archbishop of Paphos in Cyprus (1791) (Greek).
Venerable Nicephorus of Chios, monk (1821) (Greek).
Martyr Sabbas (1821) (Greek).
St. Ultan, founderof Fosse (680) (Neth.).
St. Zosimas, bishop of Kumurdo (15th c.).
New Monk-martyr Romanus of Raqqa (780).
New Martyr Maria of Merambelos on Crete (1826).
St. Brioc, abbot of Sain Brieuc.
St. Corentin, bishop of Quimper.
Translation of the relicts of St. Walburga, abbes of Heidenheim.
St. Pholosophos.

 

A Word from the Abbot:

The interior beauty of an Orthodox temple, even one as small and simple as ours, bespeaks of the beauty of our Faith. When Prince Vladimir sent emissaries to the known world, "shopping" for a religion that would unite his people, and benefit his nation, his emissaries returned from Constantinople, saying of the Great Church of the Holy Wisdom, "they knew not whether they were in heaven, or on earth." Orthodoxy is like that. First encounters, for most of we who've converted to Orthodoxy, is usually one of being overwhelmed by the beauty of Her temples, and of Her worship. What awaits us, when we go deeper, is the astounding revelation that Her Mystical Theology is even more beautiful. The longer I am Orthodox, the more I behold the beauty that I've only barely begun to understand, and, because I desire to be transformed by God, I am only beginning to see the vastness of this Faith, and the spiritual depths my journey is taking me.

God desires to share His Divinity, with our humanity, and it is the journey we are taking to the Heart of God, that will bringing about the transformation of the heart, and, ultimately, lead to deification. It is this deification that ultimately completes what God began, with the creation of mankind. We humans are different than the whole of the rest of creation, for we, and we alone, have been destined by God, to share in His divinity, forever. This communion of the created, with it's Creator, is the main purpose of this life we've been given.

Glory to Him, Who has shown us the Light!

Abbot Tryphon 

 

Photos of the Day:

The first photo is of the interior of our temple, dedicated to the Protection of the Holy Virgin. I've also posted photos showing an overview of our monastery.

 

Scripture Readings for the Day:

Acts 9:20-31

Saul Preaches Christ

²⁰ Immediately he preached the Christ in the synagogues, that He is the Son of God.

²¹ Then all who heard were amazed, and said, “Is this not he who destroyed those who called on this name in Jerusalem, and has come here for that purpose, so that he might bring them bound to the chief priests?”

²² But Saul increased all the more in strength, and confounded the Jews who dwelt in Damascus, proving that this Jesus is the Christ.

Saul Escapes Death

²³ Now after many days were past, the Jews plotted to kill him. ²⁴ But their plot became known to Saul. And they watched the gates day and night, to kill him. ²⁵ Then the disciples took him by night and let him down through the wall in a large basket.

Saul at Jerusalem

²⁶ And when Saul had come to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples; but they were all afraid of him, and did not believe that he was a disciple. ²⁷ But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. And he declared to them how he had seen the Lord on the road, and that He had spoken to him, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus. ²⁸ So he was with them at Jerusalem, coming in and going out. ²⁹ And he spoke boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus and disputed against the Hellenists, but they attempted to kill him. ³⁰ When the brethren found out, they brought him down to Caesarea and sent him out to Tarsus.

The Church Prospers

³¹ Then the churches throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and were edified. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, they were multiplied.

John 15:17-16:2

¹⁷ These things I command you, that you love one another.

The World’s Hatred

¹⁸ “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. ¹⁹ If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. ²⁰ Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also. ²¹ But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me. ²² If I had not come and spoken to them, they would have no sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. ²³ He who hates Me hates My Father also. ²⁴ If I had not done among them the works which no one else did, they would have no sin; but now they have seen and also hated both Me and My Father. ²⁵ But this happened that the word might be fulfilled which is written in their law, ‘They hated Me without a cause.’

The Coming Rejection

²⁶ “But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me. ²⁷ And you also will bear witness, because you have been with Me from the beginning.

John 16

 ¹ “These things I have spoken to you, that you should not be made to stumble. ² They will put you out of the synagogues; yes, the time is coming that whoever kills you will think that he offers God service.

Click photo to enlarge.