The Morning Offering

Coming Glorifications

According to reports on the AgionOros.ru ("Holy Mountain") website with reference to the authoritative Greek portal Hellas-Orthodoxy, the Elder Paisios the Athonite and other elders from Holy Mount Athos will be canonized within the next few days. The services of Canonization (Glorification) for the Elder Amphilochios (Makris) of Patmos, Elder Sophrony (Sakharov) of Essex, and Elder Ephraim of Katounakia will follow. The canonization of Elder Joseph the Hesychast, the ascetic who is widely venerated in the Orthodox world, is not far off as well. The Elder Porplhyrios the Kapsokalivite, was canonized as a saint by the Holy Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarcahte on November 27.

With love in Christ,

Abbot Tryphon

Thursday December 19, 2013 / December 6, 2013

26^th Week after Pentecost. Tone eight.
Nativity (St. Philip's Fast). Food with Oil

St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, archbishop of Myra in Lycia (345).
Blessed Maximus, metropolitan of Kiev (1305).
New Martyr Nicholas of Karamanos in Asia Minor (1657) (Greek).
St. Nicholas, bishop of Patara.
St. Theophilus, bishop of Antioch (181).
St. Abramius, bishop of Cratea in Bithynia (6th c.).

You can read the life of the saint by clicking on the highlighted 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

Hebrews 13:17-21

¹⁷ Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you.

Prayer Requested

¹⁸ Pray for us; for we are confident that we have a good conscience, in all things desiring to live honorably. ¹⁹ But I especially urge you to do this, that I may be restored to you the sooner.

Benediction, Final Exhortation, Farewell

²⁰ Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, ²¹ make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.

Luke 6:17-23

Jesus Heals a Great Multitude

¹⁷ And He came down with them and stood on a level place with a crowd of His disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem, and from the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear Him and be healed of their diseases, ¹⁸ as well as those who were tormented with unclean spirits. And they were healed. ¹⁹ And the whole multitude sought to touch Him, for power went out from Him and healed them all.

The Beatitudes

²⁰ Then He lifted up His eyes toward His disciples, and said:

“Blessed are you poor,
    For yours is the kingdom of God.
²¹ Blessed are you who hunger now,
    For you shall be filled.
Blessed are you who weep now,
    For you shall laugh.
²² Blessed are you when men hate you,
    And when they exclude you,
    And revile you, and cast out your name as evil,
    For the Son of Man’s sake.
²³ Rejoice in that day and leap for joy!
    For indeed your reward is great in heaven,
    For in like manner their fathers did to the prophets.

 I invite my readers to listen to my
Ancient Faith Radio podcasts:
http://ancientfaith.com/podcasts/morningoffering