The Morning Offering

The Mass of
Sinners

Committed to Living as the Presence of Christ

According to Ephraim the Syrian, the great sixth century saint, "The Church is not the assembly of saints, it is the mass of sinners who repent, who, sinners though they are, have turned towards God and are oriented towards Him." As a people whose focus is on God, we are sinners who are committed to living as the presence of Christ in the world, and whose holiness can not be separated from the holiness of God at work in this world.

With love in Christ,
Abbot Tryphon

Photo:
Seattle resident Cliff Argue, of the Orthodox Christian Mission Center, which is an international missionary outreach, brought James Hargrave to the monastery for the afternoon. James and his wife, Daphne, are missionaries in Tanzania. James and Daphne work in a number of ministries to advance the Orthodox Christian faith and help make disciples in Western Tanzania.

Under Metropolitan Jeronymos, they work with the local leadership of the Archdiocesan offices in Mwanza, developing the Church's strategies for health care, communications, youth programs, and translation work. James and his wife speak Swahili, since OCMC requires all it's missionaries spend their first year in any given country, learning the language.

Please pray for the Orthodox Church in Western Tanzania, for these ministries, and for James and Daphne.

click on photo to enlarge

Tuesday September 11, 2012 / August 29, 2012

15^th Week after Pentecost. Tone five.
Fast. Food with Oil

The Beheading of the Glorious Prophet, Forerunner, and Baptist John.
Fast Day.
Commemoration of orthodox soldiers killed on a battle fields.
Venerable Alexander, abbot of Voche, of Galich (16th c.).
New Martyr Anastasius of Bulgaria (1794).
St. Sebbi, king of the East Saxons (694) (Celtic & British).
Venerable Theodora, nun, of Thessalonica (892) (Greek).
Venerable Arcadius of Arsinoe, Cyprus, bishop and wonderworker (Greek).
Translation of the relics of Venerable Joseph the Sanctified of Samaka (Greek).
New Hieromartyr Peter, metropolitan of Krutitsa (1936).
Sts. Candida (418) and Gelasia (422) of Constantinople.

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

Acts 13:25-32

²⁵And as John was finishing his course, he said, ‘Who do you think I am? I am not He. But behold, there comes One after me, the sandals of whose feet I am not worthy to loose.’

²⁶“Men and brethren, sons of the family of Abraham, and those among you who fear God, to you the word of this salvation has been sent. ²⁷For those who dwell in Jerusalem, and their rulers, because they did not know Him, nor even the voices of the Prophets which are read every Sabbath, have fulfilled them in condemning Him. ²⁸And though they found no cause for death in Him, they asked Pilate that He should be put to death. ²⁹Now when they had fulfilled all that was written concerning Him, they took Him down from the tree and laid Him in a tomb. ³⁰But God raised Him from the dead. ³¹He was seen for many days by those who came up with Him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are His witnesses to the people. ³²And we declare to you glad tidings—that promise which was made to the fathers.

Mark 6:14-30

John the Baptist Beheaded

¹⁴Now King Herod heard of Him, for His name had become well known. And he said, “John the Baptist is risen from the dead, and therefore these powers are at work in him.”

¹⁵Others said, “It is Elijah.”

And others said, “It is the Prophet, or like one of the prophets.”

¹⁶But when Herod heard, he said, “This is John, whom I beheaded; he has been raised from the dead!” ¹⁷For Herod himself had sent and laid hold of John, and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife; for he had married her. ¹⁸Because John had said to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.”

¹⁹Therefore Herodias held it against him and wanted to kill him, but she could not; ²⁰for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just and holy man, and he protected him. And when he heard him, he did many things, and heard him gladly.

²¹Then an opportune day came when Herod on his birthday gave a feast for his nobles, the high officers, and the chief men of Galilee. ²²And when Herodias’ daughter herself came in and danced, and pleased Herod and those who sat with him, the king said to the girl, “Ask me whatever you want, and I will give it to you.” ²³He also swore to her, “Whatever you ask me, I will give you, up to half my kingdom.”

²⁴So she went out and said to her mother, “What shall I ask?”

And she said, “The head of John the Baptist!”

²⁵Immediately she came in with haste to the king and asked, saying, “I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter.”

²⁶And the king was exceedingly sorry; yet, because of the oaths and because of those who sat with him, he did not want to refuse her. ²⁷Immediately the king sent an executioner and commanded his head to be brought. And he went and beheaded him in prison, ²⁸brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl; and the girl gave it to her mother. ²⁹When his disciples heard of it, they came and took away his corpse and laid it in a tomb.