The last few weeks have been and will continue to be very busy within Christendom which appears many times to be so fragmented. The new Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, officially became the 105th Archbishop of Canterbury on the 4th of February 2013 in a ceremony at St. Paul’s Cathedral in London that is over 1600 years old. He will be enthroned as Archbishop of Canterbury on the 21st of March in Canterbury Cathedral and he is currently making a pilgrimage to the cathedral. The Roman Catholic Church saw the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI and the election of Francis who will be installed on the 19th of March.
In the midst of such activity on this Friday in the fourth week of Lent, we hear from Paul’s Letter to the Romans where he writes:
We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn within a large family. And those whom he predestined he also called; and those whom he called he also justified; and those whom he justified he also glorified.
What then are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not withhold his own Son, but gave him up for all of us, will he not with him also give us everything else? Who will bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? It is Christ Jesus, who died, yes, who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us. Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will hardship, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, ‘For your sake we are being killed all day long; we are accounted as sheep to be slaughtered.’
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Rm. 8: 28-39).
In the midst of this season of Lent, in the midst of so much activity, there is a breath of hope, the movement of the Holy Spirit, and echoes of St. Paul’s words: “all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.” For example, Francis has reportedly said the Church universal needs Anglicans. In a note released after the election of the first ever pontiff from Latin America, the Anglican Bishop of Argentina and former Primate of the Anglican Church of the Southern Cone, the Rt. Rev. Greg Venables said Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio was "an inspired choice." Many are asking the Rt. Rev. Venables what Francis is really like since they both served in Argentina; who said, "He is much more of a Christian, Christ centered and Spirit filled, than a mere churchman. He believes the Bible as it is written. I have been with him on many occasions and he always makes me sit next to him and invariably makes me take part and often do what he as Cardinal should have done. He is consistently humble and wise, outstandingly gifted yet a common man. He is no fool and speaks out very quietly yet clearly when necessary."
The Rt. Rev. Venables added that in a conversation with the new Pope Francis, Francis made it clear that he values the place of Anglicans in the Church universal. "He called me to have breakfast with him one morning and told me very clearly that the Ordinariate (the acceptance and ordination of former Anglican/Episcopal clergy as Roman Catholics) was quite unnecessary and that the Church needs us as Anglicans. The former Primate of the Anglican Communion's Iglesia Anglicana del Cono Sur de America added, "I consider this to be an inspired appointment not because he is a close and personal friend, but because of who he is In Christ. Pray for him."
Let us pray: Gracious Father, we pray for thy holy Catholic Church. Fill it with all truth, in all truth with all peace. Where it is corrupt, purify it; where it is in error, direct it; where in any thing it is amiss, reform it. Where it is right, strengthen it; where it is in want, provide for it; where it is divided, reunite it; for the sake of Jesus Christ thy Son our Savior. Amen.
CALENDAR REMINDERSSunday, 17 March, we will have our regularly scheduled Bishop’s Committee meeting immediately following the 9:00 a.m. service.
Lenten Series: Wednesday, 29 March at 6 p.m. at Grace with the Rev. Dr. J. Pittman McGehee.
The Seaside Seniors will meet in Sutton Hall on Thursday, 21 March.
Please remember everyone on our Prayer List especially Gladys.
Your servant in Christ,
The Rev. Chester J. Makowski+
St. Augustine of Hippo Episcopal Church
Galveston, Texas 77550
No comments:
Post a Comment