The Morning Offering

Loving Our Detractors

When We are the Occasion for
Another Person's Disdain

Because we are all brothers and sisters, we are responsible for the way we impact others. Often we are entirely innocent, yet by our very existence we become a source of great irritation and anxiety for other people. The only way we can change that is by loving them, and praying for them.

We don't offer our prayers that they see their errors in not appreciating us, and loving us, but that they may see that their hatred for us is bad for their soul. We pray that they be relieved of the burden of resenting us, or anyone.

If someone is awkward and socially blocked, their pain can be great, so we pray that they be relieved of their pain, not that they change their minds about us, or love and accept us, but that they find the inner peace that dispels their resentment for anyone.

Avoiding people who dislike us does not prosper our soul, for in avoiding people, or ignoring them because they dislike us, is not the way Christ would have us act. We love these people, and we pray for them, not to change their attitude about us, but that they find peace by seeing that their resentment is destroying their soul.

Love in Christ,
Abbot Tryphon

Tuesday August 6, 2013 / July 24, 2013
7^th Week after Pentecost. Tone five.

Martyr Christina of Tyre (300).
Holy Martyrs and Passion-bearers Boris and Gleb of Russia, in holy baptism Romanus and David (1015).
New Hieromartyr Alpheus deacon (1937).
Sts. Nicholas (1942) and John (1951) confessors, priests.
Venerable Polycarp, archimandrite of the Kiev Caves (1182).
New Martyr Athanasius of Nicaea (1670) (Greek).
New Martyr Theophilus of Zakynthos (1635) (Greek).
Venerable Bogolep, child schemamonk of Black Ravine near Astrakhan (1667).
Martyr Hermogenes.
Venerable Pachomius, abbot, on the Lake (1479), friend of Venerable Dionysius of Glushets (Vologda).
St. Bernulphus, bishop of Utrecht (1054) (Neth.).
St. Declan, bishop of Ardmore (Ireland) (5th c.) (Celtic & British).
St. Hilarion of Tvali (11th c.) (Georgia).
New Hieromartyr Maximus (Sandovich), who suffered under the Latins, Protomartyr of the Lemko People.
Martyrs Capitio and Hymenaeus (Greek) You can read the life of the saint in red, by clicking on the name.

THANKS 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

The Scripture Readings for the Day

1 Corinthians 6:20-7:12

²⁰ For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.

Principles of Marriage

7 Now concerning the things of which you wrote to me:
It is good for a man not to touch a woman. ² Nevertheless, because of sexual immorality, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband. ³ Let the husband render to his wife the affection due her, and likewise also the wife to her husband. ⁴ The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. And likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. ⁵ Do not deprive one another except with consent for a time, that you may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again so that Satan does not tempt you because of your lack of self-control. ⁶ But I say this as a concession, not as a commandment. ⁷ For I wish that all men were even as I myself. But each one has his own gift from God, one in this manner and another in that.
⁸ But I say to the unmarried and to the widows: It is good for them if they remain even as I am; ⁹ but if they cannot exercise self-control, let them marry. For it is better to marry than to burn with passion.

Keep Your Marriage Vows

¹⁰ Now to the married I command, yet not I but the Lord: A wife is not to depart from her husband. ¹¹ But even if she does depart, let her remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband. And a husband is not to divorce his wife.
¹² But to the rest I, not the Lord, say: If any brother has a wife who does not believe, and she is willing to live with him, let him not divorce her.

Matthew 14:1-13

John the Baptist Beheaded

14 At that time Herod the tetrarch heard the report about Jesus ² and said to his servants, “This is John the Baptist; he is risen from the dead, and therefore these powers are at work in him.” ³ For Herod had laid hold of John and bound him, and put him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife. ⁴ Because John had said to him, “It is not lawful for you to have her.” ⁵ And although he wanted to put him to death, he feared the multitude, because they counted him as a prophet.
⁶ But when Herod’s birthday was celebrated, the daughter of Herodias danced before them and pleased Herod. ⁷ Therefore he promised with an oath to give her whatever she might ask.
⁸ So she, having been prompted by her mother, said, “Give me John the Baptist’s head here on a platter.”
⁹ And the king was sorry; nevertheless, because of the oaths and because of those who sat with him, he commanded it to be given to her. ¹⁰ So he sent and had John beheaded in prison. ¹¹ And his head was brought on a platter and given to the girl, and she brought it to her mother. ¹² Then his disciples came and took away the body and buried it, and went and told Jesus.

Feeding the Five Thousand

¹³ When Jesus heard it, He departed from there by boat to a deserted place by Himself. But when the multitudes heard it, they followed Him on foot from the cities.

 

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