Today in the Daily Office reading from the Acts of the Apostles, we hear about the violent reaction of some of the Jewish people to Paul’s bringing Gentiles into the temple:
When the seven days were almost completed, the Jews from Asia, who had seen him in the temple, stirred up the whole crowd. They seized him, shouting, “Fellow-Israelites, help! This is the man who is teaching everyone everywhere against our people, our law, and this place; more than that, he has actually brought Greeks into the temple and has defiled this holy place.” For they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian with him in the city, and they supposed that Paul had brought him into the temple. Then all the city was aroused, and the people rushed together. They seized Paul and dragged him out of the temple, and immediately the doors were shut. While they were trying to kill him, word came to the tribune of the cohort that all Jerusalem was in an uproar. Immediately he took soldiers and centurions and ran down to them. When they saw the tribune and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul. Then the tribune came, arrested him, and ordered him to be bound with two chains; he inquired who he was and what he had done. Some in the crowd shouted one thing, some another; and as he could not learn the facts because of the uproar, he ordered him to be brought into the barracks. When Paul came to the steps, the violence of the mob was so great that he had to be carried by the soldiers. The crowd that followed kept shouting, “Away with him!” (Acts 21:27-36).
“Fellow-Israelites, help! … [H]e has actually brought Greeks into the temple and has defiled this holy place.” That refrain has been heard throughout the ages in different places and with regard to different people. Even though these Greeks were believers, the mere fact that they were Greek made them “unholy”. Yet the very beginning of Scripture tells us: “The God said, ‘let us make man in our image, after our likeness.’” (Genesis 1:26). You and I, the Israelites and the Greeks, the tall and the short, the thin and the not so thin, the rich and the poor, the black and the white, all of us are made in God’s image; we are God’s sons and daughters. No one is “unholy” although we may, from time to time, do unholy things. In the deepest core of humanity, we are made holy by God’s creation of us and through the Incarnation where the Word, God himself, takes flesh and becomes one with us and sanctifies who we are.
Let us pray: Creator God, sometimes we forget that each and every one of us is made in Your likeness and image, and that Your Son was born of Mary and became a man like us in all things, except sin. Send Your Holy Spirit to instill in our hearts the respect we must give to each and every one of our brothers and sisters. Amen.
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. Given these hard economic times, people are more and more in need of help at St. Vincent’s. For Sunday’s service, please bring food items to help stock the food pantry at 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 are $7 per plate. Please contact Melva Pope for tickets.
9 October 2010 at 10:00 a.m.: The Blessing of the Animals on the Church lawn. Bring your dogs, cats, pets of all kind to be blessed.
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
When the seven days were almost completed, the Jews from Asia, who had seen him in the temple, stirred up the whole crowd. They seized him, shouting, “Fellow-Israelites, help! This is the man who is teaching everyone everywhere against our people, our law, and this place; more than that, he has actually brought Greeks into the temple and has defiled this holy place.” For they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian with him in the city, and they supposed that Paul had brought him into the temple. Then all the city was aroused, and the people rushed together. They seized Paul and dragged him out of the temple, and immediately the doors were shut. While they were trying to kill him, word came to the tribune of the cohort that all Jerusalem was in an uproar. Immediately he took soldiers and centurions and ran down to them. When they saw the tribune and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul. Then the tribune came, arrested him, and ordered him to be bound with two chains; he inquired who he was and what he had done. Some in the crowd shouted one thing, some another; and as he could not learn the facts because of the uproar, he ordered him to be brought into the barracks. When Paul came to the steps, the violence of the mob was so great that he had to be carried by the soldiers. The crowd that followed kept shouting, “Away with him!” (Acts 21:27-36).
“Fellow-Israelites, help! … [H]e has actually brought Greeks into the temple and has defiled this holy place.” That refrain has been heard throughout the ages in different places and with regard to different people. Even though these Greeks were believers, the mere fact that they were Greek made them “unholy”. Yet the very beginning of Scripture tells us: “The God said, ‘let us make man in our image, after our likeness.’” (Genesis 1:26). You and I, the Israelites and the Greeks, the tall and the short, the thin and the not so thin, the rich and the poor, the black and the white, all of us are made in God’s image; we are God’s sons and daughters. No one is “unholy” although we may, from time to time, do unholy things. In the deepest core of humanity, we are made holy by God’s creation of us and through the Incarnation where the Word, God himself, takes flesh and becomes one with us and sanctifies who we are.
Let us pray: Creator God, sometimes we forget that each and every one of us is made in Your likeness and image, and that Your Son was born of Mary and became a man like us in all things, except sin. Send Your Holy Spirit to instill in our hearts the respect we must give to each and every one of our brothers and sisters. Amen.
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. Given these hard economic times, people are more and more in need of help at St. Vincent’s. For Sunday’s service, please bring food items to help stock the food pantry at 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 are $7 per plate. Please contact Melva Pope for tickets.
9 October 2010 at 10:00 a.m.: The Blessing of the Animals on the Church lawn. Bring your dogs, cats, pets of all kind to be blessed.
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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