The Friends of Jesus: Martha, Mary & Lazarus

Today the Church celebrates Martha, Mary and Lazarus. Sometimes we really do forget that Jesus was fully human as well as being fully divine. Jesus had friends, close friends, like Martha, Mary and Lazarus.

Scripture has several references to Jesus’ friends. In chapter 10 of the Gospel according to Luke (versus 38 to 42), we hear how when Jesus and the disciples were visiting the home of Martha, Mary and Lazarus, Mary sat at Jesus’ feet listening to Him while Martha was preoccupied with cooking and waiting on the guests. You will recall that Martha complained, and Jesus told Martha that Mary had chosen the better part.

Of course, one of the most dramatic scenes in the Gospels involved Lazarus. You will recall that Lazarus died, and that Jesus wept at his tomb and then raised His friend from the dead. (John 11:1-44). It was then that Jesus told Martha: “I am the Resurrection and the Life.”

Let us, like Jesus, be ever thankful for the friends in our lives.

Let us pray: Generous God, whose Son Jesus Christ enjoyed the friendship and hospitality of Mary, Martha and Lazarus of Bethany: Open our hearts to love you, our ears to hear you, and our hands to welcome and serve you in others, through Jesus Christ our risen Lord; who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

CALENDAR REMINDERS

This Saturday, Birdhouse building with Lee Runiuon at 10 a.m. Be sure and let Lee know if you will attend.

St. Augustine will host the UBE Youth Mission trip from the 12th to the 14th of August. Our Church has a very special place in Texas as the oldest African-American Episcopal Church in the state. Sharing our history with the youth is a blessed ministry that is ours.

PRAYER MINISTRY

Please remember to pray for everyone on our prayer list, and I ask prayers for Tammie Taylor's father, Talmadge Sandell, the Rev. Tom Bain as he transitions from his clinical pastoral work at Memorial Hermann to hospice ministry and as he seeks a placement, and the people of Norway, all of the victims and their families who suffered at the hands of evil.

The great Episcopal preacher, the Rt. Rev. Phillips Brooks (1835-1893), who served as Bishop of Massachusetts for a short while, said: “Do not pray for easy lives. Pray to be stronger men. Do not pray for tasks equal to your powers, pray for powers equal to your task.”

Your servant in Christ,

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

Do Not Be Afraid!

The appointed Gospel for today is taken from the sixth chapter of Mark’s Gospel. We hear one the most often used phrases in the Gospels:

When evening came, the boat was out on the lake, and he was alone on the land. When he saw that they were straining at the oars against an adverse wind, he came towards them early in the morning, walking on the lake. He intended to pass them by. But when they saw him walking on the lake, they thought it was a ghost and cried out; for they all saw him and were terrified. But immediately he spoke to them and said, “Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid.” Then he got into the boat with them and the wind ceased. And they were utterly astounded, for they did not understand about the loaves, but their hearts were hardened.

When they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret and moored the boat. When they got out of the boat, people at once here recognized him, and rushed about that whole region and began to bring the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was. And wherever he went, into villages or cities or farms, they laid the sick in the market-places, and begged him that they might touch even the fringe of his cloak; and all who touched it were healed. (Mk 6: 47-56).

“Do not be afraid.” Jesus says that more often than any other thing in the Gospels. “Do not be afraid.” He means it. There is proper, rationale, fear. For example, one ought to be afraid when confronted by a grizzly bear. But not all fear is proper. Deep fear, fear that is not rationale, is crippling. For example, take a person who is up in years, but cannot properly take care of himself. Friends and relatives suggest that they move to an assisted living center where they will have a better quality of life and be in the company of others. Yet the person is afraid of the change. He decides not to make the move. When we are fearful, we do not make good decisions. Fear keeps us trapped. Jesus tells us emphatically, “Do not be afraid.” Trust in the Lord. Trust in those that the Lord sends to help us get rid of our fears. Do not be afraid!

Let us pray: Look with mercy, O God our Father, on all who are gripped in the clenched fist of fear. Provide for them dignity and peace; give them lived ones who are instruments of Your love and grace so that they can hear the words of Your Son, Jesus, “do not fear.” Increase their faith and their assurance of your love. This we ask in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

CALENDAR REMINDERS

This Saturday, Birdhouse building with Lee Runiuon at 10 a.m. Be sure and let Lee know if you will attend.

St. Augustine will host the UBE Youth Mission trip from the 12th to the 14th of August. Our Church has a very special place in Texas as the oldest African-American Episcopal Church in the state. Sharing our history with the youth is a blessed ministry that is ours.

PRAYER MINISTRY

Please remember to pray for everyone on our prayer list, and I ask prayers for the Rev. Tom Bain as he transitions from his clinical pastoral work at Memorial Hermann to hospice ministry and as he seeks a placement, and the people of Norway, all of the victims and their families who suffered at the hands of evil. Our prayers are so dear to God, that he has appointed the angels to present them to him as soon as they come forth from our mouths. “The angels,” says St. Hilary, “preside over the prayers of the faithful, and offer them daily to God.” Lift your hearts in prayer to the Almighty!

Your servant in Christ,

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

Mary's Parents: Ann & Joachim

Today the Church honors a set of parents, the parents of Mary. Scripture tells us nothing about them, but tradition names them Ann and Joachim. We get a sense of what kind of parents they were by their daughter. To be sure, raising children is difficult. They don’t come with an instruction manual. Parents generally try not to make the same mistakes their own parents did. But I believe that the majority of parents try to do their best. I’m sure Ann and Joachim did their best, and they raised a wonderful daughter. Mary was totally open to God’s will in her life even under difficult circumstances, the most difficult of which was standing at the foot of the cross.

Let us pray for all parents: Almighty God, heavenly Father, you have blessed us with the joy and care of children: Give us calm strength and patient wisdom as we bring them up, that we may teach them to love whatever is just and true and good, following the example of our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

CALENDAR REMINDERS

This Saturday, Birdhouse building with Lee Runiuon at 10 a.m. Be sure and let Lee know if you will attend.

St. Augustine will host the UBE Youth Mission trip from the 12th to the 14th of August. Our Church has a very special place in Texas as the oldest African-American Episcopal Church in the state. Sharing our history with the youth is a blessed ministry that is ours.

Please remember to pray for everyone on our prayer list, and I ask prayers for the Rev. Tom Bain as he transitions from his clinical pastoral work at Memorial Hermann to hospice ministry and as he seeks a placement. St. Chrysostom wrote that “there is nothing more powerful than a person who prays.” God gives to all the grace of prayer so that by it we may obtain every help, and even more than we need, for living our daily lives, for keeping the divine law of love, and for persevering us until death.

Your servant in Christ,

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

St. James the Apostle

Today we honor St. James the Apostle. James Kiefer writes:

James the son of Zebedee and his brother, John, were among the Twelve disciples of Our Lord. They, together with Peter, were privileged to behold the Transfiguration, to witness the healing of Peter’s mother-in-law and the raising of the daughter of Jairus, and to be called aside to watch and pray with Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane on the night before Jesus’ death.

James and John were apparently from a higher social level than the average fisherman. Their father could afford hired servants, and John (assuming him to be identical with the “Beloved Disciple”) had connections with the high priest. Jesus nicknamed the two brothers the “Sons of Thunder”, perhaps meaning that they were headstrong, hot-tempered, and impulsive; and so they seem to be in two incidents reported in the Gospels. On one occasion, Jesus and the disciples were refused the hospitality of a Samaritan village, and James and John proposed to call down fire from heaven on the offenders. On another occasion, they asked Jesus for a special place of honor in the Kingdom, and were told that the place of honor is the place of suffering.

In about 42 A.D., shortly before Passover (Acts 12), James was beheaded by order of King Herod Agrippa I, grandson of Herod the Great (who tried to kill the infant Jesus--Matthew 2), nephew of Herod Antipas (who killed John the Baptist--Mark 6--and examined Jesus on Good Friday--Luke 23), and father of Herod Agrippa II (who heard the defense of Paul before Festus--Acts 25). James was the first of the Twelve to suffer martyrdom, and the only one of the Twelve whose death is recorded in the New Testament.

James is often called James Major (meaning greater or elder) to distinguish him from other New Testament persons called James.

Let us pray: O gracious God, we remember before you today your servant and apostle James, first among the Twelve to suffer martyrdom for the Name of Jesus Christ; and we pray that you will pour out upon the leaders of your Church that spirit of self-denying service by which alone they may have true authority among your people; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

CALENDAR REMINDERS

This Saturday, Lee Runion’s Birdhouse Building Class starting at 10 a.m.!

We will host the Union of Black Episcopalians' (UBE) Youth Mission Trip to Galveston at St. Augustine’s on the 12th to the 14th of August 2011.

St. Augustine’s Feast Day is at the end of August. We will have a dance on Saturday, starting at 7 p.m. with a pot luck dinner. On Sunday, we will have a reception after the 9 a.m. Eucharist (Rite II).

Please remember everyone on our Prayer List. This is an important ministry. Our own St. Augustine wrote: “In prayer, there occurs a turning of the heart to Him who is always ready to give if we will but take what He gives.”

Your servant in Christ,

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

St. Mary Magdalene

Today the Church remembers and honors St. Mary Magdalene. She was present at the foot of the cross. She was the first witness to the Risen Christ and announced His Resurrection to the Apostles. Mary Magdalene is referred to in early Christian writings as “the apostle to the Apostles.”

She has for centuries been portrayed as a prostitute; however, that was because Gregory the Great conflated 3 different women in the Gospels. As a follower of Jesus, Mary Magdalene was one of many women that accompanied Jesus during his travels, many of whom are believed to have been wealthy. The Gospels note that Jesus was visited by two women, the unnamed sinner in Luke 7 and Mary of Bethany, both of whom anoint his feet and dry them with their hair, similar to the way Mary Magdalene anointed him shortly after his death. In 591, Pope Gregory the Great stated that all three were in fact one woman, Mary Magdalene, and this is how she became labeled as a prostitute, or the unnamed sinner.

Mary Magdalene is an example for the modern Church. The assembled Gospel references describe Mary Magdalene as a courageous servant leader, brave enough to stand by Jesus in his hours of suffering, death and beyond. She is the only person to be listed in all four Gospels as first to realize that Jesus had risen and to testify to that central teaching of faith.

Let us pray: Almighty God, whose blessed Son restored Mary Magdalene to health of body and mind, and called her to be a witness of his resurrection: Mercifully grant that by your grace we may be healed of all our infirmities and know you in the power of his endless life; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

CALENDAR REMINDERS

Saturday, 23 July at 10:00 a.m.: Birdhouse building with Lee Runion. Please contact Lee if you would like to participate.

St. Augustine’s Feast Day is around the corner. We will have a sign-up sheet for our pot luck dinner. Please be thinking about what you will bring to share with everyone.

Please remember everyone on our Prayer List, especially the Rev. Tom Bain.

Your servant in Christ,

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

Christ Has Conquered

One of the Psalms appointed for today is Psalm 59. The Psalmist writes:

Deliver me from my enemies, O my God;
protect me from those who rise up against me.
Deliver me from those who work evil;
from the bloodthirsty save me.
Even now they lie in wait for my life;
the mighty stir up strife against me.
For no transgression or sin of mine, O Lord,
for no fault of mine, they run and make ready.
Rouse yourself, come to my help and see!
You, Lord God of hosts, are God of Israel.
Awake to punish all the nations;
spare none of those who treacherously plot evil.
Each evening they come back,
howling like dogs
and prowling about the city.
There they are, bellowing with their mouths,
with sharp words* on their lips—
for ‘Who’, they think,* ‘will hear us?’
But you laugh at them, O Lord;
you hold all the nations in derision.
O my strength, I will watch for you;
for you, O God, are my fortress.
My God in his steadfast love will meet me;
my God will let me look in triumph on my enemies.
Do not kill them, or my people may forget;
make them totter by your power, and bring them down,
O Lord, our shield.
For the sin of their mouths, the words of their lips,
let them be trapped in their pride.
For the cursing and lies that they utter,
consume them in wrath;
consume them until they are no more.
Then it will be known to the ends of the earth
that God rules over Jacob.
Each evening they come back,
howling like dogs
and prowling about the city.
They roam about for food,
and growl if they do not get their fill.
But I will sing of your might;
I will sing aloud of your steadfast love in the morning.
For you have been a fortress for me
and a refuge on the day of my distress.
O my strength, I will sing praises to you,
for you, O God, are my fortress,
the God who shows me steadfast love.

There is evil in the world. The Psalmist knew it. You and I have encountered evil. Evil wants to destroy individuals, families, hope, happiness, and truth. It tries and it tries. But in the end, the Psalmist knew that God is a fortress in the day of distress. God shows us His steadfast love, and God has done so most especially in the person of Jesus Christ. By His cross and resurrection, Jesus has conquered evil and death, and He is Lord of all. When you are faced with evil; call upon the name of Christ to be your shield in the fight, to be your fortress and your refuge.

Let us pray: Almighty God, who for our redemption gave your only- begotten Son to the death of the cross, and by his glorious resurrection delivered us from the power of our enemy: Grant us so to die daily to sin, that we may evermore live with him in the joy of his resurrection; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

CALENDAR REMINDERS

Saturday, 23 July at 10:00 a.m.: Birdhouse building with Lee Runion. Please contact Lee if you would like to participate.

St. Augustine’s Feast Day is around the corner. We will have a sign-up sheet for our pot luck dinner. Please be thinking about what you will bring to share with everyone.

Please remember everyone on our Prayer List, especially the Rev. Tom Bain.

Your servant in Christ,

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

Peace Amid the Storms

Today we hear from the fourth chapter in the Gospel according to Mark. It is the familiar story of Jesus quelling the storm:

On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, ‘Let us go across to the other side.’ And leaving the crowd behind, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. Other boats were with him. A great gale arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped. But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke him up and said to him, ‘Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?’ He woke up and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, ‘Peace! Be still!’ Then the wind ceased, and there was a dead calm. He said to them, ‘Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?’ And they were filled with great awe and said to one another, ‘Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?’ (Mk. 4: 35-41).

Sometimes you and I lack faith. Sometimes we stand in fear in the face of what seem to be overwhelming circumstances and matters over which we have no control. We forget that God is greater than any of our troubles. Jesus has the power to quell the storms in our lives. Today, whatever storms are brewing in your life, invite Jesus to come. He will tell the storm in your life: “Peace, Be still!” You will find that the winds will cease, and there will be calm. Who is this Jesus? None other than the very Son of God come to dwell among us.

Let us pray: Assist us mercifully, O Lord, in these our supplications and prayers, and dispose the way of your servants towards the attainment of everlasting salvation; that, among all the changes and chances of this mortal life, they may ever be defended by your gracious and ready help; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

CALENDAR REMINDERS

Saturday, 23 July at 10:00 a.m.: Birdhouse building with Lee Runion. Please contact Lee if you would like to participate.

St. Augustine’s Feast Day is around the corner. We will have a sign-up sheet for our pot luck dinner. Please be thinking about what you will bring to share with everyone.

Please remember everyone on our Prayer List, especially the Rev. Tom Bain.

Your servant in Christ,

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

St. Macrina

Today the Church honors and remembers St. Macrina who died on this day on 379 A.D.

Her brother, St. Basil the Great, is remembered as the founder of Eastern monasticism, but it is often forgotten that Marcia established a monastic community for women before Basil did for men.

Macrina was engaged to be married, but when her fiancé died, she devoted her life to prayer, contemplation and charitable works. After her father died, Macrina and her mother formed a community of women who shared her goals. She often brought poor and hungry women home to be fed, clothed, nursed, or otherwise taken care of, and many eventually joined the community, as did many wealthy women.

Let us pray: Merciful God, who called your servant Macrina to reveal in her life and her teaching the riches of your grace and truth: Mercifully grant that we, following her example, may seek after your wisdom and live according to her way; through Jesus Christ our Savior, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

CALENDAR REMINDERS

Saturday, 23 July at 10:00 a.m.: Birdhouse building with Lee Runion. Please contact Lee if you would like to participate.

St. Augustine’s Feast Day is around the corner. We will have a sign-up sheet for our pot luck dinner. Please be thinking about what you will bring to share with everyone.

Please remember everyone on our Prayer List, especially the Rev. Tom Bain.

Your servant in Christ,

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

Bartolome de Las Casas

In 2009, the Episcopal Church provisionally adopted the commemoration of Bartolome de Las Casas who was born in Seville, Spain, in 1474.

James Kiefer tells us that:

In 1502 he went to Cuba, and for his military services there was given an Encomienda, an estate that included the services of the Indians living on it. In about 1513 he was ordained priest (probably the first ordination in the Americas), and in 1514 he renounced all claim on his Indian serfs. During the following seven years he made several voyages to Spain to find support for a series of new towns in which Spaniard and Indian would live together in peace and equality.

In 1523, he became a Dominican friar and disappeared for a time from public controversy. In 1540, he returned to Spain and was a force behind the passage in 1542 of laws prohibiting Indian slavery and safeguarding the rights of the Indians. He was made Bishop of Chiapas in Guatemala, and returned to the Americas in 1544 to implement the new laws, but he met considerable resistance, and in 1547 he returned to Spain, where he devoted the rest of his life to speaking and writing on behalf of the Indians.

He is chiefly remembered for his Brief Report On the Destruction of the Indies (or Tears of the Indians), a fervid and perhaps exaggerated account of the atrocities of the Spanish conquerors against the Indians. The book was widely read and widely translated, and the English version was used to stir up English feeling against the Spanish as a cruel race whom England ought to beware of, and whose colonies in the Americas would be better off in English hands. Las Casas is widely admired as an early pioneer of social justice, and widely denounced as an irresponsible pamphleteer and spreader of slanders. He died in Madrid on 17 July (or perhaps 31 July) 1566, and is remembered as a national hero in Cuba and Nicaragua.

Let us pray: Eternal God, we give you thanks for the witness of Bartolomé de las Casas, whose deep love for your people caused him to refuse absolution to those who would not free their Indian slaves. Help us, inspired by his example, to work and pray for the freeing of all enslaved people of our world, for the sake of Jesus Christ our Redeemer; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

CALENDAR REMINDERS

Saturday, 23 July at 10:00 a.m.: Birdhouse building with Lee Runion. Please contact Lee if you would like to participate.

St. Augustine’s Feast Day is around the corner. We will have a sign-up sheet for our pot luck dinner. Please be thinking about what you will bring to share with everyone.

Please remember everyone on our Prayer List, especially the Rev. Tom Bain.

Your servant in Christ,

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

God Does Not Call the Equipped; God Equips the Called

The appointed Gospel reading for today is taken from the third chapter of Mark. We read:

Jesus departed with his disciples to the lake, and a great multitude from Galilee followed him; hearing all that he was doing, they came to him in great numbers from Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea, beyond the Jordan, and the region around Tyre and Sidon. He told his disciples to have a boat ready for him because of the crowd, so that they would not crush him; for he had cured many, so that all who had diseases pressed upon him to touch him. Whenever the unclean spirits saw him, they fell down before him and shouted, ‘You are the Son of God!’ But he sternly ordered them not to make him known.

He went up the mountain and called to him those whom he wanted, and they came to him. And he appointed twelve, whom he also named apostles, to be with him, and to be sent out to proclaim the message, and to have authority to cast out demons. So he appointed the twelve:* Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter); James son of Zebedee and John the brother of James (to whom he gave the name Boanerges, that is, Sons of Thunder); and Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Cananaean, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him. Then he went home. (Mk 3: 7-19).

God does not call the equipped to ministry; God equips those He calls. It is up to those who are called to cooperate with God. Eleven of the twelve who were called were equipped for their ministries and they cooperated. Judas, who was called and equipped, chose not to cooperate with God. Instead, Judas decided to follow his own agenda. Following our own agendas instead of God’s, is a short route to chaos and perdition.

In our own community of faith at St. Augustine, I am proud to share my ministry with yours. There are those called and equipped to serve in the Altar Guild, the Art Classes, the Community Garden, the Community of Hope, the Fellowship Ministry, the Prayer Shawl Ministry, S.A.S.S. and other ministries. You have been called and have been equipped by God.

Let us pray: O God of unchangeable power and eternal light: Look favorably on your whole Church, that wonderful and sacred mystery; by the effectual working of your providence, carry out in tranquility the plan of salvation; let the whole world see and know that things which were being cast down are being raised up, and things which had grown old are being made new, and that all things are being brought to their perfection by him through whom all things were made, your Son Jesus Christ our Lord; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of 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

My Soul Clings to the Dust

One of the appointed Psalms for today is a portion of Psalm 138. The Psalmist writes:

My soul clings to the dust;
revive me according to your word.
When I told of my ways, you answered me;
teach me your statutes.
Make me understand the way of your precepts,
and I will meditate on your wondrous works.
My soul melts away for sorrow;
strengthen me according to your word. (Ps. 128: 25-28).

In the midst of a draught, we certainly understand the phrase “my soul clings to the dust.” But God revives the soul. For the past 2 days we’ve had afternoon rains in New Mexico. Even as I write this, there is a light rain in El Paso. The entire Southwest and Texas have been suffering, and our souls clinging to dust, but slowly revival will come.

Let us pray: O God, heavenly Father, who by your Son Jesus Christ has promised to all those who seek your kingdom and its righteousness all things necessary to sustain their life: Send us, we entreat you, in this time of need, such moderate rain and showers, that we may receive the fruits of the earth, to our comfort and to your honor; through Jesus Christ our Lord. 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

Nathan Söderblom, Archbishop of Uppsala, Sweden

In 2009, the Episcopal Church provisionally adopted this date to commemorate a Swedish Lutheran, Nathan Söderblom. James Keifer tells us that Söderblom was born in Trönö, Sweden, in 1866 and ordained in 1893. He was chaplain at the Swedish Embassy in Paris from 1894 to 1901, and earned a doctorate in comparative religion from the Sorbonne. He then became professor of the history of religion at the University of Uppsala, and in 1914 became Archbishop of Uppsala and Primate of the Church of Sweden.

The Lutheran Church in Sweden had retained the historic episcopate. Söderblom valued the liturgy and devotional tradition of traditional Catholic worship while seeing much of worth in the writings of liberal Protestant scholars. He believed it was his duty to work for a united Christendom, both catholic and evangelical, and saw practical cooperation on social issues as a promising first step. During World War I, he worked tirelessly to alleviate the conditions of prisoners of war and refugees. For this and his subsequent work for Church unity and world peace, he received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1930.

In 1925, he organized the Universal Christian Council on Life and Work in Stockholm. Meanwhile, a chiefly Anglican group had formed an inter-denominational Conference on Faith and Order. In 1948, the two groups merged to form the World Council of Churches.

As Archbishop of Sweden, he was concerned to deepen the channels of communication between the Church and the laboring masses, and also between the Church and the intellectuals. He died 12 July 1931.

Let us pray: Almighty God, we bless your Name for the life and work of Nathan Söderblom, Archbishop of Uppsala, who helped to inspire the modern liturgical revival and worked tirelessly for cooperation among Christians. Inspire us by his example, that we may ever strive for the renewal of your Church in life and worship, for the glory of your Name; who with Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, 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

Take Time to Pray

The appointed Gospel reading for today is taken from the Gospel according to Mark. We hear how after Jesus heals, he takes time to pray:

As soon as they left the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. Now Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they told him about her at once. He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up. Then the fever left her, and she began to serve them. That evening, at sunset, they brought to him all who were sick or possessed with demons. And the whole city was gathered around the door. And he cured many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him.

In the morning, while it was still very dark, he got up and went out to a deserted place, and there he prayed. And Simon and his companions hunted for him. When they found him, they said to him, ‘Everyone is searching for you.’ He answered, ‘Let us go on to the neighboring towns, so that I may proclaim the message there also; for that is what I came out to do.’ And he went throughout Galilee, proclaiming the message in their synagogues and casting out demons. (Mk. 1: 29-39).

Jesus takes time to pray. Jesus takes time to go by himself and pray. In our busy days, it is easy to neglect prayer. After all, we have so much to do. But prayer is necessary. Prayer connects us to the ultimate reality God, in whom we live, move and have our being. Acts 17:28. Today, remember to take time and pray. Talk to God. Steep yourself in His presence.

Let us pray: Almighty God, sometimes our lives seem so busy that we forget to come into Your presence, spend time with You and talk with You. Your Son Jesus shows us how; He set time aside to be with you. Send Your Holy Spirit to inspire our hearts. Amen.

We celebrate with Jordyn Kace-Lynn Fight her Baptism and our prayers are with her and her family as they travel to Alaska.

Please also remember everyone on our prayer list.

Your servant in Christ,

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

“I love you, O Lord, my strength."

The appointed Psalm for today is Psalm 18, and it starts with the Psalmist saying: “I love you, O Lord, my strength … I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised.”

How many times do we tell God that we love Him? How many times do we tell those around us, those God has put into our lives, that we love them? On both of these questions, the answer is “not often enough.”

Take some time today to tell God that you love Him, and thank God for all of those people He has placed into your life, all of those people who are a blessing to you.

Let us pray: Loving Father, sometimes we don’t tell You that we love You and appreciate all that You do for us, especially for the gift of Your Son. Send Your Holy Spirit to fill the hearts and minds of all of our loved ones. Amen.

CALENDAR REMINDERS

8 July 2011 at St. Augustine’s Sutton Hall from noon to 3 p.m. S.A.S.S. will host “A 2011 Update: The Latest Info about HIV/AIDS” with Paul Simmons, RN, ACRN, the Executive Director of Center for AIDS Houston. Lunch will be provided free of cost, and the seminar is free of cost as well. Reserve your spot today at galvestonsass@gmail.com. The luncheon on Friday July 8th has about 30 registered guest, yet we feel more will show up that have not registered. The Church is providing Sandwich platters, iced tea, lemonade, water. We need volunteers to provide, soup, salad, and desserts or fruit. We will set up the table buffet style. Please call Lee at 409 539 4632 with what you are bringing or email Lee at galvestonsass@gmail.com. Thanks! This luncheon is open to anyone who wants to attend. The largest group of new HIV/AIDS infections are among young people and seniors come to learn the statistics and get involved in the discussions.

Please remember everyone on our prayer list, especially Evelyn McNeill who is continuing to recover from surgery.

Your servant in Christ,

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

The Almighty Hears the Cries of His Loved Ones

One of the appointed Psalms for today is Psalm 5, and we hear the Psalmist’s cry to God for help:

Give ear to my words, O Lord;
give heed to my sighing.
Listen to the sound of my cry,
my King and my God, for to you I pray.
O Lord, in the morning you hear my voice;
in the morning I plead my case to you, and watch.
For you are not a God who delights in wickedness;
evil will not sojourn with you.
The boastful will not stand before your eyes;
you hate all evildoers.
You destroy those who speak lies;
the Lord abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful.
But I, through the abundance of your steadfast love,
will enter your house,
I will bow down towards your holy temple
in awe of you.
Lead me, O Lord, in your righteousness
because of my enemies;
make your way straight before me.
For there is no truth in their mouths;
their hearts are destruction;
their throats are open graves;
they flatter with their tongues.
Make them bear their guilt, O God;
let them fall by their own counsels;
because of their many transgressions cast them out,
for they have rebelled against you.
But let all who take refuge in you rejoice;
let them ever sing for joy.
Spread your protection over them,
so that those who love your name may exult in you.
For you bless the righteous, O Lord;
you cover them with favor as with a shield.

In these hot days of summer, when trouble arises, remember that the Lord is near. The Almighty is there to hear the cries of His loved ones. God who is gracious is there to give aid; He covers His people with love.

Let us pray: O Lord, mercifully receive the prayers of your people who call upon you, and grant that they may know and understand what things they ought to do, and also may have grace and power faithfully to accomplish them; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

CALENDAR REMINDERS

8 July 2011 at St. Augustine’s Sutton Hall from noon to 3 p.m. S.A.S.S. will host “A 2011 Update: The Latest Info about HIV/AIDS” with Paul Simmons, RN, ACRN, the Executive Director of Center for AIDS Houston. Lunch will be provided free of cost, and the seminar is free of cost as well. Reserve your spot today at galvestonsass@gmail.com.

Please remember everyone on our prayer list, especially Evelyn McNeill who is continuing to recover from surgery.

Your servant in Christ,

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

Independence Day

Today we celebrate our Nation’s Independence Day, the Fourth of July. 235 years ago today, in Philadelphia, these words were read:

When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation. We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. …

This Country was founded by men and women who did not leave their faith at the doors of the Pennsylvania State House, now known as Independence Hall. They carried their faith with them into the halls of power and were influenced by their faith in a God who loves all in equal measure. Today we celebrate the gift of this Nation and the freedom we enjoy.

Let us pray: Lord God Almighty, in whose Name the founders of this country won liberty for themselves and for us, and lit the torch of freedom for nations then unborn: Grant, we pray, that we and all the peoples of this land may have grace to maintain these liberties in righteousness and peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY!

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

Lord, Sometimes I Need Help Putting Up With People

One of the appointed Psalms for today is Psalm 140. The Psalmist prays:

Deliver me, O Lord, from evildoers;
protect me from those who are violent,
who plan evil things in their minds
and stir up wars continually.
They make their tongue sharp as a snake’s,
and under their lips is the venom of vipers.
Guard me, O Lord, from the hands of the wicked;
protect me from the violent
who have planned my downfall.
The arrogant have hidden a trap for me,
and with cords they have spread a net;
along the road they have set snares for me.
I say to the Lord, ‘You are my God;
give ear, O Lord, to the voice of my supplications.’
O Lord, my Lord, my strong deliverer,
you have covered my head in the day of battle.
Do not grant, O Lord, the desires of the wicked;
do not further their evil plot.
Those who surround me lift up their heads;
let the mischief of their lips overwhelm them!
Let burning coals fall on them!
Let them be flung into pits, no more to rise!
Do not let the slanderer be established in the land;
let evil speedily hunt down the violent!
I know that the Lord maintains the cause of the needy,
and executes justice for the poor.
Surely the righteous shall give thanks to your name;
the upright shall live in your presence.

Don’t we all feel like the Psalmist from time to time—protect me from those who are evil—from the vipers. In our day to day lives, we each encounter people who can be hateful. We come across people who really are not, well, nice. There are different degrees of it too. There are some folks who are just downright bad while others are simply rude. A friend of mine was standing in line at the grocery store recently. The people in front of her had about $150 worth of groceries, but they could not afford them. They tried to put all their money together, but still couldn’t come up with the money. She said, “Let me pay for them.” It was an act of kindness. What was the response from the people whose groceries she paid for? Nothing. Not a thank you, not even a word. They were nothing short of rude, but they took their groceries and went.

The Psalmist reminds us today, and my friend who paid for the groceries, that “the righteous shall give thanks to your name; the upright shall live in your presence.” Our task is to follow God’s will and to live in charity with those around us. We cannot control the responses and actions of others. All we can do is to try and control our own, with God’s grace.

Let us pray: Almighty God, from time to time we encounter those in Your creation people who are not kind, people who are rude, and sometimes people who are just downright vicious. Give us the grace through Your Holy Spirit to live as Your Son Jesus would have us live, to be in charity with one another at all time. We ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

CALENDAR REMINDERS

8 July 2011 at St. Augustine’s Sutton Hall from noon to 3 p.m. S.A.S.S. will host “A 2011 Update: The Latest Info about HIV/AIDS” with Paul Simmons, RN, ACRN, the Executive Director of Center for AIDS Houston. Lunch will be provided free of cost, and the seminar is free of cost as well. Reserve your spot today at galvestonsass@gmail.com.

Please remember everyone on our prayer list, especially Evelyn McNeill who is continuing to recover from surgery.

Your servant in Christ,

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