Salt & Light

The Gospel reading for the Daily Prayer of the Church today comes from Matthew where we read:

 

‘Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

 

‘You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown out and trampled under foot.

 

‘You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hidden. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven. (Mt. 5:11-16).

 

Jesus tells us: “You are salt and light.”  How are we salt and light?  People know that we believe in Jesus and in his dying for us while we were sinners thereby giving us life when we treat others as people who have been redeemed by Christ.  How does that look? Feed the poor, clothe the naked, give water to the thirsty.  In England, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, has paved the way for the Church to be linked with credits unions where Church volunteers would work with financial cooperatives.  His goal is to help those who are in financial difficulty who go to pay day loan lenders who charge extremely high interest rates. When they go there, those in financial trouble get into more trouble and further behind.  The Church is even teaching those in financial trouble how to manage their money.  It is working in the parish Church in Louth, Lincolnshire.  The Church is helping people to break the cycle of debt and to be free.  In the modern world, that is what it looks like.

 

Let us pray: Gracious God you ate with sinners, with those who were shunned by the world.  Send your Holy Spirit to open our eyes to see how we can be salt and light to the world as we spread the Good News of salvation in Jesus Christ.  Amen.

 

Please remember everyone on our Prayer List, but especially, Robert, Gladys, Shirley, Lee , all of those suffering from cancer, all of the families of the victims of the shootings at the Navy Yard in Washington, D.C., and the victims of the terrible rains in Mexico where people have been left with nothing.

 

CALENDAR REMINDERS

 

The BBQ at Grace is back!  After being interrupted by Ike, the tradition is back again.  Saturday, 12 October 2013 from 11-3.  There will be a silent auction  with all sorts of wonderful items including James Avery jewelry and a bird watching cruise.  Come and support our brothers and sisters at Grace Episcopal Church.

 

St. Vincent’s House Day, Saturday, 28 September at 10 a.m. at St. Vincent’s House with Bishop Fisher and continuing on Sunday, 29 September, with the celebration of the Eucharist at St. Augustine’s at 9 a.m. followed by breakfast.

 

Adult Christian Formation: this Sunday at 11 a.m.-the ethical consideration of stem cell research.

 

Your servant in Christ,

 

Fr. Chester J. Makowski+

St. Augustine of Hippo Episcopal Church

Galveston, Texas 77550