The Morning Offering

Influencing
Our Thoughts

What we put into our minds  

does make a difference

We have become a nation obsessed with violence, and our entertainment proves it. Movies portraying extremes in violence make huge sums of money for producers, studios and actors, while polluting the minds of millions of people with sick images of darkness, evil and extreme violence. The producers of twisted and evil movies would have us believe the unbearably savage acts of violence that are increasing in our society, have nothing to do with them.

We are becoming desensitized towards violence, and the film industry would have us believe it has nothing to do with them. When we allow ourselves and our children to be exposed to the violent rot and stench of Hollywood's best, do we wonder why borderline people act out movie plots and kill innocent people? 

When we allow anyone to purchase military style weapons, are we really surprised when a deranged or evil person actually purchase them to kill innocent people, or kill our police officers? Do we really believe the Founding Fathers meant for all of us to have the right to have military style weapons in our homes and armor piercing bullets?

What we put into our minds does make a difference, and if we want our children to grow up to become sensitive, loving, and caring people, we have to know that the movies they watch, the video games they play and the company they keep, does make a difference.

With love in Christ,
Abbot Tryphon


Friday December 13, 2013 / November 30, 2013
25^th Week after Pentecost. Tone seven.
Nativity (St. Philip's Fast). By Monastic Charter: Strict Fast (Bread, Vegetables, Fruits)
Holy and All-praised Apostle Andrew the First-called (62).
St. Elias, schemamonk of Valaam and Verkhoturye (1900).
New Hieromartyr John priest (1937).
St. Frumentius, archbishop of Abyssinia (380).
St. Tudwal, bishop in Wales and Brittany (6th c.) (Celtic & British ).
St. Alexander, bishop of Methymna on Lesbos (Greek).
Sts. Peter I (5th c.) and Samuel I (5-6th c.), Catholicoses of Georgia.
St. Vakhtang Gorgasali, King of Georgia (502).

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

2 Thessalonians 3:6-18

Warning Against Idleness

⁶ But we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you withdraw from every brother who walks disorderly and not according to the tradition which he received from us. ⁷ For you yourselves know how you ought to follow us, for we were not disorderly among you; ⁸ nor did we eat anyone’s bread free of charge, but worked with labor and toil night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, ⁹ not because we do not have authority, but to make ourselves an example of how you should follow us.
¹⁰ For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat. ¹¹ For we hear that there are some who walk among you in a disorderly manner, not working at all, but are busybodies. ¹² Now those who are such we command and exhort through our Lord Jesus Christ that they work in quietness and eat their own bread.
¹³ But as for you, brethren, do not grow weary in doing good. ¹⁴ And if anyone does not obey our word in this epistle, note that person and do not keep company with him, that he may be ashamed. ¹⁵ Yet do not count him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.

Benediction

¹⁶ Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace always in every way. The Lord be with you all.
¹⁷ The salutation of Paul with my own hand, which is a sign in every epistle; so I write.
¹⁸ The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

Luke 20:19-26

¹⁹ And the chief priests and the scribes that very hour sought to lay hands on Him, but they feared the people —for they knew He had spoken this parable against them.

The Pharisees: Is It Lawful to Pay Taxes to Caesar?

²⁰ So they watched Him, and sent spies who pretended to be righteous, that they might seize on His words, in order to deliver Him to the power and the authority of the governor.
²¹ Then they asked Him, saying, “Teacher, we know that You say and teach rightly, and You do not show personal favoritism, but teach the way of God in truth: ²² Is it lawful for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?”
²³ But He perceived their craftiness, and said to them, “Why do you test Me? ²⁴ Show Me a denarius. Whose image and inscription does it have?”
They answered and said, “Caesar’s.”
²⁵ And He said to them, “Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”
²⁶ But they could not catch Him in His words in the presence of the people. And they marveled at His answer and kept silent.

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