It is with sadness

that I report to you that Pierce County Deputy, Kent Mundell,  died this evening at 5:15 p.m.  He is one of two deputies shot in Pierce County this past week.  He is survived his wife, Lisa, his daughter, Kirsten (age 16), and son, Austin (age 10.) Please remember them in your prayers.

Living the evangelical life of Orthodox monasticism in witness to the salvific truth of the Gospels of Our Lord, God, and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory to Him forever!

Tuesday, December 29 / 16 (Church Calendar)

Saints of the Day

December 16 / 29. Prophet Haggai (Aggaeus). Martyr Marinus of Rome. Blessed Empress Theophania. St. Memnon, ArchbishopEphesus. St. Nicholas Chrysoberges, Patriarch of Constantinople. St. Sophia, nun (in the world Solomonia), wife of Grand-Duke Basil III. (Greek Calendar: Martyrs Promus and Hilarion. St. Modestus, Archbishop of Jerusalem.)

Photo of the Day

Newly ordained Priestmonk Paul, chanting the Holy Gospel.

Thought for the Day

“Great is the Lord, Who pardons some because of the merits of others; and while subjecting some to trials, He forgives others their sins. Why should not the prayer of your fellow-man avail with you, when a servant had both the merit of pleading for another before God and the privilege of obtaining what he prayed for? Learn you who judge, to forgive. Learn you who are sick, to gain health through prayer. Should you be diffident because of your grave sins, seek the prayers of others, call upon the Church to pray for you, and in His regard for her, the Lord will give what He could refuse to you.”   St. Ambrose of Milan
“The Healing of the Paralytic”
(The Sunday Sermons of the Great Fathers)

Scripture Readings for the Day

Hebrews 9:8-10

⁸ the Holy Spirit indicating this, that the way into the Holiest of All was not yet made manifest while the first tabernacle was still standing. ⁹ It was symbolic for the present time in which both gifts and sacrifices are offered which cannot make him who performed the service perfect in regard to the conscience— ¹⁰ concerned only with foods and drinks, various washings, and fleshly ordinances imposed until the time of reformation.

Hebrews 9:15-23

¹⁵ And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.

The Mediator’s Death Necessary

¹⁶ For where there is a testament, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. ¹⁷ For a testament is in force after men are dead, since it has no power at all while the testator lives. ¹⁸ Therefore not even the first covenant was dedicated without blood. ¹⁹ For when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and goats, with water, scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, ²⁰ saying, “This is the blood of the covenant which God has commanded you.” ²¹ Then likewise he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle and all the vessels of the ministry. ²² And according to the law almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission.

Greatness of Christ’s Sacrifice

²³ Therefore it was necessary that the copies of the things in the heavens should be purified with these, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.

Mark 8:22-26

A Blind Man Healed at Bethsaida

²² Then He came to Bethsaida; and they brought a blind man to Him, and begged Him to touch him. ²³ So He took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the town. And when He had spit on his eyes and put His hands on him, He asked him if he saw anything.
²⁴ And he looked up and said, “I see men like trees, walking.”
²⁵ Then He put His hands on his eyes again and made him look up. And he was restored and saw everyone clearly. ²⁶ Then He sent him away to his house, saying, “Neither go into the town, nor tell anyone in the town.”