The Wedding Feast of Cana During Lent?

In this Monday of the first full week of Lent, we have a Gospel reading that does not seem to fit into the solemnity of the Lenten season; it is the wedding feast of Cana. John writes:

On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. When the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to him, ‘They have no wine.’ And Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, what concern is that to you and to me? My hour has not yet come.’ His mother said to the servants, ‘Do whatever he tells you.’ Now standing there were six stone water-jars for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. Jesus said to them, ‘Fill the jars with water.’ And they filled them up to the brim. He said to them, ‘Now draw some out, and take it to the chief steward.’ So they took it. When the steward tasted the water that had become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the steward called the bridegroom and said to him, ‘Everyone serves the good wine first, and then the inferior wine after the guests have become drunk. But you have kept the good wine until now.’ Jesus did this, the first of his signs, in Cana of Galilee, and revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.

After this he went down to Capernaum with his mother, his brothers, and his disciples; and they remained there for a few days. (Jn. 2: 1-12).

Although it seems out of place in the first full week of Lent, let’s take a closer look.

Notice that the passage starts with “on the third day”. We recall that Jesus was raised from the dead by God the Father “on the third day”.

The context of the reading is a celebration, a wedding feast. Feasts in the New Testament are symbols of the Kingdom of God and the heavenly banquet. The fine quality of the wine, which surprised the wine steward, is indicative of God’s generosity and abundance—there is enough “goodness” to go around for everyone in the Kingdom of God.

Even when we are assaulted by temptation, commit sin and stray from God’s will for us, we nevertheless live in the abundance of God’s grace. God is there with us when we are tempted to act contrary to His will for us. He knows our weaknesses and God is mighty to save us through His Son, Jesus Christ. We are at all times, an Easter people, living in the wake of the Resurrection.

Let us pray: Almighty God, whose blessed Son was led by the Spirit to be tempted by Satan: Come quickly to help us who are assaulted by many temptations; and, as you know the weaknesses of each of us, let each one find you mighty to save; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

CALENDAR REMINDERS

Lenten Program starts this Wednesday, 16 March at 6:00 p.m. We will have a combined Lenten program with Grace Episcopal on Wednesday evenings. It will begin with the Stations of the Cross, Eucharist, a light meal and then a teaching.

We will have a pot luck lunch for Easter.

PLEASE REMEMBER EVERYONE ON OUR PRAYER LIST, especially the people of Japan.

Your servant in Christ,

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

A Little Something for Everyone

SPRING FORWARD THIS SATURDAY! YES, IT’S THAT TIME AGAIN; WE MOVE OUR CLOCKS AHEAD 1 HOUR THIS SATURDAY NIGHT.

In this first Friday in Lent, we hear from the second chapter of the Epistle to Titus. Paul wrote this letter to his companion in ministry, Titus, and he gives him sound advice in what he is called to do as a leader of the faith community. Today, there is a little in it for everyone. He writes:

But as for you, teach what is consistent with sound doctrine. Tell the older men to be temperate, serious, prudent, and sound in faith, in love, and in endurance.

Likewise, tell the older women to be reverent in behavior, not to be slanderers or slaves to drink; they are to teach what is good, so that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be self-controlled, chaste, good managers of the household, kind, being submissive to their husbands, so that the word of God may not be discredited.

Likewise, urge the younger men to be self-controlled. Show yourself in all respects a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, gravity, and sound speech that cannot be censured; then any opponent will be put to shame, having nothing evil to say of us.

Tell slaves to be submissive to their masters and to give satisfaction in every respect; they are not to answer back, not to pilfer, but to show complete and perfect fidelity, so that in everything they may be an ornament to the doctrine of God our Savior.

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all, training us to renounce impiety and worldly passions, and in the present age to live lives that are self-controlled, upright, and godly, while we wait for the blessed hope and the manifestation of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. He it is who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purify for himself a people of his own who are zealous for good deeds.

Declare these things; exhort and reprove with all authority. Let no one look down on you. (Titus 2: 1-15).

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Lent in Galveston:

http://galvestondailynews.com/story/216866

St. Augustine is featured in the first issue of Diolog:

http://www.omagdigital.com/publication/?i=62992

CALENDAR REMINDERS

Lenten Program: We will have a combined Lenten program with Grace Episcopal on Wednesday evenings as we have had in years past. It will begin with the Stations of the Cross, Eucharist, a light meal and then a teaching. The first one will be on Wednesday, 16 March at 6:00 p.m. at Grace Episcopal.

Saturday, 12 March, work day in the Community Garden, and work begins at 8:00 a.m.

PLEASE REMEMBER EVERYONE ON OUR PRAYER LIST, especially the people of Japan, Roylene Lemons and pray for the family of Juanita Mack who died this week.

Your servant in Christ,

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

Do Good

SPRING FORWARD THIS SATURDAY! YES, IT’S THAT TIME AGAIN; WE MOVE OUR CLOCKS AHEAD 1 HOUR THIS SATURDAY NIGHT.

In this first Thursday in Lent, we hear from Psalm 37 where the Psalmist writes:

Depart from evil, and do good;
so you shall abide for ever.
For the Lord loves justice;
he will not forsake his faithful ones.

These are good words to begin the Lenten season. The Psalmist invites us to “do good”. Goodness is not passive; it is active. Doing good is an act of love. The Old Testament prophet Micah reminds us: “And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” Micah 6:8. It includes, as Bishop Munawar K. Rumalshah, Bishop Emeritus of Peshawar, Pakistan, reminds us “cleaning the wounds of those who hate us” and cleaning the wounds of those whom you and I may hate. Doing good is doing God’s justice which includes reconciliation with those whom we may, for one reason or another, despise. We are called to reconciliation during this season of Lent because as we were reminded in the Ash Wednesday collect, God hates nothing that He has made.

Let us pray: Almighty and everlasting God, you hate nothing you have made and forgive the sins of all who are penitent: Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we, worthily lamenting our sins and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of you, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Lent in Galveston:

http://galvestondailynews.com/story/216866

Augustine is featured in the first issue of Diolog:

http://www.omagdigital.com/publication/?i=62992

CALENDAR REMINDERS

Lenten Program: We will have a combined Lenten program with Grace Episcopal on Wednesday evenings as we have had in years past. It will begin with the Stations of the Cross, Eucharist, a light meal and then a teaching. The first one will be on Wednesday, 16 March at 6:00 p.m. at Grace Episcopal.

Saturday, 12 March, work day in the Community Garden.

PLEASE REMEMBER EVERYONE ON OUR PRAYER LIST, especially Roylene Lemons and pray for the family of Juanita Mack who died this week.

Your servant in Christ,

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

I Invite You, in the Name of the Church, to the Observance of a Holy Lent.

Today is Ash Wednesday; we begin Lent. In the liturgy for today, the Book of Common Prayer invites us to participate in this season in a meaningful way:

Dear People of God: The first Christians observed with great devotion the days of our Lord’s passion and resurrection, and it became the custom of the Church to prepare for them by a season of penitence and fasting. This season of Lent provided a time in which converts to the faith were prepared for Holy Baptism. It was also a time when those who, because of notorious sins, had been separated from the body of the faithful were reconciled by penitence and forgiveness, and restored to the fellowship of the Church. Thereby, the whole congregation was put in mind of the message of pardon and absolution set forth in the Gospel of our Savior, and of the need which all Christians continually have to renew their repentance and faith.

I invite you, therefore, in the name of the Church, to the observance of a holy Lent, by self examination and repentance; by prayer, fasting, and self denial; and by reading and meditating on God’s holy Word. And, to make a right beginning of repentance, and as a mark of our mortal nature, let us now kneel before the Lord, our maker and redeemer. (BCP, p. 264-5).

I don’t know about you, but sometimes I feel overwhelmed by the ever changing world of technology. Just when I get accustomed to the idea of cell phones getting smaller and smaller, I’m introduced to the idea of bigger and bigger so I can watch TV on my cell phone. I am surrounded by more and more information with no place to put it. The world around me moves much faster than I can run to keep up with it; my world moves so rapidly that my vision becomes blurred. Then Lent comes, and the Ash Wednesday liturgy bids us to slow down and to refocus and become centered, to sort out what really matters. On Ash Wednesday, we are reminded in a very concrete way that our time on earth is limited; that we should use our time wisely to concentrate on what is important, something that lasts longer than 2G, 3G and 4G technology. It is a time to center on our relationship with the eternal, on our relationship with God. Our relationships with loved ones outlast technology. Lent is a time to concentrate on what is truly important in life, our relationships with God, our neighbors and and even ourselves.

So I invite you, in the name of the Church, to the observance of a holy Lent.

THANK YOU TO THE TAYLORS FOR A WONDERFUL MARDI GRAS CELEBRATION! Yesterday, we inaugurated a new tradition at St. Augustine's for Fat Tuesday, a true Mardi Gras celebration. A good time was had by all!

CALENDAR REMINDERS

Ash Wednesday, 9 March at 7 P.M.: The Ash Wednesday Liturgy with the imposition of ashes. The ashes this year will be taken from the Palm Sunday crosses from St. James the Fisherman and given to us by Bob Newding.

Lenten Program: We will have a combined Lenten program with Grace Episcopal on Wednesday evenings as we have had in years past. It will begin with the Stations of the Cross, Eucharist, a light meal and then a teaching.

Saturday, 12 March, work day in the Community Garden.

PLEASE REMEMBER EVERYONE ON OUR PRAYER LIST, especially Roylene Lemons and pray for the family of Juanita Mack, who was buried yesterday.

Your servant in Christ,

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

Shrove Doesn't Mean Pancake!

What in the world is “Shrove Tuesday”? It doesn't mean "pancake".

Lent, which simply means “spring,” was preceded by “shrovetide” (hence Shrove Tuesday). The English term “shrovetide” can be explained by a sentence in the Anglo-Saxon Ecclesiastical Institutes translated from Theodulphus by Abbot Aelfric about 1000 A.D.:

“In the week immediately before Lent everyone shall go to his confessor and confess his deeds and the confessor shall so shrive him as he then may hear by his deeds what he is to do in the way of penance.”

So "shrove" is the past tense of "shrive" which means "to hear someone's confession".

The celebratory aspect of the day developed long before the Protestant Reformation, and was associated with releasing high spirits before the somber season of Lent, thus the continuing carnival tradition associated with Mardi Gras.

Let us pray: Father, keep before us the wisdom and love you have revealed in your Son. Help us to be like him in word and deed, for he lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.

CALENDAR REMINDERS

MARDI GRAS FUN AT ST. AUGUSTINE'S on FAT TUESDAY, 8 MARCH at 6 P.M.: Welcome a new tradition at St. Augustine's for Fat Tuesday, a true Mardi Gras celebration to be inaugurated by a famous Mardi Gras King and his Queen at St. Augustine’s!

Ash Wednesday, 9 March at 7 P.M.: The Ash Wednesday Liturgy with the imposition of ashes. The ashes this year will be taken from the Palm Sunday crosses from St. James the Fisherman and given to us by Bob Newding.

Lenten Program: We will have a combined Lenten program with Grace Episcopal on Wednesday evenings as we have had in years past. It will begin with the Stations of the Cross, Eucharist, a light meal and then a teaching.

Saturday, 12 March, work day in the Community Garden.

PLEASE REMEMBER EVERYONE ON OUR PRAYER LIST, especially Roylene Lemons and Juanita Mack.

Your servant in Christ,

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

The Word that Sustains

The Epistle reading, from the Letter to the Hebrews, and the Gospel reading, from the Gospel according to John, center on how Jesus reveals to us who God is. The Letter to the Hebrews tells us:

Long ago God spoke to our ancestors in many and various ways by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom he also created the worlds. He is the reflection of God’s glory and the exact imprint of God’s very being, and he sustains all things by his powerful word. When he had made purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs. (Heb. 1; 1-4).

John writes:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it. (Jn. 1: 1-5).

Common to both of the readings is the idea that Jesus reflects God perfectly. Jesus reflects God perfectly because Jesus is in fact God. Jesus is the very Son of God who by the Word, his Word, sustains everything in the universe, but he is also true man, like you and me in all things. And so the season of Epiphany draws to an end, and we Jesus is revealed to us as the sustainer of all that is.

Let us pray: Father of light, unchanging God, You reveal to people of faith the resplendent fact of the Word made flesh, Your Son, Jesus Christ. Your light is strong, Your love is near; draw us beyond the limits which this world imposes, to the life where Your Spirit makes all life complete. Amen.

CALENDAR REMINDERS

MARDI GRAS FUN AT ST. AUGUSTINE'S on FAT TUESDAY, 8 MARCH at 6 P.M.: Welcome a new tradition at St. Augustine's for Fat Tuesday, a true Mardi Gras celebration to be inaugurated by a famous Mardi Gras King and his Queen at St. Augustine’s!

Ash Wednesday, 9 March at 7 P.M.: The Ash Wednesday Liturgy with the imposition of ashes. The ashes this year will be taken from the Palm Sunday crosses from St. James the Fisherman and given to us by Bob Newding.

Lenten Program: We will have a combined Lenten program with Grace Episcopal on Wednesday evenings as we have had in years past. It will begin with the Stations of the Cross, Eucharist, a light meal and then a teaching.

Saturday, 12 March, work day in the Community Garden.

PLEASE REMEMBER EVERYONE ON OUR PRAYER LIST, especially Roylene Lemons and Juanita Mack.

Your servant in Christ,

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

The Rev. Paul Cuffee, Missionary in the United States

Today the Church remembers someone from our own country, a native son who lived and worked as a missionary in Long Island, New York, the Rev. Paul Cuffee, a member of the Shinnecock tribe. He was the second of seven sons of Peter Cuffee a native Indian of the Shinnecock tribe, and grandson, on his mothers side, of the Rev. Peter John. Paul was born in near Brookhaven, New York probably at Wading River, on 4 March 1757.

The Rev. Cuffee’s tombstone, near Riverhead, New York, tells his story: “Erected by the New York Missionary Society, in memory of the Rev. Paul Cuffee, an Indian of the Shinnecock tribe, who was employed by the Society for the last thirteen years of his life, on the Eastern part of Long Island, where he labored the fidelity and success. Humble, pious and indefatigable in testifying the gospel of the grace of God, he finished his course with joy on the 7th of March, 1812, aged 55 years and 3 days” During those years, the Rev. Cuffee travelled on foot throughout Long Island, which is some 118 miles long.

Let us pray: Almighty God, you empowered Paul Cuffee to be a powerful evangelist and preacher and so to win many souls for Christ among the Native Americans of Long Island: Help us to proclaim your Word with power, in the Name of the same Jesus Christ; who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

CALENDAR REMINDERS

MARDI GRAS FUN AT ST. AUGUSTINE'S on FAT TUESDAY, 8 MARCH at 6 P.M.: Welcome a new tradition at St. Augustine's for Fat Tuesday, a true Mardi Gras celebration to be inaugurated by a famous Mardi Gras King and his Queen at St. Augustine’s!

Ash Wednesday, 9 March at 7 P.M.: The Ash Wednesday Liturgy with the imposition of ashes. The ashes this year will be taken from the Palm Sunday crosses from St. James the Fisherman and given to us by Bob Newding.

Lenten Program: We will have a combined Lenten program with Grace Episcopal on Wednesday evenings as we have had in years past. It will begin with the Stations of the Cross, Eucharist, a light meal and then a teaching.

Saturday, 12 March, work day in the Community Garden.

Clothing is still welcome for the people of Lord of the Streets.

PLEASE REMEMBER EVERYONE ON OUR PRAYER LIST, especially Karen Lehr for her continued recovery and for Juanita Mack.

Your servant in Christ,

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