Sitting on the right and on the left

The appointed Gospel reading for today is the scene of the crucifixion.  As I read it, I thought of the Sons of Zebedee who asked to sit at Jesus’ right and left when Jesus was crowned king, and Jesus told them that they did not know what they were asking for, and it was not up to him who would occupy those positions; rather, it was the Father’s choice:

As they went out, they came upon a man from Cyrene named Simon; they compelled this man to carry his cross. And when they came to a place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull), they offered him wine to drink, mixed with gall; but when he tasted it, he would not drink it. And when they had crucified him, they divided his clothes among themselves by casting lots; then they sat down there and kept watch over him. Over his head they put the charge against him, which read, ‘This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.’

Then two bandits were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left. Those who passed by derided him, shaking their heads and saying, ‘You who would destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross.’ In the same way the chief priests also, along with the scribes and elders, were mocking him, saying, ‘He saved others; he cannot save himself. He is the King of Israel; let him come down from the cross now, and we will believe in him.  He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he wants to; for he said, “I am God’s Son.” ’The bandits who were crucified with him also taunted him in the same way. (Mt. 27: 32-44).

As so Jesus takes his throne on the hard wood of the cross with a thief at his right and a thief at his left.  Zebedee’s sons are nowhere to be found when Jesus is crowned the King of the Jews.  The very Son of God comes into the world to save it from its sinfulness, and the world in a sinful act rejects and kills the Word through whom all things came to be. The Chosen One is despised by those who pass by; He has taken our iniquity on Himself, and by His faithful obedience and stripes on his back, you and I are healed. 

Let us pray:  Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, we pray you to set your passion, cross, and death between your judgment and our souls, now and in the hour of our death. Give mercy and grace to the living; pardon and rest to the dead; to your holy Church peace and concord; and to us sinners everlasting life and glory; for with the Father and the Holy Spirit you live and reign, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Your servant in Christ,

Fr. Chester J. Makowski+

St. Augustine of Hippo Episcopal Church
Galveston, Texas 77550

William Wilberforce: God's Champion Against Slavery

Today the Episcopal Church remembers and honors William Wilberforce who championed the anti-slavery movement in England, and who worked tirelessly to abolish the slave trade. 

He was born in 1759 in England.  Wilberforce served in Parliament served in Parliament from 1780 to 1825.  His life was changed when he was touring Europe, when he read William Law's book, A Serious Call to a Devout and Holy Life.  Wilberforce embarked on a lifelong program of setting aside Sundays and an interval each morning for prayer and religious reading. Regarding his vocation, Wilberforce considered the options, including ordained ministry, but decided that his calling was to serve God through politics. He was a major supporter of programs for popular education, overseas missions, parliamentary reform, and religious liberty. He is best known, however, for his untiring commitment to the abolition of slavery and the slave trade. He introduced his first anti-slavery motion in the House of Commons in 1788, in a three-and-a-half hour oration that concluded: "Sir, when we think of eternity and the future consequence of all human conduct, what is there in this life that shall make any man contradict the dictates of his conscience, the principles of justice and the law of God!"  Although at first rejected, slavery was finally abolished in 1806.

The reading for William Wilberforce is taken from Paul’s letter to the Galatians:

Now before faith came, we were imprisoned and guarded under the law until faith would be revealed. Therefore the law was our disciplinarian until Christ came, so that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer subject to a disciplinarian, for in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith. As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to the promise.  (Gal. 3:23-29).

Christ died for men and for women, for Jews and for Gentiles, for slaves and those who were free.  Through Jesus Christ, we have all been made heirs, the sons and daughters of God.  That is good news in a world often filled with injustice and heartache.  It is through God’s grace alone that we are made children of God.  Give thanks for God’s bounteous mercy.

Let us pray:  Just and eternal God, we give you thanks for the stalwart faith and persistence of your servants William Wilberforce and Anthony Ashley-Cooper, who, undeterred by opposition and failure, held fast to a vision of justice in which no child of yours might suffer in enforced servitude and misery. Grant that we, drawn by that same Gospel vision, may persevere in serving the common good and caring for those who have been cast down, that they may be raised up through Jesus Christ; who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Your servant in Christ,

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

From a Family of Saint: Macrina

Today the Church remembers Macrina, a woman from a family of saints!  Karen Keck writes:

The eldest of ten children, St. Macrina was born into a family that has graced the church with many saints. Her grandmother, St. Macrina the Elder, moved with her husband to Pontus during Galerius’ persecution of the Church; the family had lost its property but were witnesses to the power of Christianity. The younger Macrina’s parents, Basil and Emiliana, were declared saints by the Church, as were three of her four brothers, Basil the Great, Gregory of Nyssa, and Peter of Sebaste. In his work, On the Soul and the Resurrection, Gregory calls Macrina the Teacher, and, from his Life of the Teacher, it is clear that she was the spiritual influence on and the spiritual center of her family.

She was born around 327.  Macrina’s parents taught her to read the Scriptures. At twelve (the minimum age of marriage for girls in the Roman empire), her parents arranged for her to marry a young man of St. Basil the Elder’s choosing, although she preferred a life of celibacy. After her fiancé’s death, she persuaded her father that the intended marriage was as good as a marriage. Therefore, she was a widow, and from that time forward, Macrina led a celibate life of asceticism.

After the death of her father, which was coincident with the birth of her youngest brother, Peter, Macrina helped her mother raise her siblings and manage the family’s financial affairs, at the same time persuading Emiliana to live without servants and other “necessities.” Macrina raised her youngest sibling, who became, like their brother Basil, a monastic leader.

After her brothers and sisters were raised, Macrina led her mother to the ascetic life, and the two established a monastery on the family estate, with their former maidservants as their sister nuns. Legend tells us that the community became a double monastery with Macrina’s younger brother, Peter, the abbot of the men’s section. Her monastic rule does not survive, nor does a full account of the influence that she and Basil exercised upon one another, although Gregory gives Macrina credit for bringing Basil into the monastic life. Each, as can be inferred from accounts of Macrina’s thought and from the Rule of St. Basil, saw the life of the monastery as similar to that of the family.

Macrina shepherded her siblings and her monastic family through the grief that followed the deaths of first Emiliana and later, Basil the Great in 379. When Macrina herself was approaching death later that same year, she comforted Gregory, prepared him for her death, and inspired him with her faith and calmness.

Gregory gives an account of their last conversation in his dialogue, On the Soul and the Resurrection.1 In the dialogue, the Teacher argues that foolishness and misunderstanding are the causes of the grief that attends the death of a beloved one and that often weighs down those who remain on earth. These arise from a failure to comprehend that the flesh passes away; being composite, the body alone is dissolved at death.

The body lies in the grave; the body is insensate. The soul, however, remains sensate. It knows all that it knew when the body lived, and its knowing derives from what the body experienced and what the soul knew. The soul can still contemplate God and will be like God insofar as it sees His beauty.

As he prepared her body for burial, Gregory learned from a nun assisting him that, several years earlier, Macrina had refused medical treatment for a tumor in her breast, despite her mother’s entreaties. When her mother again beseeched her to visit the doctor and have it removed, Macrina simply asked Emiliana to make the sign of the cross on the tumor, which disappeared at her mother’s touch. A small scar was Macrina’s private reminder of the mercy of God.

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.  Amen.

RONALD McDONALD HOUSE IN GALVESTON IS IN NEED—Their pantry is running low. Here is a list of items you can bring to Church so that we can help those in need: 

         Boxes of Macaroni & Cheese

         Tuna
         Ramen noodles
         Milk
         Sliced bread
         Rice
         Mayonnaise/Salad dressing
         Hot dogs
         Tomatoes, Onions

         Jalapenos

         Cookies or cake

         Any fruit or fruit cups (luxury)

CALENDAR REMINDERS

We had a great day today with the Seniors and enjoyed Bubba’s Burgers!  Thanks to Micelle, Evelyn, Pat, Sherman, Melva and Bubba for all of their good work!  Everyone said how much they enjoyed the burgers!

Saturday at 10:00 a.m.: Summer Art Camp continues at St. Augustine’s.

Please remember everyone on our Prayer List, especially Joanie, Dina, Dwayne, Wanda, and all of those who are traveling.

Your servant in Christ,

Fr. Chester J. Makowski+

St. Augustine of Hippo Episcopal Church
Galveston, Texas 77550

Are You Christ Centered?

In today’s Gospel, Matthew recounts Jesus’ words about the final judgment, about sheep and goats, those on his right and those on his left:

‘When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left. Then the king will say to those at his right hand, “Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.” Then the righteous will answer him, “Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?” And the king will answer them, “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.” Then he will say to those at his left hand, “You that are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.” Then they also will answer, “Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you?” Then he will answer them, “Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.” And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.’  (Matt. 25: 31-46).

Notice that it is Jesus who is the King, Judge, and the Shepherd.  Here is the criteria of judgment: “I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me. … Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these, you did it to me.”   Seeing Jesus Christ in the other person; seeing Jesus Christ in those who are suffering and in need, and treating them as Jesus Christ himself, that is the criteria for the final judgment.  There are so many around the world and in our immediate communities who are suffering and in need.  There are serious problems around the world and in our back yards.  We cannot afford to get caught up in “petty problems”— in your heart you know what they are in the face of the serious problems that surround us.  Getting caught up in pettiness makes a mockery of serious suffering, and neglecting serious suffering is to neglect Christ himself.  To be centered on petty concerns, usually focused in on ourselves, is a dead end.  On the other hand, to be centered on Christ is to be centered on others, and life affirming.

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; especially those who are suffering from religious persecution because of their faith in Christ, the poor, the ill, those who live alone, the unemployed, 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.

RONALD McDONALD HOUSE IN GALVESTON IS IN NEED—Their pantry is running low.  Here is a list of items you can bring to Church so that we can help those in need:   

         Boxes of Macaroni & Cheese

         Tuna

         Ramen noodles

         Milk

         Slice bread

         Rice

         Mayonnaise/Salad dressing

         Hot dogs

         Tomatoes, Onions

         Jalapenos

         Cookies or cake

         Any fruit or fruit cups (luxury)

CALENDAR REMINDERS

This Thursday at 11:00 a.m. we welcome Seniors Citizens from all around the Island to Sutton Hall. We will be serving a picnic lunch to our monthly guests. 

Saturday at10:00 a.m.: Summer Art Camp continues at St. Augustine’s. 

Please remember everyone on our Prayer List, especially Joanie, Dina, Dwayne, Wanda, and all of those who are traveling.

“By everything true, everything holy, you are your brother’s keeper.” —Seventh Earl of Shaftesbury (1801-1885)

Your servant in Christ,

Fr. Chester J. Makowski+

St. Augustine of Hippo Episcopal Church
Galveston, Texas 77550

The Rt. Rev. William White

Today the Episcopal Church remembers William White, the first presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church. 

William White was born in Philadelphia.  He began his education at Philadelphia College (later known as the University of Pennsylvania), taking his B.A. in 1765 and his M.A. some 3 years later.  In 1770 he sailed for England for his ordination as a priest, which took place in the Chapel Royal at St. James’ Palace. He subsequently returned to England on two occasions: once in 1772 and again in 1787, when he was consecrated bishop by the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Archbishop of York, the Bishop of Bath and Wells, and the Bishop of Peterborough.

White served as rector of St. Peter’s and of Christ Church for 57 years.  He also served as Chaplain of the Continental Congress from 1777 to 1789, and subsequently as Chaplain of the Senate. White was the only Episcopal cleric in Pennsylvania who sided with the American revolutionary cause, while the other ordained priests remained loyal to the British.

Bishop White took an active role in creating several charitable and educational institutions.   In 1785 he founded The Episcopal Academy, to educate the sons of Philadelphia’s Episcopal residents to become to leaders in society. He also was one of a group of prominent Philadelphia philanthropists who, in 1820, convinced the Pennsylvania legislature to fund the Pennsylvania Institution for the Deaf and Dumb, founded by David G. Seixas, now known as the Pennsylvania School for the Deaf. He served the school as president for the next 16 years. He also participated in prison ministry in Philadelphia, becoming the first president of the Philadelphia Society for the Alleviation of Miseries of Public Prisons, which attracted the participation of numerous Quakers. In 1795, Bishop White raised funds to create a school (built on Race Street between 4th and 5th) for black and Native American children. He also helped to create a Magdalene Society in Philadelphia in 1800 for “unhappy females who have been seduced from the paths of virtue and are desirous of returning to a life of rectitude.”   

He was a member of the American Philosophical Society, along with many other prominent Philadelphians, including Benjamin Franklin. White was not remarked for his oratorical skills. Instead, he gained the esteem of the Philadelphia community through his ongoing charitable works, especially during the outbreaks of yellow fever in that city throughout the 1790s, because he remained to tend the ill when many other wealthy inhabitants fled to the countryside. He was a trustee of the University of Pennsylvania from 1774 until his death. During his tenure as trustee, he also served as Treasurer (1775–1778) and President (1790–1791) of the Board of Trustees.

He was the author of “The Case of The Episcopal Churches in the United States Considered”. In this pamphlet he laid out the foundational thinking for the polity of the emerging Episcopal Church. Among the innovations he proposed (and which came to be adopted) was the inclusion of lay people in the decision making bodies of the church. This has been true since the founding General Convention of the Episcopal in 1785 where the House of Deputies was composed of both lay and clergy members.

Bishop White also ordained Absalom Jones a deacon in the Episcopal Church in 1795 and as priest in 1804.  Jones became the first ordained priest of African descent in the United States.

White was elected president of the first General Convention of the Protestant Episcopal Church which met in Philadelphia in 1785, and there helped author the constitution of the emerging American church. The convention of the Diocese of Pennsylvania elected White its Bishop the following year; consecration followed at Lambeth in England in 1787. He was presiding bishop of the Protestant Episcopal Church from 1795 to 1836.

Let us pray:  O Lord, who in a time of turmoil and confusion raised up your servant William White, and endowed him with wisdom, patience, and a reconciling temper, that he might lead your Church into ways of stability and peace: Hear our prayer, and give us wise and faithful leaders, that through their ministry your people may be blessed and your will be done; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.  Amen.

CALENDAR REMINDERS

This Thursday at 11:00 a.m. we welcome Seniors Citizens from all around the Island to Sutton Hall. We will be serving a picnic lunch to our monthly guests. 

Saturday at 10:00a.m.: Summer Art Camp continues at St. Augustine’s. 

Please remember everyone on our Prayer List, especially Joanie, Dina, Dwayne, Wanda, and all of those who are traveling.

Your servant in Christ,

Fr. Chester J. Makowski+

St. Augustine of Hippo Episcopal Church

Galveston, Texas 77550

Keep Awake!

Today’s Gospel selection from the Daily Office, the prayer of the Church, is taken from the Gospel according to Matthew:

‘Then the kingdom of heaven will be like this. Ten bridesmaids took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. When the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them; but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. As the bridegroom was delayed, all of them became drowsy and slept. But at midnight there was a shout, “Look! Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.” Then all those bridesmaids got up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish said to the wise, “Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.” But the wise replied, “No! there will not be enough for you and for us; you had better go to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.” And while they went to buy it, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went with him into the wedding banquet; and the door was shut. Later the other bridesmaids came also, saying, “Lord, lord, open to us.” But he replied, “Truly I tell you, I do not know you.” Keep awake therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.  (Matt. 25:1-13)

Just because we say “Lord” does not mean that we do what Jesus asks of us.  Use your God given intelligence and common sense by habitually doing what is right.  We are accountable not only to God, but to those around us and even to ourselves.  We are called to work with God’s grace daily.  Be present to those you love.  Listen to God’s voice in your heart.  Keep awake!  Be vigilant! 

Let us pray:  Heavenly Father, in you we live and move and have our  being: We humbly pray you so to guide and govern us by  your Holy Spirit, that in all the cares and occupations of our life we may not forget you, but may remember that we are ever walking in your sight; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

CALENDAR REMINDERS

This Thursday at 11:00 a.m. we welcome Seniors Citizens from all around the Island to Sutton Hall who will be our guests for a picnic lunch. 

Saturday at 10:00 a.m.: Summer Art Camp continues at St. Augustine’s. 

Please remember everyone on our Prayer List, especially all of those who are traveling.

“There is no justification without sanctification, no forgiveness without renewal of life, no real faith from which the fruits of new obedience do not grow.”  Martin Luther, Reformer (1483-1546)

Your servant in Christ,

Fr. Chester J. Makowski+

St. Augustine of Hippo Episcopal Church

Galveston, Texas 77550

Jus Hus: Reformer

Today the Church remembers the life and ministry of Jan Hus, an early reformer of the Church.  He was born in Bohemia in the year 1371.  He received his Master’s degree from Charles University in Prague in 1396.  He became a professor of theology in 1398, and Hus was ordained to the priesthood in 1400.  In 1402, he was made head of the university he graduated from.

Hus took an active role in the movement for reform in the church by attacking the morals of the priest, the bishops and the pope from his pulpit. His archbishop, Zbyněk Zajíc, was lenient with Hus; he even appointed him as preacher to the meeting of bishops.

It was a time of extreme turmoil in the Roman Catholic Church.  Since 1378 there were 2 pope’s fighting for power.  Then in an effort to end the controversy, they elected a third pope in 1409, Alexander V. This did not succeed; it did not end loyalty to the other two popes.

Hus continued to fight for ethical reform within the Church, but he met with great opposition.  One of the things which Hus opposed was the sale of indulgences.  Their sale in Bohemia was approved by King Wenceslas, who shared in the proceeds from the sale of the indulgences. Hus publicly denounced these indulgences before the university and, by so doing, lost the support of King Wenceslas. This was to prove fatal to him. Hus’s enemies then renewed his trial at the Curia, where he was declared under major excommunication for refusing to appear and an interdict was pronounced over Prague or any other place where Hus might reside, thereby denying certain sacraments of the church to communicants in the interdicted area. In order to spare the city the consequences, Hus voluntarily left Prague in October 1412. He found refuge mostly in southern Bohemia.  His enemies wrote a large number of polemical treatises against him, which he answered in an equally vigorous manner. The most important of his treatises was De ecclesia (The Church).

Ultimately Hus was tried and found guilty of heresy.  He was burned at the stake in 1415.

The life and death of Jan Hus is a vivid reminder that there have always been controversies in the Church, and sometimes these controversies have been quite ungodly.  Such things are, alas, inevitable given that we are all sinners.  It is by God’s grace alone that we are saved.

Let us pray:  Faithful God, you gave Jan Hus the courage to confess your truth and recall your Church to the image of Christ: Enable us, inspired by his example, to bear witness against corruption and never cease to pray for our enemies, that we may prove faithful followers of our Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

THE GENERAL CONVENTION OF THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH IS IN SESSION IN INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.  Let us pray for all Bishops, Delegates and observers gathered to take council in the Episcopal Church: O God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, our only Savior, the Prince of Peace: Give us grace seriously to lay to heart the great dangers we are in by our unhappy divisions; take away all hatred and prejudice, and whatever else may hinder us from godly union and concord; that, as there is but one Body and one Spirit, one hope of our calling, one Lord, one Faith, one Baptism, one God and Father of us all, so we may be all of one heart and of one soul, united in one holy bond of truth and peace, of faith and charity, and may with one mind and one mouth glorify thee; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

CALENDAR REMINDERS

SUMMER ART SERIES AT ST. AUGUSTINE’S: 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., Saturdays

         July 7: Signs and symbols found in all cultures, make your own sign

         July 14: Guardian Angels – guest artist Mary Ann Hasty, Native American

         July 21: Mandela's, African Shields

         July 28: Collage and the art of Mexico

PLEASE REMEMBER EVERYONE ON OUR PRAYER LIST.

Your servant in Christ,

Fr. Chester J. Makowski+

St. Augustine of Hippo Episcopal Church

Galveston, Texas 77550

Living in the Spirit

On this the 5^th of July, the Epistle reading for the day is taken from Paul’s Letter to the Romans:

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do: by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and to deal with sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, so that the just requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For this reason the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law—indeed it cannot, and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

But you are not in the flesh; you are in the Spirit, since the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.  But if Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness.  If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through his Spirit that dwells in you. (Rm. 8:1-11).

What is life in the Spirit, the Holy Spirit?  The Holy Spirit is the very life giving breath of God.  The Holy Spirit is hope; it is love.  Therefore, Paul tells us that we Christians are to walk, we are to live, in hope and in love being infused with the very life of God.  The Holy Spirit has transformed us bringing us to the Father through Christ—just as Christ has been raised from the dead, so we too, with the Holy Spirit dwelling in us, will be raised to new life.

Let us pray:  O God, who taught the hearts of your faithful people by sending to them the light of your Holy Spirit: Grant us by the same Spirit to have a right judgment in all things, and evermore to rejoice in his holy comfort; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

CALENDAR REMINDERS

SUMMER ART SERIES AT ST. AUGUSTINE’S: 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., Saturdays

         July 7: Signs and symbols found in all cultures, make your own sign

         July 14: Guardian Angels – guest artist Mary Ann Hasty, Native American

         July 21: Mandela's, African Shields

         July 28: Collage and the art of Mexico

PLEASE REMEMBER EVERYONE ON OUR PRAYER LIST.

Your servant in Christ,

Fr. Chester J. Makowski+

St. Augustine of Hippo Episcopal Church

Galveston, Texas 77550

Independence Day 2012

Today is Independence Day. It is a day when we remember how this Nation began on that day in Philadelphia in 1776 when these Colonies declared their independence from England. We also recall the 236 years of this Nation’s life—all that this Country has gone through and all that we as a people have accomplished. It is a day of celebration. So, give thanks to God for the gift of liberty, for all of those who have given their lives in defense of liberty and for vigilance against those who would try to take it away from whatever quarters they may be. And, of course, enjoy some good old American comfort food—have a hot dog—maybe two!


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 that we and all the people of this land may have grace to maintain our 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!

Your servant in Christ,

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

Do you see what God wants you to do yet fail to do it?

The Daily Office continues with the Gospel according to Matthew, and today we read:

When he entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him as he was teaching, and said, ‘By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?’ Jesus said to them, ‘I will also ask you one question; if you tell me the answer, then I will also tell you by what authority I do these things. Did the baptism of John come from heaven, or was it of human origin?’ And they argued with one another, ‘If we say, “From heaven”, he will say to us, “Why then did you not believe him?” But if we say, “Of human origin”, we are afraid of the crowd; for all regard John as a prophet.’ So they answered Jesus, ‘We do not know.’ And he said to them, ‘Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.

‘What do you think? A man had two sons; he went to the first and said, “Son, go and work in the vineyard today.” He answered, “I will not”; but later he changed his mind and went. The father went to the second and said the same; and he answered, “I go, sir”; but he did not go. Which of the two did the will of his father?’ They said, ‘The first.’ Jesus said to them, ‘Truly I tell you, the tax-collectors and the prostitutes are going into the kingdom of God ahead of you. For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him, but the tax-collectors and the prostitutes believed him; and even after you saw it, you did not change your minds and believe him.  (Mt. 21:23-32).

Those clever chief priests thought that they could trap Jesus, but try as they did, they never could.  Today’s passage is about authority and doing God’s will.  The clincher is in the last sentence: “For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him, but the tax-collectors and the prostitutes believed him; and even after you saw it, you did not change your minds and believe him.”  The professional religionists, the chief priests, did not believe what John the Baptizer was about.  John told the people that the time to repent had come, that the long awaited Messiah was near.  The least likely believed, while the professional religionists did not.  Where do you fall?  Do you see what God wants you to do yet fail to do it?  

Let us pray:  Heavenly Father, in you we live and move and have our  being: We humbly pray you so to guide and govern us by  your Holy Spirit, that in all the cares and occupations of our life we may not forget you, but may remember that we are ever walking in your sight; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

CALENDAR REMINDERS

SUMMER ART SERIES AT ST. AUGUSTINE’S:  10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., Saturdays

         July 7: Signs and symbols found in all cultures, make your own sign

         July 14: Guardian Angels - guest artist Mary Ann Hasty, Native American

         July 21: Mandela's, African Shields

         July 28: Collage and the art of Mexico

PLEASE REMEMBER EVERYONE ON OUR PRAYER LIST.

Your servant in Christ,

Fr. Chester J. Makowski+

St. Augustine of Hippo Episcopal Church

Galveston, Texas 77550

Today’s Gospel passage comes from the Gospel according to Matthew where we read:

Then Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who were selling and buying in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold doves. He said to them, ‘It is written, “My house shall be called a house of prayer”; but you are making it a den of robbers.’

The blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he cured them. But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the amazing things that he did, and heard the children crying out in the temple, ‘Hosanna to the Son of David’, they became angry and said to him, ‘Do you hear what these are saying?’ Jesus said to them, ‘Yes; have you never read, “Out of the mouths of infants and nursing babies you have prepared praise for yourself”?’ He left them, went out of the city to Bethany, and spent the night there.

In the morning, when he returned to the city, he was hungry. And seeing a fig tree by the side of the road, he went to it and found nothing at all on it but leaves. Then he said to it, ‘May no fruit ever come from you again!’ And the fig tree withered at once. When the disciples saw it, they were amazed, saying, ‘How did the fig tree wither at once?’ Jesus answered them, ‘Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only will you do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, “Be lifted up and thrown into the sea”, it will be done. Whatever you ask for in prayer with faith, you will receive.’ (Mt. 21:12-22).

The house of God is a place of prayer for all people; however, during Jesus’ day, the Temple became a place of business, where the money changers ruled, exchanging Temple currency to make money for themselves by banking on the faithful people’s devotion.  This was wrong, and Jesus called them on it.  He exhibited “righteous anger,” that being, anger in accord with divine or moral law, a justifiable decision or action, an action which arises from an outraged sense of justice or morality.  In short, the money changers were using people for their own enrichment, and Jesus acted accordingly.  You and I should strive to make God’s house a place where all people may come and find rest.

Let us pray:  Almighty and everlasting God, whose will it is to restore all things in your well-beloved Son, the King of kings and Lord of lords: Mercifully grant that the peoples of the earth, divided and enslaved by sin, may be freed and brought together under his most gracious rule; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

CALENDAR REMINDERS

SUMMER ART CLASSES begin this Saturday.

PLEASE REMEMBER EVERONE ON OUR PRAYER LIST, and for all of those who have left this life marked as Christ’s own, especially Nora Makowski who died 8 years ago this week, and all of those whom we know and who have died: Into your hands, O merciful Savior, we commend your servants.  Acknowledge, we humbly beseech you, sheep of your own fold, lambs of your own flock, sinners of your own redeeming. Receive them into the arms of your mercy,  into the blessed rest of everlasting peace, and into the glorious company of the saints in light. Amen.

Your servant in Christ,

Fr. Chester J. Makowski+

St. Augustine of Hippo Episcopal Church
Galveston, Texas 77550