Feast of the Holy Cross

It was the perfect storm: the power and might of the Roman Empire, men who wanted to keep their own power and traditions, and an innocent man who came to free the world and to transform it.  Today is the Feast of the Holy Cross where we recall how God used a most unlikely instrument to show us His love for us in the person of Jesus Christ.

 

Throughout Christian history, the cross has been the universal image of Christian belief. To be sure, however, in the Early Church, crosses could be found outside the city walls as a reminder of the power of the Roman Empire and its dealings with those who opposed it.  Many early Christians lost their lives for their faith in Jesus on crosses, including Simon Peter. However, since that time, generations of artists have turned an instrument of torture into a thing of beauty symbolizing God’s faithful love for His people.

Every time that we make the sign of the cross, let us remember what Jesus did for us, and let us recall our own baptisms where we died with Christ and arose to a new life in him.

 

Let us pray:  O God, who by the passion of your blessed Son made an instrument of shameful death to be for us the means of life and peace: Grant us so to glory in the cross of Christ, that we may gladly suffer shame and loss for the sake of your Son our Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.  Amen.

 

CALENDAR REMINDERS

 

Seaside Seniors, Thursday, 18 September 2014 starting at 11 AM.

 

Invite Someone to Church Sunday is on the 21st of September 2014.  Please invite someone to Church to experience the joy of the Good News.

 

Church Women United: Human Rights Celebration: “We Are in God’s Hands and We Are God’s Hands”, Friday, 26 September 2014 from 11 AM to 1 PM.  Everyone is invited!

 

St. Vincent’s Feast Day and the 60th Anniversary of St. Vincent’s House will be celebrated the weekend of 27 and 28 September 2014.  We will have the installation of the new director of St. Vincent’s House, the Rev. Freda Marie Brown, on Saturday, 27 September 2014 starting at 10 AM, the Houston’s Hero Award and then on the 28th the Eucharist at St. Augustine’s at 9 AM with Bishop Jeff Fisher and then the dinner starting at 3 PM.  Don’t miss this!

 

The 6th Annual Art Show, “Let There Be Light,” will start on the 4th of October and last for 1 week.

 

Please remember everyone on our Prayer List.

 

Your servant in Christ,

 

Fr. Chester J. Makowski+

St. Augustine of Hippo Episcopal Church

Galveston, Texas 77550