The Morning Offering

Suffering

Suffering with a Co-Suffering Saviour

When faced with tragedies, we must trust in God, and not react, resent, or lose our peace. These things can happen for our purification, and prepare us for the world to come. Since we live in a fallen world, there is death and suffering, but all things are being made anew in Christ. All things work together for good, as the Scriptures say, for those who love God. 

As Orthodox Christians, we don't believe in the Gospel of Prosperity, that if you believe, everything will go well. God allows things that will make us grow, because He loves us. One elder, who suffered greatly with an illness, said, "I don't pray that I be healed, but pray that I don't lose my faith." It is the work of the devil to try to get us to lose our faith.

God does not send us suffering and sorrow, our collective sin brings it on. God sends things that heal us. We are powerless against a world that is dark, and full of hatred, ugliness, and death, but we must refuse to give ourselves over to that darkness. We must pray, immerse our self in the Liturgy, and continue to live for God. We live in witness to the eternal truth, that Jesus Christ is alive, and reigns in our heart. We have reason to be joyful, even when faced with suffering. We are comforted in our suffering, knowing that our Lord wept when hearing the Lazarus had died, and that He gives us the ability to be joyful, even as we weep with those who weep.

God allows for us to suffer under heavy crosses, during different times in our lives, but He does not leave us to suffer alone, for He is our Co-suffering Saviour, and lifts us up, if we let Him.

With love in Christ,
Abbot Tryphon

Friday April 27, 2012 / April 14, 2012

Second Week of Pascha. Tone one.
Fast. Fish Allowed

St. Martin the Confessor, pope of Rome (655).
New Martyr Sergius (Trofimov) of Nizhni-Novgorod and one with him (1918).
New Hieromartyr Alexander confessor, priest (1941).
Martyrs Anthony, John and Eustathius of Vilnius (Lithuania) (1347).
Martyr Ardalion the Actor, who suffered under Maximian (3rd c.).
Martyr Azat the Eunuch and 1,000 Martyrs in Persia (341).
"Vilna" Icon of the Mother of God.
Monk-martyr Christopher of Mar Sabbas (797).
St. Cyriacus, bishop of Jerusalem (4th c.) (Greek).
Apostles Aristarchus, Pudens, and Trophimus of the Seventy (Greek).
New Martyr Demetrius of the Peloponnesus, who suffered at Tripoli (1803).
St. Euthymius the Wonderwoker (Greek).
You can read the life of the saint in green, by click on the name.

 


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

Acts 5:1-11

Lying to the Holy Spirit

5 But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession. ² And he kept back part of the proceeds, his wife also being aware of it, and brought a certain part and laid it at the apostles’ feet. ³ But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land for yourself? ⁴ While it remained, was it not your own? And after it was sold, was it not in your own control? Why have you conceived this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God.”
⁵ Then Ananias, hearing these words, fell down and breathed his last. So great fear came upon all those who heard these things. ⁶ And the young men arose and wrapped him up, carried him out, and buried him.
⁷ Now it was about three hours later when his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. ⁸ And Peter answered her, “Tell me whether you sold the land for so much?”
She said, “Yes, for so much.”
⁹ Then Peter said to her, “How is it that you have agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord? Look, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out.” ¹⁰ Then immediately she fell down at his feet and breathed her last. And the young men came in and found her dead, and carrying her out, buried her by her husband. ¹¹ So great fear came upon all the church and upon all who heard these things.

John 5:30-6:2

³⁰ I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me.

The Fourfold Witness

³¹ “If I bear witness of Myself, My witness is not true. ³² There is another who bears witness of Me, and I know that the witness which He witnesses of Me is true. ³³ You have sent to John, and he has borne witness to the truth. ³⁴ Yet I do not receive testimony from man, but I say these things that you may be saved. ³⁵ He was the burning and shining lamp, and you were willing for a time to rejoice in his light. ³⁶ But I have a greater witness than John’s; for the works which the Father has given Me to finish—the very works that I do—bear witness of Me, that the Father has sent Me. ³⁷ And the Father Himself, who sent Me, has testified of Me. You have neither heard His voice at any time, nor seen His form. ³⁸ But you do not have His word abiding in you, because whom He sent, Him you do not believe. ³⁹ You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. ⁴⁰ But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life.
⁴¹ “I do not receive honor from men. ⁴² But I know you, that you do not have the love of God in you. ⁴³ I have come in My Father’s name, and you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own name, him you will receive. ⁴⁴ How can you believe, who receive honor from one another, and do not seek the honor that comes from the only God? ⁴⁵ Do not think that I shall accuse you to the Father; there is one who accuses you—Moses, in whom you trust. ⁴⁶ For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote about Me. ⁴⁷ But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?”

Feeding the Five Thousand

6 After these things Jesus went over the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias. ² Then a great multitude followed Him, because they saw His signs which He performed on those who were diseased. 

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