The Sabbath Was Made for Us, and Not Us for the Sabbath

The appointed Gospel reading from the Daily Office for today is taken from St. Luke. He writes:

One Sabbath while Jesus was going through the cornfields, his disciples plucked some heads of grain, rubbed them in their hands, and ate them. But some of the Pharisees said, “Why are you doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?” Jesus answered, “Have you not read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? He entered the house of God and took and ate the bread of the Presence, which it is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and gave some to his companions?” Then he said to them, “The Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath.”

On another Sabbath he entered the synagogue and taught, and there was a man there whose right hand was withered. The scribes and the Pharisees watched him to see whether he would cure on the Sabbath, so that they might find an accusation against him. Even though he knew what they were thinking, he said to the man who had the withered hand, “Come and stand here.” He got up and stood there. Then Jesus said to them, “I ask you, is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the Sabbath, to save life or to destroy it?” After looking around at all of them, he said to him, “Stretch out your hand.” He did so, and his hand was restored. But they were filled with fury and discussed with one another what they might do to Jesus. (Lk. 6: 1-11)

Good laws have good purposes behind them. The same is true of God’s laws and man’s laws. When we forget what the purpose behind the rule is and then apply the rule without regard to why it was created, the results that follow can become absurd. Take for example the law against speeding. The law exists in order to maintain public order and safety. Say, for example, someone in your car has a heart attack and you have to get to a hospital as quickly as you can. What you do you do? If you speed, you are in violation of the law, but if you don’t try to get to the hospital as quickly as possible, the person may die. My choice would be to try to get to the hospital as quickly as possible even if I have to speed. The speeding law was made to keep us safe; we were not made so that speeding laws could exist.

In today’s reading, Jesus encounters the Pharisees who forgot what the purpose of the Sabbath was; it was a day set aside for people to remember who God is in their lives and to worship God who is all goodness and love. So when Jesus has the opportunity to do good and to heal the man with the withered hand, he does it. Why? Because what a better way to remember who God is than to do good on the day set aside to remember God’s goodness and love for us.

Let us pray: Lord sometimes we forget why you ask us to do the things that you do. Sometime we forget the purpose for Your laws. Help us to live out our lives in joyful obedience to Your will remembering that You desire what is best for us. Help us not apply Your laws with empty hearts, but with hearts directed to Your loving will. Amen.

CALENDAR REMINDERS:

Second Annual St. Augustine Art Show. This year’s theme is “Spirit”.

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

Come Follow Me

The appointed Gospel reading for today is taken from Luke:

After this he went out and saw a tax-collector named Levi, sitting at the tax booth; and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he got up, left everything, and followed him.Then Levi gave a great banquet for him in his house; and there was a large crowd of tax-collectors and others sitting at the table with them. The Pharisees and their scribes were complaining to his disciples, saying, “Why do you eat and drink with tax-collectors and sinners?” Jesus answered, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick; I have come to call not the righteous but sinners to repentance.” (Lk. 5: 27-32).

Jesus invites us to His banquet; we are the tax collectors and sinners in need of Jesus’ healing in our lives. He calls us to follow Him, and when we do, we find true meaning in our lives because we live no longer for ourselves but for Him who lived, died and rose for us. So, get up and follow Christ.

Let us pray: Lord Christ sometimes we hurt so much that we do not know what to do or who to turn to. We are in need of Your healing in our lives. Come Lord Jesus and heal us. Amen

Your servant in Christ,

Fr. Chester J. Makowski+

St. Augustine of Hippo Episcopal Church

Galveston, Texas 77550

Make a Joyful Noise

One of the appointed Psalms for today is Psalm 100. The opening line says it all:

Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth.

Worship the Lord with gladness;

come into his presence with singing.

Know that the Lord is God.

It is he that made us, and we are his;

we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving,

and his courts with praise.

Give thanks to him, bless his name.

For the Lord is good;

his steadfast love endures for ever,

and his faithfulness to all generations.

I love to sing and I know that there are a good many at St. Augustine’s who do as well because that is what we do at every Sunday. From time to time you might even find people gathering around the piano in Sutton Hall doing a spontaneous hymn sing. It happened at the opening of the Art Show. Singing is an expression of the joy we experience deep in our hearts. It is an expression of our love for God who gives us breath and voice to make a joyful noise. We have a lot to sing about so let’s keep singing!

CALENDAR REMINDERS:

Second Annual St. Augustine Art Show. This year’s theme is “Spirit”.

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

Vincent de Paul

Today the Church remembers Vincent de Paul, helper of the poor, who was born in Gascony in about 1580.

James Kiefer tells us:

His parents were peasants. Vincent was intelligent, and his father sent him off to be educated. He was ordained at twenty, and at first was interested chiefly in a successful career. But when he was thirty, he accepted a post as chaplain and tutor in the household of Philip de Gondi, Count of Joigny. This brought him into contact with the peasants on the Gondi estate, and he became concerned for their needs, physical and spiritual. A peasant who believed himself to be dying confessed to him that his previous confessions for many years had been dishonest. Vincent began to preach in the local church on confession, repentance, forgiveness, and the love of God. His sermons drew such crowds of penitents that he had to call in a group of other priests to assist him. He took on the pastorship of a neighboring church attended by a more fashionable and aristocratic crowd, and there he likewise drew many of his listeners to repentance and amendment of life. Returning to Paris, he worked among the prisoners destined for the galleys who were being held at the Conciergerie.

In 1625 he established the Congregation of the Mission (now known as the Vincentians, or the Lazarists), a community of priests who undertook to renounce all ecclesiastical advancement and devote themselves to work in the small towns and villages of France. In an age not noted for "interdenominational courtesy," he instructed his missioners that Protestants were to be treated as brothers, with respect and love, without patronage or condescension or contentiousness. Wealthy men and women came to him, expressing a wish to amend their lives, and he organized them into a Confraternity of Charity, and set them to work caring for the poor and sick in hospitals and in home visits. In 1633 the Archbishop or Paris gave him the Priory of St Lazare as a headquarters. There he offered retreats six times a year for those who were preparing for the ministry. These lasted two weeks each, and each involved about eighty students. He then began to offer similar retreats for laypersons of all classes and widely varying backgrounds.

Out of his Confraternity of Charity there arose an order of nuns called the Daughters (or Sisters) of Charity, devoted to nursing those who were sick and poor. He said of them, "Their convent is the sick-room, their chapel the parish church, their cloister the streets of the city." Many babies were abandoned in Paris every year, and when Vincent saw some of them, he established an orphanage for them, and thereafter often wandered through the slums, looking in corners for abandoned babies, which he carried back to the orphanage.

He complained to the King that ecclesiastical posts were distributed simply as political favors, and that the spiritual qualifications of the appointees were simply ignored. The King responded by creating a Council of Conscience to remedy the matter, with Vincent at the head. On one occasion, a noblewoman of the court, furious with Vincent because he refused to nominate her son for a position as bishop, threw a stool at him. He left the room with a stream of blood pouring from his forehead, and said to a companion who was waiting for him, "Is it not wonderful how strong a mother's love for her son can be?" He died 27 September 1660.

Let us pray: Loving God, we thank you for your servant Vincent de Paul, who gave himself to training clergy to work among the poor and provided many institutions to aid the sick, orphans and prisoners. May we, like him, encounter Christ in the needy, the outcast and the friendless, that we may come at length into your kingdom where you reign, one God, holy and undivided Trinity, for ever and ever. Amen.

CALENDAR REMINDERS:

Second Annual St. Augustine Art Show. This year’s theme is “Spirit”.

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

Just As I Am

Although we have been traveling through the Acts of the Apostles, this morning we’ll take a short detour with one of the appointed Psalms. The Psalmist knows human emotions and is not afraid to tell God exactly what he is thinking, even when he is depressed. In Psalm 89, the Psalmist prays:

O Lord, God of my salvation,
when, at night, I cry out in your presence,
let my prayer come before you;
incline your ear to my cry.
For my soul is full of troubles,
and my life draws near to Sheol.
I am counted among those who go down to the Pit;
I am like those who have no help,
like those forsaken among the dead,
like the slain that lie in the grave,
like those whom you remember no more,
for they are cut off from your hand.
You have put me in the depths of the Pit,
in the regions dark and deep.
Your wrath lies heavy upon me,
and you overwhelm me with all your waves.
You have caused my companions to shun me;
you have made me a thing of horror to them.
I am shut in so that I cannot escape;
my eye grows dim through sorrow.
Every day I call on you, O Lord;
I spread out my hands to you.
Do you work wonders for the dead?
Do the shades rise up to praise you?
Is your steadfast love declared in the grave,
or your faithfulness in Abaddon?
Are your wonders known in the darkness,
or your saving help in the land of forgetfulness?
But I, O Lord, cry out to you;
in the morning my prayer comes before you.
O Lord, why do you cast me off?
Why do you hide your face from me?
Wretched and close to death from my youth up,
I suffer your terrors; I am desperate.
Your wrath has swept over me;
your dread assaults destroy me.
They surround me like a flood all day long;
from all sides they close in on me.
You have caused friend and neighbor to shun me;
my companions are in darkness.

Here in the depths of despair, the Psalmist cries out to God, but he feels that God does not hear his prayer. That feeling is not a foreign one. There have been times when each of us has felt what the Psalmist did. Our souls are filled with troubles and help seems so far away; we feel we are alone. Such feelings are a normal part of life and our spiritual journey. Moreover, it is “ok” to tell God exactly how we feel, even if we are angry, afraid, depressed, tired, alone or just feeling sorry for ourselves. That is part of our prayer life. We put ourselves in God’s presence, as the old hymn says, “just as we are.”

Let us pray: Lord God, like the Psalmist, sometimes we are feel angry, alone, tired and afraid, and we cry out to You but feel that You do not hear the cries of our hearts. Deep down, we know that You are there and especially through Your Son, Jesus Christ, who was fully human like us, but also fully God. As God, You understand our humanity because You share it with us in Jesus. Thank you for the gift of the Incarnation, and thank you for taking us just as we are. 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

What God Created Is Holy

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

The Way

The account of Paul’s travels continues in the Acts of the Apostles today, and we hear the Christian faith is referred to as “the Way”:

While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul passed through the inland regions and came to Ephesus, where he found some disciples. He said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you became believers?” They replied, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” Then he said, “Into what then were you baptized?’ They answered, “Into John’s baptism.” Paul said, “John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, in Jesus.” On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. When Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied— altogether there were about twelve of them.

He entered the synagogue and for three months spoke out boldly, and argued persuasively about the kingdom of God. When some stubbornly refused to believe and spoke evil of the Way before the congregation, he left them, taking the disciples with him, and argued daily in the lecture hall of Tyrannus. This continued for two years, so that all the residents of Asia, both Jews and Greeks, heard the word of the Lord. (Acts 19: 1-10).

The term “the Way” was first used in Acts 9:2, and it refers to “the true way of the Lord.” It was one of the earliest names for Christianity. It is an apt name for those who follow Christ because our faith is a journey. When I look back on my life, I am ever amazed at the presence of God in my life. God has always been present to me even though I may not have been aware of it at the time. I was baptized with water as a child and brought into the family of God, and in the eighth grade I was confirmed just as described in today’s reading with the laying on of hands by a bishop. I was embraced by God’s loving arms as a child at baptism, fed by Christ throughout my life in the Eucharist and the Holy Spirit has been my companion on the journey. Each of us has had a similar experience. You and I walk with God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Let us pray: Gracious Father, thank you for being there for us even though we may not have realized it at the time. You have been present in times of joy and in times of sorrow. You have carried us when we could not walk on our own and laughed with us when we rejoiced. May we be ever mindful of Your presence in our lives. 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.

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

Liturgy and Our Senses

We pick up where we left off yesterday in the Acts of the Apostles. Today, Paul is being harassed by the Jewish leaders who take him to the civil authority who refuses to get involved. Then we see Paul set sail for Syria with his new companions in ministry, Priscilla and Aquila:

But when Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews made a united attack on Paul and brought him before the tribunal. They said, “This man is persuading people to worship God in ways that are contrary to the law.” Just as Paul was about to speak, Gallio said to the Jews, “If it were a matter of crime or serious villainy, I would be justified in accepting the complaint of you Jews; but since it is a matter of questions about words and names and your own law, see to it yourselves; I do not wish to be a judge of these matters.” And he dismissed them from the tribunal. Then all of them seized Sosthenes, the official of the synagogue, and beat him in front of the tribunal. But Gallio paid no attention to any of these things.

After staying there for a considerable time, Paul said farewell to the believers and sailed for Syria, accompanied by Priscilla and Aquila. At Cenchreae he had his hair cut, for he was under a vow. When they reached Ephesus, he left them there, but first he himself went into the synagogue and had a discussion with the Jews. When they asked him to stay longer, he declined; but on taking leave of them, he said, “I will return to you, if God wills.” Then he set sail from Ephesus.

When he had landed at Caesarea, he went up to Jerusalem and greeted the church, and then went down to Antioch. After spending some time there he departed and went from place to place through the region of Galatia and Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples.

Now there came to Ephesus a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria. He was an eloquent man, well-versed in the scriptures. He had been instructed in the Way of the Lord; and he spoke with burning enthusiasm and taught accurately the things concerning Jesus, though he knew only the baptism of John. He began to speak boldly in the synagogue; but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained the Way of God to him more accurately. And when he wished to cross over to Achaia, the believers encouraged him and wrote to the disciples to welcome him. On his arrival he greatly helped those who through grace had become believers, for he powerfully refuted the Jews in public, showing by the scriptures that the Messiah is Jesus. (Acts 18: 12-28).

Right in the middle of today’s Daily Office passage is Paul’s haircut. You might wonder, “What is that about?” It refers, in all likelihood, to Paul taking a Nazarite vow. A Nazarite was the name given by the Hebrews to a person set apart and especially consecrated to the Lord. According to the Jewish law in the Book of Numbers, chapter 4, verse 12, Nazarites could be men or women. They were bound to abstain during the period of their consecration from wine and all intoxicating drink, and even from all products of the vineyard in any form. During the same period the hair must be allowed to grow as a mark of holiness. At the end of the period, one who shave and get a haircut. It was a “liturgical” experience, in many ways similar to our Lenten practice, a period of penitential observance.

In a recent article, the Rev. Richard R. Losch wrote: “Liturgy is much more than just the formal words that we find in prayer books and service guides. It embraces everything that is involved in worship, including not only our words but also all that we experience in a worship service. While the liturgy of the Church is rich in spiritual and theological traditions, it is also rich in its appeal to the five senses of human nature: seeing, hearing, feeling, smelling and tasting. A liturgical event that fails to involve all the senses is incomplete, because it leaves out a part of what makes us human. . . . God speaks to us and deals with us in terms we can understand. The state of everlasting life in the presence of God, as glorious as the concept may be, is beyond our comprehension. It is communicated to us on a level we can grasp: our earthly senses. A beautiful sight, an uplifting sound, a gentle touch, a delightful odor, the sweet taste of the heavenly banquet — all these work together in the liturgy to bring us to a deeper experience of God’s love.” Senses in the Liturgy, The Living Church, 17 September 2010.

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 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

St. Paul & Friends

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

A Few Days in New York City

Friday, 17 September 2010

Yesterday I was on a bus in Lower Manhattan near the financial district (Wall Street). The bus was stopped at a traffic light. On the corner there was a man, white and in his late 50s, who was going through a trash can looking for food. He pulled out what looked to be a half eaten calzone (a pizza sandwich). He broke off a few outer parts, then he took a bite. Not good. He kept going through the trash can and found another calzone. It was a whole one. He took it and put it in his sack, then walked off.

One of the Psalms appointed for today is Psalm 69. The Psalm begins:

Save me, O God,
for the waters have come up to my neck.
I sink in deep mire,
where there is no foothold;
I have come into deep waters,
and the flood sweeps over me.
I am weary with my crying;
my throat is parched.

There are many today, including that man going through the trash can looking for a meal, who are in waters up to their necks. The latest poverty statistics have indicated that it is a growing problem in the U.S. The economy is bad. There are many in need of help. In New York City, Trinity Episcopal Church, right in the heart of the wealthiest few miles in America (Wall Street and Broadway), is reaching out to those in need. This is nothing new at Trinity. They have done it for years--since George Washington's day.

At Trinity and its outreach chapel, St. Paul's, the sound that it is heard is from Psalm 69:

For the Lord hears the needy,
and does not despise his own that are in bonds.
Let heaven and earth praise him,
the seas and everything that moves in them.
For God will save Zion
and rebuild the cities of Judah;
and his servants shall live there and possess it;
the children of his servants shall inherit it,
and those who love his name shall live in it.

Amen!

Thursday, 16 September 2010

I am in New York City this week and staying right across the street from Ground Zero. The hotel room overlooks the exact spot where the two World Trade Center Towers stood. Although the area is fenced off as the construction of the memorial continues, downstairs in front of the hotel people gather and simply look. They look in silence. People of different races and I would imagine different creeds. It is particularly appropriate that one of the appointed Psalms for today is Psalm 70:

Be pleased, O God, to deliver me.
O Lord, make haste to help me!
Let those be put to shame and confusion
who seek my life.
Let those be turned back and brought to dishonour
who desire to hurt me.
Let those who say, ‘Aha, Aha!’
turn back because of their shame.

Let all who seek you
rejoice and be glad in you.
Let those who love your salvation
say evermore, ‘God is great!’
But I am poor and needy;
hasten to me, O God!
You are my help and my deliverer;
O Lord, do not delay!

The psalmist echoes the emotions of many people. We are all poor and needy, in need of God's deliverance and love. In the face of so much pain and suffering, anger and hate, our salvation is in God alone who is our helper and deliverer.

Please remember all of those who lost their lives on 9/11, all of the families who lost loved ones, and remember to pray for all of those who worked to commit such an atrocity--they too are in need of God's love.

In peace,

Fr. Chester J. Makowski+
St. Augustine of Hippo Episcopal Church
1410 Jack Johnson Blvd. (41st Street)
Galveston, Texas 77550

People Do Not Always Get Along, Not Even Saints

Today we hear about the split between Paul and Barnabas in the selection from the Acts of the Apostles:

After some days Paul said to Barnabas, “Come, let us return and visit the believers in every city where we proclaimed the word of the Lord and see how they are doing.” Barnabas wanted to take with them John called Mark. But Paul decided not to take with them one who had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not accompanied them in the work. The disagreement became so sharp that they parted company; Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus. But Paul chose Silas and set out, the believers commending him to the grace of the Lord. He went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.

Paul went on also to Derbe and to Lystra, where there was a disciple named Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer; but his father was a Greek. He was well spoken of by the believers* in Lystra and Iconium. Paul wanted Timothy to accompany him; and he took him and had him circumcised because of the Jews who were in those places, for they all knew that his father was a Greek. As they went from town to town, they delivered to them for observance the decisions that had been reached by the apostles and elders who were in Jerusalem. So the churches were strengthened in the faith and increased in numbers daily. (Acts 15: 36-16: 5).

I can imagine Paul’s personality. He was a man of his convictions, probably stubborn and prone to “get excited” about some things. Paul does not want John Mark to accompany them on their trip to visit the churches that they had been to previously. What did John Mark do? The passage does not say. No one really knows. But here is what we do know: The incident between Paul and Barnabas is embarrassing; nevertheless, Luke includes the event in the Acts of the Apostles. What does this say about the Church? First, rather than hide embarrassing events, the Church accepts them. People do not always get along. Sometimes the reasons why are petty. You and I cannot base our faith in God by what we sin prone humans do. Second, whatever John Mark did, he and Paul eventually reconciled (2 Tim 4:11). There is a clear lesson here that both personal failure and fractured relationships are redeemable in Christian ministry.

CALENDAR REMINDERS:

On this second anniversary of Hurricane Ike, let us pray in thanksgiving for recovery, for help for those who have not yet recovered, and for everyone who has helped and continues to help. May God the Father embrace all of us in His loving arms, may God the Son touch us with His healing hands, and may the Holy Spirit be out companion now and always.

Saturday, 18 September 2010, Earlie Evans’ 90th birthday celebration in Sutton Hall.

Sunday, 19 September 2010, Rally Day. You might be surprised to find out that you already participate in a ministry at the Church. Come and discover what is going on and what you can do. We will also have a group of young string musicians at the Service providing the music for the Eucharist.

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

Although Different, We Are All Made in God's Likeness and Image

In today’s reading from Acts we hear the continuation of the debate regarding whether Gentiles who accepted Christ must also be circumcised according to the law of Moses:

The whole assembly kept silence, and listened to Barnabas and Paul as they told of all the signs and wonders that God had done through them among the Gentiles. After they finished speaking, James replied, “My brothers, listen to me. Simeon has related how God first looked favorably on the Gentiles, to take from among them a people for his name. This agrees with the words of the prophets, as it is written, ‘After this I will return, and I will rebuild the dwelling of David, which has fallen; from its ruins I will rebuild it, and I will set it up, so that all other peoples may seek the Lord—even all the Gentiles over whom my name has been called. Thus says the Lord, who has been making these things known from long ago.’ Therefore I have reached the decision that we should not trouble those Gentiles who are turning to God, but we should write to them to abstain only from things polluted by idols and from fornication and from whatever has been strangled and from blood. For in every city, for generations past, Moses has had those who proclaim him, for he has been read aloud every sabbath in the synagogues.” (Acts 15: 12-21).

James, having listened to Simon Peter and Paul, and having prayerfully considered how the Gentiles should be treated, decided that the Mosaic law of circumcision should not be imposed on the new believers. Rather, the Gentiles who have come to believe in Christ must only abstain from eating animals sacrificed to the Roman gods.

Not only then, but even now, the Church has struggled to deal with how people from different cultures fit within the Church. No doubt, we all have the same core belief. However, we come from different societal, ethnic and cultural backgrounds. How does this diverse group of believers live as a single body joined together by the belief that Jesus Christ is the Messiah, the very Son of God and true man, who died and rose for us so that we may achieve the fullness of salvation? We do so by remembering that each of us, no matter where we come from or what our particular customs or language may be or whatever we may hold dear, is made in the image of God and loved by Christ so much that He gave up his life for the other person.

Let us pray: Loving Father help us to respect everyone of Your children, even those with whom we may not agree, keeping ever in our minds and hearts the knowledge that Jesus Christ died and rose for them as well as for us. Give us the grace through the Holy Spirit to treat all believers with the respect due to them as Your children made in Your likeness and image. Amen.

CALENDAR REMINDERS:

Sunday, 12 September 2010 after the service, we will celebrate the Rev. Helen Appelberg’s 80th birthday at Grace Episcopal Church’s Jinkins Hall after the 9:00 a.m. service at St. Augustine’s.

Saturday, 18 September 2010, Earlie Evans’ 90th birthday celebration in Sutton Hall.

Sunday, 19 September 2010, Rally Day. You might be surprised to find out that you already participate in a ministry at the Church. Come and discover what is going on and what you can do. We will also have a group of young string musicians at the Service providing the music for the Eucharist.

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

The Church's Discernment Is a Process of Prayer With Reasoned Debate

The Acts of the Apostles continues in today’s Daily Office readings with the 15th chapter; Luke writes:

Then certain individuals came down from Judea and were teaching the brothers, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.” And after Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and debate with them, Paul and Barnabas and some of the others were appointed to go up to Jerusalem to discuss this question with the apostles and the elders. So they were sent on their way by the church, and as they passed through both Phoenicia and Samaria, they reported the conversion of the Gentiles, and brought great joy to all the believers. When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and the elders, and they reported all that God had done with them. But some believers who belonged to the sect of the Pharisees stood up and said, “It is necessary for them to be circumcised and ordered to keep the law of Moses.”

The apostles and the elders met together to consider this matter. After there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them, “My brothers, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you, that I should be the one through whom the Gentiles would hear the message of the good news and become believers. And God, who knows the human heart, testified to them by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as he did to us; and in cleansing their hearts by faith he has made no distinction between them and us. Now therefore why are you putting God to the test by placing on the neck of the disciples a yoke that neither our ancestors nor we have been able to bear? On the contrary, we believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will.” (Acts 15: 1-11).

Controversy is nothing new in the Church. Today we hear about those in the Church who thought that the Gentiles who became followers of Christ had to adhere to the Jewish law of circumcision. There were others, including Paul, who thought it was not necessary. What did the Church do? The Church gathered together and debated the issue. I can imagine that their debate was filled with passion, each side expressing their views and beliefs. Neither side had malicious intent; rather, each side wanted to follow God’s will. Their open discussion and passionate debate was part of the discernment process together with prayer, contemplation and listening to the Holy Spirit.

That can be difficult to do especially when the topics we are discussing are close to our hearts and souls. The Apostles could not let their passions control the outcome of the debate; they had to put aside their personal agendas and use their God given gift of reason to methodically discern the direction of the community of faith. That process has served the Church well not only as we read about in the Acts of the Apostles, but in Church Councils throughout time, including Nicaea in 325, Constantinople in 381, Ephesus in 431 and Chalcedon in 431 where major issues of faith were decided.

Let us pray: Almighty and everliving God, source of all wisdom and understanding, be present with us when we take counsel for the renewal and mission of your Church. Teach us in all things to seek first your honor and glory. Guide us to perceive what is right, and grant us both the courage to pursue it and the grace to accomplish it; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

CALENDAR REMINDERS:

Sunday, 12 September 2010 after the service, we will celebrate the Rev. Helen Appelberg’s 80th birthday at Grace Episcopal Church’s Jinkins Hall after the 9:00 a.m. service at St. Augustine’s.

Saturday, 18 September 2010, Earlie Evans’ 90th birthday celebration in Sutton Hall.

Sunday, 19 September 2010, Rally Day. You might be surprised to find out that you already participate in a ministry at the Church. Come and discover what is going on and what you can do. We will also have a group of young string musicians at the Service providing the music for the Eucharist.

25 September, Celebration at St. Vincent’s House at 10 a.m. Houston Hero’s Award and the introduction of the Hope Mile; 11 am, the introduction of the Hope Mile and Inaugural Walk with city leaders heart healthy refreshments served after the walk.

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

Through Trials and Tribulations

Following on the heels of yesterday’s reading from Acts, we have the continuation of the story:

But Jews came there from Antioch and Iconium and won over the crowds. Then they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing that he was dead. But when the disciples surrounded him, he got up and went into the city. The next day he went on with Barnabas to Derbe.

After they had proclaimed the good news to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, then on to Iconium and Antioch. There they strengthened the souls of the disciples and encouraged them to continue in the faith, saying, “It is through many persecutions that we must enter the kingdom of God.” And after they had appointed elders for them in each church, with prayer and fasting they entrusted them to the Lord in whom they had come to believe.

Then they passed through Pisidia and came to Pamphylia. When they had spoken the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia. From there they sailed back to Antioch, where they had been commended to the grace of God for the work that they had completed. When they arrived, they called the church together and related all that God had done with them, and how he had opened a door of faith for the Gentiles. And they stayed there with the disciples for some time. (Acts 14: 19-28).

There they were riding high, and the crowd, who at first thought they were gods, has now been swayed, and the rocks come flying. Thinking that they had killed him, the crowd drags Paul out of the city. And so it goes, Paul’s ministry in preaching the Good News. The next day, Paul and Barnabas set out again to bring others to Christ knowing that “[i]t is through many persecutions that we must enter the kingdom of God.”

It is nothing short of miraculous that after such a terrible beating, literally within inches of his life, that Paul picks up where he left off and continues. Paul continues even though he knows that it will no doubt happen again. Paul continues in the sure and certain knowledge that he and Barnabas will be “commended to the grace of God for the work that they had completed.” Their reward is in God alone. Their salvation is in God alone. Their hope is in God alone.

Let us pray: Lord Jesus, sometimes we find it difficult to do what You want us to do. Sometimes we feel as if we are getting nowhere even though we try. Give us the strength and courage of Paul and Barnabas who endured hardship and rejection because they followed You. Even though things seemed bleak at times, they persevered. Give us Your grace to do the same. Amen.

CALENDAR REMINDERS:

Sunday, 12 September 2010 after the service, we will celebrate the Rev. Helen Appelberg’s 80th birthday at Grace Episcopal Church’s Jinkins Hall after the 9:00 a.m. service at St. Augustine’s.

Saturday, 18 September 2010, Earlie Evans’ 90th birthday celebration in Sutton Hall.

Sunday, 19 September 2010, Rally Day. You might be surprised to find out that you already participate in a ministry at the Church. Come and discover what is going on and what you can do. We will also have a group of young string musicians at the Service providing the music for the Eucharist.

25 September, Celebration at St. Vincent’s House at 10 a.m.

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

Paul & Barnabas Mere Mortals Empowered by the Holy Spirit

The Acts of the Apostles continues today in the 14th chapter. Luke writes:

In Lystra there was a man sitting who could not use his feet and had never walked, for he had been crippled from birth. He listened to Paul as he was speaking. And Paul, looking at him intently and seeing that he had faith to be healed, said in a loud voice, “Stand upright on your feet.” And the man sprang up and began to walk. When the crowds saw what Paul had done, they shouted in the Lycaonian language, “The gods have come down to us in human form!” Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul they called Hermes, because he was the chief speaker. The priest of Zeus, whose temple was just outside the city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates; he and the crowds wanted to offer sacrifice. When the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of it, they tore their clothes and rushed out into the crowd, shouting, “Friends, why are you doing this? We are mortals just like you, and we bring you good news, that you should turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them. In past generations he allowed all the nations to follow their own ways; yet he has not left himself without a witness in doing good—giving you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, and filling you with food and your hearts with joy.” Even with these words, they scarcely restrained the crowds from offering sacrifice to them. (Acts 14: 8-18).

With the power of the Holy Spirit, Paul is the instrument of a miraculous healing. When the crowd sees this, they think Paul and Barnabas are gods, but they quickly inform the crowd that they are not. Rather, Paul and Barnabas are just like those who witnessed the miracle, mere humans, but there is something different about them. Paul and Barnabas are followers of the Risen Christ. That does set them apart. Their tremendous faith has opened them to be led by the Holy Spirit to bring the Good News to the Gentiles who respond to what they witness being done through these men. In tomorrow’s reading, we’ll see what the crowd does in response to Paul’s preaching.

CALENDAR REMINDERS:

Sunday, 12 September 2010 after the service, we will celebrate the Rev. Helen Appelberg’s 80th birthday at Grace Episcopal Church’s Jinkins Hall after the 9:00 a.m. service at St. Augustine’s.

Sunday, 19 September 2010, Rally Day. You might be surprised to find out that you already participate in a ministry at the Church. Come and discover what is going on and what you can do.

25 September, Celebration at St. Vincent’s House at 10 a.m.

25 September, the Opening of the Second Annual St. Augustine Art Show. This year’s theme is “Spirit”.

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

Work Is Sacred

Work is sacred. It is made holy because when we work we participate in God’s creative power. It is made holy because Christ himself worked as a τεκτων (“tekton”) meaning a skilled worker, craftsman, or carpenter. The Benedictines also treat work as sacred. If work is sacred, so is the worker. On this Labor Day, let us remember that our work is made holy by Christ. Let us remember that workers are also holy.

Let us pray: Lord God of creation, your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, worked in a carpenter shop alongside Joseph in Nazareth. Jesus made work holy by blessing it when he engaged in it. May the Holy Spirit sanctify the work of our hands and minds, and bless all those who work, and all those who are out of work but desire to work. Amen.


CALENDAR REMINDERS:

Sunday, 12 September 2010 after the service, we will celebrate the Rev. Helen Appelberg’s 80th birthday at Grace Episcopal Church’s Jinkins Hall after the 9:00 a.m. service at St. Augustine’s.

Sunday, 19 September 2010, Rally Day. You might be surprised to find out that you already participate in a ministry at the Church. Come and discover what is going on and what you can do.

25 September, Celebration at St. Vincent’s House at 10 a.m.

25 September, the Opening of the Second Annual St. Augustine Art Show. This year’s theme is “Spirit”.

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

Paul Sails to Perga

The Acts of the Apostles continues today with Paul’s sailing to Perga:

Then Paul and his companions set sail from Paphos and came to Perga in Pamphylia. John, however, left them and returned to Jerusalem; but they went on from Perga and came to Antioch in Pisidia. And on the sabbath day they went into the synagogue and sat down. After the reading of the law and the prophets, the officials of the synagogue sent them a message, saying, “Brothers, if you have any word of exhortation for the people, give it.” So Paul stood up and with a gesture began to speak:

“You Israelites, and others who fear God, listen. The God of this people Israel chose our ancestors and made the people great during their stay in the land of Egypt, and with uplifted arm he led them out of it. For about forty years he put up with them in the wilderness. After he had destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan, he gave them their land as an inheritance for about four hundred and fifty years. After that he gave them judges until the time of the prophet Samuel. Then they asked for a king; and God gave them Saul son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, who reigned for forty years. When he had removed him, he made David their king. In his testimony about him he said, ‘I have found David, son of Jesse, to be a man after my heart, who will carry out all my wishes.’ Of this man’s posterity God has brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus, as he promised; before his coming John had already proclaimed a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. And as John was finishing his work, he said, ‘What do you suppose that I am? I am not he. No, but one is coming after me; I am not worthy to untie the thong of the sandals on his feet.’” (Acts 13: 13-25).

Paul who once persecuted the Christians is now spreading the Good News of Jesus Christ. He tells the people assembled how God had provided Israel with leaders and kings. Now, God has sent Israel a Messiah, Jesus who is the Savior. Paul is aware that the Good News may not be well received by those to whom he is preaching it; nevertheless, he does it because the Holy Spirit has led him to do it. It is Paul’s calling to preach the Good News cost what it might.

Let us pray: Lord Jesus Christ, your Apostle Paul preached the Good News of the salvation you brought even though it was not easy for him to do so. Give us your grace so that we may proclaim your Gospel in our daily lives even though it may be difficult to do so. Amen.

CALENDAR REMINDERS:

Sunday, 12 September 2010 after the service, we will celebrate the Rev. Helen Appelberg’s 80th birthday at Grace Episcopal Church’s Jinkins Hall after the 9:00 a.m. service at St. Augustine’s.

Sunday, 19 September 2010, Rally Day. You might be surprised to find out that you already participate in a ministry at the Church. Come and discover what is going on and what you can do.

25 September, the Opening of the Second Annual St. Augustine Art Show. This year’s theme is “Spirit”.

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

With Prayer and Fasting

The Daily Office is making its way through the Acts of the Apostles, and today we are in Chapter 13 where we read:

Now in the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen a member of the court of Herod the ruler, and Saul. While they were worshipping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off.

So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia; and from there they sailed to Cyprus. When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews. And they had John also to assist them. When they had gone through the whole island as far as Paphos, they met a certain magician, a Jewish false prophet, named Bar-Jesus. He was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, an intelligent man, who summoned Barnabas and Saul and wanted to hear the word of God. But the magician Elymas (for that is the translation of his name) opposed them and tried to turn the proconsul away from the faith. But Saul, also known as Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him and said, “You son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, full of all deceit and villainy, will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord? And now listen—the hand of the Lord is against you, and you will be blind for a while, unable to see the sun.” Immediately mist and darkness came over him, and he went about groping for someone to lead him by the hand. When the proconsul saw what had happened, he believed, for he was astonished at the teaching about the Lord. (Acts 13: 1-12).

In today’s passage notice that the Apostles do nothing without first praying, fasting and seeking the Holy Spirit’s guidance. They do not preach their own agenda (as does the magician and false prophet in today’s story); rather, they spend time in prayer seeking the will of God. Then, and only then, do they act.

We as a Church community are called to do the same. The Gospel is the Good News of Jesus Christ. In order to preach the Gospel authentically, in order to live as the Body of Christ, we must seek God’s will through prayer. We must stop and listen to what God calls us to do. Sometimes this can be difficult, but it can be done. Prayer is the key. Being open to what God calls us to do, even if it may be uncomfortable at times, is what we must do, no differently than Paul and Barnabas.

Let us pray: Loving Father, open our hearts and minds to the promptings of the Holy Spirit. Help us to be silent, help us to listen, help us to respond when we hear Your voice in our hearts. Give us the courage and the strength to do what You call us to do in the name of Your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.

CALENDAR REMINDERS:

Sunday, 12 September 2010 after the service, we will celebrate the Rev. Helen Appelberg’s 80th birthday at Grace Episcopal Church’s Jinkins Hall after the 9:00 a.m. service at St. Augustine’s.

Sunday, 19 September 2010, Rally Day. You might be surprised to find out that you already participate in a ministry at the Church. Come and discover what is going on and what you can do.

25 September, the Opening of the Second Annual St. Augustine Art Show. This year’s theme is “Spirit”.

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

He Was Eaten By Worms and Died.

The reading from the Daily office continues today with the aftermath of Peter’s escape from prison:

When morning came, there was no small commotion among the soldiers over what had become of Peter. When Herod had searched for him and could not find him, he examined the guards and ordered them to be put to death. Then he went down from Judea to Caesarea and stayed there.

Now Herod was angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon. So they came to him in a body; and after winning over Blastus, the king’s chamberlain, they asked for a reconciliation, because their country depended on the king’s country for food. On an appointed day Herod put on his royal robes, took his seat on the platform, and delivered a public address to them. The people kept shouting, “The voice of a god, and not of a mortal!” And immediately because he had not given the glory to God, an angel of the Lord struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and died.

But the word of God continued to advance and gain adherents. Then after completing their mission Barnabas and Saul returned to Jerusalem and brought with them John, whose other name was Mark. (Acts 12: 18-24).

Herod was an angry man. He took his anger out on the Christians, on the prison guards, the people of Tyre and Sidon, and more likely than not on himself. Anger is a destructive force. It destroys those who are on the receiving end of someone’s anger. It also destroys the angry person. Anger eats away at who we are. Anger eats at us from the inside out. Acts’ description of Herod’s death is fitting, “he was eaten by worms and died.”

Do you ever let anger eat away at you? Do you lash out at others out of anger? Do you let anger control your thoughts and feelings? God invites us to let go of our anger and to turn it over to Christ who brings peace to our souls. If you are angry, give it over to Christ and ask for his peace which passes all understanding.

Let us pray: peaceful Father, you know that sometimes we put our energy into being angry rather than praising You for Your goodness and love. Jesus, who hung on the cross for us, forgave those who crucified him; Christ was not angry with them. May we follow Christ’s example and let go of the anger in our lives and be filled with the Holy Spirit so that we may be better followers of Your Son. Amen.

CALENDAR REMINDERS:

Sunday, 12 September 2010 after the service, we will celebrate the Rev. Helen Appelberg’s 80th birthday at Grace Episcopal Church’s Jinkins Hall after the 9:00 a.m. service at St. Augustine’s.

Sunday, 19 September 2010, Rally Day. You might be surprised to find out that you already participate in a ministry at the Church. Come and discover what is going on and what you can do.

25 September, the Opening of the Second Annual St. Augustine Art Show. This year’s theme is “Spirit”.

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, 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