The Morning Offering

Monday

June 20, 2011 / June 7, 2011

2^nd Week after Pentecost. Tone eight.

 
Beginning of Apostles' (Peter & Paul) Fast

Martyr Theodotus of Ancyra (303).
New Hieromartyr Archbishop Andronicus of Perm, Alexander, Alexis, Alexander, Valentine, Benjamin, Viktor, Alexander, Paul, Vladimir, Ignatius, Michael, Nicholas, Paul, Alexander, Nicholas priests, Gregory deacon and Martyrs Athanasius and Alexsander (1918).
New Hieromartyrs Nicholas and Peter priests (1919).
Hieromartyr Marcellinus, pope of Rome (304) and with him the Holy Martyrs Claudius, Cyrinus and Antoninus (304).
Hieromartyr Marcellus, bishop of Rome, and those with him: Sisinius and Cyriacus deacons, Smaragdus, Largus, Apronian, Saturninus, Pappias, Maurus, Crescentian, Priscilla, Lucina, and Princess Artemia (304-310).
Martyrs Kyriaki, Caleria (Valeria), and Mary, of Caesarea in Palestine (304).
Synaxis of All Saints of Ivanovo.
Venerable Daniel of Scete in Egypt (420).
Virgin-martyr Potamiaena of Alexandria.
Martyr Zenais (Zenaida) of Caesarea in Palestine.
St. Colman, bishop of Dromore, Ireland (6th c.) (Celtic & British).
Holy women Aesia and Susanna, disciples of Venerable Pancratius of Taormina and martyred with him (1st c.) (Greek).
Martyr Lycarion of Hermopolis in Egypt (Greek).
Venerable Panagis of Cephalonia (Greek).
Martyrs Tarasius and John (Greek).
St. Stephen the hieromonk (Greek).
St. Anthimus the hieromonk (Greek).
St. Sebastian the Wonderworker (Greek).
St. Anthony (in schema Abramius), monk, of Kozha Lake (1634).

Words from the Abbot:

Today is the beginning of the Apostles Fast. This twenty-two day period of abstinence prepares us for the Feast of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul which will be celebrated on July 12 (June 29th, Old Style). Like all the other major periods of fasting in the Orthodox Church (the Great Lenten Fast, the Nativity Fast, the Dormition Fast), this fasting period gives us an opportunity to empty ourselves to make way for the Lord.

Fasting has always been an important element in the life of Christians. The Lord Himself fasted in the desert for forty days before beginning His ministry and both the Old and New Testament Churches regarded fasting as an essential element of the spiritual life.

In today's society one often hears of fasting as being related to some weight loss program, with the spiritual aspects not even considered. However valuable fasting may be for weight loss, the essential purpose of fasting is to clear the way for spiritual growth. Depriving ourselves of the consumption of dairy products, eggs, meat and even dessert, is a way of bringing ourselves into a spiritual awareness that is otherwise not possible.

These periods of fasting also call for increased effort in our prayer life and spiritual reading. Yet given all this Saint Basil the Great says, "True fasting lies in rejecting evil, holding one's tongue, suppressing one's hatred, and banishing one's lust, evil words, lying, and betrayal of vows." 

With love in Christ,
Abbot Tryphon

Photos of the Day:

 

It was my joy to serve at Saint Martin the Merciful Orthodox Church in Corvallis, Oregon this weekend, in the absence of Father James Baglien, the parish rector.

Scripture Readings for the Day:

Romans 2:28-3:18

 

²⁸ For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh; ²⁹ but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God.

Romans 3

God’s Judgment Defended

 ¹ What advantage then has the Jew, or what is the profit of circumcision? ² Much in every way! Chiefly because to them were committed the oracles of God. ³ For what if some did not believe? Will their unbelief make the faithfulness of God without effect? ⁴ Certainly not! Indeed, let God be true but every man a liar. As it is written:

      “ That You may be justified in Your words,
      And may overcome when You are judged.”

⁵ But if our unrighteousness demonstrates the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is God unjust who inflicts wrath? (I speak as a man.) ⁶ Certainly not! For then how will God judge the world?
⁷ For if the truth of God has increased through my lie to His glory, why am I also still judged as a sinner? ⁸ And why not say, “Let us do evil that good may come”?—as we are slanderously reported and as some affirm that we say. Their condemnation is just.

All Have Sinned

⁹ What then? Are we better than they? Not at all. For we have previously charged both Jews and Greeks that they are all under sin.
¹⁰ As it is written:


      “ There is none righteous, no, not one;
       ¹¹ There is none who understands;
      There is none who seeks after God.
       ¹² They have all turned aside;
      They have together become unprofitable;
      There is none who does good, no, not one.”
       ¹³ “ Their throat is an open tomb;
       With their tongues they have practiced deceit”;

      “ The poison of asps is under their lips”;
       ¹⁴ “ Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.”
       ¹⁵ “ Their feet are swift to shed blood;
       ¹⁶ Destruction and misery are in their ways;
       ¹⁷ And the way of peace they have not known.”
       ¹⁸ “ There is no fear of God before their eyes.”

Matthew 6:31-34

³¹ “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ ³² For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. ³³ But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. ³⁴ Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

Matthew 7:9-11

⁹ Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? ¹⁰ Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? ¹¹ If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!

Click photo to enlarge.