The appointed Epistle in the daily prayer of the Church is taken from Peter’s second letter, and he gives us sound advice about keeping on the right path to a deeper relationship with God:
Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who have received a faith as precious as ours through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ: May grace and peace be yours in abundance in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.
His divine power has given us everything needed for life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Thus he has given us, through these things, his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may escape from the corruption that is in the world because of lust, and may become participants in the divine nature. For this very reason, you must make every effort to support your faith with goodness, and goodness with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with endurance, and endurance with godliness, and godliness with mutual affection, and mutual affection with love. For if these things are yours and are increasing among you, they keep you from being ineffective and unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For anyone who lacks these things is short-sighted and blind, and is forgetful of the cleansing of past sins. Therefore, brothers and sisters, be all the more eager to confirm your call and election, for if you do this, you will never stumble. For in this way, entry into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be richly provided for you. (2 Peter 1: 1-11).
In his second letter, Peter gives excellent counsel to church communities. He gives us the steps to keep on the right track toward a deeper relationship with Christ: faith, goodness, knowledge, self-control, endurance, godliness, mutual affection and love. Peter is quite frank by telling us that if we lack these things, we are “short-sighted” and even “blind”. But rest assured in the knowledge that God gives us His grace to keep on the right track—just follow the steps laid out for you and live in Advent hope for the coming of Christ.
Let us pray: Almighty God, give us grace to cast away the works of darkness, and put on the armor of light, now in the time of this mortal life in which your Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; that in the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge both the living and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal; through him who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
CALENDAR REMINDERS
Hope, Peace, Joy and Love: The Advent Adult Education Series, Sundays at 11:00 a.m. in the parlor behind the sacristy. Join us as we explore the Advent themes on our Advent banner.
Galveston Heritage Chorale, Barbara Tucker and A Chosen Few will hold a concert Sunday, 4 December at 6 p.m. at Moody Methodist Church. There is no admission charge, but donations are welcome.
Please remember everyone on our Prayer List especially for all of those who are traveling this week, for Nikki and Luke who had their marriage blessed last Sunday, for those seeking work, for the ill, for the poor, the hungry and those of who have no one to pray for them, and in thanksgiving for all of God's blessings.
“Prayer and sacrifice can touch souls better than words.” —Sister Therese of Lisieux (1873-1897)
Your servant in Christ,
Fr. Chester J. Makowski+
St. Augustine of Hippo Episcopal Church
Galveston, Texas 77550
Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who have received a faith as precious as ours through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ: May grace and peace be yours in abundance in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.
His divine power has given us everything needed for life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Thus he has given us, through these things, his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may escape from the corruption that is in the world because of lust, and may become participants in the divine nature. For this very reason, you must make every effort to support your faith with goodness, and goodness with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with endurance, and endurance with godliness, and godliness with mutual affection, and mutual affection with love. For if these things are yours and are increasing among you, they keep you from being ineffective and unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For anyone who lacks these things is short-sighted and blind, and is forgetful of the cleansing of past sins. Therefore, brothers and sisters, be all the more eager to confirm your call and election, for if you do this, you will never stumble. For in this way, entry into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be richly provided for you. (2 Peter 1: 1-11).
In his second letter, Peter gives excellent counsel to church communities. He gives us the steps to keep on the right track toward a deeper relationship with Christ: faith, goodness, knowledge, self-control, endurance, godliness, mutual affection and love. Peter is quite frank by telling us that if we lack these things, we are “short-sighted” and even “blind”. But rest assured in the knowledge that God gives us His grace to keep on the right track—just follow the steps laid out for you and live in Advent hope for the coming of Christ.
Let us pray: Almighty God, give us grace to cast away the works of darkness, and put on the armor of light, now in the time of this mortal life in which your Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; that in the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge both the living and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal; through him who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
CALENDAR REMINDERS
Hope, Peace, Joy and Love: The Advent Adult Education Series, Sundays at 11:00 a.m. in the parlor behind the sacristy. Join us as we explore the Advent themes on our Advent banner.
Galveston Heritage Chorale, Barbara Tucker and A Chosen Few will hold a concert Sunday, 4 December at 6 p.m. at Moody Methodist Church. There is no admission charge, but donations are welcome.
Please remember everyone on our Prayer List especially for all of those who are traveling this week, for Nikki and Luke who had their marriage blessed last Sunday, for those seeking work, for the ill, for the poor, the hungry and those of who have no one to pray for them, and in thanksgiving for all of God's blessings.
“Prayer and sacrifice can touch souls better than words.” —Sister Therese of Lisieux (1873-1897)
Your servant in Christ,
Fr. Chester J. Makowski+
St. Augustine of Hippo Episcopal Church
Galveston, Texas 77550
No comments:
Post a Comment