The Morning Offering

The Death of
Pope Shenouda

 Patriarch of Coptic Church, Dead at 88

It was with great sadness that I heard the news of the death of His Holiness Pope Shenouda, head of the Coptic Orthodox Church. I had the great honor of sitting next to him, many years ago, during a banquet given in his honor in Seattle. I knew I was sitting next to a saint, and believe it significant that he died on the Eve of the Feast of the Adoration of the Holy Cross. He suffered greatly for Christ, and for his Coptic people, during his forty years on the Throne of Saint Mark. May his memory be eternal.

We must pray for the safety and well-being of the ten million persecuted Coptic Christians of Egypt, who are now orphaned. Pope Shenouda will be buried in Saint Bishoy Monastery, site of two attacks in as many days, by Egyptian armed forces, back in 2011. The 5th century monastery in Wadi el-Natroun, is 68 miles from Cairo. Live ammunition was fired, wounding two monks and six Coptic monastery workers.

The armed forces stormed the main entrance gate to the monastery with armored vehicles and a bulldozer to demolish the fence built by the monks the previous month to protect the monastery from the lawlessness which prevailed in Egypt during the January 25 Uprising.

With love in Christ,
Abbot Tryphon

Patriarch Kirill visits Pope Shenouda

Sunday March 18, 2012 / March 5, 2012

Third Sunday of the Great Lent: Adoration of Cross. Tone seven.
Great Lent. Food with Oil

Martyr Conon of Isauria (2nd c.).
St. Nicholas (1919).
New Hieromartyr John priest and New Hieromartyrs Mardarius and Theopane (1938).
St. Nicholas (Velimirovich), bishop of Ochrid and Zhicha, Serbia (1956) (Serbia).
Translation of the relics (1463) of St. Theodore, prince of Smolensk and Yaroslav (1299), and his children Sts. David (1321) and Constantine.
Monk-martyr Adrian, abbot of Poshekhonye (1550) and his fellow-ascetic St. Leonidas (1549).
Martyr Onisius of Isauria (2nd c.).
Martyr Conon the Gardener of Pamphylia (251).
Virgin-martyr Irais (Rhais) of Antinoe in Egypt (3rd c.) and with her Martyr Archelaus and 152 Martyrs in Egypt.
Martyr Eulogius of Palestine.
Martyr Eulampius of Palestine.
Venerable Mark the Faster of Egypt (5th c.).
Venerable Hesychius the Faster of Bithynia (790).
"Nurtured Up-Bringing" Icon of the Mother of God.
New Martyr John the Bulgarian (Mt. Athos), at Constantinople (1784) (Greek).
Martyr Archelaus and 152 Martyrs in Egypt.
St. Kieran (Ciaran) of Saigher, Munster (Ireland) (5th-6th c.) (Celtic & British).
St. Theophilus, bishop of Caesaria in Palestine (200).
St. Virgil, archbishop of Aries (618).
Sts. Basil (1249) and Constantine (1257), princes of Yaroslavl.
New Hieromartyr Parthenius, Bishop of Didymoteichon in Thrace (1805).
New Martyr George of Rapsana (1818).
St. Piran, mont of Perranporth.

Click on photos to enlarge

We are hoping to retire the mortgage debt of $250,000.00. Having this hanging over our heads, and knowing the bank owns the monastery, is not a good thing. Your prayers are most appreciated, as we need a miracle.

Donations can be made directly to the monastery through PayPal, or you may send donations to:

All-Merciful Saviour Monastery
PO Box 2420
Vashon Island, WA 98070-2420 USA

Saint Mark's Cathedral, Cairo, Egypt

The body of Pope Shenouda seated in the Throne of St. Mark

Hebrews 4:14-5:6

Our Compassionate High Priest

 

¹⁴ Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. ¹⁵ For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. ¹⁶ Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Qualifications for High Priesthood

 

5 For every high priest taken from among men is appointed for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins. ² He can have compassion on those who are ignorant and going astray, since he himself is also subject to weakness. ³ Because of this he is required as for the people, so also for himself, to offer sacrifices for sins. ⁴ And no man takes this honor to himself, but he who is called by God, just as Aaron was.

A Priest Forever

 

⁵ So also Christ did not glorify Himself to become High Priest, but it was He who said to Him:

“You are My Son,
Today I have begotten You.”

⁶ As He also says in another place:

“You are a priest forever
According to the order of Melchizedek”;

Mark 8:34-9:1

Take Up the Cross and Follow Him

 

³⁴ When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. ³⁵ For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it. ³⁶ For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? ³⁷ Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? ³⁸ For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.”

9 And He said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you that there are some standing here who will not taste death till they see the kingdom of God present with power.”