The Morning Offering

Not of This World

Speak Lord, for thy servant heareth
 

We have moved from a period in which little Samuel said, "speak, Lord, for thy servant heareth," to one in which we now say, "Listen, Lord, for they servant speaketh." Our American culture has become so enamored, even consumed, with the importance of "self" that we've made idols out of personal gain and fulfillment. Americans are ever seeking after "the things of this world," to the degree, in fact, that we have as a culture forgotten the basic truths that our ancestors took for granted. We have forgotten the importance of living altruistic lives, of living for the ultimate good of all, rather than the limiting scope of our materialistic needs.

We as a society have forgotten the importance of making provision for future generations, whether it be in saving the environment for those who will follow us, or in passing on those beliefs and values that make for a civilized society. Our children are no longer taught a value system that is based on the Judeo-Christian concept that there is a Truth that should govern our every action. Public schools, even society as a whole, has abandoned young people to a sort of moral confusion, thus leaving them rudderless in a sea of too many options. No longer are we teaching our children the importance of living morally upright lives. We are not giving them a foundation by which to govern their lives. A simple cursory view of one days worth of television programing, including the news, should be a sobering revelation to any committed Christian that something has gone terribly wrong. Is it no wonder that we are seeing with greater frequency the appearance of a bumper sticker that reads: "kill your television." It is time that we Orthodox Christians take back the care and instruction of our children.

With love in Christ,
Abbot Tryphon

Photos by Michael Manard

 
Sunday October 9, 2011 / September 26, 2011

17^th Sunday after Pentecost.
 

Repose of the Holy Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian.
Canonization of St. Tikhon, Patriarch of Moscow (1989).
New Hieromartyrs Athanasius, Alexander, Demetrius priests, martyrs John, Nicholas (1937).
New Hieromartyr Vladimir priest (1939).
Venerable Ephraim, abbot of Perekop, wonderworker of Novgorod (1492).
Righteous Gideon, judge of Israel.
Venerable Nilus of Rossano (Calabria) (1044).
Arrival of the Iveron Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos in Geogria (1989) (Georgia).

Hieromonk Paul, co-founder of the Monastery

2 Corinthians 6:16-7:1

 

¹⁶ And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said:

      “ I will dwell in them
      And walk among them.
      I will be their God,
      And they shall be My people.”
  

¹⁷ Therefore



      “ Come out from among them
      And be separate, says the Lord.
      Do not touch what is unclean,
      And I will receive you.”
       ¹⁸ “ I will be a Father to you,
      And you shall be My sons and daughters,
      Says the LORD Almighty.”

2 Corinthians 7

 

 ¹ Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

Luke 5:1-11

 

Four Fishermen Called as Disciples

 ¹ So it was, as the multitude pressed about Him to hear the word of God, that He stood by the Lake of Gennesaret, ² and saw two boats standing by the lake; but the fishermen had gone from them and were washing their nets. ³ Then He got into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, and asked him to put out a little from the land. And He sat down and taught the multitudes from the boat.
⁴ When He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon, “Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.”
⁵ But Simon answered and said to Him, “Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net.” ⁶ And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking. ⁷ So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. ⁸ When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!”
⁹ For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish which they had taken; ¹⁰ and so also were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid. From now on you will catch men.” ¹¹ So when they had brought their boats to land, they forsook all and followed Him.