Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Feast of St. John Apostle and Evangelist

Today is the Feast of St. John Apostle and Evangelist (transferred to today because Christmas fell on a Saturday and the first Sunday after Christmas was the next day).

In our dining room, we have a page from a medieval missal (service book) with the gradual (the chant or hymn sung before the reading of the Gospel, similar to a sequence hymn) for the feast day. In Latin, it reads: “Exiit sermo inter fratres, quod discipulus ille non moritur. Et non dixit Jesus: No moritur. Sed: Sic eum volo manere, donec veniam: tu me sequere,” which means: “This saying therefore went abroad among the brethren, that that disciple should not die. And Jesus did not say: He should not die. But: So I will have him to remain until I come: follow thou Me.”

Funny, isn’t it, that even the disciples were not free from spreading a rumor. The disciples were saying that John was not going to die. Jesus had to set them straight. Yes, John would die, but Jesus would be always with him, just as Jesus is with us today.

Jesus says this not only to John, but to the disciples and to the rest of us on this feast day, “Follow thou Me.”

Collect for the day: Shed upon your Church, O Lord, the brightness of your light; that we, being illumined by the teaching of your apostle and evangelist John, may so walk in the light of your truth, that at length we may attain to the fullness of eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

CALENDAR REMINDERS

6 January 2010 at 6 p.m.: We will feed about 30 volunteers who are working with The Episcopal Diocese of Texas Relief and Development. These workers will also help us with the community garden by filling the planters with soil.

9 January 2010: The Baptism of the Lord. We will also celebrate the Epiphany with King Cake that Sunday provided by Rose Daniels. The Annual Parish meeting will also be held with an election for 2 Bishop’s Committee persons and a delegate to send to the 162nd Diocesan Council.

16 January 2010: the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church will visit St. Augustine. We will have two clean-up days prior to her arrival.

PLEASE REMEMBER EVERYONE ON OUR PRAYER LIST, especially Cindi, Carol, Lee, John, Bob (for a speedy recovery from surgery) and the family of the Rev. Stacy Stringer as they grieve the loss of her father.

Yours in Christ,

Fr. Chester J. Makowski+
St. Augustine of Hippo Episcopal Church
Galveston, Texas 77550

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