The appointed Gospel reading for today is taken from Mark 10:46-52; it is the story of the healing of the blind Bartimaeus:
They came to Jericho. As he and his disciples and a large crowd were leaving Jericho, Bartimaeus son of Timaeus, a blind beggar, was sitting by the roadside. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout out and say, ‘Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!’ Many sternly ordered him to be quiet, but he cried out even more loudly, ‘Son of David, have mercy on me!’ Jesus stood still and said, ‘Call him here.’ And they called the blind man, saying to him, ‘Take heart; get up, he is calling you.’ So throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus. Then Jesus said to him, ‘What do you want me to do for you?’ The blind man said to him, ‘My teacher, let me see again.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Go; your faith has made you well.’ Immediately he regained his sight and followed him on the way.
The name “Bartimeaus” literally means, in Aramaic “son of defilement, unclean, impure, unchaste or abominable.” Popular theology among the Hebrews held blindness to be a punishment from God for sin or defilement (John 9:34). But the Greek version of the name could also be understood as “son of honor.” So what is Mark doing here? All of us are sinners, and we are sinners when Jesus finds us. Sin blinds us. If we remain in sin, we cannot see where God is calling us to go. We want to see! Jesus loves you and me even in our sin. Jesus calls us to believe in him as the Way, the Truth and the Life so that we may see. Jesus restores our sight, and you and I become sons and daughters of honor. Jesus takes us as we are, and loves us into dignity.
Let us pray: Holy God, heavenly Father, you formed me from the dust in your image and likeness, and redeemed me from sin and death by the cross of your Son Jesus Christ. Through the water of baptism you clothed me with the shining garment of his righteousness, and established me among your children in your kingdom. But I have squandered the inheritance of your saints, and have wandered far in a land that is waste. Therefore, O Lord, from all of my sins I cannot I turn to you in sorrow and repentance. Receive me again into the arms of your mercy, and restore me to the blessed company of your faithful people; through him in whom you have redeemed the world, your Son our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
NEWS
The Galveston Island Tree Conservancy’s 2011/12 NeighborWoods Project has been chosen as one of 20 finalists for Tom’s of Maine 50 States for Good Community Sponsorship. We have the opportunity to win a share of $150,000 to fund next year’s NeighborWoods in Galveston, Texas, but we need your on-line vote to help us win one of five $20,000 sponsorships or one $50,000 sponsorship. To find out more about NeighborWoods please visit www.galvestonislandtreeconservancy.org.
To vote, please go to www.50statesforgood.com, click on Vote Now and vote for The Galveston Island Tree Conservancy. Help us plant 700 trees in Galveston Island Neighborhoods in 2011/12!
Top twenty (20) applications will be posted on www.50statesforgood.com, and the public will be encouraged to vote from Tuesday, 2 August 2011 to Tuesday, 13 September 2011. Visitors can vote once (1) per day. Project voting standings will be displayed on www.50statesforgood.com and will be public until the last week of voting, on or about 6 September 2011. At the completion of the final voting phase, the 6 projects with the highest vote totals will be declared as the selected projects to receive funding, as determined by the consumer vote.
CALENDAR REMINDERS
We will have a Bishop’s Committee meeting on the regular third Sunday of the month.
The UBE Youth had to cancel its trip to Galveston because of a scheduling conflict with 2 of the sponsors.
St. Augustine’s Feast Day: Potluck Dinner and Dancing on Saturday, 27 August at 7 p.m. and Eucharist Rite II on Sunday at 9 a.m. followed by a reception in Sutton Hall. There is a sign-up sheet in Sutton Hall for the pot luck dinner. Please sign up to bring a dish to share.
PRAYER MINISTRY
Please remember everyone on our Prayer List, and we especially pray for the Walker Family at the death of their son, those addicted to drugs and/or alcohol, the shut-ins, anyone suffering from depression of anxiety of any kind, for those suffering from the extreme heat, and for all of those who are traveling. “Prayer is not conquering God’s reluctance, but taking hold of God’s willingness.” The Rt. Rev. Phillips Brooks
Your servant in Christ,
Fr. Chester J. Makowski+
St. Augustine of Hippo Episcopal Church
Galveston, Texas 77550
They came to Jericho. As he and his disciples and a large crowd were leaving Jericho, Bartimaeus son of Timaeus, a blind beggar, was sitting by the roadside. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout out and say, ‘Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!’ Many sternly ordered him to be quiet, but he cried out even more loudly, ‘Son of David, have mercy on me!’ Jesus stood still and said, ‘Call him here.’ And they called the blind man, saying to him, ‘Take heart; get up, he is calling you.’ So throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus. Then Jesus said to him, ‘What do you want me to do for you?’ The blind man said to him, ‘My teacher, let me see again.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Go; your faith has made you well.’ Immediately he regained his sight and followed him on the way.
The name “Bartimeaus” literally means, in Aramaic “son of defilement, unclean, impure, unchaste or abominable.” Popular theology among the Hebrews held blindness to be a punishment from God for sin or defilement (John 9:34). But the Greek version of the name could also be understood as “son of honor.” So what is Mark doing here? All of us are sinners, and we are sinners when Jesus finds us. Sin blinds us. If we remain in sin, we cannot see where God is calling us to go. We want to see! Jesus loves you and me even in our sin. Jesus calls us to believe in him as the Way, the Truth and the Life so that we may see. Jesus restores our sight, and you and I become sons and daughters of honor. Jesus takes us as we are, and loves us into dignity.
Let us pray: Holy God, heavenly Father, you formed me from the dust in your image and likeness, and redeemed me from sin and death by the cross of your Son Jesus Christ. Through the water of baptism you clothed me with the shining garment of his righteousness, and established me among your children in your kingdom. But I have squandered the inheritance of your saints, and have wandered far in a land that is waste. Therefore, O Lord, from all of my sins I cannot I turn to you in sorrow and repentance. Receive me again into the arms of your mercy, and restore me to the blessed company of your faithful people; through him in whom you have redeemed the world, your Son our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
NEWS
The Galveston Island Tree Conservancy’s 2011/12 NeighborWoods Project has been chosen as one of 20 finalists for Tom’s of Maine 50 States for Good Community Sponsorship. We have the opportunity to win a share of $150,000 to fund next year’s NeighborWoods in Galveston, Texas, but we need your on-line vote to help us win one of five $20,000 sponsorships or one $50,000 sponsorship. To find out more about NeighborWoods please visit www.galvestonislandtreeconservancy.org.
To vote, please go to www.50statesforgood.com, click on Vote Now and vote for The Galveston Island Tree Conservancy. Help us plant 700 trees in Galveston Island Neighborhoods in 2011/12!
Top twenty (20) applications will be posted on www.50statesforgood.com, and the public will be encouraged to vote from Tuesday, 2 August 2011 to Tuesday, 13 September 2011. Visitors can vote once (1) per day. Project voting standings will be displayed on www.50statesforgood.com and will be public until the last week of voting, on or about 6 September 2011. At the completion of the final voting phase, the 6 projects with the highest vote totals will be declared as the selected projects to receive funding, as determined by the consumer vote.
CALENDAR REMINDERS
We will have a Bishop’s Committee meeting on the regular third Sunday of the month.
The UBE Youth had to cancel its trip to Galveston because of a scheduling conflict with 2 of the sponsors.
St. Augustine’s Feast Day: Potluck Dinner and Dancing on Saturday, 27 August at 7 p.m. and Eucharist Rite II on Sunday at 9 a.m. followed by a reception in Sutton Hall. There is a sign-up sheet in Sutton Hall for the pot luck dinner. Please sign up to bring a dish to share.
PRAYER MINISTRY
Please remember everyone on our Prayer List, and we especially pray for the Walker Family at the death of their son, those addicted to drugs and/or alcohol, the shut-ins, anyone suffering from depression of anxiety of any kind, for those suffering from the extreme heat, and for all of those who are traveling. “Prayer is not conquering God’s reluctance, but taking hold of God’s willingness.” The Rt. Rev. Phillips Brooks
Your servant in Christ,
Fr. Chester J. Makowski+
St. Augustine of Hippo Episcopal Church
Galveston, Texas 77550
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