Today’s Epistle reading comes from Paul’s Letter to the Galatians. In the second chapter, Paul writes:
We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners; yet we know that a person is justified not by the works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ. And we have come to believe in Christ Jesus, so that we might be justified by faith in Christ, and not by doing the works of the law, because no one will be justified by the works of the law. But if, in our effort to be justified in Christ, we ourselves have been found to be sinners, is Christ then a servant of sin? Certainly not! But if I build up again the very things that I once tore down, then I demonstrate that I am a transgressor. For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not nullify the grace of God; for if justification comes through the law, then Christ died for nothing. (Gal. 2: 15-21).
This was one of Paul’s big themes: you cannot effect your own salvation by following the law because you will always fall short of the law; therefore, your salvation comes from Christ alone who died for you. Salvation is a gift given freely by God to us out of love for us. Our role is to accept that gift and to love God who has given it to us. Acting out of love, we will do what God desires of us.
St. Augustine put it this way: “Love God and do as you please.” At first this sounds radical, but upon closer inspection it makes sense. If we truly love God, we will want to please God and not offend God; therefore, we will live according to God’s will and not our own.
Let us pray: Giving Father, we thank you for the gift of your Son Jesus Christ who died for our sins so that we may have life in you through your Holy Spirit. Give us the strength to do what you would have us do in our daily lives. Amen.
UPDATES:
Community Garden: We had a good meeting yesterday at the Church at 7:00 p.m. It lasted about 2 hours, but we were able to get things rolling along. One of the things decided was to make the meeting more accessible; therefore, we will meet on Sundays after Adult Christian Formation which will now run from 11:00 to 11:30 and the Community Garden Meeting will start at 11:30.
Construction: We are entering the final stages. We meet yesterday at 11:00 a.m. at the Church with the contractor and the architect. The appliances will soon go into the kitchen, the tile work and the painting will begin. The new doors to the Church have been installed as well and will be painted red.
PLEASE REMEMBER TO PRAY FOR EVERYONE ON OUR PRAYER LIST, especially Betty Head and her family, Cotele Singleton and Tammie Taylor.
CALENDAR REMINDERS:
Adult Christian Formation in the nave from 11:00 to 11:30 on Sundays: Heaven and Hell: Angels With Harps, Demons With Pitchforks? Or Maybe Something Else?
12 June: Gospel by the Sea.
Your servant in Christ,
Fr. Chester J. Makowski+
St. Augustine of Hippo Episcopal Church
Galveston, Texas 77550
We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners; yet we know that a person is justified not by the works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ. And we have come to believe in Christ Jesus, so that we might be justified by faith in Christ, and not by doing the works of the law, because no one will be justified by the works of the law. But if, in our effort to be justified in Christ, we ourselves have been found to be sinners, is Christ then a servant of sin? Certainly not! But if I build up again the very things that I once tore down, then I demonstrate that I am a transgressor. For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not nullify the grace of God; for if justification comes through the law, then Christ died for nothing. (Gal. 2: 15-21).
This was one of Paul’s big themes: you cannot effect your own salvation by following the law because you will always fall short of the law; therefore, your salvation comes from Christ alone who died for you. Salvation is a gift given freely by God to us out of love for us. Our role is to accept that gift and to love God who has given it to us. Acting out of love, we will do what God desires of us.
St. Augustine put it this way: “Love God and do as you please.” At first this sounds radical, but upon closer inspection it makes sense. If we truly love God, we will want to please God and not offend God; therefore, we will live according to God’s will and not our own.
Let us pray: Giving Father, we thank you for the gift of your Son Jesus Christ who died for our sins so that we may have life in you through your Holy Spirit. Give us the strength to do what you would have us do in our daily lives. Amen.
UPDATES:
Community Garden: We had a good meeting yesterday at the Church at 7:00 p.m. It lasted about 2 hours, but we were able to get things rolling along. One of the things decided was to make the meeting more accessible; therefore, we will meet on Sundays after Adult Christian Formation which will now run from 11:00 to 11:30 and the Community Garden Meeting will start at 11:30.
Construction: We are entering the final stages. We meet yesterday at 11:00 a.m. at the Church with the contractor and the architect. The appliances will soon go into the kitchen, the tile work and the painting will begin. The new doors to the Church have been installed as well and will be painted red.
PLEASE REMEMBER TO PRAY FOR EVERYONE ON OUR PRAYER LIST, especially Betty Head and her family, Cotele Singleton and Tammie Taylor.
CALENDAR REMINDERS:
Adult Christian Formation in the nave from 11:00 to 11:30 on Sundays: Heaven and Hell: Angels With Harps, Demons With Pitchforks? Or Maybe Something Else?
12 June: Gospel by the Sea.
Your servant in Christ,
Fr. Chester J. Makowski+
St. Augustine of Hippo Episcopal Church
Galveston, Texas 77550
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