Today the Church remembers the
conversion of Paul which is recorded in the Acts of the Apostles:
‘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. (Acts. 26:9-21).
Anyone can change; just ask
Paul and he will tell you. With God,
nothing is impossible. God can take our
lives and turn them around 180 degrees. With
God’s grace, we can do an “about face.”
Paul’s encounter with the Risen Christ was powerful and profound. Paul went from being a persecutor of
Christians to one of Christianity’s most powerful advocates. Put your life in Jesus’ hands, and be
prepared to have your life turned around!
Let us pray: O God, who by the preaching of your apostle
Paul have caused the light of the Gospel to shine throughout the world: Grant,
we pray, that we, having his wonderful conversion in remembrance, may show
ourselves thankful to you by following his holy teaching; 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 REMINDERS
The Painted Church Tour: We will
travel to Schulenburg (about a 2 hour ride), tour 3-4 churches, have lunch and
return to St. Augustine. We will be traveling on the bus to each of the
churches so there is not a lot of walking expected, but it is recommended that
you wear comfortable shoes and dress comfortably. Of course it is too early to
predict the weather, but we hope it will be pleasant.
Departure
Date: Saturday, February 23, 2013 at 7:30 a.m.
Depart
From: St. Augustine of Hippo Episcopal Church, 1410 41st St.
Cost:
$20to cover tour and lunch
If you are
interested in going but may not have the funds, please contact Michelle Allen,
there may be some scholarships available.
We will be
using the Galveston County Senior Citizen Program bus and they require everyone
to be 55 years of age to ride the bus. The bus has some additional requirements
that we must follow:
No eating
or drinking (except water)
Mobile
phones are for emergencies only
No smoking
The bus
will only hold 30 passengers, so it is a first come first serve basis. If we
have more sign up, Mr. Allen will add you to a waiting list. Please respond to
her by email: ms.walk.1@hotmail.com,
or call Ms. Allen at 832-244-1817 to let her know if you are interested.
MARDI GRAS
AT ST. AUGUSTINE’S HOSTED BY OUR KING & QUEEN OF MARDI GRAS, BILL &
TAMMIE TAYLOR, in Sutton Hall on Tuesday at 6 p.m., February 12.
ASH
WEDNESDAY IS FEBRUARY 13, Ash Wednesday Liturgy with the Imposition of Ashes at 6 p.m.
LENTEN
PROGRAM: Starting at 6 p.m. with the Way of the Cross, Eucharist, light supper
and then the program with—
Feb. 20:
The Rev. Allen Robinson, Rector of St. James in Baltimore, Maryland, and a
Galveston native and a son of St. Augustine (1410 41st St.)
Feb. 27:
Br. Michael Gallagher, OSB & Fr. Peter Funk, OSB, Benedictine Monks and
Co-Founders of Holy Cross Monastery at Grace (1115 36th St.)
Mar. 6:
Ms. Kathy Culmer, Storyteller & Diocesan Mission Funding Coordinator, at Trinity
(2216 Ball Ave)
Mar. 13:
The Rev. Canon John Newton, Diocese of Texas Canon for Lifelong Christian
Formation, at St. Augustine (1410 41st St.)
Mar. 20:
The Rev. Pittman McGehee, Priest, Author & Jungian Analyst, at Grace (1115
36th St.)
Mar. 27:
The Rt. Rev. C. Andrew Doyle, Bishop of the Diocese of Texas, at Trinity (2216
Ball Ave)
Please
remember everyone on our Prayer List, especially Marilyn and her entire family.
Your servant in Christ,
St. Augustine of Hippo Episcopal Church
Galveston, Texas 77550
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