St. Cuthbert

Today the Church honors and remembers St. Cuthbert. Cuthbert was born in the north of England around the year 625. He was an Anglo-Saxon monk, bishop and hermit associated with the monasteries of Melrose and Lindisfarne in the Kingdom of Northumbria, which at that time included northern England as well as south-eastern Scotland as far as the Firth of Forth.

Cuthbert is regarded as one of the most important medieval saints of England.

As a young man, Cuthbert was working as a shepherd in Lauderdale; he had a vision of the soul of Aidan being carried to heaven by angels. After experiencing this, Cuthbert became a monk at the monastery of Old Melrose.

Cuthbert’s was well regarded for his fame for piety, diligence, and obedience. When Alchfrith, king of Deira, founded a new monastery at Ripon, Cuthbert became its visitors' host.

Cuthbert then returned to Melrose, and at the prior’s death, Cuthbert became prior of the monastery. He spent much time among the people, ministering to their spiritual needs, carrying out missionary journeys, preaching, and performing miracles. While at Melrose, Cuthbert’s asceticism was complemented by his charm and generosity to the poor, and his reputation for gifts of healing and insight led many people to consult him, gaining him the name of “Wonder Worker of Britain.” He continued his missionary work, travelling the breadth of the country from Berwick to Galloway to carry out pastoral work and founding an oratory at Dull, Scotland complete with a large stone cross, and a little cell for himself, at a site which subsequently became a monastery then later the University of St Andrews.

In 684, Cuthbert was elected bishop of Lindisfarne where Aidan had served as bishop from 635 to 651. However, Cuthbert was reluctant to give up retirement. After he was visited by a large group, including king Ecgfrith, Cuthbert agreed to assume the duties of being a bishop. He was consecrated at York by Archbishop Theodore and six other bishops. He died just a few years later in 687, and was buried at Lindisfarne. Later, his remains were taken to Durham Cathedral.

Let us pray: Everliving God, you called your servants Aidan and Cuthbert to proclaim the Gospel in northern England and gave them loving hearts and gentle spirits: Grant us grace to live as they did, in simplicity, humility and love for the poor; through Jesus Christ, who came among us as one who serves, and who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

TREES FOR GALVESTON

The Galveston Island Tree Conservancy’s 2011/12 NeighborWoods Project has been chosen as one of 20 finalists for Tom’s of Maine 50 States for Good Community Sponsorship. We have the opportunity to win a share of $150,000 to fund next year’s NeighborWoods in Galveston, Texas, but we need your on-line vote to help us win one of five $20,000 sponsorships or one $50,000 sponsorship. To find out more about NeighborWoods please visit www.galvestonislandtreeconservancy.org.

To vote, please go to www.50statesforgood.com, click on Vote Now and vote for The Galveston Island Tree Conservancy. Help us plant 700 trees in Galveston Island Neighborhoods in 2011/12!

Top twenty (20) applications will be posted on www.50statesforgood.com, and the public will be encouraged to vote from Tuesday, 2 August 2011 to Tuesday, 13 September 2011. Visitors can vote once (1) per day. Project voting standings will be displayed on www.50statesforgood.com and will be public until the last week of voting, on or about 6 September 2011. At the completion of the final voting phase, the 6 projects with the highest vote totals will be declared as the selected projects to receive funding, as determined by the consumer vote.

PRAYER MINISTRY

Please remember everyone on our Prayer List, and we especially pray for those addicted to drugs and/or alcohol; shut-ins; anyone suffering from depression of anxiety of any kind; those suffering from the extreme heat, all of those who are traveling; those suffering any kind of adversity; for families; and for all those looking for work. “The things we really need come to us only as gifts, and in order to receive them as gifts we have to be open. In order to be open we have to renounce ourselves, in a sense we have to die to our image of ourselves, our autonomy, our fixation upon our self-willed identity.” —Thomas Merton

Your servant in Christ,

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

Faith & Works: Jesus Calls the Whole Person

The Daily Office continues with the Letter of James. Today, James asks us to think about faith and works:

What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but do not have works? Can faith save you? If a brother or sister is naked and lacks daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace; keep warm and eat your fill’, and yet you do not supply their bodily needs, what is the good of that? So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead.

But someone will say, ‘You have faith and I have works.’ Show me your faith without works, and I by my works will show you my faith. You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder. Do you want to be shown, you senseless person, that faith without works is barren? Was not our ancestor Abraham justified by works when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was brought to completion by the works. Thus the scripture was fulfilled that says, ‘Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness’, and he was called the friend of God. You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. Likewise, was not Rahab the prostitute also justified by works when she welcomed the messengers and sent them out by another road? For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is also dead. (James 2: 14-26).

The Son of God did not appear to us in spirit. He was born of a woman, with a human body, a soul and divinity. And at the Resurrection, Jesus did not just rise in spirit; Jesus rose from the dead body and soul. You and I are a people of the Incarnation. Jesus calls the entire person to follow him. Jesus does not call only the mind, or only the soul to follow him. Rather, Jesus calls you as an entire person: body, mind and soul, to follow him. Discipleship requires your whole being. Faith requires action. James is telling us that we need to walk the talk.

As Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said: “The Christian gospel is a two-way road. On the one hand, it seeks to change the souls of men, and thereby unite them with God; on the other hand, it seeks to change the environmental conditions of men so the soul will have a chance after it is changed.”

Let us pray: Almighty God, you have given your only-begotten Son to take our nature upon him, and to be born of a pure virgin: Grant that we, who have been born again and made your children by adoption and grace, may daily be renewed by your Holy Spirit to put our faith into action; through our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom with you and the same Spirit be honor and glory, now and for ever. Amen.

TREES FOR GALVESTON

The Galveston Island Tree Conservancy’s 2011/12 NeighborWoods Project has been chosen as one of 20 finalists for Tom’s of Maine 50 States for Good Community Sponsorship. We have the opportunity to win a share of $150,000 to fund next year’s NeighborWoods in Galveston, Texas, but we need your on-line vote to help us win one of five $20,000 sponsorships or one $50,000 sponsorship. To find out more about NeighborWoods please visit www.galvestonislandtreeconservancy.org.

To vote, please go to www.50statesforgood.com, click on Vote Now and vote for The Galveston Island Tree Conservancy. Help us plant 700 trees in Galveston Island Neighborhoods in 2011/12!

Top twenty (20) applications will be posted on www.50statesforgood.com, and the public will be encouraged to vote from Tuesday, 2 August 2011 to Tuesday, 13 September 2011. Visitors can vote once (1) per day. Project voting standings will be displayed on www.50statesforgood.com and will be public until the last week of voting, on or about 6 September 2011. At the completion of the final voting phase, the 6 projects with the highest vote totals will be declared as the selected projects to receive funding, as determined by the consumer vote.

PRAYER MINISTRY

Please remember everyone on our Prayer List, and we especially pray for everyone starting a new school year this week; those addicted to drugs and/or alcohol; shut-ins; anyone suffering from depression of anxiety of any kind; those suffering from the extreme heat, all of those who are traveling; those suffering any kind of adversity; for families; and for all those looking for work. “"The things we really need come to us only as gifts, and in order to receive them as gifts we have to be open. In order to be open we have to renounce ourselves, in a sense we have to die to our image of ourselves, our autonomy, our fixation upon our self-willed identity.” —Thomas Merton


Your servant in Christ,

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

God Does Not Play Favorites

Today the New Testament Epistle selection in the Daily Office is taken from the second chapter of the Letter of James:

My brothers and sisters, do you with your acts of favoritism really believe in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ? For if a person with gold rings and in fine clothes comes into your assembly, and if a poor person in dirty clothes also comes in, and if you take notice of the one wearing the fine clothes and say, ‘Have a seat here, please’, while to the one who is poor you say, ‘Stand there’, or, ‘Sit at my feet’, have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts? Listen, my beloved brothers and sisters. Has not God chosen the poor in the world to be rich in faith and to be heirs of the kingdom that he has promised to those who love him? But you have dishonored the poor. Is it not the rich who oppress you? Is it not they who drag you into court? Is it not they who blaspheme the excellent name that was invoked over you?

You do well if you really fulfill the royal law according to the scripture, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ But if you show partiality, you commit sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it. For the one who said, ‘You shall not commit adultery’, also said, ‘You shall not murder.’ Now if you do not commit adultery but if you murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. So speak and so act as those who are to be judged by the law of liberty. For judgment will be without mercy to anyone who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment. (James 2: 1-13).

No doubt as humans, we are sorely tempted to treat people very differently. You see it done in society all the time. If someone is not wearing the right brand name or designer clothing, others may shun them. If someone does not have the latest technological gadget, they are considered to be behind the times, and a person we might not want to associate with because, after all, their cell phone is from the 90s. These people embarrass us, so we make fun of them or don’t associate with them.

But that is not how God works. God loves everyone equally, even those we consider to be unlovable. All have been equally redeemed. If God does not show partiality, neither should you and I.

Let us pray: O God, the creator and preserver of all mankind, we humbly beseech thee for all sorts and conditions of men; that thou wouldest be pleased to make thy ways known unto them, thy saving health unto all nations. More especially we pray for thy holy Church universal; that it may be so guided and governed by thy good Spirit, that all who profess and call themselves Christians may be led into the way of truth, and hold the faith in unity of spirit, in the bond of peace, and in righteousness of life. Finally, we commend to thy fatherly goodness all those who are in any ways afflicted or distressed, in mind, body, or estate; that it may please thee to comfort and relieve them according to their several necessities, giving them patience under their sufferings, and a happy issue out of all their afflictions. And this we beg for Jesus Christ’s sake. Amen.

Thank you to everyone who made the St. Augustine’s Day Dance on Saturday, and yesterday’s fellowship time after the service very special as we celebrated the feast of our patron saint and the 127th anniversary of the founding of St. Augustine.

TREES FOR GALVESTON

The Galveston Island Tree Conservancy’s 2011/12 NeighborWoods Project has been chosen as one of 20 finalists for Tom’s of Maine 50 States for Good Community Sponsorship. We have the opportunity to win a share of $150,000 to fund next year’s NeighborWoods in Galveston, Texas, but we need your on-line vote to help us win one of five $20,000 sponsorships or one $50,000 sponsorship. To find out more about NeighborWoods please visit www.galvestonislandtreeconservancy.org.

To vote, please go to www.50statesforgood.com, click on Vote Now and vote for The Galveston Island Tree Conservancy. Help us plant 700 trees in Galveston Island Neighborhoods in 2011/12!

Top twenty (20) applications will be posted on www.50statesforgood.com, and the public will be encouraged to vote from Tuesday, 2 August 2011 to Tuesday, 13 September 2011. Visitors can vote once (1) per day. Project voting standings will be displayed on www.50statesforgood.com and will be public until the last week of voting, on or about 6 September 2011. At the completion of the final voting phase, the 6 projects with the highest vote totals will be declared as the selected projects to receive funding, as determined by the consumer vote.

PRAYER MINISTRY

Please remember everyone on our Prayer List, and we especially pray for everyone starting a new school year this week; those addicted to drugs and/or alcohol; shut-ins; anyone suffering from depression of anxiety of any kind; those suffering from the extreme heat, all of those who are traveling; those suffering any kind of adversity; for families; and for all those looking for work. "If I fail to spend two hours in prayer each morning, the devil gets the victory through the day. I have so much business I cannot get on without spending three hours daily in prayer.” Martin Luther

Your servant in Christ,

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

"The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak."

In the midst of the summer heat, we hear the account of Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane from the Gospel according to Mark:

They went to a place called Gethsemane; and he said to his disciples, ‘Sit here while I pray.’ He took with him Peter and James and John, and began to be distressed and agitated. And he said to them, ‘I am deeply grieved, even to death; remain here, and keep awake.’ And going a little farther, he threw himself on the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. He said, ‘Abba, Father, for you all things are possible; remove this cup from me; yet, not what I want, but what you want.’ He came and found them sleeping; and he said to Peter, ‘Simon, are you asleep? Could you not keep awake one hour? Keep awake and pray that you may not come into the time of trial; the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.’ And again he went away and prayed, saying the same words. And once more he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were very heavy; and they did not know what to say to him. He came a third time and said to them, ‘Are you still sleeping and taking your rest? Enough! The hour has come; the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Get up, let us be going. See, my betrayer is at hand.’ (Mk. 14: 32-42).

The disciples cannot stay awake. Jesus says that “the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” It reminds me of what St. Paul wrote: “I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.” Rm. 7:15. Aren’t we all like the disciples and St. Paul? When Jesus asks us to do something, we do the very thing that we do not want to do. We fall asleep. We do something contrary to what God is asking us to do. Why? Our own St. Augustine writes about this passage when he speaks of his conversion in Book VIII of The Confessions. He said that we make choices through our own wounded will which is fragmented and disoriented. Our will thinks it is seeking the good, but our will is broken and our choices are sometimes very flawed. The sins are our choices. It is the drama of our human condition, and Augustine called it “original sin.” Salvation in Christ frees us from our sin.

Let us pray: Almighty God, we thank you that by the death and resurrection of your Son Jesus Christ you have overcome sin and brought us to yourself, and that by the sealing of your Holy Spirit you have bound us to your service. Renew in us your servants the covenant you made with us at our Baptism. Send us forth in the power of the Spirit to perform the service you set before us; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Congratulations to the Rev. Tom Bain who is graduating today from his Clinical Pastoral Education courses at Memorial Hermann Hospital.

CALENDAR REMINDERS

St. Augustine’s Feast Day & Our 127th Anniversary: Potluck Dinner and Dancing on Saturday, 27 August at 7 p.m. and Eucharist Rite II on Sunday at 9 a.m. followed by a reception in Sutton Hall. We will also bless backpacks at the end of the service as our students start another school year. There is a sign-up sheet in Sutton Hall for the pot luck dinner. Please sign up to bring a dish to share.

TREES FOR GALVESTON

The Galveston Island Tree Conservancy’s 2011/12 NeighborWoods Project has been chosen as one of 20 finalists for Tom’s of Maine 50 States for Good Community Sponsorship. We have the opportunity to win a share of $150,000 to fund next year’s NeighborWoods in Galveston, Texas, but we need your on-line vote to help us win one of five $20,000 sponsorships or one $50,000 sponsorship. To find out more about NeighborWoods please visit www.galvestonislandtreeconservancy.org.

To vote, please go to www.50statesforgood.com, click on Vote Now and vote for The Galveston Island Tree Conservancy. Help us plant 700 trees in Galveston Island Neighborhoods in 2011/12!

Top twenty (20) applications will be posted on www.50statesforgood.com, and the public will be encouraged to vote from Tuesday, 2 August 2011 to Tuesday, 13 September 2011. Visitors can vote once (1) per day. Project voting standings will be displayed on www.50statesforgood.com and will be public until the last week of voting, on or about 6 September 2011. At the completion of the final voting phase, the 6 projects with the highest vote totals will be declared as the selected projects to receive funding, as determined by the consumer vote.

PRAYER MINISTRY

Please remember everyone on our Prayer List, and we especially pray for everyone starting a new school year this week; those addicted to drugs and/or alcohol; shut-ins; anyone suffering from depression of anxiety of any kind; those suffering from the extreme heat, all of those who are traveling; those suffering any kind of adversity; for families; and for all those looking for work. "If I fail to spend two hours in prayer each morning, the devil gets the victory through the day. I have so much business I cannot get on without spending three hours daily in prayer.” Martin Luther

Your servant in Christ,

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

St. Louis, King of France

Today the Church remembers an unlikely candidate to have become a saint, a king, King Louis IX of France.

He was born in 1214 and became King of France when just 12 years old. His mother, the half-English Blanche of Castile, was regent during his minority, and an influence while she lived. In 1234 he married Margaret of Provence, sister of Eleanor the wife of Henry III of England.

Louis worked for the political unification of France. He largely eliminated the feuding and wars among French nobles and vassals that had ravaged France before his time. He protected vassals from oppression, and required their lords to fulfill their obligations. He reformed the system of taxation. He reformed the courts, so that every man in France, regardless of his station, had a far better chance of receiving justice than had previously been the case. Louis also promoted the writing down of the law, so that it was clear what the laws were, and made major strides toward eliminating trial by combat in favor of trial by jury. His reputation for integrity was such that foreign monarchs regularly asked him to arbitrate their disputes.

He founded a hospital for the poor, sick, and blind, known as the Quinze-Vingts. His reign coincided with the great era of the building of Gothic cathedrals in France. Robert de Sorbon, the founder of the Sorbonne (University of Paris) was his confessor and his personal friend, and Thomas Aquinas was a frequent guest at his table.

Louis also led 2 Crusades, one in 1248 and the other in 1269. He was captured in the first Crusade in April of 1250. King Louis eventually negotiated his freedom and that of his barons for a costly ransom. He decided to remain in the Holy Land. There he was able to overcome the stigma of his military defeat by forging advantageous alliances. He stayed there 4 more years and only returned home when he learned of his mother’s death.

On the second Crusade, he returned to Africa, and chose Tunisia as the point to strike a serious blow against the Muslims. This would prove a dreadful mistake. After landing at Tunis at the beginning of July of 1270, he scored a series of easy victories, taking Carthage in the process. But as on his previous expedition, his forces were struck by plague.

Louis died in August at the age of 56 in the year 1270. It is said that when his body was brought back to France, all along the way crowds gathered and knelt as the procession passed. His funeral was held at Notre-Dame de Paris, and he is buried in the tomb of the kings of France at the abbey of Saint-Denis.

King Louis wrote: “To keep right and justice be righteous and steady you’re your people, without turning to the right hand or to the left, but straight forward, and uphold the poor man’s suit until the truth be made manifest.”

Let us pray: O God, who called your servant Louis of France to an earthly throne that he might advance your heavenly kingdom, and gave him zeal for your Church and love for your people: Mercifully grant that we who commemorate him this day may be fruitful in good works, and attain to the glorious crown of your saints; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

CALENDAR REMINDERS

St. Augustine’s Feast Day & Our 127th Anniversary: Potluck Dinner and Dancing on Saturday, 27 August at 7 p.m. and Eucharist Rite II on Sunday at 9 a.m. followed by a reception in Sutton Hall. We will also bless backpacks at the end of the service as our students start another school year. There is a sign-up sheet in Sutton Hall for the pot luck dinner. Please sign up to bring a dish to share.

TREES FOR GALVESTON

The Galveston Island Tree Conservancy’s 2011/12 NeighborWoods Project has been chosen as one of 20 finalists for Tom’s of Maine 50 States for Good Community Sponsorship. We have the opportunity to win a share of $150,000 to fund next year’s NeighborWoods in Galveston, Texas, but we need your on-line vote to help us win one of five $20,000 sponsorships or one $50,000 sponsorship. To find out more about NeighborWoods please visit www.galvestonislandtreeconservancy.org.

To vote, please go to www.50statesforgood.com, click on Vote Now and vote for The Galveston Island Tree Conservancy. Help us plant 700 trees in Galveston Island Neighborhoods in 2011/12!

Top twenty (20) applications will be posted on www.50statesforgood.com, and the public will be encouraged to vote from Tuesday, 2 August 2011 to Tuesday, 13 September 2011. Visitors can vote once (1) per day. Project voting standings will be displayed on www.50statesforgood.com and will be public until the last week of voting, on or about 6 September 2011. At the completion of the final voting phase, the 6 projects with the highest vote totals will be declared as the selected projects to receive funding, as determined by the consumer vote.

PRAYER MINISTRY

Please remember everyone on our Prayer List, and we especially pray for everyone starting a new school year this week; those addicted to drugs and/or alcohol; shut-ins; anyone suffering from depression of anxiety of any kind; those suffering from the extreme heat, all of those who are traveling; those suffering any kind of adversity; for families; and for all those looking for work. "If I fail to spend two hours in prayer each morning, the devil gets the victory through the day. I have so much business I cannot get on without spending three hours daily in prayer.” Martin Luther

Your servant in Christ,

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

St. Bartholomew

Today we celebrate one of the Apostles, Bartholomew. James Kiefer writes:

The name "Bartholomew" appears in the New Testament only on lists of the names of the twelve apostles. This list normally is given as six pairs, and the third pair in each of the Synoptics is "Philip and Bartholomew."

John gives no list of the Twelve, but refers to more of them individually than the Synoptists. He does not name Bartholomew, but early in his account (John 1:43-50) he tells of the call to discipleship of a Nathaniel who is often supposed to be the same person. The reasoning is as follows: John's Nathanael is introduced as one of the earliest followers of Jesus, and in terms which suggest that he became one of the Twelve. He is clearly not the same as Peter, Andrew, James, John, Philip, Thomas, Judas Iscariot, all of whom John names separately. He is not Matthew, whose call is described differently (Matt. 9:9). This leaves Bartholomew, James the son of Alpheus, and Simon Zelotes. Of these, Bartholomew is the leading candidate for two reasons:

(1) "Bar-tholomew" is a patronymic, meaning "son of Tolmai (or Talmai)." It is therefore likely that he had another name. "Nathanael son of Tolmai" seems more likely than "Nathanael also called James (or Simon)."

(2) Nathanael is introduced in John's narrative as a friend of Philip. Since Bartholomew is paired with Philip on three of our four lists of Apostles, it seems likely that they were associated.

We have no certain information about Bartholomew's later life. Some writers, including the historian Eusebius of Caesarea say that he preached in India. The majority tradition, with varying details, is that Bartholomew preached in Armenia, and was finally skinned alive and beheaded to Albanus or Albanopolis (now Derbent, 42:03 N 48:18 E) on the Caspian Sea.

Let us pray: Almighty and everlasting God, who gave to your apostle Bartholomew grace truly to believe and to preach your Word: Grant that your Church may love what he believed and preach what he taught; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God for ever and ever. Amen.

CALENDAR REMINDERS

St. Augustine’s Feast Day & Our 127th Anniversary: Potluck Dinner and Dancing on Saturday, 27 August at 7 p.m. and Eucharist Rite II on Sunday at 9 a.m. followed by a reception in Sutton Hall. We will also bless backpacks at the end of the service as our students start another school year. There is a sign-up sheet in Sutton Hall for the pot luck dinner. Please sign up to bring a dish to share.

TREES FOR GALVESTON

The Galveston Island Tree Conservancy’s 2011/12 NeighborWoods Project has been chosen as one of 20 finalists for Tom’s of Maine 50 States for Good Community Sponsorship. We have the opportunity to win a share of $150,000 to fund next year’s NeighborWoods in Galveston, Texas, but we need your on-line vote to help us win one of five $20,000 sponsorships or one $50,000 sponsorship. To find out more about NeighborWoods please visit www.galvestonislandtreeconservancy.org.

To vote, please go to www.50statesforgood.com, click on Vote Now and vote for The Galveston Island Tree Conservancy. Help us plant 700 trees in Galveston Island Neighborhoods in 2011/12!

Top twenty (20) applications will be posted on www.50statesforgood.com, and the public will be encouraged to vote from Tuesday, 2 August 2011 to Tuesday, 13 September 2011. Visitors can vote once (1) per day. Project voting standings will be displayed on www.50statesforgood.com and will be public until the last week of voting, on or about 6 September 2011. At the completion of the final voting phase, the 6 projects with the highest vote totals will be declared as the selected projects to receive funding, as determined by the consumer vote.

PRAYER MINISTRY

Please remember everyone on our Prayer List, and we especially pray for everyone starting a new school year this week; those addicted to drugs and/or alcohol; shut-ins; anyone suffering from depression of anxiety of any kind; those suffering from the extreme heat, all of those who are traveling; those suffering any kind of adversity; for families; and for all those looking for work. "If I fail to spend two hours in prayer each morning, the devil gets the victory through the day. I have so much business I cannot get on without spending three hours daily in prayer.” Martin Luther

Your servant in Christ,

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

Happy are those who do not follow the advice of the wicked.

Today the Daily Office begins with Psalm 1:

Happy are those
who do not follow the advice of the wicked,
or take the path that sinners tread,
or sit in the seat of scoffers;
but their delight is in the law of the Lord,
and on his law they meditate day and night.
They are like trees
planted by streams of water,
which yield their fruit in its season,
and their leaves do not wither.
In all that they do, they prosper.
The wicked are not so,
but are like chaff that the wind drives away.
Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;
for the Lord watches over the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked will perish.

In the very first Psalm, the Psalmist starts out with what brings happiness—those who follow God’s will. Material things do not last. Power fades. Riches are lost. Only God is eternal. God invites us into a relationship with Him. God invites us into His eternity. Happy are those who do not follow the advice of the wicked because they ways do not last.

Let us pray: O God, you made us in your own image and redeemed us through Jesus your Son: Look with compassion on the whole human family; take away the arrogance and hatred which infect our hearts; break down the walls that separate us; unite us in bonds of love; and work through our struggle and confusion to accomplish your purposes on earth; that, in your good time, all nations and races may serve you in harmony around your heavenly throne; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.


CALENDAR REMINDERS

St. Augustine’s Feast Day & Our 127th Anniversary: Potluck Dinner and Dancing on Saturday, 27 August at 7 p.m. and Eucharist Rite II on Sunday at 9 a.m. followed by a reception in Sutton Hall. We will also bless backpacks at the end of the service as our students start another school year. There is a sign-up sheet in Sutton Hall for the pot luck dinner. Please sign up to bring a dish to share.

TREES FOR GALVESTON

The Galveston Island Tree Conservancy’s 2011/12 NeighborWoods Project has been chosen as one of 20 finalists for Tom’s of Maine 50 States for Good Community Sponsorship. We have the opportunity to win a share of $150,000 to fund next year’s NeighborWoods in Galveston, Texas, but we need your on-line vote to help us win one of five $20,000 sponsorships or one $50,000 sponsorship. To find out more about NeighborWoods please visit www.galvestonislandtreeconservancy.org.

To vote, please go to www.50statesforgood.com, click on Vote Now and vote for The Galveston Island Tree Conservancy. Help us plant 700 trees in Galveston Island Neighborhoods in 2011/12!

Top twenty (20) applications will be posted on www.50statesforgood.com, and the public will be encouraged to vote from Tuesday, 2 August 2011 to Tuesday, 13 September 2011. Visitors can vote once (1) per day. Project voting standings will be displayed on www.50statesforgood.com and will be public until the last week of voting, on or about 6 September 2011. At the completion of the final voting phase, the 6 projects with the highest vote totals will be declared as the selected projects to receive funding, as determined by the consumer vote.


PRAYER MINISTRY

Please remember everyone on our Prayer List, and we especially pray for everyone starting a new school year this week; those addicted to drugs and/or alcohol; shut-ins; anyone suffering from depression of anxiety of any kind; those suffering from the extreme heat, all of those who are traveling; those suffering any kind of adversity; for families; and for all those looking for work. "If I fail to spend two hours in prayer each morning, the devil gets the victory through the day. I have so much business I cannot get on without spending three hours daily in prayer.” Martin Luther

Your servant in Christ,

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

Pain is temporary. Our salvation is eternal.

The economies of Europe are in sharp decline. The U.S. stock market is on a roller coaster ride. There are riots in England. There is famine and war in various parts of Africa. There are bombings in parts of the Middle East. There are drug murders in Mexico.

During these turbulent times, Psalm 140, which is one of the appointed Psalms for today, is indeed appropriate:

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.

Pain is temporary. Our salvation is eternal. During these turbulent times, we must keep in mind that Jesus already has the victory. He is risen! Even in the midst of tribulations, you and I should give thanks to God.

Let us pray: O God, you have bound us together in a common life. Help us, in the midst of our struggles for justice and truth, to confront one another without hatred or bitterness, and to work together with mutual forbearance and respect; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

CALENDAR REMINDERS

BISHOP’S COMMITTEE MEETING: this Sunday.

ST. AUGUSTINE’S FEAST DAY: Potluck Dinner and Dancing on Saturday, 27 August at 7 p.m. and Eucharist Rite II on Sunday at 9 a.m. followed by a reception in Sutton Hall. We will also bless backpacks at the end of the service as our students start another school year. There is a sign-up sheet in Sutton Hall for the pot luck dinner. Please sign up to bring a dish to share.

PRAYER MINISTRY

Please remember everyone on our Prayer List, and we especially pray for those addicted to drugs and/or alcohol, shut-ins, anyone suffering from depression of anxiety of any kind, those suffering from the extreme heat, all of those who are traveling, those suffering any kind of adversity, for families, and for all those looking for work. "If I fail to spend two hours in prayer each morning, the devil gets the victory through the day. I have so much business I cannot get on without spending three hours daily in prayer.” Martin Luther

Your servant in Christ,

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

The Summary of the Law

The appointed Gospel reading for the Daily Office today comes from Mark, and Jesus gives us a concise summary of the Law:

One of the scribes came near and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, he asked him, ‘Which commandment is the first of all?’ Jesus answered, ‘The first is, “Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.” The second is this, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” There is no other commandment greater than these.’ Then the scribe said to him, ‘You are right, Teacher; you have truly said that “he is one, and besides him there is no other”; and “to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the strength”, and “to love one’s neighbor as oneself”,—this is much more important than all whole burnt-offerings and sacrifices.’ When Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, ‘You are not far from the kingdom of God.’ After that no one dared to ask him any question. (Mk. 12: 28-34).

Jesus knew his Hebrew Scriptures, the Old Testament. The summary of the Law comes from Chapter 6 of the Book of Deuteronomy. Any surprise? After all John tells us that in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was God. That concise statement of the Law is a wonderful summary and we need to be reminded of it on a regular basis, and that is one of the reasons why I am fond of Rite I—it reminds us what we are called to do every day of our lives. You and I are called to love God with everything that we have and are, and we are called to love our neighbors as ourselves. It is not as easy as it sounds. How many of us can truly say that we love God with our whole being? Not many. Some of us even find it difficult to give God a few hours out of the week. Do we love our neighbors as ourselves? Perhaps the first question should be: “Do we even love ourselves?”

We have far to travel in our journey of living out the summary of the Law.

Let us pray: Almighty God, unto whom all hearts are open, all desires known, and from whom no secrets are hid: Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of thy Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love thee, and worthily magnify thy holy Name; through Christ our Lord. Amen.

CALENDAR REMINDERS

BISHOP’S COMMITTEE MEETING: this Sunday.

ST. AUGUSTINE’S FEAST DAY: Potluck Dinner and Dancing on Saturday, 27 August at 7 p.m. and Eucharist Rite II on Sunday at 9 a.m. followed by a reception in Sutton Hall. We will also bless backpacks at the end of the service as our students start another school year. There is a sign-up sheet in Sutton Hall for the pot luck dinner. Please sign up to bring a dish to share.

PRAYER MINISTRY

Please remember everyone on our Prayer List, and we especially pray for those addicted to drugs and/or alcohol, shut-ins, anyone suffering from depression of anxiety of any kind, those suffering from the extreme heat, all of those who are traveling, those suffering any kind of adversity, for families, and for all those looking for work. "If I fail to spend two hours in prayer each morning, the devil gets the victory through the day. I have so much business I cannot get on without spending three hours daily in prayer.” Martin Luther

Your servant in Christ,

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

"Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord."

The Psalms evoke such emotion; they get right into the center of one’s heart and soul. They express in words what we may feel as well, but do not know how to express. One of the Psalms appointed for today, Psalm 130, is such a Psalm:

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.

“Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord.” What was the Psalmist faced with that he cried out of the depths? We can only imagine. But you and I have felt that way. You and I have cried to God out of the depths. Which one of us has not, when faced with pain that is unbearable, when we were helpless and life seemed hopeless, cried out of the depths of our souls to God? We have cried out of the depths at the death of a loved one. We have cried out of the depths when we have been held captive by an addiction that has destroyed those around us. We have cried out of the depths when we lost everything that we had and did not know where to turn. We have cried out of the depths when our body has been riddled with disease. We have cried out of the depths when we have been unable to help a son or daughter who has chosen the wrong path. We have cried out of the depths when we were alone and felt abandoned.

The inspired writer of the Psalms knew what we were feeling, or perhaps are even feeling today. But in the midst of darkness and despair, in the midst of pain and suffering, there is hope, the Psalmist tells us. There is hope in the Lord who loves us steadfastly and has the power to restore and to redeem us. Out of the depths we cry unto God, and from the heights God descends to us as a babe in a manger who will grow up with us, be God with us, and eventually give His life for us so that we may live in the hope of His Resurrection.

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.

NEWS

The Galveston Island Tree Conservancy’s 2011/12 NeighborWoods Project has been chosen as one of 20 finalists for Tom’s of Maine 50 States for Good Community Sponsorship. We have the opportunity to win a share of $150,000 to fund next year’s NeighborWoods in Galveston, Texas, but we need your on-line vote to help us win one of five $20,000 sponsorships or one $50,000 sponsorship. To find out more about NeighborWoods please visit www.galvestonislandtreeconservancy.org.

To vote, please go to www.50statesforgood.com, click on Vote Now and vote for The Galveston Island Tree Conservancy. Help us plant 700 trees in Galveston Island Neighborhoods in 2011/12!

Top twenty (20) applications will be posted on www.50statesforgood.com, and the public will be encouraged to vote from Tuesday, 2 August 2011 to Tuesday, 13 September 2011. Visitors can vote once (1) per day. Project voting standings will be displayed on www.50statesforgood.com and will be public until the last week of voting, on or about 6 September 2011. At the completion of the final voting phase, the 6 projects with the highest vote totals will be declared as the selected projects to receive funding, as determined by the consumer vote.

CALENDAR REMINDERS

We will have a Bishop’s Committee meeting on the regular third Sunday of the month.

St. Augustine’s Feast Day: Potluck Dinner and Dancing on Saturday, 27 August at 7 p.m. and Eucharist Rite II on Sunday at 9 a.m. followed by a reception in Sutton Hall. We will also bless backpacks at the end of the service as our students start another school year. There is a sign-up sheet in Sutton Hall for the pot luck dinner. Please sign up to bring a dish to share. Here is what is on the menu as of Sunday before the Service:

Bremers - pizza rolls, mini pigs in a blanket
Alicia- brisket
Pat - salad
Tammie - baked beans and pies
Mary - ham
Lee - Pasta salad
Raul - Mexican beans

PRAYER MINISTRY

Please remember everyone on our Prayer List, and we especially pray for the Walker Family at the death of their son, Griff, those addicted to drugs and/or alcohol, shut-ins, anyone suffering from depression of anxiety of any kind, those suffering from the extreme heat, all of those who are traveling, those suffering any kind of adversity, for families, and for all those looking for work. “Prayer is not conquering God’s reluctance, but taking hold of God’s willingness.” The Rt. Rev. Phillips Brooks

Your servant in Christ,

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

From where will my help come?

One of the Psalms appointed for today is Psalm 121. The Psalmist writes:

I lift up my eyes to the hills—
from where will my help come?
My help comes from the Lord,
who made heaven and earth.
He will not let your foot be moved;
he who keeps you will not slumber.
He who keeps Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.
The Lord is your keeper;
the Lord is your shade at your right hand.
The sun shall not strike you by day,
nor the moon by night.
The Lord will keep you from all evil;
he will keep your life.
The Lord will keep
your going out and your coming in
from this time on and for evermore.

In tough times, when we are confronted at the loss of a loved one and are inconsolable, during times of illness, during economic difficulties, you and I, like the Psalmist, ask, “where will my help come from?” The answer follows: “My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.” Think about it, pray over it, your help comes from the maker of heaven and earth! God kept Israel; God will keep you. God knows and watches over your coming in and going out. Where will your help come from? God almighty!

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

NEWS

The Galveston Island Tree Conservancy’s 2011/12 NeighborWoods Project has been chosen as one of 20 finalists for Tom’s of Maine 50 States for Good Community Sponsorship. We have the opportunity to win a share of $150,000 to fund next year’s NeighborWoods in Galveston, Texas, but we need your on-line vote to help us win one of five $20,000 sponsorships or one $50,000 sponsorship. To find out more about NeighborWoods please visit www.galvestonislandtreeconservancy.org.

To vote, please go to www.50statesforgood.com, click on Vote Now and vote for The Galveston Island Tree Conservancy. Help us plant 700 trees in Galveston Island Neighborhoods in 2011/12!

Top twenty (20) applications will be posted on www.50statesforgood.com, and the public will be encouraged to vote from Tuesday, 2 August 2011 to Tuesday, 13 September 2011. Visitors can vote once (1) per day. Project voting standings will be displayed on www.50statesforgood.com and will be public until the last week of voting, on or about 6 September 2011. At the completion of the final voting phase, the 6 projects with the highest vote totals will be declared as the selected projects to receive funding, as determined by the consumer vote.

CALENDAR REMINDERS

We will have a Bishop’s Committee meeting on the regular third Sunday of the month.

St. Augustine’s Feast Day: Potluck Dinner and Dancing on Saturday, 27 August at 7 p.m. and Eucharist Rite II on Sunday at 9 a.m. followed by a reception in Sutton Hall. We will also bless backpacks at the end of the service as our students start another school year. There is a sign-up sheet in Sutton Hall for the pot luck dinner. Please sign up to bring a dish to share. Here is what is on the menu as of Sunday before the Service:

Bremers - pizza rolls, mini pigs in a blanket
Alicia- brisket
Pat - salad
Tammie - baked beans and pies
Mary - ham
Lee - Pasta salad
Raul - Mexican beans

PRAYER MINISTRY

Please remember everyone on our Prayer List, and we especially pray for the Walker Family at the death of their son, Griff, those addicted to drugs and/or alcohol, shut-ins, anyone suffering from depression of anxiety of any kind, those suffering from the extreme heat, all of those who are traveling, those suffering any kind of adversity, for families, and for all those looking for work. “Prayer is not conquering God’s reluctance, but taking hold of God’s willingness.” The Rt. Rev. Phillips Brooks

Your servant in Christ,

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

Mary the Mother of Jesus

Today the Church honors Mary, the mother of Jesus. Mary certainly holds a very special place in the history of the Church and in salvation history. She is a portrait of self-sacrifice, of following God’s will, or saying “Yes” to God and then giving her all.

James Kiefer tells us that the New Testament records several incidents from the life of Mary: her betrothal to Joseph, the annunciation by the angel Gabriel that she was to bear the Messiah, her visitation to Elizabeth the mother of John the Baptist, the nativity of our Lord, the visits of the shepherds and the magi, the presentation of the infant Jesus in the Temple at the age of forty days, the flight into Egypt, the Passover visit to the Temple when Jesus was twelve (Matthew 1:16,18-25; 2; Luke 1:26-56; 2); the wedding at Cana in Galilee and the performance of Jesus’ first miracle at her request (John 2:1-11), the occasions when observers said, “How can this man be special? We know his family!” (Matthew 13:54-56; Mark 6:1-3; Luke 4:22; John 6:42), an occasion when she came with others to see him while he was preaching (Matthew 12:46-50; Mark 3:31-35; Luke 8:19-21), her presence at the foot of the cross, where Jesus commends her to the care of the Beloved Disciple (John 19:25-27), and her presence with the Apostles in the upper room after the ascension, waiting for the promised Spirit (Acts 1:14). She is thus seen to be present at most of the chief events of Jesus’ life.

Mary had many sorrows, especially at the foot of the cross as she witnessed her Son suffer and die. She held his lifeless body after it was taken down from the cross. She also experienced many joys, most especially at the Resurrection. Mary is for us the example of a truly faithful Christian. You and I are called to lead similar lives, dedicated to following Christ no matter where he leads and no matter how difficult it may be.

Let us pray: O God, who have taken to yourself the blessed Virgin Mary, mother of your incarnate Son: Grant that we, who have been redeemed by his blood, may share with her the glory of your eternal kingdom; through your Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

NEWS

The Galveston Island Tree Conservancy’s 2011/12 NeighborWoods Project has been chosen as one of 20 finalists for Tom’s of Maine 50 States for Good Community Sponsorship. We have the opportunity to win a share of $150,000 to fund next year’s NeighborWoods in Galveston, Texas, but we need your on-line vote to help us win one of five $20,000 sponsorships or one $50,000 sponsorship. To find out more about NeighborWoods please visit www.galvestonislandtreeconservancy.org.

To vote, please go to www.50statesforgood.com, click on Vote Now and vote for The Galveston Island Tree Conservancy. Help us plant 700 trees in Galveston Island Neighborhoods in 2011/12!

Top twenty (20) applications will be posted on www.50statesforgood.com, and the public will be encouraged to vote from Tuesday, 2 August 2011 to Tuesday, 13 September 2011. Visitors can vote once (1) per day. Project voting standings will be displayed on www.50statesforgood.com and will be public until the last week of voting, on or about 6 September 2011. At the completion of the final voting phase, the 6 projects with the highest vote totals will be declared as the selected projects to receive funding, as determined by the consumer vote.

CALENDAR REMINDERS

We will have a Bishop’s Committee meeting on the regular third Sunday of the month.

St. Augustine’s Feast Day: Potluck Dinner and Dancing on Saturday, 27 August at 7 p.m. and Eucharist Rite II on Sunday at 9 a.m. followed by a reception in Sutton Hall. We will also bless backpacks at the end of the service as our students start another school year. There is a sign-up sheet in Sutton Hall for the pot luck dinner. Please sign up to bring a dish to share. Here is what is on the menu as of Sunday before the Service:

Bremers - pizza rolls, mini pigs in a blanket
Alicia- brisket
Pat - salad
Tammie - baked beans and pies
Mary - ham
Lee - Pasta salad
Raul - Mexican beans

PRAYER MINISTRY

Please remember everyone on our Prayer List, and we especially pray for the Walker Family at the death of their son, Griff, those addicted to drugs and/or alcohol, shut-ins, anyone suffering from depression of anxiety of any kind, those suffering from the extreme heat, all of those who are traveling, those suffering any kind of adversity, for families, and for all those looking for work. “Prayer is not conquering God’s reluctance, but taking hold of God’s willingness.” The Rt. Rev. Phillips Brooks

Your servant in Christ,

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

"Lord, I want to see!"

The appointed Gospel reading for today is taken from Mark 10:46-52; it is the story of the healing of the blind Bartimaeus:

They came to Jericho. As he and his disciples and a large crowd were leaving Jericho, Bartimaeus son of Timaeus, a blind beggar, was sitting by the roadside. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout out and say, ‘Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!’ Many sternly ordered him to be quiet, but he cried out even more loudly, ‘Son of David, have mercy on me!’ Jesus stood still and said, ‘Call him here.’ And they called the blind man, saying to him, ‘Take heart; get up, he is calling you.’ So throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus. Then Jesus said to him, ‘What do you want me to do for you?’ The blind man said to him, ‘My teacher, let me see again.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Go; your faith has made you well.’ Immediately he regained his sight and followed him on the way.

The name “Bartimeaus” literally means, in Aramaic “son of defilement, unclean, impure, unchaste or abominable.” Popular theology among the Hebrews held blindness to be a punishment from God for sin or defilement (John 9:34). But the Greek version of the name could also be understood as “son of honor.” So what is Mark doing here? All of us are sinners, and we are sinners when Jesus finds us. Sin blinds us. If we remain in sin, we cannot see where God is calling us to go. We want to see! Jesus loves you and me even in our sin. Jesus calls us to believe in him as the Way, the Truth and the Life so that we may see. Jesus restores our sight, and you and I become sons and daughters of honor. Jesus takes us as we are, and loves us into dignity.

Let us pray: Holy God, heavenly Father, you formed me from the dust in your image and likeness, and redeemed me from sin and death by the cross of your Son Jesus Christ. Through the water of baptism you clothed me with the shining garment of his righteousness, and established me among your children in your kingdom. But I have squandered the inheritance of your saints, and have wandered far in a land that is waste. Therefore, O Lord, from all of my sins I cannot I turn to you in sorrow and repentance. Receive me again into the arms of your mercy, and restore me to the blessed company of your faithful people; through him in whom you have redeemed the world, your Son our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

NEWS

The Galveston Island Tree Conservancy’s 2011/12 NeighborWoods Project has been chosen as one of 20 finalists for Tom’s of Maine 50 States for Good Community Sponsorship. We have the opportunity to win a share of $150,000 to fund next year’s NeighborWoods in Galveston, Texas, but we need your on-line vote to help us win one of five $20,000 sponsorships or one $50,000 sponsorship. To find out more about NeighborWoods please visit www.galvestonislandtreeconservancy.org.

To vote, please go to www.50statesforgood.com, click on Vote Now and vote for The Galveston Island Tree Conservancy. Help us plant 700 trees in Galveston Island Neighborhoods in 2011/12!

Top twenty (20) applications will be posted on www.50statesforgood.com, and the public will be encouraged to vote from Tuesday, 2 August 2011 to Tuesday, 13 September 2011. Visitors can vote once (1) per day. Project voting standings will be displayed on www.50statesforgood.com and will be public until the last week of voting, on or about 6 September 2011. At the completion of the final voting phase, the 6 projects with the highest vote totals will be declared as the selected projects to receive funding, as determined by the consumer vote.

CALENDAR REMINDERS

We will have a Bishop’s Committee meeting on the regular third Sunday of the month.

The UBE Youth had to cancel its trip to Galveston because of a scheduling conflict with 2 of the sponsors.

St. Augustine’s Feast Day: Potluck Dinner and Dancing on Saturday, 27 August at 7 p.m. and Eucharist Rite II on Sunday at 9 a.m. followed by a reception in Sutton Hall. There is a sign-up sheet in Sutton Hall for the pot luck dinner. Please sign up to bring a dish to share.

PRAYER MINISTRY

Please remember everyone on our Prayer List, and we especially pray for the Walker Family at the death of their son, those addicted to drugs and/or alcohol, the shut-ins, anyone suffering from depression of anxiety of any kind, for those suffering from the extreme heat, and for all of those who are traveling. “Prayer is not conquering God’s reluctance, but taking hold of God’s willingness.” The Rt. Rev. Phillips Brooks

Your servant in Christ,

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

Sell all that you have, give it to the poor, and come, follow me.

In today’s Gospel from the Daily Office, we hear from Mark who writes:

As he was setting out on a journey, a man ran up and knelt before him, and asked him, ‘Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?’ Jesus said to him, ‘Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments: “You shall not murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; You shall not defraud; Honor your father and mother.” ’ He said to him, ‘Teacher, I have kept all these since my youth.’ Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said, ‘You lack one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.’ When he heard this, he was shocked and went away grieving, for he had many possessions.

Then Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, ‘How hard it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!’ And the disciples were perplexed at these words. But Jesus said to them again, ‘Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.’ They were greatly astounded and said to one another, ‘Then who can be saved?’ Jesus looked at them and said, ‘For mortals it is impossible, but not for God; for God all things are possible.’

Peter began to say to him, ‘Look, we have left everything and followed you.’ Jesus said, ‘Truly I tell you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields, for my sake and for the sake of the good news, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this age—houses, brothers and sisters, mothers and children, and fields, with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.’ (Mk. 10: 17-31).

“Go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.” What would you do if Jesus said this to you? There are those, like St. Francis of Assisi and Mother Theresa, who read this passage and did exactly that: they sold all that they had, gave it to the poor and followed Jesus. What acts of courage. The bottom line is: what is important to you? The accumulation of things or Christ. The choice is yours.

Let us pray: Almighty God, you have surrounded us with a great cloud of witnesses: Grant that we, encouraged by the good example of your servants Francis and Theresa, may persevere in running the race that is set before us, until at last we may with them attain to your eternal joy; through Jesus Christ, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

NEWS

The Galveston Island Tree Conservancy’s 2011/12 NeighborWoods Project has been chosen as one of 20 finalists for Tom’s of Maine 50 States for Good Community Sponsorship. We have the opportunity to win a share of $150,000 to fund next year’s NeighborWoods in Galveston, Texas, but we need your on-line vote to help us win one of five $20,000 sponsorships or one $50,000 sponsorship. To find out more about NeighborWoods please visit www.galvestonislandtreeconservancy.org.

To vote, please go to www.50statesforgood.com, click on Vote Now and vote for The Galveston Island Tree Conservancy. Help us plant 700 trees in Galveston Island Neighborhoods in 2011/12!

Top twenty (20) applications will be posted on www.50statesforgood.com, and the public will be encouraged to vote from Tuesday, 2 August 2011 to Tuesday, 13 September 2011. Visitors can vote once (1) per day. Project voting standings will be displayed on www.50statesforgood.com and will be public until the last week of voting, on or about 6 September 2011. At the completion of the final voting phase, the 6 projects with the highest vote totals will be declared as the selected projects to receive funding, as determined by the consumer vote.

CALENDAR REMINDERS

We will have a Bishop’s Committee meeting on the regular third Sunday of the month.

The UBE Youth had to cancel its trip to Galveston because of a scheduling conflict with 2 of the sponsors.

St. Augustine’s Feast Day: Potluck Dinner and Dancing on Saturday, 27 August at 7 p.m. and Eucharist Rite II on Sunday at 9 a.m. followed by a reception in Sutton Hall.

PRAYER MINISTRY

Please remember everyone on our Prayer List, and we especially pray for the Walker Family at the death of their son, those addicted to drugs and/or alcohol, the shut-ins, and anyone suffering from depression of anxiety of any kind. “Prayer is not conquering God’s reluctance, but taking hold of God’s willingness.” The Rt. Rev. Phillips Brooks

Your servant in Christ,

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

St. Dominic: To Teach & To Preach

Today the Church honors and remembers St. Dominic Guzman, who is also the Saint of the Month in our newsletter, The City of God. Dominic was born in Spain in 1170 and he died in 1221. He founded the Order of Preachers, also known as the Dominicans. During a time of great strife and religious upheaval, the Inquisition, Dominic tried to bring compassion into the mix.

The Gospel reading appointed for his day for the Daily Office is taken from the Gospel according to John:

Then Jesus answered them, “My teaching is not mine but his who sent me. Anyone who resolves to do the will of God will know whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on my own. Those who speak on their own seek their own glory; but the one who seeks the glory of him who sent him is true, and there is nothing false in him.” (Jn. 7: 16-18).

The reading is very appropriate for St. Dominic. The motto of his religious order is “to teach and to preach.” Dominic’s teaching and preaching was centered on Christ and His Good News of Salvation. Dominic did not center on himself. His order of teachers and preachers were a mendicant order, meaning that they lived as beggars. Dominic believed that the great wealth of some of the Church’s clergy was an obstacle to faith and was a scandal.

Those who followed Dominic, like Thomas Aquinas, used their God given gift of the intellect to delve into the mystery that is God. The Dominicans taught in universities. Dominic believed that the single mission of the Order of Preachers embraced many ministries, developed as needed to bring the Word of God to persons in varying societies and circumstances. Dominic had this in mind when he urged the first members to identify with each culture through the use of the vernacular languages. For the same purpose he asked the preachers to meet all people as mendicants, ready to exchange gifts and necessities with others in the spirit of Jesus and the apostles.

We could learn a great deal from Dominic. In our daily lives as Christians, there should be a bit of a Dominican in each of us, ready to teach and to preach the Good News of Jesus to those whom we meet, not only by what we say, but how we live our lives.

Let us pray: Almighty God, whose servant Dominic grew in knowledge of your truth and formed an order of preachers to proclaim the good news of Christ: Give to all your people a hunger for your Word and an urgent longing to share the Gospel, that the whole world may come to know you as you are revealed in your Son Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

NEWS

The Galveston Island Tree Conservancy’s 2011/12 NeighborWoods Project has been chosen as one of 20 finalists for Tom’s of Maine 50 States for Good Community Sponsorship. We have the opportunity to win a share of $150,000 to fund next year’s NeighborWoods in Galveston, Texas, but we need your on-line vote to help us win one of five $20,000 sponsorships or one $50,000 sponsorship. To find out more about NeighborWoods please visit www.galvestonislandtreeconservancy.org.

To vote, please go to www.50statesforgood.com, click on Vote Now and vote for The Galveston Island Tree Conservancy. Help us plant 700 trees in Galveston Island Neighborhoods in 2011/12!

Top twenty (20) applications will be posted on www.50statesforgood.com, and the public will be encouraged to vote from Tuesday, 2 August 2011 to Tuesday, 13 September 2011. Visitors can vote once (1) per day. Project voting standings will be displayed on www.50statesforgood.com and will be public until the last week of voting, on or about 6 September 2011. At the completion of the final voting phase, the 6 projects with the highest vote totals will be declared as the selected projects to receive funding, as determined by the consumer vote.

CALENDAR REMINDERS

The UBE Youth had to cancel its trip to Galveston because of a scheduling conflict with 2 of the sponsors.

St. Augustine’s Feast Day: Potluck Dinner and Dancing on Saturday, 27 August at 7 p.m. and Eucharist Rite II on Sunday at 9 a.m. followed by a reception in Sutton Hall.

PRAYER MINISTRY

Please remember everyone on our Prayer List, and we especially pray for those addicted to drugs and/or alcohol, the shut-ins, and anyone suffering from depression of anxiety of any kind. “Prayer is not conquering God’s reluctance, but taking hold of God’s willingness.” The Rt. Rev. Phillips Brooks

Your servant in Christ,

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

The Rev. Dr. George Freeman Bragg, Jr.

(The Rev. Dr. Bragg picutred with his sons who were also Episcopal clergy.)

The Episcopal Church provisionally adopted today as the day to remember and honor the Rev. Dr. George Freeman Bragg, Jr.

He was born into an Episcopalian family on 25 January 1863 in Warrenton, North Carolina. Bragg was the grandson of a slave who helped to found St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Petersburg, Virginia. The Church Awakens: Keeping the Story: The Reverend George F. Bragg, D. D., 1863-1940, Archives of the Episcopal Church (2008).

In 1879 he campaigned for the Readjuster Party in Virginia, which endorsed voting and state-supported higher education for African-Americans. Bragg was appointed a page and postmaster in the Virginia House of Delegates in 1881 and began the publication of a secular weekly for African-Americans entitled The Lancet the following year. Id.

In 1885 when Bragg was in the seminary at the Bishop Payne Divinity School, he re-titled his newspaper the Afro-American Churchman. Id.

Bragg was ordained a deacon in 1887 in Norfolk, Virginia, and he was ordained priest in 1888. Bragg served as rector of St. James Episcopal Church, Baltimore, Maryland from 1891 until his death in 1940. St. Augustine’s own, the Rev. Allen F. Robinson, is currently rector of this very same parish. He also knew how to connect with the social needs of his people by establishing the Maryland Home for Friendless Colored Children in 1899. During his appointment he worked to advance the education of African-Americans within society and the Church, fostering some twenty vocations including that of the Rev. Tollie Caution. Bragg agitated against the exclusion of African Americans from participation in the Episcopal Church’s central missionary society and field work. Evangelizing African Americans was not a priority of the white church, which left black congregations to survive on their own devices and paltry resources to build up their numbers in a Church that would not engage its Black heritage. Id.

Let us pray: Almighty God, we thank you for the strength and courage of George Freeman Bragg, who rose from slavery to freedom, documented African-American history, and helped to found the first advocacy group for black people. Grant that we may tell the story of your wondrous works in ways that proclaim your justice in our own time, to the glory of Jesus Christ; who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

CALENDAR REMINDERS

St. Augustine’s Feast Day is the last weekend of August. We will have a dinner and dance starting at 7 p.m. on Saturday, and on Sunday, Eucharist, Rite II, at 9 a.m. followed by a reception in Sutton Hall.

PRAYER MINISTRY

Please remember everyone on our Prayer List. C.S. Lewis wrote: “In worship, God imparts himself to us.”

Your servant in Christ,

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

Bishop Samuel Ferguson

Today the Episcopal Church remembers Samuel Ferguson. He was the first Black person to be made a Bishop in the Episcopal Church. He was born on 1 January 1842 in Charleston, South Carolina, and he died on this day in 1916 in Liberia, Africa.

His mother was a Roman Catholic and his father a deacon in a Baptist Church. Samuel was quite sick when he was an infant, and his mother took him to the Episcopal Bishop Gadsden, who, at the time, was in Charleston, and had the Bishop baptize him.

Ferguson moved with his family to Liberia at age six. He was ordained a deacon on 28 December 1865 and a priest on 15 March 1868. He returned to the United States to be consecrated as bishop at Grace Church in New York City on 24 June 1885, Saint John the Baptist's Feast Day, becoming the first Black member of the House of Bishops. He married Mary Leonora Montgomery.

As Missionary Bishop of Liberia, he founded what is now Cuttington University College. He also established the Bromley Mission School. He remained in Liberia until his death in Monrovia in 1916.

Let us pray: Almighty God, we bless you for moving your servant Samuel Ferguson to minister in Liberia, expanding the missionary vision of your Church in education and ministry. Stir up in us a zeal for your mission and a yearning for your holy Word; through Jesus Christ, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

CALENDAR NEWS

The UBE had to cancel its youth trip to Galveston scheduled for mid-August because conflicts arose for the two sponsors. Their trip to Galveston will be re-scheduled.

PRAYER MINISTRY

Please remember everyone on our Prayer List. John Wesley wrote: “I have so much to do that I spend several hours in prayer before I am able to do it.”

Your servant in Christ,

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

Are You Seeking a Sign?

The Gospel appointed for today is taken from the eighth chapter of Mark. The first portion of it has the Pharisees confronting Jesus:

The Pharisees came and began to argue with him, asking him for a sign from heaven, to test him. And he sighed deeply in his spirit and said, ‘Why does this generation ask for a sign? Truly I tell you, no sign will be given to this generation.’ And he left them, and getting into the boat again, he went across to the other side.

Now the disciples had forgotten to bring any bread; and they had only one loaf with them in the boat. And he cautioned them, saying, ‘Watch out—beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and the yeast of Herod.’ They said to one another, ‘It is because we have no bread.’ And becoming aware of it, Jesus said to them, ‘Why are you talking about having no bread? Do you still not perceive or understand? Are your hearts hardened? Do you have eyes, and fail to see? Do you have ears, and fail to hear? And do you not remember? When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you collect?’ They said to him, ‘Twelve.’ ‘And the seven for the four thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you collect?’ And they said to him, ‘Seven.’ Then he said to them, ‘Do you not yet understand?’ (Mk. 8: 11-21).

Why do people want signs? Are you looking for a sign? Jesus tells the Pharisees that no sign will be given to them. In reality, they had signs all around them. Jesus made real the love of God for His people. He cured the ill, fed the hungry and most importantly, forgave sins. The Pharisees were still looking for a sign. They simply refused to open their eyes!

Let us pray: Gracious God and Father, open our eyes to the signs of Your Christ and the open our hearts to the working of Your Holy Spirit. We give You thanks for the gift of our redemption. 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