The appointed Gospel reading
for today’s Daily Prayer is taken from the first written Gospel, Mark, where we
read:
As soon
as they left the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with
James and John. Now Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they
told him about her at once. He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up.
Then the fever left her, and she began to serve them.
That
evening, at sunset, they brought to him all who were sick or possessed with
demons. And the whole city was gathered around the door. And he cured many who
were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and he would not
permit the demons to speak, because they knew him.
In the
morning, while it was still very dark, he got up and went out to a deserted
place, and there he prayed. And Simon and his companions hunted for him. When
they found him, they said to him, ‘Everyone is searching for you.’ He answered,
‘Let us go on to the neighboring towns, so that I may proclaim the message
there also; for that is what I came out to do.’ And he went throughout Galilee,
proclaiming the message in their synagogues and casting out demons.
A leper
came to him begging him, and kneeling he said to him, ‘If you choose, you can
make me clean.’ Moved with pity, Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him,
and said to him, ‘I do choose. Be made clean!’ Immediately the leprosy left
him, and he was made clean. After sternly warning him he sent him away at once,
saying to him, ‘See that you say nothing to anyone; but go, show yourself to
the priest, and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, as a testimony
to them.’ But he went out and began to proclaim it freely, and to spread the
word, so that Jesus could no longer go into a town openly, but stayed out in
the country; and people came to him from every quarter. (Mk. 1:29-45).
People are being healed, a sign
that the Kingdom of God is at hand and that creation is being restored and set
right, demons recognize who Jesus is and they are being cast out, and Jesus is
one the move proclaiming the message and getting the Good News out to
everyone! In Mark’s Gospel it all moves
with deliberate speed. There is a new
sheriff in town, and the likes of him have never been seen before.
Let us pray: Lord Jesus, come into our lives, heal our
sickness, cast out our demons and unleash the Good News in our lives so that we
may serve you and the Kingdom both now and evermore. Amen.
CALENDAR REMINDERS
Due to the
inclement weather, we have postponed our Annual Meeting to Sunday, 18 January
2015.
The Seaside
Seniors will meet this Thursday at 11:00 am in Sutton Hall.
Annual MLK Prayer Circle at St. Vincent’s Episcopal
House, Monday, January 19, 2015 12 Noon at 2817 Alfreda Houston Blvd.,
Galveston, Texas.
We will conclude our Adult Christian Education
class, Focus on Islam, on Sunday, 15 February 2015, when Dr. Ahmed will speak
to us. All are invited to attend.
ESL continues
Monday, Wednesday and Friday evenings from 6 pm to 8 pm in Sutton Hall.
Al-Alon in Spanish meets on Thursday evenings at 6
pm in Sutton Hall.
Please remember everyone on our Prayer List, especially those who are
ill and recovering.
Your servant in Christ,
Fr. Chester J. Makowski+
St. Augustine of Hippo
Episcopal ChurchGalveston, Texas 77550
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