The City of God: September 2012

Monday, September 24, 2012

Paul, Aquila & Priscilla

One of today’s readings is taken from the Book of the Acts of the Apostles, and we hear about St. Paul and some of his friends:

After this Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. There he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had ordered all Jews to leave Rome. Paul went to see them, and, because he was of the same trade, he stayed with them, and they worked together—by trade they were tentmakers. Every Sabbath he would argue in the synagogue and would try to convince Jews and Greeks.

When Silas and Timothy arrived from Macedonia, Paul was occupied with proclaiming the word, testifying to the Jews that the Messiah was Jesus. When they opposed and reviled him, in protest he shook the dust from his clothes and said to them,‘Your blood be on your own heads! I am innocent. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.’ Then he left the synagogue and went to the house of a man named Titius Justus, a worshipper of God; his house was next door to the synagogue. Crispus, the official of the synagogue, became a believer in the Lord, together with all his household; and many of the Corinthians who heard Paul became believers and were baptized. One night the Lord said to Paul in a vision, ‘Do not be afraid, but speak and do not be silent; for I am with you, and no one will lay a hand on you to harm you, for there are many in this city who are my people.’ He stayed there for a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them. (Acts 18: 1-11).

The passage tells us that Claudius ordered all of the Jewish people to leave Rome. The Roman historian Suetonius wrote that Claudius expelled the Jews from Rome because they were rioting on account of “Chrestus”;he was referring to disputes between Christian and non-Christian Jews in Rome.

Paul probably came to Corinth around the year 50 A.D. where he met Aquila and Priscilla who were tent makers like Paul, and they worked together. It is not clear whether Aquila and Priscilla were already Christians before meeting Paul, or were converted by his preaching. Clearly the pair was dear to Paul, and they were earnest and effective in spreading the Good News of Christ and His saving work. Altogether, Aquila and Priscilla are mentioned six times in the New Testament (Acts 18:2,18,26; Romans 16:3; 1 Corinthians 16:19; 2 Timothy 4:19), and interestingly, in the odd-numbered mentions, Aquila’s name comes first, while in the even-numbered mentions, Priscilla’s comes first, as if to emphasize that they are being mentioned on equal terms.

Today’s reading also show us how Paul preached the Jews and Gentiles, to all people, about the savings acts of Jesus, who tells Paul not to be afraid, but to preach the Good News boldly.

Let us pray: God of grace and might, we praise you for your servants Paul, Aquila and Priscilla, to whom you gave gifts to make the good news known. Raise up, we pray, in every country, heralds and evangelists of your kingdom, so that the world may know the immeasurable riches of our Savior, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.

CALENDAR REMIDNERS

The Adult Christian Education Series: Lord, Teach Us To Pray: Six Studies on the Lord’s Prayer from the Kerygma Series. We started the study this Sunday, and it was wonderful! Please join Jillian Bain on Sundays at 11:00 a.m. and Tammie Taylor on Mondays.

The Fourth Annual St. Augustine Art Show is underway, and is open to the public. We have a record 103 entries!

St. Vincent’s Day Celebration at St. Vincent’s House on 29 September 2012 at 10:00 a.m.

Blessing of the Animals for St. Francis Day, Saturday, 13 October 2012 at 11:00 a.m. at the Cross on the lawn in front of Sutton Hall.

Please remember everyone on our Prayer List, and especially Fred Pearson and his family and for our newly baptized, Brycen L. Woods.

Your servant in Christ,

Fr. Chester J. Makowski+

St. Augustine of Hippo Episcopal Church
Galveston, Texas 77550

Friday, September 21, 2012

From Tax Collector to Preacher of the Gospel

On this Friday, the first day of fall, the Church honors and remembers St. Matthew the Evangelist. Here is the story of his call:

As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth; and he said to him, ‘Follow me.’ And he got up and followed him.

And as he sat at dinner in the house, many tax-collectors and sinners came and were sitting with him and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, ‘Why does your teacher eat with tax-collectors and sinners?’ But when he heard this, he said, ‘Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means, “I desire mercy, not sacrifice.” For I have come to call not the righteous but sinners.’ (Mt. 9: 9-13).

And so Matthew’s life with Jesus started. He went from being a despised tax collector to someone who proclaimed the Good News of Jesus, a message of forgiveness and reconciliation. We hear that same message today as we proclaim the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew. Jesus has come to call sinners; that’s you and me.

Let us pray: We thank you, heavenly Father, for the witness of your apostle and evangelist Matthew to the Gospel of your Son our Savior; and we pray that, after his example, we may with ready wills and hearts obey the calling of our Lord to follow him; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

CALENDAR REMIDNERS

The Fourth Annual St. Augustine Art Show begins this week. The judging will take place during the week, and the show is open to the public starting this Saturday, 22 September, at 6:00 p.m. with a reception. We have a record 103 entries!

St. Vincent’s Day Celebration at St. Vincent’s House on 29 September 2012 at 10:00 a.m.

Blessing of the Animals for St. Francis Day, Saturday, 13 October 2012 at 11:00 a.m. at the Cross on the lawn in front of Sutton Hall.

Please remember everyone on our Prayer List, and especially the family of Anne Ladner who died this week and whose funeral will be on Saturday at 5 p.m. at Grace Episcopal in Houston.

Your servant in Christ,

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

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

St. Theodore of Tarsus: 8th Archbishop of Canterbury

Today the Church remembers the 8^th Archbishop of Canterbury from the 600s, Theodore of Tarsus, who came to England by way of Rome. He is perhaps best known for his reformation of the Church in England and his establishment of a school at Canterbury.

Theodore was born around the year 602 in Tarsus in Cilicia, a Greek-speaking diocese of the Byzantine Empire, and died on this day in 690 at the ripe old age of 88.

Theodore left Tarsus and went to study in Constantinople. There, Theodore studied astronomy, medicine, Roman civil law, Greek rhetoric and philosophy. After that, he went to Rome and joined a monastery.

After the Synod of Whitby, Theodore of Tarsus, who was a learned monk but not yet ordained a priest, was named as the Archbishop of Canterbury. He was 65 years old. This surprising choice turned out to be a very good one. St. Bede said that Theodore was “the first archbishop whom all the English obeyed.” James Kiefer tells us that “Theodore filled the vacant bishoprics and in 672 presided over the first council of the entire English Church, at Hertford. He established definite territorial boundaries for the various dioceses, and founded new dioceses where needed. He found the Church of England an unorganized missionary body, and left it a fully ordered province of the universal Church. The body of canon law drawn up under his supervision, and his structure of dioceses and parishes, survived the turmoil of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries and are substantially intact today.”

One of his greatest legacies was the school at Canterbury which was headed by Adrian, an abbot born in Africa but later resident in Italy, who, ironically, was the first choice to be Archbishop of Canterbury, but who refused it recommending Theodore. The school taught Scripture, theology, Latin, Greek, poetry and astronomy.

Let us pray: Almighty God, who called your servant Theodore of Tarsus from Rome to the See of Canterbury, and gave him gifts of grace and wisdom to establish unity where there had been division, and order where there had been chaos: Create in thy Church, we pray, by the operation of the Holy Spirit, such godly union and concord that it may proclaim, both by word and example, the Gospel of the Prince of Peace; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

CALENDAR REMIDNERS

St. Vincent’s Day Celebration at St. Vincent’s House on 29 September 2012 at 10:00 a.m.

Blessing of the Animals for St. Francis Day, Saturday, 13 October 2012 at 11:00 a.m. at the Cross on the lawn in front of Sutton Hall.

Please remember everyone on our Prayer List, and especially the family of Anne Ladner who died yesterday and whose funeral will be on Saturday at 5 p.m. at Grace Episcopal.

Your servant in Christ,

Fr. Chester J. Makowski+

St. Augustine of Hippo Episcopal Church
Galveston, Texas 77550

Tuesday, September 18, 2012

God Is In Control!

The Old Testament reading for today is taken from the Book of Job where we are reminded that God is in control; God has the big picture:

And the Lord said to Job:

‘Can you draw out Leviathan with a fish-hook,

   or press down its tongue with a cord?
Can you put a rope in its nose,
   or pierce its jaw with a hook?
will it make many supplications to you?
   Will it speak soft words to you?
Will it make a covenant with you
   to be taken as your servant for ever?
Will you play with it as with a bird,
   or will you put it on a leash for your girls?
Will traders bargain over it?
   Will they divide it up among the merchants?
Can you fill its skin with harpoons,
   or its head with fishing-spears?
Lay hands on it;
   think of the battle; you will not do it again!
Any hope of capturing it will be disappointed;
   were not even the gods overwhelmed at the sight of it?
No one is so fierce as to dare to stir it up.
   Who can stand before it?
Who can confront it and be safe?
   —under the whole heaven, who? (Job 40:1 to 41:1-11).

The Leviathan represented the deep, chaos, evil for the people of the Old Testament. People are powerless in the face of chaos and evil; God is not. Sometimes we need to be reminded that God is the one who is actually in control; God has the big picture and we see but a little part of reality. We are called to trust in God and God’s will. God has the victory in Jesus Christ! Remember that.

Let us pray: Almighty and everlasting God, you made the universe with all its marvelous order, its atoms, worlds, and galaxies, and the infinite complexity of living creatures: Grant that, as we probe the mysteries of your creation, we may come to know you more truly, and more surely fulfill our role in your eternal purpose; in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

CALENDAR REMIDNERS

We had a hearing today with the City of Galveston Planning Commission and they granted a variance to build the pergola.

St. Vincent’s Day Celebration at St. Vincent’s House on 29 September 2012 at 10:00 a.m.

Blessing of the Animals for St. Francis Day, Saturday, 13 October 2012 at 11:00 a.m. at the Cross on the lawn in front of Sutton Hall.

Please remember everyone on our Prayer List, and especially the family of Anne Ladner who died yesterday and whose funeral will be on Saturday at 5 p.m. at Grace Episcopal.

Your servant in Christ,

Fr. Chester J. Makowski+

St. Augustine of Hippo Episcopal Church
Galveston, Texas 77550

Monday, September 17, 2012

A Beam of Light In the Middle Ages: St. Hildegard

We think of the Middle Ages as a very dark time, a time when there was little education and much toil. However, there a great beams of light from this time. Today the Church celebrates a figure from the Middle Ages, St. Hildegard of Bingen. She was born around the year 1098 and she died on this day in 1174. She is considered to be one of the most famous characters of the period. At the age of 18, Hildegard became a Benedictine nun at the Abbey of Mount St. Disibode. Twenty years later, she became the head of the Abbey. She was incredibly intelligent and her interests were wide. Hildegard was a writer of plays, musical composer, theologian, mystic and visionary.

Hildegard left us some 70 poems, 3 major works on theology (Scivias ("Know the paths!"), Liber Vitae Meritorum (on ethics), and De Operatione Dei (“The Works of God”), and, although she had no formal training in music, she composed 77 chants and the first musical drama in history, which she entitled The Ritual of the Virtues. She wrote the first morality play, Order of the Virtues, in 1151, which is about the struggle for a human soul, or Anima, between the Virtues and the Devil.

Hildegard was a bright light in the Middle Ages, and a woman very much ahead of her time.

Let us pray: O God, by whose grace your servant Hildegard, kindled with the fire of your love, became a burning and shining light in your Church: Grant that we also may be aflame with the spirit of love and discipline, and walk before you as children of light; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

CALENDAR REMIDNERS

St. Vincent’s Day Celebration at St. Vincent’s House on 29 September 2012 at 10:00 a.m.

Blessing of the Animals for St. Francis Day, Saturday, 13 October 2012 at 11:00 a.m. at the Cross on the lawn in front of Sutton Hall.

Please remember everyone on our Prayer List, and especially the family of Anne Ladner who died yesterday.

“God has arranged all things in the world in consideration of everything else.” St. Hildegard

Your servant in Christ,

Fr. Chester J. Makowski+

St. Augustine of Hippo Episcopal Church
Galveston, Texas 77550

Friday, September 14, 2012

The Feast of the Holy Cross

Today is the feast of the Holy Cross. The Feast of the Holy Cross can be traced back to the year 335 A.D. when St. Helena, the mother of the Emperor Constantine, made a pilgrimage to the Holy Land where she spent large sums on the relief of the poor and on building churches on sacred sites. She is particularly associated with the discovery at Jerusalem, near the probable site of Calvary, of a wooden cross that she believed was the actual cross on which Jesus was crucified. On that place today is the Church of the Holy Sepulcher.

The cross is the universal symbol of Christianity. We make the sign of the cross when we pray, when we enter a church using holy water, at the liturgy, and countless other times. The Christian custom of tracing the sign of the cross on persons and things as a sign of blessing goes back to the very origins of Christianity.

But what does it mean? The cross is the personal mark of our Lord Jesus Christ, and we mark it on ourselves as a sign that we belong to him. It is, therefore, a mark of discipleship; a confession of faith in Jesus crucified and risen; a renewal of our baptismal vows; an acceptance of suffering; an abandonment of the self, and a mark of blessing which makes the ordinary things of life sacred.

So the next time that you make the sign of the cross, keep in mind what it means.

Let us pray: Almighty God, whose Son our Savior Jesus Christ was lifted high upon the cross that he might draw the whole world to himself: Mercifully grant that we, who glory in the mystery of our redemption, may have grace to take up our cross and follow him; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.

CALENDAR REMINDERS

The Lord’s Prayer Study begins this Sunday at 11:15 a.m. (to give time for the Bishop’s Committee Meeting; thereafter, we will start at 11:00 a.m.). Materials will be available. Please come and join this study and grow in your faith.

Our regularly scheduled Bishop’s Committee Meeting is this Sunday starting immediately after the Eucharist. Items on the agenda will include: (1) Biehl Community Garden update; (2) Sutton Hall use update; (3) financial report; (4) the Bell Tower historical space; (5) update on pest control; (6) update on hiring culinary students from Galveston College for Sunday breakfasts; and (7) status of obtaining internet for the Church. I invite everyone to participate in the decision making of our faith community.

Art Show begins Saturday, 22 September with a reception at 6:00 p.m.

St. Vincent’s Day celebration on 29 September with Eucharist at 10:00 a.m.

Please remember everyone on our Prayer List, especially Patricia, Fred, Mary and Spurgeon.

Your servant in Christ,

Fr. Chester J. Makowski+

St. Augustine of Hippo Episcopal Church
Galveston, Texas 77550

Thursday, September 13, 2012

St. John Chrysostom

Today the Church remembers St. John “Chrysostom” (Greek for “golden mouth” because of his eloquence in preaching). He who was born around 344 and died on this day in 407.

Around 374, John became a hermit monk, but because of his health, he returned to the city of Antioch where he was ordained a priest. In 398, John became the Bishop of Constantinople where he gained a reputation for being an excellent preacher.

He is considered to be one of the Early Church Fathers because of his preaching and teaching. John’s sermons against corruption in high places earned him powerful enemies, including the Empress, and he was sent into exile, where he died. John’s preaching, by word and example, exemplifies the role of the prophet to comfort the afflicted and to afflict the comfortable. For his honesty and courage he paid the price of a turbulent ministry as bishop, personal vilification and exile.

Let us pray: O God, who gave to your servant John Chrysostom grace eloquently to proclaim your righteousness in the great congregation, and fearlessly to bear reproach for the honor of your Name: Mercifully grant to all bishops and pastors such excellency in preaching, and fidelity in ministering your Word, that your people shall be partakers with them of the glory that shall be revealed; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

CALENDAR REMINDERS

The Lord’s Prayer Study begins this Sunday at 11:15 a.m. (to give time for the Bishop’s Committee Meeting. Thereafter, we will start at 11:00 a.m.). Materials will be available. Please come and join this study and grow in your faith.

Our regularly scheduled Bishop’s Committee Meeting is this Sunday starting immediately after the Eucharist. Items on the agenda will include: (1) Biehl Community Garden update; (2) Sutton Hall use update; (3) financial report; (4) the Bell Tower historical space; (5) update on pest control; (6) update on hiring culinary students from Galveston College for Sunday breakfasts; and (7) status of obtaining Internet for the Church. I invite everyone to participate in the decision making of our faith community.

Art Show begins Saturday, 22 September with a reception at 6:00 p.m.

St. Vincent’s Day celebration on 29 September with Eucharist at 10:00 a.m.

Please remember everyone on our Prayer List, especially Patricia and Spurgeon, and on this 4^th anniversary of Hurricane Ike we remember all of those who have suffered and we give thanks for the recovery made.

Your servant in Christ,

Fr. Chester J. Makowski+

St. Augustine of Hippo Episcopal Church
Galveston, Texas 77550

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Bishop John Henry Hobart

Today the Church remembers a bishop from Early America, John Henry Hobart, who was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on the 14^th of September on 1775 and who died on this day, the 12^th of September 1830. Hobart served as the third Bishop of the Diocese of New York, and founded the General Theological Seminary in New York.

He was the son of a ship captain, and as a young boy he attended the Episcopal Academy in Philadelphia. Thereafter, he went to the University of Pennsylvania and then transferred to Princeton where he graduated with a B.A. and then an M.A. He read for orders (studying on his own) under the direction of Bishop White, the longest serving Presiding Bishop in the United States. Hobart was ordained deacon in 1798 and priest in 1800. After serving a few parishes in the Philadelphia area, in 1803 Hobart went to serve as a curate at Trinity Episcopal Church, Wall Street, New York.

Hobart was not a stately man. He was short, nearsighted so he wore thick glasses. When he preached, Hobart spoke rapidly and emotionally. At a time when most men were quite reserved, Hobart was warm, speaking to everyone, from farmers to governors.

At the age of 36, Hobart was elected Suffragan Bishop of New York, and then he became the Diocesan Bishop just 3 years later. James Kiefer writes that: “He knew all the clergy in the Church generally and in his own diocese intimately. He was aware of their background, remembered their families, forgave their frailties, and appreciated their strengths. He watched over his candidates for Holy Orders with a paternal interest, meeting with them weekly. … This lovable, indefatigable, type-A bishop went virtually nonstop from his ordination until his death. The only surprise was that he didn't die sooner.”

He was a wonderful pastor to his people riding literally thousands of miles across his Diocese to visit all of his flock, and eventually he wore himself. He died at the age of 55.

Let us pray: Revive your Church, Lord God of hosts, whenever it falls into complacency and sloth, by raising up devoted leaders, like your servant John Henry Hobart whom we remember this day; and grant that their faith and vigor of mind may awaken your people to your message and their mission; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

CALENDAR REMINDERS

The Lord’s Prayer Study begins this Sunday at 11:00 a.m. Materials will be available. Please come and join this study and grow in your faith.

Our regularly scheduled Bishop’s Committee Meeting is this Sunday starting immediately after the Eucharist. Items on the agenda will include: (1) Biehl Community Garden update; (2) Sutton Hall use update; (3) financial report; (4)the Bell Tower historical space; (5) update on pest control; (6) update on hiring culinary students from Galveston College for Sunday breakfasts; and (7) status of obtaining internet for the Church. I invite everyone’s participation to share in the decision making of our faith community.

Art Show begins Saturday, 22 September with a reception at 6:00 p.m.

St. Vincent’s Day celebration on 29 September with Eucharist at 10:00 a.m.

Please remember everyone on our Prayer List, especially Patricia and Spurgeon.

Your servant in Christ,

Fr. Chester J. Makowski+

St. Augustine of Hippo Episcopal Church
Galveston, Texas 77550

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

The 11th Anniversary of 9-11

Today is the 11th anniversary of the horrific attacks on our shores by terrorists who took nearly 3000 lives at the Twin Towers in New York City (2 aircraft), the Pentagon (1 aircraft) and in Shanksville, Pennsylvania (where the passengers on United flight 93 took action against the terrorists).

9-11 is one of those days where people ask: “Where were you on that day?” I had just landed in Dallas, Texas and was walking down the jet way when I saw the results of the first impact on the TV monitor at the airport. As the rest of the nation, I did not know what had just happened. As the day progressed, the horror unfolded as a colleague and I drove to Houston in a car we had rented to go to a meeting. The skies were silent as there was no air traffic. People were dazed and walked in a state of unbelief: how could something like this could happen here? Was there more to come?

Where were you on that day?

Where are we as a nation today?

Let us pray: Almighty God, bless your beautiful world. Comfort all of those who still grieve because of the events of this day. Lead all leaders from falsehood, into Truth and Justice. Guard and defend your children. Re-kindle in all the citizens of your world, the fire of your love, and inspire us to love one another, and to be peace-makers. We ask this through Jesus Christ, the Savior of the World. Amen.

CALENDAR REMINDERS

The Lord’s Prayer Study begins this Sunday at 11:00 a.m. Materials will be available. Please come and join this study and grow in your faith.

Our regularly scheduled Bishop’s Committee Meeting is this Sunday starting immediately after the Eucharist. Items on the agenda will include: (1) Biehl Garden update; (2) Sutton Hall use update; (3) financial report; (4) the Bell Tower historical space; (5) update on pest control; (6) update on hiring culinary students from Galveston College for Sunday breakfasts. I invite everyone’s participation to share in the decision making of our faith community.

Art Show begins Saturday, 22 September with a reception at 6:00 p.m.

St. Vincent’s Day celebration on 29 September with Eucharist at 10:00 a.m.

Please remember everyone on our Prayer List, especially Patricia, Spurgeon, and all of those who lost loved ones on this day 11 years ago.

Your servant in Christ,

Fr. Chester J. Makowski+

St. Augustine of Hippo Episcopal Church

Galveston, Texas 77550

Monday, September 10, 2012

Alexander Crummell: Founder of the Union of Black Episcopalians

Today the Church remembers and honors Alexander Crummell who was born in New York City in 1819. He wished to become a priest, but received many rebuffs because he was black. James Kiefer tells is that Crummell was ordained in the Diocese of Massachusetts in 1844 when he was 25 years old, but he was excluded from a meeting of priests of the diocese. As a result, Crummell decided to go to England.

In England, he went to and after his graduation, he went to Liberia. There Crummell hoped to see established in Liberia a black Christian republic, combining the best of European and African culture, and led by a Western-educated black bishop. He visited the United States and urged blacks to join him in Liberia to swell the ranks of the church there; however, his work in Liberia ran into opposition and indifference. Crummell returned to the United States, where he undertook the founding and strengthening of urban black congregations that would provide worship, education, and social services for their communities. When some bishops proposed a separate missionary district for black parishes, he organized a group, now known as the Union of Black Episcopalians, to fight the proposal. That organization is well and alive today!

Let us pray: Almighty and everlasting God, we thank you for your servant Alexander Crummell, whom you called to preach the Gospel to those who were far off and to those who were near. Raise up in this and every land evangelists and heralds of your kingdom, that your Church may proclaim the unsearchable riches of our Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

CALENDAR REMINDERS

The Lord’s Prayer Study begins this Sunday at 11:00 a.m. Materials will be available. Please come and join this study and grow in your faith.

Bishop’s Committee Meeting is this Sunday starting immediately after the Eucharist.

Art Show begins Saturday, 22 September with a reception at 6:00 p.m.

St. Vincent’s Day celebration on 29 September with Eucharist at 10:00 a.m.

Please remember everyone on our Prayer List, especially Patricia and Spurgeon.

Your servant in Christ,

Fr. Chester J. Makowski+

St. Augustine of Hippo Episcopal Church
Galveston, Texas 77550