Today is the feast day of St. Matthew the Evangelist. He was a tax collector whom Jesus called to follow him. Now tax collectors were not especially honest people in Jesus’ day; they were despised and considered traitors by the Jewish people because they worked for the Romans. Tax collectors added insult to injury because they made their living by skimming off the top of their tax collections—a little value added tax.
Yet, Jesus called this person, despised by his fellow countrymen, to be a disciple and then an Apostle of the Resurrection. Here is the account of his call:
As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth; and he said to him, ‘Follow me.’ And he got up and followed him.
And as he sat at dinner in the house, many tax-collectors and sinners came and were sitting with him and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, ‘Why does your teacher eat with tax-collectors and sinners?’ But when he heard this, he said, ‘Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means, “I desire mercy, not sacrifice.” For I have come to call not the righteous but sinners.’ (Mt. 9: 3-13).
And so Jesus called not a righteous man, but a man who was despised by others, to follow him. Jesus’ love for Matthew transformed him into a saint, one who sought holiness and to spread the Good News of Christ and what Christ did for all of humanity by his life, death and resurrection.
Let us pray: We thank you, heavenly Father, for the witness of your apostle and evangelist Matthew to the Gospel of your Son our Savior; and we pray that, after his example, we may with ready wills and hearts obey the calling of our Lord to follow him; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
CALENDAR REMINDERS & UPCOMING EVENTS
THE THIRD ANNUAL ART SHOW, starts Saturday evening, the 24th of September. Please sign up to host. The annual art show allows us to share our facilities with others and to showcase the creativity of artists.
NEW WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY begins this Sunday at 4:00 p.m. in Sutton Hall. Please join Jillian Bain for this prayerful study of Scripture.
ST. VINCENT'S HOUSE: This Saturday, the 24th of September at 10 a.m. the pre-school at St. Vincent’s House will be re-dedicated and the Second Annual Afreda Houston Community Servant Award. Then join us on Sunday, 25 September at the 9 a.m. Eucharist at St. Augustine as we celebrate the ministry of St. Vincent’s House. The preacher will be the Rev. Tom Bain.
A LITTLE ST. VINCENT’S HISTORY: It was started in 1954 as an outreach of our community of faith, St. Augustine of Hippo, while the Rev. Fred Sutton was vicar, who wanted to reach out to the poorest of the children on the Island. The first director was Charles Lemons. It is “an oasis of hope expecting miracles.”
ST. AUGUSTINE IS GOING GREEN (WITH OUR COFFEE CUPS). In order to cut down on the use of Styrofoam cups, please bring a coffee cup for the Fellowship hour, and maybe even 2 or 3 to share with our visitors. We will store them in Sutton Hall and wash them in our dishwasher.
CLOTHING DRIVE FOR VICTIMS OF THE WILDFIRES: We will begin a clothing drive for the victims of the wildfires, especially the people of Bastrop and Calvary Episcopal. Please bring only CLEAN CLOTHES, SORT THEM BY SIZE, MALE/FEMALE, AND BOX THEM. Thank you in advance.
PLEASE REMEMBER EVERYONE ON OUR PRAYER LIST, especially Tammie’s father who is recovering from surgery, for all parishes with search committees as they seek new rectors, for all of those suffering from the wildfires, and in thanksgiving for all that God has done for us.
“Remember Christ’s disciples. They rowed their heavy ships to shore, then abandoned everything to follow Christ.” —Ælfric of Eynsham (c. 955-c. 1010)
Your servant in Christ,
Fr. Chester J. Makowski+
St. Augustine of Hippo Episcopal Church
Galveston, Texas 77550
Yet, Jesus called this person, despised by his fellow countrymen, to be a disciple and then an Apostle of the Resurrection. Here is the account of his call:
As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth; and he said to him, ‘Follow me.’ And he got up and followed him.
And as he sat at dinner in the house, many tax-collectors and sinners came and were sitting with him and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, ‘Why does your teacher eat with tax-collectors and sinners?’ But when he heard this, he said, ‘Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means, “I desire mercy, not sacrifice.” For I have come to call not the righteous but sinners.’ (Mt. 9: 3-13).
And so Jesus called not a righteous man, but a man who was despised by others, to follow him. Jesus’ love for Matthew transformed him into a saint, one who sought holiness and to spread the Good News of Christ and what Christ did for all of humanity by his life, death and resurrection.
Let us pray: We thank you, heavenly Father, for the witness of your apostle and evangelist Matthew to the Gospel of your Son our Savior; and we pray that, after his example, we may with ready wills and hearts obey the calling of our Lord to follow him; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
CALENDAR REMINDERS & UPCOMING EVENTS
THE THIRD ANNUAL ART SHOW, starts Saturday evening, the 24th of September. Please sign up to host. The annual art show allows us to share our facilities with others and to showcase the creativity of artists.
NEW WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY begins this Sunday at 4:00 p.m. in Sutton Hall. Please join Jillian Bain for this prayerful study of Scripture.
ST. VINCENT'S HOUSE: This Saturday, the 24th of September at 10 a.m. the pre-school at St. Vincent’s House will be re-dedicated and the Second Annual Afreda Houston Community Servant Award. Then join us on Sunday, 25 September at the 9 a.m. Eucharist at St. Augustine as we celebrate the ministry of St. Vincent’s House. The preacher will be the Rev. Tom Bain.
A LITTLE ST. VINCENT’S HISTORY: It was started in 1954 as an outreach of our community of faith, St. Augustine of Hippo, while the Rev. Fred Sutton was vicar, who wanted to reach out to the poorest of the children on the Island. The first director was Charles Lemons. It is “an oasis of hope expecting miracles.”
ST. AUGUSTINE IS GOING GREEN (WITH OUR COFFEE CUPS). In order to cut down on the use of Styrofoam cups, please bring a coffee cup for the Fellowship hour, and maybe even 2 or 3 to share with our visitors. We will store them in Sutton Hall and wash them in our dishwasher.
CLOTHING DRIVE FOR VICTIMS OF THE WILDFIRES: We will begin a clothing drive for the victims of the wildfires, especially the people of Bastrop and Calvary Episcopal. Please bring only CLEAN CLOTHES, SORT THEM BY SIZE, MALE/FEMALE, AND BOX THEM. Thank you in advance.
PLEASE REMEMBER EVERYONE ON OUR PRAYER LIST, especially Tammie’s father who is recovering from surgery, for all parishes with search committees as they seek new rectors, for all of those suffering from the wildfires, and in thanksgiving for all that God has done for us.
“Remember Christ’s disciples. They rowed their heavy ships to shore, then abandoned everything to follow Christ.” —Ælfric of Eynsham (c. 955-c. 1010)
Your servant in Christ,
Fr. Chester J. Makowski+
St. Augustine of Hippo Episcopal Church
Galveston, Texas 77550
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