The Morning Offering

Belittle No One

It was I who was lost but have been found

If we allow ourselves to belittle anyone, either because of their appearance or because of their state in life, we dismiss the truth that God can, in His Divine Providence, transform anyone into a saint. The person who seems to have succumbed to a worldly life, appearing covered in tattoos, nose rings, and orange hair, could be in the process of coming into an awareness of God, and our judging them, or shunning them, could hamper this process. Human weakness can be changed by divine power. We must recognize this truth so that we never condemn another, or judge another.

We must always remember that it is God Who has shown mercy on us, and it is this same God Who wishes that all come to the knowledge of the truth and be saved. He is able to help all. "And if in His providence He does not deliver all men together from their passions, yet like a good and loving physician, He heals with individual treatment each of those who are trying to make progress (St. Maximos the Confessor)." If we judge others by their appearance, or by their lifestyle, we forget that we belong to Christ because He first loved us. It was I who was lost but have been found.

With love in Christ,

Abbot Tryphon

Sunday September 2, 2012 / August 20, 2012

13^th Sunday after Pentecost. Tone four.

Synaxis of all saints of Moscow (movable holiday on the Sunday before August 26th, Russian Orthodox Church - the Moscow Patriarchate). Afterfeast of the Dormition. 

Prophet Samuel (6th c. B.C.).
New Hieromartyr Vladimir priest (1938).
Hieromartyr Philip, bishop of Heraclea, and with him Martyrs Severus, Memnon, and 37 soldiers at Plovdiv in Thrace (304).
St. Hierotheus of Hungary (10th c.) and St. Stephen I king of Hungary (1038).
Martyr Lucius the Senator of Cyprus (ca. 310).
Martyrs Heliodorus and Dosa (Dausa) in Persia (380).
Putting in again the relics of St. John, bishop of Suzdal and St. Theodore, bishop of Rostov and Suzdal (1879).
Martyr Photina, at the Church of Blachernae (Greek).
St. Philibert of Jumieges (685) (Gaul).
St. Oswin, king and martyr of Northumbria (651) (Celtic & British).

You can read the life of the saint in green, by click on the name.

THANK YOU, to all of you who have been able to contribute towards the support of the monastery. These difficult times of economic hardship have impacted the monastery, and those of you who have been able to donate, have been our lifeline. May God bless you for your generosity, and kindness.

With love in Christ,  
Abbot Tryphon

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

1 Corinthians 16:13-24

Final Exhortations

¹³ Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong. ¹⁴ Let all that you do be done with love.

¹⁵ I urge you, brethren—you know the household of Stephanas, that it is the firstfruits of Achaia, and that they have devoted themselves to the ministry of the saints— ¹⁶ that you also submit to such, and to everyone who works and labors with us.

¹⁷ I am glad about the coming of Stephanas, Fortunatus, and Achaicus, for what was lacking on your part they supplied. ¹⁸ For they refreshed my spirit and yours. Therefore acknowledge such men.

Greetings and a Solemn Farewell

¹⁹ The churches of Asia greet you. Aquila and Priscilla greet you heartily in the Lord, with the church that is in their house. ²⁰ All the brethren greet you.

Greet one another with a holy kiss.

²¹ The salutation with my own hand—Paul’s.

²² If anyone does not love the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be accursed. O Lord, come!

²³ The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. ²⁴ My love be with you all in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Matthew 21:33-42

The Parable of the Wicked Vinedressers

³³ “Hear another parable: There was a certain landowner who planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a winepress in it and built a tower. And he leased it to vinedressers and went into a far country. ³⁴ Now when vintage-time drew near, he sent his servants to the vinedressers, that they might receive its fruit. ³⁵ And the vinedressers took his servants, beat one, killed one, and stoned another. ³⁶ Again he sent other servants, more than the first, and they did likewise to them. ³⁷ Then last of all he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ ³⁸ But when the vinedressers saw the son, they said among themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and seize his inheritance.’ ³⁹ So they took him and cast him out of the vineyard and killed him.

⁴⁰ “Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vinedressers?”

⁴¹ They said to Him, “He will destroy those wicked men miserably, and lease his vineyard to other vinedressers who will render to him the fruits in their seasons.”

⁴² Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures:

‘The stone which the builders rejected
Has become the chief cornerstone.
This was the Lord’s doing,
And it is marvelous in our eyes’?