As the Daily Office continues its trek through the Acts of the Apostles, we meet some people who become not only very important in Paul’s life, but in the life of the Church, and learn a little about Paul:
After this Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. There he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had ordered all Jews to leave Rome. Paul went to see them, and, because he was of the same trade, he stayed with them, and they worked together—by trade they were tent makers. Every sabbath he would argue in the synagogue and would try to convince Jews and Greeks.
When Silas and Timothy arrived from Macedonia, Paul was occupied with proclaiming the word, testifying to the Jews that the Messiah was Jesus. When they opposed and reviled him, in protest he shook the dust from his clothes and said to them, “Your blood be on your own heads! I am innocent. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.” Then he left the synagogue and went to the house of a man named Titius Justus, a worshipper of God; his house was next door to the synagogue. Crispus, the official of the synagogue, became a believer in the Lord, together with all his household; and many of the Corinthians who heard Paul became believers and were baptized. One night the Lord said to Paul in a vision, “Do not be afraid, but speak and do not be silent; for I am with you, and no one will lay a hand on you to harm you, for there are many in this city who are my people.” He stayed there for a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them. (Acts 18:1-11).
We are introduced to Aquila and his wife, Priscilla. Given the context of the reading, we can determine the general time period. This occurred during the persecution of the Jewish people under the Roman emperor Claudius around 50 A.D.
Aquila and Priscilla were very important to Paul and the Early church. They accompanied Paul to Ephesus (Acts 18:18-19), instructed the Alexandrian Apollo, provided a place for Paul at Ephesus for three years, during his third missionary journey, kept a Christian church in their house (1 Corinthians 16:19), left Ephesus for Rome, probably after the riot stirred up by the silversmith Demetrius (Acts 19:24-40), had a church in their house in Rome (Romans 16:3-5), but soon left that city, probably on account of the persecution of Nero, and settled again at Ephesus (2 Timothy 4:19). In several passages of Scripture, Priscilla’s name appears before Aquila. This gives some indication of her importance in the Early Church and her position of leadership.
We also learn something about Paul; he was a tent maker by trade. He was, you might say, the first bi-vocational priest. Although he preached the Good News of Jesus Christ, he also had a “day job” as a tent maker in order to support his ministry.
Let us pray: Lord Christ, we thank you for the work done by those who have come before us, and most especially for those in the Early Church who endured persecution for the sake of the Gospel. We thank you for the work of St. Paul who brought Your Good News to the Gentiles and to all of those, like Priscilla and Aquila, who were partners in ministry with Paul. May we take our example from them as we live out the work You have given us to do. Amen.
THANK YOU
We had a very productive Bishop’s Committee Meeting yesterday. We came together as a family to discuss important issues including the use of Sutton Hall, our Sunday Breakfast Fellowship Ministry and the purchase of the new chairs and tables for Sutton Hall.
Thank you to everyone who was able to participate, including (1) the Building Committee and Bob Newding who did all of the ground work to allow the community to approve the tables and chairs; (2) Andrew “Bubba” Pierce for agreeing to maintain the calendar for the use of Sutton Hall and the classrooms in Bright-Davies Hall; (3) Jo and Jim Bremer who will maintain a calendar to schedule people to help with the Sunday Breakfast Fellowship; and (4) Alicia Gaskin and Idell Guidry being our "purchasing agents" for the goods needed for our breakfast ministry.
CALENDAR REMINDERS:
25 September, Celebration at St. Vincent’s House at 10 a.m. with Houston’s Heroes and then at 11:00 a.m. health walk with refreshments after.
25 September, the Opening of the Second Annual St. Augustine Art Show. This year’s theme is “Spirit”. The opening reception will be at 6 p.m.
26 September at 9 a.m. at St. Augustine’s Eucharist Rite II celebrating St. Vincent’s House.
2 October 2010, the St. Augustine Fish Fry! It’s back, and it will be done in conjunction with the Second Annual St. Augustine Art Show. Tickets go on sale soon.
PLEASE REMEMBER EVERYONE ON OUR PRAYER LIST, especially those serving in the Armed Forces at home or abroad, the chronically ill, people undergoing special medical concerns, those who care for the elderly, those who are traveling, and those who have no one to pray for them.
Your servant in Christ,
Fr. Chester J. Makowski+
St. Augustine of Hippo Episcopal Church
Galveston, Texas 77550
After this Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. There he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had ordered all Jews to leave Rome. Paul went to see them, and, because he was of the same trade, he stayed with them, and they worked together—by trade they were tent makers. Every sabbath he would argue in the synagogue and would try to convince Jews and Greeks.
When Silas and Timothy arrived from Macedonia, Paul was occupied with proclaiming the word, testifying to the Jews that the Messiah was Jesus. When they opposed and reviled him, in protest he shook the dust from his clothes and said to them, “Your blood be on your own heads! I am innocent. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.” Then he left the synagogue and went to the house of a man named Titius Justus, a worshipper of God; his house was next door to the synagogue. Crispus, the official of the synagogue, became a believer in the Lord, together with all his household; and many of the Corinthians who heard Paul became believers and were baptized. One night the Lord said to Paul in a vision, “Do not be afraid, but speak and do not be silent; for I am with you, and no one will lay a hand on you to harm you, for there are many in this city who are my people.” He stayed there for a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them. (Acts 18:1-11).
We are introduced to Aquila and his wife, Priscilla. Given the context of the reading, we can determine the general time period. This occurred during the persecution of the Jewish people under the Roman emperor Claudius around 50 A.D.
Aquila and Priscilla were very important to Paul and the Early church. They accompanied Paul to Ephesus (Acts 18:18-19), instructed the Alexandrian Apollo, provided a place for Paul at Ephesus for three years, during his third missionary journey, kept a Christian church in their house (1 Corinthians 16:19), left Ephesus for Rome, probably after the riot stirred up by the silversmith Demetrius (Acts 19:24-40), had a church in their house in Rome (Romans 16:3-5), but soon left that city, probably on account of the persecution of Nero, and settled again at Ephesus (2 Timothy 4:19). In several passages of Scripture, Priscilla’s name appears before Aquila. This gives some indication of her importance in the Early Church and her position of leadership.
We also learn something about Paul; he was a tent maker by trade. He was, you might say, the first bi-vocational priest. Although he preached the Good News of Jesus Christ, he also had a “day job” as a tent maker in order to support his ministry.
Let us pray: Lord Christ, we thank you for the work done by those who have come before us, and most especially for those in the Early Church who endured persecution for the sake of the Gospel. We thank you for the work of St. Paul who brought Your Good News to the Gentiles and to all of those, like Priscilla and Aquila, who were partners in ministry with Paul. May we take our example from them as we live out the work You have given us to do. Amen.
THANK YOU
We had a very productive Bishop’s Committee Meeting yesterday. We came together as a family to discuss important issues including the use of Sutton Hall, our Sunday Breakfast Fellowship Ministry and the purchase of the new chairs and tables for Sutton Hall.
Thank you to everyone who was able to participate, including (1) the Building Committee and Bob Newding who did all of the ground work to allow the community to approve the tables and chairs; (2) Andrew “Bubba” Pierce for agreeing to maintain the calendar for the use of Sutton Hall and the classrooms in Bright-Davies Hall; (3) Jo and Jim Bremer who will maintain a calendar to schedule people to help with the Sunday Breakfast Fellowship; and (4) Alicia Gaskin and Idell Guidry being our "purchasing agents" for the goods needed for our breakfast ministry.
CALENDAR REMINDERS:
25 September, Celebration at St. Vincent’s House at 10 a.m. with Houston’s Heroes and then at 11:00 a.m. health walk with refreshments after.
25 September, the Opening of the Second Annual St. Augustine Art Show. This year’s theme is “Spirit”. The opening reception will be at 6 p.m.
26 September at 9 a.m. at St. Augustine’s Eucharist Rite II celebrating St. Vincent’s House.
2 October 2010, the St. Augustine Fish Fry! It’s back, and it will be done in conjunction with the Second Annual St. Augustine Art Show. Tickets go on sale soon.
PLEASE REMEMBER EVERYONE ON OUR PRAYER LIST, especially those serving in the Armed Forces at home or abroad, the chronically ill, people undergoing special medical concerns, those who care for the elderly, those who are traveling, and those who have no one to pray for them.
Your servant in Christ,
Fr. Chester J. Makowski+
St. Augustine of Hippo Episcopal Church
Galveston, Texas 77550
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