The Morning Offering

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill sends
letter to His Majesty King Harald V 
of Norway

His Majesty King Harald V of Norway 

Your Majesty!

    With sorrow I learned of the terrible terrorist attacks in the capital of Norway, as well as on the island of Utoeya. Please accept my sincere condolences on behalf of all the faithful of the Russian Orthodox Church, who in these tragic days, prayerfully share in the suffering of the Norwegian people. I ask you to convey our sympathy and support to all subjects of the Kingdom of Norway, with whom we have for centuries a shared tradition of good neighborliness.

    For the first time a victim of terror, which in recent years has swept the entire world, became Norway. I am convinced that this ordeal will not shake the Norwegians, but only unite their resolve to resist the new challenge of evil.

   The terrorists managed to carry out their monstrous plan, resulting in killing innocent people. Whatever motivated killers, this shameful crime can have no excuses. They committed iniquity went against the will of God and the rights of man.

   I pray to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Who is  the Resurrection and the Life (John 11:25), that he will grant rest in the Kingdom of Heaven to the souls of those killed and comfort to You, to the families of victims of the terrorist attacks, and to the entire Norwegian people.

With deepest sympathy,

+ KIRILL, Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia

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On July 20th I posted an appeal for funds, explaining that the monastery is in dire straights, and asking for help. I want to thank all of you who've been able to help, and ask those who can not afford to help us financially to please pray for the monastery. By your holy prayers, and with the help of Almighty God, we will get through this present crisis.

With a grateful heart,
Abbot Tryphon



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Icon of Our Lady of the Burning Bush

Monday July 25, 2011 / July 12, 2011

7^th Week after Pentecost. Tone five.

Martyrs Proclus and Hilary of Ancyra (2nd c.). Venerable Michael, monk, of Maleinus (962). Martyrs Theodore and his son John of Kiev (983). Venerable Arsenius of Novgorod, fool-for-Christ (1570). Venerable Simon, abbot of Volomsk (1641). Martyr Golinduc, in holy baptism Mary, of Persia (591). Venerables John (998) and Gabriel (10th c.), of Georgia and Iveron, Mt. Athos (Georgia). Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos "Of the Three Hands", Hilandar, Mt. Athos. Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos "Samonapisavshaiasia" (1863). Blessed Serapion, bishop of Vladimir (1275). St. Veronica, the woman with the issue of blood who was healed by the Saviour. Translation of the relics (1620) of St. Anthony, abbot of Leokhnov (Novgorod) (1611). New Martyrs Andrew the Soildier, Heraclius, Taustus, Menas, and others (Greek). Martyr Mamas near Sigmata (Greek). Translation of the relics (2004) of New Hieromartyr Momcilo Grgurevic of Serbia (1940s) (Serbia).

The Scripture Readings for the Day:

 

1 Corinthians 5:9-6:11

Immorality Must Be Judged

⁹ I wrote to you in my epistle not to keep company with sexually immoral people. ¹⁰ Yet I certainly did not mean with the sexually immoral people of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. ¹¹ But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner—not even to eat with such a person.
¹² For what have I to do with judging those also who are outside? Do you not judge those who are inside? ¹³ But those who are outside God judges. Therefore “put away from yourselves the evil person.”

1 Corinthians 6

Do Not Sue the Brethren

 ¹ Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unrighteous, and not before the saints? ² Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world will be judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters? ³ Do you not know that we shall judge angels? How much more, things that pertain to this life? ⁴ If then you have judgments concerning things pertaining to this life, do you appoint those who are least esteemed by the church to judge? ⁵ I say this to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you, not even one, who will be able to judge between his brethren? ⁶ But brother goes to law against brother, and that before unbelievers!