The Morning Offering

Laboring Over Oneself

The Soul Requires Discipline
to Overcome Disinclination

The soul suffers from a certain blindness when it comes to itself. In its desire to be more relaxed, indolence, insensitivity and deceit rule the soul, and in our refusal to master the work of salvation, complacency sets in. Since no one can enter into your inner life but you, you are the only one who can persuade yourself to bring discipline into your spiritual life. You are the one who must reason with yourself before depravity and sin can extinguish the light of the knowledge of the truth.

The growing drought will lead to water and food shortages and is likely to have a long-term effects that threaten our nations farms and food prices. The prospect our cities will not have enough water to make them livable, must surely be cause for thinking how we humans have become so filled with complacency, which is leading to fear. 

The dramatic increase we are witnessing with mega-storms are forcing us to accept that we really do not have control over our environment. We are seeing that there are no easy fixes for all the societal problems that are mounting up like piles of garbage on hot city streets.

In truth, change can only come about when it begins in the soul of one person. Throwing off your own blindness can in itself bring light to countless others, which is why Saint Seraphim said, "if you acquire inner peace, a thousand around you will be saved". 

This task is not just about monks or professional religious people, it is about you. You are the one that must overcome your disinclination to do anything that has salvation at the forefront, otherwise you will be the person who drags down those around you as they fail to thrive in the difficult world that is coming, where food shortages, and scarce water, will bring many to despair.

With love in Christ,

Abbot Tryphon

Saturday January 25, 2014 / January 12, 2014
31^st Week after Pentecost. Tone five.

Saturday after the Baptism of Our Lord and God and Saviour Jesus Christ
Venerable Pachomius of Kensk (16th c.) (movable holiday on the Saturday after the Baptism of Our Lord and God and Saviour Jesus Christ).
Afterfeast of the Theophany.
Martyr Tatiana of Rome (226-235).
St. Sava I, first archbishop of Serbia (1235).
Venerable Martinian of White Lake, abbot (1483), and Galacteon, his disciple (1506).
Martyr Mertius of Mauretania (284-305).
Martyr Peter Apselamus of Eleutheropolis in Palestine (309).
Venerable Eupraxia of Tabenna in Egypt (393).
Icons of the Most Holy Theotokos "Akathist" and "The Milk-giver".
Icons of the Most Holy Theotokos "Popskaya".
Virgin Martyr Euthasia.
Venerable Benedict Biscop, abbot of Wearmouth (689-690) (Celtic & British).
Eight Martyrs of Nicaea (Greek).
St. Elias the Wonderworker, of the Paradise (Greek).
St. Theodora of Alexandria, instructress of nuns (5th c.).
Martyr Philotheus of Antioch (ca. 305).

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

Colossians 1:3-6

Their Faith in Christ

³ We give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, ⁴ since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of your love for all the saints; ⁵ because of the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, of which you heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel, ⁶ which has come to you, as it has also in all the world, and is bringing forth fruit, as it is also among you since the day you heard and knew the grace of God in truth;

Luke 16:10-15

¹⁰ He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much. ¹¹ Therefore if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? ¹² And if you have not been faithful in what is another man’s, who will give you what is your own?
¹³ “No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.”

The Law, the Prophets, and the Kingdom

¹⁴ Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, also heard all these things, and they derided Him. ¹⁵ And He said to them, “You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God.

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