My Servant

THIS SUNDAY, 16 JANUARY, AT 9:00 AM THE PRESIDING BISHOP OF THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH, THE MOST REV. DR. KATHARINE JEFFERTS SCHORI, AND THE BISHOP OF THE DIOCESE OF TEXAS, RT. REV. C. ANDREW DOYLE, WILL BE CELEBRATING THE EUCHARIST AT ST. AUGUSTINE. 1410 JACK JOHNSON (41ST), GALVESTON, TEXAS.

One of the appointed readings for today is taken from the Old Testament’s Book of the Prophet Isaiah, who writes:

Here is my servant, whom I uphold,
my chosen, in whom my soul delights;
I have put my spirit upon him;
he will bring forth justice to the nations.
He will not cry or lift up his voice,
or make it heard in the street;
a bruised reed he will not break,
and a dimly burning wick he will not quench;
he will faithfully bring forth justice.
He will not grow faint or be crushed
until he has established justice in the earth;
and the coastlands wait for his teaching.
Thus says God, the Lord,
who created the heavens and stretched them out,
who spread out the earth and what comes from it,
who gives breath to the people upon it
and spirit to those who walk in it:
I am the Lord, I have called you in righteousness,
I have taken you by the hand and kept you;
I have given you as a covenant to the people,*
a light to the nations,
to open the eyes that are blind,
to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon,
from the prison those who sit in darkness.
I am the Lord, that is my name;
my glory I give to no other,
nor my praise to idols.
See, the former things have come to pass,
and new things I now declare;
before they spring forth,
I tell you of them.

Sing to the Lord a new song,
his praise from the end of the earth!
Let the sea roar and all that fills it,
the coastlands and their inhabitants.
Let the desert and its towns lift up their voice,
the villages that Kedar inhabits;
let the inhabitants of Sela sing for joy,
let them shout from the tops of the mountains.
Let them give glory to the Lord,
and declare his praise in the coastlands.
The Lord goes forth like a soldier,
like a warrior he stirs up his fury;
he cries out, he shouts aloud,
he shows himself mighty against his foes.
For a long time I have held my peace,
I have kept still and restrained myself;
now I will cry out like a woman in labor,
I will gasp and pant.
I will lay waste mountains and hills,
and dry up all their herbage;
I will turn the rivers into islands,
and dry up the pools.
I will lead the blind
by a road they do not know,
by paths they have not known
I will guide them.
I will turn the darkness before them into light,
the rough places into level ground.
These are the things I will do,
and I will not forsake them.
They shall be turned back and utterly put to shame—
those who trust in carved images,
who say to cast images,
‘You are our gods.’ (Is. 42: 1-17).

When I read these words from the Old Testament, it is very easy to see how the Early Church applied these words to their experience of Jesus. As Jesus made his way on the dusty roads of Palestine, he told of God’s love for His people. Jesus reached out to the outcast; he healed the sick. He offered the forgiveness of sins. He brought the good news that God has not forsaken His people; God was walking among them.

Let us pray: Lord Jesus, help us to see your face in everyone we meet today. Help us to see your face in the lonely, the elderly, the young, the sorrowful, the sick, the outcast and even in ourselves. We thank you for giving your life for us, and we praise you for your Resurrection. Amen.

OVER THE LAST FEW WEEKS, MANY HAVE WORKED SO HARD TO PREPARE FOR THE COMING OF THE PRESIDING BISHOP. All you have to do is to look around and see all of the wonderful work. Melva Pope reupholstered the Bishop’s Chair, Lee, Raul and Idell have been polishing brass. Tammie has produced a beautiful service leaflet. Betty Robinson and Idell are preparing the altar and changing the hangings. My thanks go to Fr. Paul Wehner and Grace Episcopal for their tremendous assistance in preparation for this event. They mounted the speakers and improved the sound 1000%. When I heard it yesterday, I could not believe it! Wow. Jo, Jim, Peggy and others are working on the food front, and Bill will be peeling 50 pounds of shrimp after Bubba prepares it! Sherman and the Galveston Heritage Chorale (which includes Jillian and Tom) have practiced for hours, and their sound is not only joyful and soulful, but blessed. This is an all community effort and I know that we will make Bishop Doyle proud of St. Augustine’s as the Presiding Bishop visits the Island.

Please remember the family of Pat Williams who has met his Savior face-to-face.

Your servant in Christ,

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