With Boldness

In today’s reading in the Daily Office from the Acts of the Apostles, we read about Paul’s hearing before Agrippa. By way of background, you will recall that Paul was not receiving justice at the hands of the Roman governors, so as a Roman citizen he appealed to Caesar Nero to defend himself.

In Acts 25 we read that Agrippa and his sister Bernice came to pay the new governor, Festus, on a visit in Caesarea. While they were there, Festus consulted with Agrippa as to what he should write on the charge sheet to be sent to Rome with Paul. When Agrippa heard that Paul was there, he requested that Paul be brought before him to make his case:

Agrippa said to Paul, “You have permission to speak for yourself.” Then Paul stretched out his hand and began to defend himself: “I consider myself fortunate that it is before you, King Agrippa, I am to make my defense today against all the accusations of the Jews, because you are especially familiar with all the customs and controversies of the Jews; therefore I beg of you to listen to me patiently.”

“All the Jews know my way of life from my youth, a life spent from the beginning among my own people and in Jerusalem. They have known for a long time, if they are willing to testify, that I have belonged to the strictest sect of our religion and lived as a Pharisee. And now I stand here on trial on account of my hope in the promise made by God to our ancestors, a promise that our twelve tribes hope to attain, as they earnestly worship day and night. It is for this hope, your Excellency, that I am accused by Jews! Why is it thought incredible by any of you that God raises the dead?”

“Indeed, I myself was convinced that I ought to do many things against the name of Jesus of Nazareth. And that is what I did in Jerusalem; with authority received from the chief priests, I not only locked up many of the saints in prison, but I also cast my vote against them when they were being condemned to death. By punishing them often in all the synagogues I tried to force them to blaspheme; and since I was so furiously enraged at them, I pursued them even to foreign cities.”

“With this in mind, I was travelling to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests, when at midday along the road, your Excellency, I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining around me and my companions. When we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew* language, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It hurts you to kick against the goads.’ I asked, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ The Lord answered, ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. But get up and stand on your feet; for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you to serve and testify to the things in which you have seen me and to those in which I will appear to you. I will rescue you from your people and from the Gentiles—to whom I am sending you to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’”

“After that, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, but declared first to those in Damascus, then in Jerusalem and throughout the countryside of Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God and do deeds consistent with repentance. For this reason the Jews seized me in the temple and tried to kill me. To this day I have had help from God, and so I stand here, testifying to both small and great, saying nothing but what the prophets and Moses said would take place: that the Messiah must suffer, and that, by being the first to rise from the dead, he would proclaim light both to our people and to the Gentiles.” (Acts 26:1-23).

Agrippa was the great-grandson of Herod the Great, who you may recall tried to kill the new born Jesus when he ordered all of the male children under the age of 2 to be killed. Agrippa’s father was Agrippa I, who beheaded the apostle James and arrested Peter.

What an audience for Paul: king, queen, governor, the leading citizens of the city and leading Roman officials. Paul enters in chains. He begins his defense. There is no fear in his voice, only confidence in Christ. He tells his story of conversion, of the impact Jesus had on his life, in detail and without hesitation. He does not mince words; Paul tells it as it occurred, how he was the strictest of Pharisees who persecuted the Christians, and how Jesus transformed his life. Now, he proclaimed the Good News of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, traveling across the Roman Empire establishing communities of faith.

How many of us proclaim our faith in Jesus with the boldness of Paul in front of Agrippa? How many of us defend our faith without hesitation of concern for what it might cost us personally?

Let us pray: good Lord, help us to be as faithful as Paul in proclaiming our faith in you. May we be faithful followers always ready to proclaim with boldness our love of you. Amen.

CALENDAR REMINDERS

Sunday, 17 October 2010, the Heritage Choral Choir at the 9 a.m. service.

Adult Christian Formation: The Gospel According to Mark at 11:15 a.m. in Bright-Davies Hall.

Please remember to pray for everyone on our Prayer List and especially for Lee, Cindi, Carol, Marilyn, Gladys and Pat.

Your servant in Christ,

Fr. Chester J. Makowski+

St. Augustine of Hippo Episcopal Church

Galveston, Texas 77550

Bribes and Buying Favor

Today we hear how politics impacts Paul:

Some days later when Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was Jewish, he sent for Paul and heard him speak concerning faith in Christ Jesus. And as he discussed justice, self-control, and the coming judgment, Felix became frightened and said, “Go away for the present; when I have an opportunity, I will send for you.” At the same time he hoped that money would be given to him by Paul, and for that reason he used to send for him very often and converse with him.

After two years had passed, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus; and since he wanted to grant the Jews a favor, Felix left Paul in prison.

Three days after Festus had arrived in the province, he went up from Caesarea to Jerusalem where the chief priests and the leaders of the Jews gave him a report against Paul. They appealed to him and requested, as a favor to them against Paul, to have him transferred to Jerusalem. They were, in fact, planning an ambush to kill him along the way. Festus replied that Paul was being kept at Caesarea, and that he himself intended to go there shortly. “So”, he said, “let those of you who have the authority come down with me, and if there is anything wrong about the man, let them accuse him.”

After he had stayed among them for not more than eight or ten days, he went down to Caesarea; the next day he took his seat on the tribunal and ordered Paul to be brought. When he arrived, the Jews who had gone down from Jerusalem surrounded him, bringing many serious charges against him, which they could not prove. Paul said in his defense, “I have in no way committed an offence against the law of the Jews, or against the temple, or against the emperor.” But Festus, wishing to do the Jews a favor, asked Paul, “Do you wish to go up to Jerusalem and be tried there before me on these charges?” Paul said, “I am appealing to the emperor’s tribunal; this is where I should be tried. I have done no wrong to the Jews, as you very well know. Now if I am in the wrong and have committed something for which I deserve to die, I am not trying to escape death; but if there is nothing to their charges against me, no one can turn me over to them. I appeal to the emperor.” Then Festus, after he had conferred with his council, replied, “You have appealed to the emperor; to the emperor you will go.” (Acts 24:24-25:12).

Political favors, desires for bribes—that’s Felix’s plan. Then the next government official comes in, Porcius Festus, and he wants to get in good with the people, and he leaves Paul in prison. Then Festus comes in, and Paul appeals to the emperor, so Festus sends Paul off to the emperor. Yet in the midst of this, Paul remains faithful, even though he cannot get justice.

Sometimes it is difficult to get justice. You don’t have to look far. All you have to do is listen to the news—unlawful foreclosures, people unjustly convicted, and more. We can see this happening even around the Island. Sometimes the system that is supposed to provide us with justice fails. What are we to do? The first thing we need to do it to pray. Prayer in the midst of dealing with injustice is essential.

Let us pray: Lord God give us strength to deal with the injustice that we witness or may even face personally. Help us to right the wrongs that we encounter. Send your Holy Spirit to be our constant companion, this we ask in Jesus’ name. Amen.

CALENDAR REMINDERS

Saturday, 9 October at 10 a.m. the Blessing of the Animals on the Church lawn.

Second Sunday Contemporary Music with Carlos Williams at 8 a.m.

The Second Annual Art Show continues.

Please remember everyone on our Prayer List, especially Gladys, Pat, Lee, Carol, Cindi and Seth.

Your servant in Christ,

Fr. Chester J. Makowski+

St. Augustine of Hippo Episcopal Church

Galveston, Texas 77550

How Do We See God?

Today in the Daily Office readings, we pick up where we left off yesterday. Paul comes before Felix, and the accusations fly:

Five days later the high priest Ananias came down with some elders and an attorney, a certain Tertullus, and they reported their case against Paul to the governor. When Paul had been summoned, Tertullus began to accuse him, saying:

“Your Excellency, because of you we have long enjoyed peace, and reforms have been made for this people because of your foresight. We welcome this in every way and everywhere with utmost gratitude. But, to detain you no further, I beg you to hear us briefly with your customary graciousness. We have, in fact, found this man a pestilent fellow, an agitator among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes. He even tried to profane the temple, and so we seized him. By examining him yourself you will be able to learn from him concerning everything of which we accuse him.”

The Jews also joined in the charge by asserting that all this was true.

When the governor motioned to him to speak, Paul replied:

“I cheerfully make my defense, knowing that for many years you have been a judge over this nation. As you can find out, it is not more than twelve days since I went up to worship in Jerusalem. They did not find me disputing with anyone in the temple or stirring up a crowd either in the synagogues or throughout the city. Neither can they prove to you the charge that they now bring against me. But this I admit to you, that according to the Way, which they call a sect, I worship the God of our ancestors, believing everything laid down according to the law or written in the prophets. I have a hope in God—a hope that they themselves also accept—that there will be a resurrection of both the righteous and the unrighteous. Therefore I do my best always to have a clear conscience towards God and all people. Now after some years I came to bring alms to my nation and to offer sacrifices. While I was doing this, they found me in the temple, completing the rite of purification, without any crowd or disturbance. But there were some Jews from Asia—they ought to be here before you to make an accusation, if they have anything against me. Or let these men here tell what crime they had found when I stood before the council, unless it was this one sentence that I called out while standing before them, ‘It is about the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial before you today.’”

But Felix, who was rather well informed about the Way, adjourned the hearing with the comment, “When Lysias the tribune comes down, I will decide your case.” Then he ordered the centurion to keep him in custody, but to let him have some liberty and not to prevent any of his friends from taking care of his needs. (Acts 24: 1-23).

In today’s USA Today, the front page article is “How America Sees God”. It discusses a new book done by some scholars at Baylor. Their survey says that 9 out of 10 Americans believe in God, but what kind of God is it? The scholars gave their subjects 4 choices for a view of God: authoritative, benevolent, critical or distant. What kind of God did Paul believe in? I don’t think he restricted himself to the 4 choices set out in USA Today. You can tell from today’s selection from Acts that Paul believed in a God who could do what we consider impossible. He believed in a God who could bring about the resurrection, a God who is not limited by our limited understanding. Paul believed in a God who is best described in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh, the perfect expression of who God is. That is the God that Paul believed in, a belief shared by a great many, including me.

Let us pray: Lord God, we Your human sons and daughters are ever in awe of You, a God who makes the impossible a reality, a God who so loves us that You sent Your only begotten Son to reconcile us to You. We praise You and offer You thanks. Amen.

CALENDAR REMINDERS

Saturday, 9 October 2010 at 10:00 a.m., the Blessing of the Animals on the Church lawn.

The Second Annual Art Show continues this weekend.

Carlos Williams and his group will begin this Sunday as our Second Sunday musicians. Tell your friends.

Please remember everyone on our Prayer List, and especially Gladys, Pat, Lee, Cindi, Seth and Carol.

Your servant in Christ,

Fr. Chester J. Makowski+

St. Augustine of Hippo Episcopal Church

Galveston, Texas 77550

Paul the Roman Citizen

In today’s reading from the Acts of the Apostles, Paul is sent to Felix the governor:

Then he summoned two of the centurions and said, “Get ready to leave by nine o’clock tonight for Caesarea with two hundred soldiers, seventy horsemen, and two hundred spearmen. Also provide mounts for Paul to ride, and take him safely to Felix the governor.” He wrote a letter to this effect:

“Claudius Lysias to his Excellency the governor Felix, greetings. This man was seized by the Jews and was about to be killed by them, but when I had learned that he was a Roman citizen, I came with the guard and rescued him. Since I wanted to know the charge for which they accused him, I had him brought to their council. I found that he was accused concerning questions of their law, but was charged with nothing deserving death or imprisonment. When I was informed that there would be a plot against the man, I sent him to you at once, ordering his accusers also to state before you what they have against him.”

So the soldiers, according to their instructions, took Paul and brought him during the night to Antipatris. The next day they let the horsemen go on with him, while they returned to the barracks. When they came to Caesarea and delivered the letter to the governor, they presented Paul also before him. On reading the letter, he asked what province he belonged to, and when he learned that he was from Cilicia, he said, “I will give you a hearing when your accusers arrive.” Then he ordered that he be kept under guard in Herod’s headquarters. (Acts 23:23-35).

Paul caused quite a stir as we can see from today’s reading. Although Paul was a circumcised Jew, and a Pharisee, he was born in the city of Tarsus. See Acts 22:27, 28. A hundred years before, the Roman politician Anthony had conferred Roman citizenship upon all the inhabitants of Tarsus, and this was later attested to by Emperor Caesar Augustus. See Acts 21:39; 22:3. As a result, Paul was entitled to certain rights, one of which was a hearing before a Roman official. As the story unfolds, we will see what that gets him. You mat recall that Jesus, although not a Roman citizen, was brought before Pontius Pilate.

Sometimes civil officials get things wrong, even quite wrong. That was true in Jesus’ day and in Paul’s day as well. It is true in our day. No doubt, being a civil official charged with the responsibility of governing is no easy task. Sometimes civil officials look out for their own interests and not those of the citizenry. We should keep in our prayers all civil officials so that they may discharge their duties faithfully always keeping in mind that they are the servants of the people.

Let us pray: Lord God and King, open the hearts and minds of all civil officials to do what is best for those that they serve. Make them ever mindful that they are called not for their own gain, but to govern with justice. Guide their decisions for the welfare and right governance of all Your people. We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and ever more. Amen.

CALENDAR REMINDERS

Saturday, 9 October at 10:00 a.m.: the Blessing of the Animals on the Church lawn. Pets of all sizes and varieties are welcome.

The Second Annual Art Show continues this weekend.

Please remember everyone on our prayer list, especially, Gladys, Pat, Lee, Cindi, Seth and Peggy.

Your servant in Christ,

Fr. Chester J. Makowski+

St. Augustine of Hippo Episcopal Church

Galveston, Texas 77550

Many Times Fear Is At the Root of Violence

The Daily Office continues its trek through the Acts of the Apostles, and today we see where Paul, once the hunter, becomes the hunted:

In the morning the Jews joined in a conspiracy and bound themselves by an oath neither to eat nor drink until they had killed Paul. There were more than forty who joined in this conspiracy. They went to the chief priests and elders and said, “We have strictly bound ourselves by an oath to taste no food until we have killed Paul. Now then, you and the council must notify the tribune to bring him down to you, on the pretext that you want to make a more thorough examination of his case. And we are ready to do away with him before he arrives.”

Now the son of Paul’s sister heard about the ambush; so he went and gained entrance to the barracks and told Paul. Paul called one of the centurions and said, “Take this young man to the tribune, for he has something to report to him.” So he took him, brought him to the tribune, and said, ‘The prisoner Paul called me and asked me to bring this young man to you; he has something to tell you.” The tribune took him by the hand, drew him aside privately, and asked, “What is it that you have to report to me?” He answered, “The Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul down to the council tomorrow, as though they were going to inquire more thoroughly into his case. But do not be persuaded by them, for more than forty of their men are lying in ambush for him. They have bound themselves by an oath neither to eat nor drink until they kill him. They are ready now and are waiting for your consent.” So the tribune dismissed the young man, ordering him, “Tell no one that you have informed me of this.”

Then he summoned two of the centurions and said, “Get ready to leave by nine o’clock tonight for Caesarea with two hundred soldiers, seventy horsemen, and two hundred spearmen. Also provide mounts for Paul to ride, and take him safely to Felix, the governor.” (Acts 23:12-24).

Remember when we began our journey through Acts, we read how Paul, then called Saul, hunted the Christians. He was even present when the first deacon, Stephen, was stoned to death. Now the tables have turned and the Jewish people are after Paul. Today we hear how they vowed not to eat or drink until they had killed him. I am struck by their vehemence, their shear hatred of Paul. Many times such emotions have their roots in fear. Many times when people are afraid, they act out in violence. Here the people were afraid that Paul’s actions would eradicate their way of life, what they believed in. No doubt today we witness, from time to time, the same type of behavior. We have to be on guard. We cannot let fear get the best of us. Fear is one of the strongest tools in Satan’s bag.

Let us pray: Lord Christ, when we fear the unknown, when we fear others, bring your peace into our hearts that we may discern the best course of action. Help us to put our trust in the Holy Spirit to guide us to do the Father’s will. Amen.

CALENDAR REMINDERS:

Second Annual St. Augustine Art Show. This year’s theme is “Spirit”.

9 October 2010 at 10:00 a.m.: The Blessing of the Animals on the Church lawn. Bring your dogs, cats, pets of all kind to be blessed.

PLEASE REMEMBER EVERYONE ON OUR PRAYER LIST, especially those serving in the Armed Forces at home or abroad, the chronically ill, people undergoing special medical concerns, those who care for the elderly, those who are traveling, and those who have no one to pray for them. I would ask everyone to pray especially for Gladys, Pat’s mother, who is in the hospital, as well as Lee, Cindi and Carol.

Your servant in Christ,

Fr. Chester J. Makowski+

St. Augustine of Hippo Episcopal Church

Galveston, Texas 77550

St. Francis

Today, the Church remembers and honors one of the most well known saints, Francis of Assisi, who was born to a wealthy merchant family in 1182. Francis spent his early years living it up; one might even say that he was a playboy.

James Kiefer tells us that:

an experience of sickness and another of military service were instrumental in leading him to reflect on the purpose of life. One day, in the church of San Damiano, he seemed to hear Christ saying to him, "Francis, repair my falling house." He took the words literally, and sold a bale of silk from his father's warehouse to pay for repairs to the church of San Damiano. His father was outraged, and there was a public confrontation at which his father disinherited and disowned him, and he in turn renounced his father's wealth--one account says that he not only handed his father his purse, but also took off his expensive clothes, laid them at his father's feet, and walked away naked. He declared himself "wedded to Lady Poverty", renounced all material possessions, and devoted himself to serving the poor. In his day the most dreaded of all diseases was something known as leprosy. Lepers were kept at a distance and regarded with fear and disgust. Francis cared for them, fed them, bathed their sores, and kissed them. Since he could not pay for repairs to the Church of San Damiano, he undertook to repair it by his own labors. He moved in with the priest, and begged stones lying useless in fields, shaping them for use in repairing the church. He got his meals, not by asking for money so that he might live at the expense of others, but by scrounging crusts and discarded vegetable from trash-bins, and by working as a day laborer, insisting on being paid in bread, milk, eggs, or vegetables rather than in money. Soon a few companions joined him.

After three years, in 1210, the Pope authorized the forming of the Order of Friars Minor, commonly called the Franciscans. ("Friar" means "brother," as in "fraternity", and "minor" means "lesser" or "younger." I take the meaning to be that a Franciscan, meeting another Christian, is to think, "I am your brother in Christ, and your younger brother at that, bound to defer to you and to give you precedence over myself."

Francis and his companions took literally the words of Christ when he sent his disciples out to preach (Matthew 10:7-10): “Preach as you go, saying, ‘The kingdom of Heaven is at hand.’ ... You have received the Gospel without payment, give it to others as freely. Take no gold, or silver, or copper in your belts, no bag for your journey, no spare garment, nor sandals, nor staff.”

They would have no money, and no property, individually or collectively. Their task was to preach, "using words if necessary," but declaring by word and action the love of God in Christ. Francis was partial to a touch of the dramatic (see his parting from his father, for example), and it was probably he who set up the first Christmas manger scene, to bring home the Good News of God made man for our salvation, home to men's hearts and imaginations as well as to their intellects.

In 1219, Francis went to the Holy Land to preach to the Moslems. He was given a pass through the enemy lines, and spoke to the Sultan, Melek-al-Kamil. Francis proclaimed the Gospel to the Sultan, who replied that he had his own beliefs, and that Moslems were as firmly convinced of the truth of Islam as Francis was of the truth of Christianity. Francis proposed that a fire be built, and that he and a Moslem volunteer would walk side by side into the fire to show whose faith was stronger. The Sultan said he was not sure that a Moslem volunteer could be found. Francis then offered to walk into the fire alone. The Sultan who was deeply impressed but remained unconverted. Francis proposed an armistice between the two warring sides, and drew up terms for one; the Sultan agreed, but, to Francis's deep disappointment, the Christian leaders would not. Francis returned to Italy, but a permanent result was that the Franciscans were given custody of the Christian shrines then in Moslem hands.

Back in Italy and neighboring countries, the Order was suffering from its own success. Then, as now, many persons were deeply attracted by Francis and his air of joy, abandonment, and freedom. What is overlooked is that these were made possible only by his willingness to accept total poverty, not picturesque poverty but real dirt, rags, cold, and hunger, and lepers with real pus oozing from their sores and a real danger of infection. Many idealistic young men were joining the Order in a burst of enthusiasm and then finding themselves not so sure that such extremes of poverty were really necessary. When there were only a few friars, they were all known to Francis personally, and the force of his personality kept the original ideals of the Order alive in them. Now that the Order was larger, this was no longer enough. In 1220 Francis resigned as minister-general of the Order, and in 1221 he agreed to a new and modified rule, which he did not approve, but could not resist.

Francis died on this day in 1226.

Let us pray: Most high, omnipotent, good Lord, grant your people grace gladly to renounce the vanities of this world; that, following the way of blessed Francis, we may for love of you delight in your whole creation with perfect joy; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO MADE THE FISH FRY A TREMENDOUS SUCCESS! Saturday was a wonderful day. We opened our doors to the community who enjoyed, in truth, the best fried cat fish in Texas. Everyone did their part to make this an event to remember.

CALENDAR REMINDERS:

Second Annual St. Augustine Art Show. This year’s theme is “Spirit”.

9 October 2010 at 10:00 a.m.: The Blessing of the Animals on the Church lawn. Bring your dogs, cats, birds, ferrets, pot belly pigs and pets of all kind to be blessed.

PLEASE REMEMBER EVERYONE ON OUR PRAYER LIST, especially those serving in the Armed Forces at home or abroad, the chronically ill, people undergoing special medical concerns, those who care for the elderly, those who are traveling, and those who have no one to pray for them.

Your servant in Christ,

Fr. Chester J. Makowski+

St. Augustine of Hippo Episcopal Church

Galveston, Texas 77550

Cleanse Our Hearts with Your Steadfast Love and Give Us the Joy of Your Salvation

The Daily Office is making its way through the Acts of the Apostles, and in today’s selection we discover that Paul was an educated man who was able to speak not only Hebrew but Greek as well. Today he tells the crowd read about his conversion:

Just as Paul was about to be brought into the barracks, he said to the tribune, “May I say something to you?” The tribune replied, “Do you know Greek? Then you are not the Egyptian who recently stirred up a revolt and led the four thousand assassins out into the wilderness?” Paul replied, “I am a Jew, from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of an important city; I beg you, let me speak to the people.” When he had given him permission, Paul stood on the steps and motioned to the people for silence; and when there was a great hush, he addressed them in the Hebrew language, saying:

“Brothers and fathers, listen to the defense that I now make before you.” When they heard him addressing them in Hebrew, they became even more quiet. Then he said:

“I am a Jew, born in Tarsus in Cilicia, but brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, educated strictly according to our ancestral law, being zealous for God, just as all of you are today. I persecuted this Way up to the point of death by binding both men and women and putting them in prison, as the high priest and the whole council of elders can testify about me. From them I also received letters to the brothers in Damascus, and I went there in order to bind those who were there and to bring them back to Jerusalem for punishment.”

“While I was on my way and approaching Damascus, about noon a great light from heaven suddenly shone about me. I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’ I answered, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ Then he said to me, ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth whom you are persecuting.’ Now those who were with me saw the light but did not hear the voice of the one who was speaking to me. I asked, ‘What am I to do, Lord?’ The Lord said to me, ‘Get up and go to Damascus; there you will be told everything that has been assigned to you to do.’ Since I could not see because of the brightness of that light, those who were with me took my hand and led me to Damascus.”

“A certain Ananias, who was a devout man according to the law and well spoken of by all the Jews living there, came to me; and standing beside me, he said, ‘Brother Saul, regain your sight!’ In that very hour I regained my sight and saw him. Then he said, ‘The God of our ancestors has chosen you to know his will, to see the Righteous One and to hear his own voice; for you will be his witness to all the world of what you have seen and heard. And now why do you delay? Get up, be baptized, and have your sins washed away, calling on his name.’” (Acts 21:37-22:16).

Paul had done many things in his quest to stop the Way, the Christian movement. By his own admission, he was responsible for placing men and women in prison to be punished, and sending people to their deaths all because they were followers of Christ. Paul’s actions were very serious and caused harm to many people. He separated families and friends and brought destruction to people’s lives. Nevertheless, Paul is forgiven by Jesus and is given a new name and new birth. The former Saul becomes Paul, and the very movement that he persecuted with zeal has accepted him into their midst and cared for him. And so, Paul begins a new life. No doubt Paul continued to fall from time to time, but he never returned to his old ways.

There is a little Paul in each of us. Everyone one of us has fallen short of what God calls us to do. In a word, we have all sinned. I doubt that we went to the lengths that Paul did by imprisoning people and having them put to death, but we have done our share to hurt ourselves and others. But Jesus stands there ever ready to forgive us and to embrace us with his loving arms, arms that were stretched out on a cross, and Christ gives us new life.

Let us pray: Lord Christ, sometimes, like Paul, we cause pain and suffering to those around us. We know that we from time to time we fall short of Your will for us. Forgive us, we pray, cleanse our hearts with Your steadfast love and give us the joy of Your salvation. Amen.

CALENDAR REMINDERS:

Second Annual St. Augustine Art Show. This year’s theme is “Spirit”.

2 October 2010, the St. Augustine Fish Fry. The big day is here! Come join us for good food and fellowship. Tickets are $7 per plate.

9 October 2010 at 10:00 a.m.: The Blessing of the Animals on the Church lawn. Bring your dogs, cats, birds, ferrets, pot belly pigs and pets of all kind to be blessed.

PLEASE REMEMBER EVERYONE ON OUR PRAYER LIST, especially those serving in the Armed Forces at home or abroad, the chronically ill, people undergoing special medical concerns, those who care for the elderly, those who are traveling, and those who have no one to pray for them.

Your servant in Christ,

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