Friday, April 29, 2011

Friday in Easter Week

On this Friday in Easter Week, we continue to hear in the Book of Acts how Peter and the Apostles proclaimed the saving acts and the Resurrection of Jesus to the world:

While Peter and John were speaking to the people, the priests, the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees came to them, much annoyed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming that in Jesus there is the resurrection of the dead. So they arrested them and put them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening. But many of those who heard the word believed; and they numbered about five thousand.

The next day their rulers, elders, and scribes assembled in Jerusalem, with Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, John, and Alexander, and all who were of the high-priestly family. When they had made the prisoners stand in their midst, they inquired, ‘By what power or by what name did you do this?’ Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, ‘Rulers of the people and elders, if we are questioned today because of a good deed done to someone who was sick and are asked how this man has been healed, 10let it be known to all of you, and to all the people of Israel, that this man is standing before you in good health by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead. This Jesus is “the stone that was rejected by you, the builders; it has become the cornerstone.”

There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among mortals by which we must be saved.’ (Acts 4: 1-12).


Peter, the coward who denied Jesus three times, is now proclaiming the forgiveness of sins through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ to the very authorities that tried Jesus and wanted to put him to death. Peter had experienced the forgiveness of Jesus and finally understood what Jesus was about— reconciling us to God and to each other.

Let us pray: Almighty Father, who gave your only Son to die for our sins and to rise for our justification: Give us grace so to put away the leaven of malice and wickedness, that we may always serve you in pureness of living and truth; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.


OPPORTUNITIES FOR MINISTRY:

You can be a witness to the Resurrection of Jesus Christ by participating in: the Prayer Shawl Ministry, the Sunday Fellowship Breakfast, the History Project, SASS, Saturday Art Classes, the Community Garden, the Annual Art Show, praying for those on our Prayer List and the Altar Guild.

CALENDAR REMINDERS:

S.A.S.S. is Thursday nights starting with a pot luck dinner at 6 p.m.

Mother’s Day is 8 May. Don’t forget Mom!

Please remember everyone on our prayer list.

Your servant in Christ,

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

Thursday, April 28, 2011

Thursday in Easter Week

On this Thursday in Easter Week, we hear from the Acts of the Apostles. The lame man was just cured, and now everyone is astonished:

While he clung to Peter and John, all the people ran together to them in the portico called Solomon’s Portico, utterly astonished. When Peter saw it, he addressed the people, ‘You Israelites, why do you wonder at this, or why do you stare at us, as though by our own power or piety we had made him walk? The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, the God of our ancestors has glorified his servant Jesus, whom you handed over and rejected in the presence of Pilate, though he had decided to release him. But you rejected the Holy and Righteous One and asked to have a murderer given to you, and you killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses. And by faith in his name, his name itself has made this man strong, whom you see and know; and the faith that is through Jesus has given him this perfect health in the presence of all of you.

‘And now, friends, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your rulers. In this way God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, that his Messiah would suffer. Repent therefore, and turn to God so that your sins may be wiped out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Messiah appointed for you, that is, Jesus, who must remain in heaven until the time of universal restoration that God announced long ago through his holy prophets. Moses said, “The Lord your God will raise up for you from your own people a prophet like me. You must listen to whatever he tells you. And it will be that everyone who does not listen to that prophet will be utterly rooted out from the people.” And all the prophets, as many as have spoken, from Samuel and those after him, also predicted these days. You are the descendants of the prophets and of the covenant that God gave to your ancestors, saying to Abraham, “And in your descendants all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” When God raised up his servant, he sent him first to you, to bless you by turning each of you from your wicked ways.’ (Acts 3: 11-26).

Peter is quick to acknowledge that the lame man was cured through the power of Jesus Christ. Peter did not cure the man; he was only the instrument. Moreover, the miracle is a means of glorifying God and an instrument of spreading the Good News of salvation. Peter immediately begins to preach the message: Jesus died for their sins and He is risen from the dead. The listeners are called to believe and to repent. You and I are called to do the same.

Let us pray: Almighty and everlasting God, who in the Paschal mystery established the new covenant of reconciliation: Grant that all who have been reborn into the fellowship of Christ's Body may show forth in their lives what they profess by their faith; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Your servant in Christ,

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

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Wednesday in Easter Week

On this Wednesday in Easter Week, we hear in the Book of Acts how the Resurrection of Jesus empowered the Apostles who, in the name of Christ, bring healing to a lame man:

One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, at three o’clock in the afternoon. And a man lame from birth was being carried in. People would lay him daily at the gate of the temple called the Beautiful Gate so that he could ask for alms from those entering the temple. When he saw Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked them for alms. Peter looked intently at him, as did John, and said, ‘Look at us.’ And he fixed his attention on them, expecting to receive something from them. But Peter said, ‘I have no silver or gold, but what I have I give you; in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, stand up and walk.’ And he took him by the right hand and raised him up; and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong. Jumping up, he stood and began to walk, and he entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God. All the people saw him walking and praising God, and they recognized him as the one who used to sit and ask for alms at the Beautiful Gate of the temple; and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him. (Acts 3: 1-10).

Do you remember what Peter was like before? He had a touch of “foot in mouth disease”, and deserted Jesus when the going got tough. Look at him in Acts. He is a changed man. Peter has been transformed by the Resurrection of Jesus. When we live our lives believing in the Resurrection of Jesus, our lives are transformed as well. As Peter said, “I have no silver or gold”; he had much more, faith in the Risen Lord, a faith which changed the lives of others.

Let us pray: O God, whose blessed Son made himself known to his disciples in the breaking of bread: Open the eyes of our faith, that we may behold him in all his redeeming work; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

CALENDAR REMINDERS:

Tonight at 6 p.m. we are feeding the medical students at William Temple.

S.A.S.S. is Thursday nights starting with a pot luck dinner at 6 p.m.

Mother’s Day is 8 May. Don’t forget Mom!

Please remember everyone on our prayer list.

Your servant in Christ,

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

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Tuesday in Easter Week

In this Tuesday in Easter Week, we hear from Paul’s first Letter to the Corinthians. We can see how Paul’s encounter with the Risen Christ transformed his life. Paul cannot help but preach the Good News of salvation in Christ, and central to that Good News is the Resurrection:

Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say there is no resurrection of the dead? If there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, then our proclamation has been in vain and your faith has been in vain. We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified of God that he raised Christ—whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised. If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have died in Christ have perished. If for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.

But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have died. For since death came through a human being, the resurrection of the dead has also come through a human being; for as all die in Adam, so all will be made alive in Christ. But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. Then comes the end, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father, after he has destroyed every ruler and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death. For ‘God has put all things in subjection under his feet.’ But when it says, ‘All things are put in subjection’, it is plain that this does not include the one who put all things in subjection under him. When all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to the one who put all things in subjection under him, so that God may be all in all. (1 Cor. 15: 12-28).

Just as we cannot water down the Cross of Christ, we cannot water down the Resurrection. Through the Resurrection, God is recreating the world, and Jesus is the first fruit of that recreation. You and I share in that Resurrection because we will be raised up on that last day.

Let us pray: O God, who by the glorious resurrection of your Son Jesus Christ destroyed death and brought life and immortality to light: Grant that we, who have been raised with him, may abide in his presence and rejoice in the hope of eternal glory; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be dominion and praise for ever and ever. Amen.

CALENDAR REMINDERS:

Wednesday, 27 April at 6 p.m. at the William Temple Episcopal Center: St. Augustine will be the medical students. Please bring a side dish. We expect about 60 people.


OPPORTUNITIES FOR MINISTRY:

You can be a witness to the Resurrection of Jesus Christ by participating in: the Prayer Shawl Ministry, the Sunday Fellowship Breakfast, the History Project, SASS, Saturday Art Classes, the Community Garden, the Annual Art Show, praying for those on our Prayer List, the Altar Guild and feeding the medical students at WTEC.

PLEASE REMEMBER TO PRAY FOR EVERYONE ON OUR PRAYER LIST.

Your servant in Christ,

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

Monday, April 25, 2011

Monday in Easter Week

On this Monday in Easter Week, we see how with “fear and great joy” the Apostles go out into the world to tell the Good News of Jesus’ death and resurrection:

But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them: ‘Men of Judea and all who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to what I say.

‘You that are Israelites, listen to what I have to say: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with deeds of power, wonders, and signs that God did through him among you, as you yourselves know— this man, handed over to you according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of those outside the law. But God raised him up, having freed him from death, because it was impossible for him to be held in its power. For David says concerning him, “I saw the Lord always before me, for he is at my right hand so that I will not be shaken; therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced; moreover, my flesh will live in hope. For you will not abandon my soul to Hades, or let your Holy One experience corruption. You have made known to me the ways of life; you will make me full of gladness with your presence.”

‘Fellow Israelites, I may say to you confidently of our ancestor David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. Since he was a prophet, he knew that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would put one of his descendants on his throne. Foreseeing this, David spoke of the resurrection of the Messiah, saying, “He was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh experience corruption.” This Jesus God raised up, and of that all of us are witnesses.’ (Acts 2: 14,22-32).

We are the inheritors of the Apostles’ preaching and teaching. Because of their witness to the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, we know the Good News of salvation; therefore, you and I are called to spread the Good News of the Risen Lord. So, just like the Apostles, go forth and proclaim that Christ the Lord is risen; He is risen indeed!

Let us pray: Grant, we pray, Almighty God, that we who celebrate with awe the Paschal feast may be found worthy to attain to everlasting joys; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.


CALENDAR REMINDERS

Wednesday, 27 April at 6 p.m. at the William Temple Episcopal Center: St. Augustine will be the medical students. Please bring a side dish. We expect about 60 people.

OPPORTUNITIES FOR MINISTRY: You can be a witness to the Resurrection of Jesus Christ by participating in: the Prayer Shawl Ministry, the Sunday Fellowship Breakfast, the History Project, SASS, Saturday Art Classes, the Community Garden, the Annual Art Show, praying for those on our Prayer List, Altar Guild and feeding the medical students at WTEC.

PLEASE REMEMBER TO PRAY FOR EVERYONE ON OUR PRAYER LIST.

Your servant in Christ,

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

Friday, April 22, 2011

Good Friday

Today is the day that God showed us how much He loved the world. Today the Son of God was rejected by man who shouted “crucify him.” Today the Word who became flesh was nailed to the hard wood of the cross. Today Emmanuel gave His life, forgiving those who took His, so that you and I would be reconciled to God, to each other and even with ourselves. Today is Good Friday.

The Gospel reading for today’s Daily Office tells us about Simon Peter. He was always quick to tell Jesus how much Jesus meant to him. Simon Peter was a big talker, but when the time came, Simon Peter betrayed Jesus:

Simon Peter said to him, ‘Lord, where are you going?’ Jesus answered, ‘Where I am going, you cannot follow me now; but you will follow afterwards.’ Peter said to him, ‘Lord, why can I not follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.’ Jesus answered, ‘Will you lay down your life for me? Very truly, I tell you, before the cock crows, you will have denied me three times. (Jn. 13: 36-38).

Are you and I any different than Simon Peter? I don’t think so. How often do we talk big about being Jesus’ followers, but when the time comes to do more than talk, we deny even knowing Jesus by our actions? Through our sinful acts, you and I are no different from the crowd which called for Jesus to be crucified.

Let us pray: Almighty God, we pray you graciously to behold this your family, for whom our Lord Jesus Christ was willing to be betrayed, and given into the hands of sinners, and to suffer death upon the cross; who now lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Your servant in Christ,

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

Thursday, April 21, 2011

Maundy Thursday

Today is Maundy Thursday. It is called “Maundy” from the Latin word “mandatum,” meaning “command” because tonight Jesus commands us to love one another as he has loved us, and to do the Eucharist in remembrance of him. So the Gospel according to John goes straight to the Last Supper:

After Jesus had spoken these words, he looked up to heaven and said, ‘Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son so that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him authority over all people, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. I glorified you on earth by finishing the work that you gave me to do. So now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had in your presence before the world existed.

‘I have made your name known to those whom you gave me from the world. They were yours, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything you have given me is from you; for the words that you gave to me I have given to them, and they have received them and know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. I am asking on their behalf; I am not asking on behalf of the world, but on behalf of those whom you gave me, because they are yours. All mine are yours, and yours are mine; and I have been glorified in them. And now I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one, as we are one. While I was with them, I protected them in your name that you have given me. I guarded them, and not one of them was lost except the one destined to be lost, so that the scripture might be fulfilled. But now I am coming to you, and I speak these things in the world so that they may have my joy made complete in themselves. I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. I am not asking you to take them out of the world, but I ask you to protect them from the evil one. They do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. As you have sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify myself, so that they also may be sanctified in truth.

After Jesus had spoken these words, he looked up to heaven and said, ‘Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son so that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him authority over all people, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. I glorified you on earth by finishing the work that you gave me to do. So now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had in your presence before the world existed.

‘I have made your name known to those whom you gave me from the world. They were yours, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything you have given me is from you; for the words that you gave to me I have given to them, and they have received them and know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. I am asking on their behalf; I am not asking on behalf of the world, but on behalf of those whom you gave me, because they are yours. All mine are yours, and yours are mine; and I have been glorified in them. And now I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one, as we are one. While I was with them, I protected them in your name that you have given me. I guarded them, and not one of them was lost except the one destined to be lost, so that the scripture might be fulfilled. But now I am coming to you, and I speak these things in the world so that they may have my joy made complete in themselves. I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. I am not asking you to take them out of the world, but I ask you to protect them from the evil one. They do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. As you have sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify myself, so that they also may be sanctified in truth.

‘I ask not only on behalf of these, but also on behalf of those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one. As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me I have given them, so that they may be one, as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become completely one, so that the world may know that you have sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. Father, I desire that those also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory, which you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world.

‘Righteous Father, the world does not know you, but I know you; and these know that you have sent me. I made your name known to them, and I will make it known, so that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.’ (Jn. 17: 1-26).

Jesus is praying for his disciples, not only those who were with him at that meal, but also for you and for me, his disciples today. In his prayer, Jesus says that you and I belong to him, and he prays that God the Father will protect each and every one of us. He prays that we be protected not from earthly travails, but from separation and disunity, the marks of the evil one. He prays that we be one body in him. Jesus does not want us to run away from the world; Jesus wants us to go into the world and to spread the Word, the Good News of salvation.


Let us pray: Almighty Father, whose dear Son, on the night before he suffered, instituted the Sacrament of his Body and Blood: Mercifully grant that we may receive it thankfully in remembrance of Jesus Christ our Lord, who in these holy mysteries gives us a pledge of eternal life; and who now lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

PLEASE REMEMBER EVERYONE ON OUR PRAYER LIST especially all of those serving in our Armed Forces at home and abroad.

REMEMBER ALL OF THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR MINISTRY AT ST. AUGUSTINE’S: Praying for the Individuals on our Prayer List
The Margaret Biehl Community Garden
The Prayer Shawl Ministry
Sunday Fellowship Breakfasts
Art Classes
Feeding Medical Students at William Temple (next Wednesday)
The Altar Guild
The St. Augustine History Project

Your servant in Christ,

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

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Wednesday in Holy Week

On this Wednesday in Holy Week, we continue with Jesus as he walks toward Calvary. In the 12th chapter of the Gospel according to John, we see that 6 days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany where Martha, Mary and Lazarus (whom Jesus had raised from the dead), lived. Right after that, Jesus goes to Jerusalem where he is greeted with shouts of “hosanna” (Palm Sunday). Then we heard how the Pharisees said to each other, “You see that you can do nothing; look, the whole world has gone after him.” After this, the Gentiles came looking for Jesus, wishing to see him.

Today we pick up where we left off yesterday, and we hear how Jesus’ soul is troubled:

“Now my soul is troubled. And what should I say—‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it is for this reason that I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” The crowd standing there heard it and said that it was thunder. Others said, “An angel has spoken to him.” Jesus answered, “This voice has come for your sake, not for mine. Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be driven out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” He said this to indicate the kind of death he was to die. The crowd answered him, “We have heard from the law that the Messiah remains for ever. How can you say that the Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man?” Jesus said to them, “The light is with you for a little longer. Walk while you have the light, so that the darkness may not overtake you. If you walk in the darkness, you do not know where you are going. While you have the light, believe in the light, so that you may become children of light.”

After Jesus had said this, he departed and hid from them. (Jn. 12: 27-36).


Even though he is God, Jesus is like us in every way because he is also fully human. Today we see how human Jesus is. He knew what kind of death he was going to die. He was afraid, but in the midst of that fear, Jesus, who is ever faithful to the Father and to us, is able to say, “No, it is for this reason that I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name.” Jesus is all about glorifying God the Father no matter what he does and no matter what it costs.


How ready are we to glorify God in what we do?


Let us pray: Lord God, whose blessed Son our Savior gave his body to be whipped and his face to be spit upon: Give us grace to accept joyfully the sufferings of the present time, confident of the glory that shall be revealed; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

PLEASE REMEMBER EVERYONE ON OUR PRAYER LIST especially all of those serving in our Armed Forces at home and abroad.

REMEMBER ALL OF THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR MINISTRY AT ST. AUGUSTINE’S:
Praying for the Individuals on our Prayer List
The Margaret Biehl Community Garden
The Prayer Shawl Ministry
Sunday Fellowship Breakfasts
Art Classes
Feeding the Medical Students at William Temple (next Wednesday)
The Altar Guild

Your servant in Christ,

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

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Tuesday of Holy Week

On this Tuesday of Holy Week, we hear from the 12th chapter of the Gospel according to John as Jesus draws closer to Good Friday:

Now among those who went up to worship at the festival were some Greeks. They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and said to him, ‘Sir, we wish to see Jesus.’ Philip went and told Andrew; then Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. Jesus answered them, ‘The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Those who love their life lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there will my servant be also. Whoever serves me, the Father will honor. (Jn. 12: 20-26).

The leaders of the Chosen People had rejected Jesus, but the Gentiles seek him out. Jesus tells his disciples and those who seek him out that following Jesus and God’s will is a costly vocation. Jesus came to reconcile the world to God and us to one another. Jesus came for the forgiveness of sins. He knows what will be required of him. Jesus knows that he will be put to death, but that his sacrifice will bear much fruit. You and I are called to follow him and to serve others as instruments of Jesus’ reconciling love.

Let us pray: O God, by the passion of your blessed Son you made an instrument of shameful death to be for us the means of life: Grant us so to glory in the cross of Christ, that we may gladly suffer shame and loss for the sake of your Son our Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Your servant in Christ,

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

Monday, April 18, 2011

Monday in Holy Week

On this Monday in Holy Week as we journey closer to the foot of the cross, we hear from the Gospel according to John. It is John’s account of Palm Sunday:

When the great crowd of the Jews learned that he was there, they came not only because of Jesus but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. So the chief priests planned to put Lazarus to death as well, since it was on account of him that many of the Jews were deserting and were believing in Jesus. The next day the great crowd that had come to the festival heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, shouting, ‘Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord— the King of Israel!’

Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it; as it is written: ‘Do not be afraid, daughter of Zion. Look, your king is coming, sitting on a donkey’s colt!’ His disciples did not understand these things at first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written of him and had been done to him. So the crowd that had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to testify. It was also because they heard that he had performed this sign that the crowd went to meet him. The Pharisees then said to one another, ‘You see, you can do nothing. Look, the world has gone after him!’ (Jn. 12: 9-19).


One really has to wonder about the Pharisees. Did they not see who Jesus was? If they didn’t, why couldn’t they? If they did see who he was, why did they react the way they did? We will never be able to answer these questions in our life time. Only God knows their hearts. But their apparent attitude as presented by John should cause us to ask these very same questions about ourselves. Do you and I see Jesus for who he really is? If we don’t, why not. If we do, shouldn’t our lives reflect it? As we continue our walk with Jesus this week, our walk to the foot of the cross, let us reflect on our relationship with Jesus. Have we shouted “hosanna” on Palm Sunday only to yell “crucify him” on Friday? Where do you and I stand with Jesus?

Let us pray: Almighty God, whose dear Son went not up to joy but first he suffered pain, and entered not into glory before he was crucified: Mercifully grant that we, walking in the way of the cross, may find it none other that the way of life and peace; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.


PLEASE REMEMBER EVERYONE ON OUR PRAYER LIST.


Your servant in Christ,

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

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Little Did the Psalmist Know

One of the appointed Psalms for this Wednesday in the fifth week of Lent is Psalm 130, and it is appropriate as we approach Holy Week:

Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord.
Lord, hear my voice!
Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications!
If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities,
Lord, who could stand?
But there is forgiveness with you,
so that you may be revered.
I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope;
my soul waits for the Lord
more than those who watch for the morning,
more than those who watch for the morning.
O Israel, hope in the Lord!
For with the Lord there is steadfast love,
and with him is great power to redeem.
It is he who will redeem Israel from all its iniquities.


You can feel the profound emotion in this Psalm as the Psalmist is overwhelmed with a sense of his own emptiness, of his own sinfulness. But he knows that God is ever faithful, pulling him up from the depths of his own despair into the light of redemption where the Psalmist is bathed in God’s forgiveness and love for him. Little did the Psalmist know the depths of God’s love for him. Little did the Psalmist know that God himself would become one of is in every way, even death. Little did the Psalmist know that God the Son would offer his very life for him to redeem him from all of his iniquities.

Let us pray: Lord God, whose blessed Son our Savior gave his body to be whipped and his face to be spit upon: Give us grace to accept joyfully the sufferings of the present time, confident of the glory that shall be revealed; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.


NETS FOR LIFE
: We have about 8 nets thus far and our goal is 50. Spread the word and do what you can.


CALENDAR REMINDERS


Tonight, Wednesday, 13 April at 6:00 p.m. we will meet at Grace for the Lenten program where we will experience the Covenant Players.


S.A.S.S. (St. Augustine Spiritual Support group)
for those whose lives have been impacted by HIV/AIDS meets every Thursday starting at 6:00 p.m. with a pot luck dinner. Let others know of this ministry as well.


HOLY WEEK SCHEDULE
:
Palm Sunday: Procession with Palms & Eucharist Rite II- 9 a.m.
Maundy Thursday: Foot Washing, Eucharist & Striping of Altar- 7 p.m.
Good Friday: Stations & Good Friday Liturgy -3 p.m.


PLEASE REMEMBER EVERYONE ON OUR PRAYER LIST
, especially Liz Mack and Caroline and Randy Furlong as Randy recovers from surgery.


Your servant in Christ,

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

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

You Don't Hear Much About Being Saved These Days

FELLOWSHIP BREAKFAST ON PALM SUNDAY: CAROL FREEMAN WAS ORIGINALLY SIGNED UP; HOWEVER, SHE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO DO BREAKFAST ON THE 17TH, PALM SUNDAY. I WOULD ASK THAT WE MAKE IT A “POT LUCK” BREAKFAST. JUST LET EVERYONE KNOW WHAT YOU WILL BRING SO THAT WE DON’T DUPLICATE. THANKS IN ADVANCE!

On this Tuesday in the fifth week of Lent we hear from the tenth chapter of St. Paul’s Letter to the Romans:


Brothers and sisters, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved. I can testify that they have a zeal for God, but it is not enlightened. For, being ignorant of the righteousness that comes from God, and seeking to establish their own, they have not submitted to God’s righteousness. For Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.

Moses writes concerning the righteousness that comes from the law, that ‘the person who does these things will live by them.’ But the righteousness that comes from faith says, ‘Do not say in your heart, “Who will ascend into heaven?”’ (that is, to bring Christ down) ‘or “Who will descend into the abyss?” ’ (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). But what does it say? ‘The word is near you, on your lips and in your heart’ (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); because if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For one believes with the heart and so is justified, and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved. The scripture says, ‘No one who believes in him will be put to shame.’ For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all and is generous to all who call on him. For, ‘Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.’ (Rm. 10: 1-13).

In today’s world, and even in today’s Church, one does not really hear much about “being saved.” You and I certainly cannot “be saved” by our own actions; Paul tells us that we cannot “earn” our salvation. Rather, being made “right” with God (righteousness), or what Paul also calls “salvation,” is a gift from God. We call it “grace.” As Christians who profess faith in Jesus Christ as the Messiah, you and I are called to bear witness to what we believe. We bear witness not only by what we say, but by how we live. Sometimes our actions proclaim who Jesus is much more loudly than words.

Let us pray: Almighty God, you alone can bring into order the unruly wills and affections of sinners: Grant your people grace to love what you command and desire what you promise; that, among the swift and varied changes of the world, our hearts may surely there be fixed where true joys are to be found; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.


NETS FOR LIFE:
We have about 8 nets thus far and our goal is 50. Spread the word and do what you can.


CALENDAR REMINDERS


Next Wednesday, 13 April at 6:00 p.m. we will meet at Grace for the Lenten program where we will experience the Covenant Players.


S.A.S.S. (St. Augustine Spiritual Support group)
for those whose lives have been impacted by HIV/AIDS meets every Thursday starting at 6:00 p.m. with a pot luck dinner. Let others know of this ministry as well.


HOLY WEEK SCHEDULE:

Palm Sunday: Procession with Palms & Eucharist Rite II: 9 am
Maundy Thursday: Foot Washing, Eucharist & Striping of the Altar: 7 pm
Good Friday: Stations & Good Friday Liturgy: 3 pm


PLEASE REMEMBER EVERYONE ON OUR PRAYER LIST,
especially Liz Mack and Caroline and Randy Furlong as Randy undergoes surgery today for his cancer treatment.


Your servant in Christ,

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

Monday, April 11, 2011

George Selwyn, the First Bishop of New Zealand

Fellowship Breakfast on Palm Sunday: Carol Freeman was originally signed up; however, she will not be able to do breakfast on the 17th, Palm Sunday. I would ask that we make it a “pot luck” breakfast. Just let everyone know what you will bring so that we don’t duplicate. Thanks in advance!

Today the Church remembers a missionary who went more than half way around the world to spread the Good News, George Augustus Selwyn who was born in London, England in 1809 and died on this day in 1878.

Selwyn was educated at Eton and Cambridge and ordained in 1833. He served as curate to the Rev. Isaac Gossett, vicar of Windsor. Both at Eton and at Windsor, Selwyn displayed much organizing talent.

In 1841, after an Episcopal council held at Lambeth had recommended the appointment of a bishop for New Zealand, Bishop Blomfield offered the post to Selwyn.



Selwyn was consecrated bishop at Lambeth on 17 October 1841, and sailed on 26 December. He appointed William Charles Cotton as his chaplain, and with a missionary party of 23 people, he set sail from Plymouth late in December 1841. During the voyage, Selwyn mastered the Māori language with the help of a Māori boy returning from England so that upon his arrival he was able to preach in the native language.

Selwyn journeyed around his vast diocese partly by canoe but mainly by walking, often for large distances over difficult and dangerous terrain. In 6 years, Bishop Selwyn completed a thorough visitation of the whole of New Zealand, and in December 1847 began a series of voyages to the Pacific Islands, which were included in his diocese by a clerical error. His letters and journals descriptive of these trips present the reader with a vivid picture of his versatility, courage, and energy.

Selwyn elaborated a plan for the self-government of his Diocese, and in 1854 visited England for the purpose of obtaining power to subdivide his diocese, and permission to the church of New Zealand to manage its own affairs by a general synod of bishops, presbyters, and laity.

By 1855, the Land Wars interrupted the progress of Christianity among the Māori, and caused an almost universal rejection of the Church of England. Selwyn was a keen critic of the unjust and reckless procedure of the English land companies, and was misunderstood by the English and the Maoris alike. His efforts to supply Christian ministrations to the troops on both sides were heroic and indefatigable.

In 1867, Selwyn was pressured to accept appointment as Bishop of Lichfield. Reluctantly, he returned to England, where he died eleven years later.

Let us pray: Almighty and everlasting God, we thank you for your servant George Augustus Selwyn, whom you called to preach the Gospel to the peoples of New Zealand and Melanesia, and to lay a firm foundation for the growth of your Church in many nations. Raise up in this and every land evangelists and heralds of your kingdom, that your Church may proclaim the unsearchable riches of our Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.


THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO WORKED ON THE STEPPING STONES FOR THE BIEHL COMMUNITY GARDEN!
We had about 10 folks who made 20 stepping stones for the garden, and they look great!


NETS FOR LIFE:
We have about 8 nets thus far and our goal is 50. Spread the word and do what you can.


CALENDAR REMINDERS


Next Wednesday, 13 April at 6:00 p.m. we will meet at Grace for the Lenten program where we will experience the Covenant Players.


S.A.S.S. (St. Augustine Spiritual Support group) for those whose lives have been impacted by HIV/AIDS meets every Thursday starting at 6:00 p.m. with a pot luck dinner. Let others know of this ministry as well.


HOLY WEEK SCHEDULE:

Palm Sunday: Procession with Palms & Eucharist Rite II- 9 a.m.
Maundy Thursday: Foot Washing, Eucharist & Striping of the Altar- 7 p.m.
Good Friday: Stations and Good Friday Liturgy -3 p.m.


PLEASE REMEMBER EVERYONE ON OUR PRAYER LIST, especially Liz Mack.


Your servant in Christ,

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