First Sunday after Christmas, December 30th, 2018

First Sunday after Christmas Day, December 30th, 2018

When my wife makes up her mind about something . . . .  end of discussion . . .  game over.   I don't even waste my time saying anything else because when she makes up her mind about something   . . . .  she definitely makes up her mind.  I suppose all of us are like that to a certain degree.  When we set our mind on something.  When we get focused on something.  When we decide on something.   When we get fixated on something.  We say in our mind: "I'm going to do it."  "This is how it's got to be."  "There's no other choice."   It's almost as if, yes, we have decided . . . we have made the decision already  . . . . but then we have to convince ourselves  . . .  we have to talk ourselves into the decision that we've already made in our mind.  

In the First Chapter of the Gospel of St. Matthew, we read about the decisions which St. Joseph had made concerning his relationship with Mary.  In this First Chapter, St. Matthew tells us about the decision which St. Joseph has come to:  "Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily." (St. Matthew 1:19) In other words, St. Joseph knew that something needed to be done.  He knew that action needed to be taken.  He knew that he would have to make a decision.   I am sure that he had thought about the consequences in his mind.  What would happen if we did "A."   And what would happen if we did "B"  But what about if we try to do "C"?    If we place ourselves in the position of St. Joseph . . . . and Our Blessed Mother, for that matter,  . . . .  they were both placed in a very difficult position, weren't they?  In essence, they were engaged but they were not married.  And so St. Joseph came to a decision.   But then the angel appeared to him:  "But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream . .  . "  (St. Matthew 1:20)  

How many times do we, like St. Joseph, make up our mind about an important decision?  How many times do we, similar to St. Joseph, face very dire consequences which require a plan of action?  How many times do we make up our minds and nothing can change our decision?  St. Joseph had made his mind up.  St. Joseph had studied the situation and had already come to a plan of action.  But then the angel appeared to him in a dream.  God spoke to St. Joseph through the angel.  And St. Joseph listened to the angel.  His mind may have been made up already  . .. .  but at least he listened to the angel.  God may not always send an angel to speak to us like He did with St. Joseph but He will speak to us . . . . that is, if we listen.  If we are open to listening.  We have to be willing to listen, first and foremost.  Next we have to be in a position to hear what God is speaking to us.  Very often the sounds and noises of the world drown out what God is speaking to us.  It is almost as if the world is intent on grabbing our attention away from God.  We have to learn how to "tune out" the world as much as possible so that we can hear God speaking to us.  Listen to God.  Hear what God is saying to you.  Always focus on what God would have you do in any given situation.  Again, God may not send an angel to speak to you in a dream.  But He will speak to you.  If you just take the time to listen.

St. Margaret Church meets each and every Sunday morning at 9:30 AM.  We worship at the beautiful Chapel at Marquette Manor, located at 8140 N. Township Line Road on the Northwest side of Indianapolis.  We use the King James Bible and the 1928 Book of Common Prayer.  Come join us as we listen to God speak to us through His Word.  At Communion time, we receive the Precious Body and Blood of Christ to nourish us and give us strength for our journey called life.

Fourth Sunday of Advent, December 23rd, 2018

Fourth Sunday of Advent, December 23rd, 2018

If you will kindly permit me, I would like to use this time right now to show my thanksgiving . . . .  to say Thank you.    And what exactly am I thankful for, you are asking yourself.  I want to thank all of the churches and parishes for  allowing me to share some time with them.  If my calculations are correct I do believe that it has been thirty years since I entered the seminary.  In those thirty years since then I have received the opportunity to do amazing things.  I have worked in inner-city, urban parishes and I have also worked in suburban parishes.  I have worked in large parishes and I have worked in tiny parishes.  I have had the opportunity to serve parishes that did not have a priest, for example.  In traveling to parishes to serve, I felt like a modern-day circuit rider.  In these thirty some years, there were so many wonderful priests and bishops along the way who have not only guided me but they have inspired me.  So many deacons, priests, and bishops who not only taught me through their words but taught me through their example.  But it was  not only clergy who inspired me along the way.  There are so many beautiful, wonderful lay-people that have done so much to support me as well, . . .  to guide me,  . . .  to inspire me.  Without a doubt, the people of  my current parish St. Margaret of Scotland . . .  many of whom I have known and loved for about twenty years now . . . . they truly are family to me.   They have been there for me.  They have supported me.  They have stood behind me.  They give me the opportunity to be a priest.  They give me the opportunity to minister to them.  And yet they are the ones who minister to me.  As a priest I am so grateful for the opportunity to serve.  As a priest I am so grateful for the opportunity to minister.  I am truly grateful for the opportunity I have had to minister to God's people.   God has certainly blessed me beyond words.  This is why I am thankful.   So please allow me to show my thankfulness for all the blessings in my life.

To God, Our Heavenly Father, Thank you for creating me and giving me life.   To My Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, Thank you for dying on the Cross for me and carrying the burden of my sins on Your precious shoulders; To the Holy Ghost, Thank you for inspiring me and strengthening me on a daily basis.  To my family thank you for giving me unconditional love.  To my parish family, thank you for giving me the opportunity to minister to you and thank you for ministering to me and for inspiring me.  

Mass is celebrated in the Chapel of Marquette Manor, which is located at 8140 N. Township Line Road on the northwest side of Indianapolis.  Join us as we hear the Word of God preached from the King James Version of the Bible.  Listen to the Word of God speaking to you.   Spend time as God's family in solemn worship of God, taking time out of the busy schedule of life and devoting one hour to God.  And receive Our Blessed Lord in His Precious Body and Blood to help sustain us and nourish us for the journey called life.

Third Sunday of Advent, December 16th, 2018

Third Sunday of Advent, December 16th, 2018

When St. John the Baptist was in prison.  He sent two of his disciples to inquire of Our Blessed Saviour:  "Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another?" (St. Matthew 11:3)  Now if you read this passage it would almost sound like St. John is not sure and he wants to find out definitely.  And yet I would contend that St. John the Baptist has an ulterior motive in sending his two disciples to Our Lord.  He sent his disciples so that they could see with their own eyes and hear with their own ears.  He was already sure that the Messiah had come into the world.  He knew this through faith.  He knew this through a personal relationship with God.  He knew this through his commitment to God.  

Advent reminds us of the three ways in which Our Blessed Saviour comes to us.   The first way has already taken place.  On that first Christmas Day over two-thousand years ago Our Lord came to the world as a small, innocent Baby born in Bethlehem.  Although to our eyes He appeared as a small, innocent baby, we know through faith that this truly was the long-awaited Messiah of the world.  The second way Our Lord comes to us in in Blessed Sacrament.  Our Lord tells us in the Sixth Chapter of the Gospel of St. John:  "For the bread of God is He which cometh down from Heaven, and giveth life unto the world." (6:33)  Our Lord did come down from Heaven to give life to this world.  Our Lord continues in Verse 51 of this chapter:  "I am the living bread which came down from Heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is My flesh, which I will give for the life of the world."  Our Lord comes to us in the form of Bread and Wine when we receive Him at Communion time.  He feeds us.  He nourishes us.  He sustains us.  The third way in which Our Blessed Saviour will come to us is at the Second Coming.  We know He will appear to us at that Last Day.  He will appear to us in all His Majesty and All His Glory!  The Holy Season of Advent reminds us to be on the look-out.  Advent reminds us to prepare.  Advent reminds us to make our hearts ready. 

 St. Margaret Church meets each and every Sunday morning.  We gather together as a family and worship Our Heavenly Father.  We listen to the Word of God found in the King James Bible and the 1928 Book of Common Prayer.  We listen to God speaking to each one of us.  And then we come and receive the Precious Body and Blood of Our Blessed Saviour at Communion time.  Please take an hour out of your busy week and dedicate that hour to God.  So often we dedicate our time to ourselves, let us dedicate one hour to God.

St. Margaret Church meets at the beautiful chapel at Marquette Manor, located at 8140 N. Township Line Road on the Northwest side of Indianapolis.  Mass begins at 9:30 AM.

Signs from Heaven

If you are like me, you enjoy road trips.  I enjoy traveling to my destination and seeing the sights; going to new places.  Have you ever been on a long journey and you finally see a sign with your destination and you get a little excited because the sign tells you that your destination is finally in sight after a long drive?  Perhaps you've been in a store that you are not familiar with and you are looking for something.  And finally you see a sign for the object you have been searching.  And you breathe a sign of relief.  Finally!  You say to yourself.

Signs are important.  Signs point towards something greater than themselves.  In other words, in and of themselves, signs are just that:  signs.  And yet the signs point to something else.  They direct us to go the right direction.  They tell us which way to go:  left; right; or straight ahead.  Signs give information.  "Memphis, 500 miles;"  "Keep Off The Grass;"  "Turn left;"  "School Zone;" etc.  The sign itself is not really important but rather the information that the sign conveys is usually pretty important.  Again, signs point to something.  Signs give information.  Signs direct us.  But again, signs are just that:  signs.  Their importance is based solely on the fact that they give information.  Period.

The problem is that some of us are so excited by seeing the signs that we forget that the sign's purpose is simply to inform.  If I was travelling to, say, Memphis, Tennessee on a road trip and as I am driving I see a sign that says:  "Memphis, 300 Miles."   In that example, would it make much sense if I saw that sign.  . .  stopped driving and pulled over . . .  and just stood there by the sign?  I would be crazy, you'd say to yourself if you saw me doing that.  I'm driving to Memphis, yes, and the sign tells me the direction to go and how far it is but that is about it.  It's a sign.  And yet we seek signs.  We look for signs.  Even the days of old, people still sought signs.  Even the disciples sought a sign from Our Blessed Saviour.  We hear in St. Matthew's Gospel:  "And as He sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto Him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be?  and what shall be the sign of Thy coming, and the end of the world?"  (St. Matthew 24:3)  Things haven't really changed that much after two-thousand years, have they?  We have always looked for signs.  We haven't always sought signs.  This is why we hear Our Lord saying:  "And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring: men's hearts failing them for fear,  . . . . " (St. Luke 21:25)  Our Lord knows that we seek signs.  "And others, tempting Him, sought of Him a sign from Heaven." (St. Luke 11:16)  Even St. Paul in his First Epistle to the Corinthians acknowledged that people seek signs:  "For the Jews require a sign,  . . . .  " (I Corinthians 1:22)  Our Lord knows human nature better than anyone, it would seem to me.  And yet that doesn't mean He likes that we seek after signs.   "But (Jesus) answered and said unto them, an evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it but the sign of the prophet Jonas" (St. Matthew 12:39)

And what exactly was this great sign from  the Prophet Jonah that Our Lord is referring to?  "Now the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah.  And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights."  (Jonah 1:17)    Of course, Our Lord is referring to Himself.  He stated that just as Jonah was in the belly of the whale for three days and three nights, so too would be in the "heart of the earth" for three days and three nights. (St. Matthew 12:40)  The signs we see in Holy Scripture:  the miracles . ..  the raising of the dead . . . the healing of the sick . . .  the dramatic signs from Heaven . . . . they are signs, yes, but they are merely signs!  Remember, signs point to something greater than themselves.  And in each and every case, signs point toward Our Blessed Saviour.  Signs point toward Jesus being the King of the Universe!  Signs point toward that small, innocent Baby born at Bethlehem being the long-awaited Messiah of the world.

In essence, signs often point us towards a direction.  They point us towards a goal.  This is what the holy season of Advent does.  Advent points us towards Christmas.  Advent reminds us to remember the true goal of this season:  the Coming of the Christ-Child.  When the secular world all around us tries to convince us that the real reason for the season is to spend the most money on the most expensive gifts, Advent reminds us to search for the Christ-Child.  Advent reminds us to prepare a place for Him . . . . to prepare our hearts for Him.  Advent is a sign pointing us in the right direction:  pointing towards the Messiah.  Advent reminds us to always focus on Jesus.  Advent reminds us to make Jesus the true Center of our life.

Second Sunday of Advent, December 9th, 2018

Second Sunday of Advent, December 9th, 2018

In my role as a counselor working with youth, I always tell my students to keep their eye on the goal.  In other words, by keeping your eye on the goal you keep moving forward . . . you keep moving ahead.  To me, at least, this is common sense.  A goal gives us something to focus on.  It helps us to move in the right direction.  If we don't keep moving forward toward our goal, what do we do?  We either go left or right . . . we go around in circles . . .  we go backward.  In essence, this is what Advent achieves for us:  it helps us to look forward to Christmas and the Birth of the Christ-Child.  This is why we hear the following passage from St. Luke:  "AND there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken"  (St. Luke 21:25 ff)  Some people get more caught up in the signs than they do what the signs point to.  Are we more interested in the signs or are we more interested in what the signs show us?  As Christians, our goal is Christ.  As devout, committed Christians, we are called to be more Christ-like.  As Christians, we are called to bring Christ to the world.   At this time of the year, there is a lot of emphasis on "gifts."  We give gifts to our loved ones, our friends, our neighbors . . . .  The kids go tell Santa Claus what they want to receive at Christmas time.  All of this is fine, without a doubt.  But we always have to remember that God gave us the most wonderful gift imaginable when He gave us the Gift of His Son.  When Christ was born as a small, innocent baby, He gave the world Hope.  But more than that, God gave us the gift of Salvation which is won through Christ dying on the Cross and rising from the Tomb.  This gift of Salvation is freely offered but we have to accept this gift by keeping our eye on Christ and living the way that He would have us live.   Keep your eye on Christ.  Keep Him as your goal in life.  Always move closer and closer to Him and keep Him close to you.

Join us as we listen to the Word of God found in the King James Bible and the 1928 Book of Common Prayer.  Join us as we join together as God's family and worship Our Heavenly Father.  Join us as we come to the altar to be fed the Precious Body and Blood at Communion time.  And, finally, please stay after Mass for some fellowship at our coffee hour.

St. Margaret Anglican Church worships at the beautiful Chapel at Marquette Manor, which is located at 8140 N. Township Line Road on the Northwest side of Indianapolis.  Mass begins at 9:30 AM.

First Sunday of Advent, December 2nd, 2018

First Sunday of Advent, December 2nd, 2018

This weekend the Church celebrates the liturgical "New Year" because we celebrate the First Sunday of Advent this weekend.  Advent, if you will, is the "count-down" towards Christmas.  Now, in the secular world, the count-down towards "Black Friday" has come and gone and that is all some people care about.  But as nice as it is both to shop and to also receive nice presents come Christmas time, the Church has provided the holy season of Advent to help keep us focused on the "Real Reason for the Season:"  the Blessed Christ Child and His coming into the world as the Messiah.

In the Thirteenth Chapter of the Letter to the Romans, we hear the following:  " OWE no man any thing, but to love one another . . . ."  Then St. Paul goes on to say that if we love one another we have fulfilled the law (Chapter 13:8)  This advice seems pretty simple and yet pretty difficult at the same time: simple to follow in the examples of people that we love and are easy to love;  difficult because of the people that are just that:  "difficult" to get along with.  And, yet, St. Paul just like Our Blessed Lord, did not make a distinction between the two: those that are easy to love and those who are difficult to love.  It's easy to love those that are good to us, that treat us well, that are fun and naturally happy.   It's easy to love those who do nice things for us and treat us nicely.  It's very easy to love people like that.  But as I say, St. Paul never made a distinction between how to treat nice people as opposed to how to treat not-so-nice people.  And I am not aware of Our Lord making a distinction, either.  In fact, in the sixth chapter of St. Luke's Gospel, we hear Our Lord speaking:  "But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you, Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you." (St. Luke 6: 27-28)  And then He goes on to say:  "And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.  For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye?  for sinners also love those that love them.  And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye?  for sinners also do even the same."  (vv 31-32)  And, finally, Our Lord states plainly:  "But love ye your enemies, and do good and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest . . . " (v. 35)

We are indeed children of the Highest if we follow His commandments in our lives.  And following the commandments of God is sometimes pretty easy and straightforward.  But other times, following Our Lord can be a bit trickier like showing love to those whom we admittedly do not like very much.  But the Season of Advent is, first and foremost, a season of hope!  It is time spent waiting for the Messiah, waiting for the coming of the Messiah, waiting for the small Divine Infant Jesus, the One Who was sent to save the world.  This small innocent baby offers hope to the world, both the "good" and the "bad."  He offers love to the world, both the "good" and the "bad."  He offers forgiveness to the world, both the "good" and the "bad."  Our Lord does not make a distinction.  He offers His grace freely.  The only stipulation is that we must choose whether we accept His gift or not.  This Advent season, accept the gift that the Christ Child offers to you.  Make a place in your heart and make Him the ruler of your life.

The First Sunday of Advent Mass will be celebrated on Sunday, December 2nd, 2018 at 9:30 AM.  Mass is celebrated at the beautiful Chapel of Marquette Manor, which is located at 8140 N. Township Line Road on the Northwest side of Indianapolis.  Come join us as we worship Our Heavenly Father by listening to the Word of God found in the King James Version of the Bible and the 1928 Book of Common Prayer.

Sunday Next before Advent, November 25, 2018

Sunday Next before Advent, November 25th, 2018

At the very beginning of the epistle from Mass for the Sunday Next before Advent we hear to following:  "BEHOLD, the days come, saith the LORD .  . . " (Jeremiah 23:5)  Our society is obsessed with upcoming events.  For example, this time every year, we get constant reminders about how close we are to Christmas, courtesy of all the department stores, retail stores, online book stores, etc.  Behold, the big sale is about to happen . . . . Behold, this sale won't last long . . .  Behold, come and spend your hard-earned money here so that your loved ones will be happy at Christmas time.  But these "reminders," in all fairness go on all year around, quite honestly.  We are reminded on the nightly news about the upcoming summits, or upcoming sessions of Congress, or when a bill is about to be voted on.  Even in our personal life, we have to deal with upcoming reports at our jobs being due, and upcoming doctor's appointments, and things to do around the house:  whether they be preparing the house for winter or getting ready for an upcoming dinner.  So, you see, we are constantly reminded of upcoming events and the days ahead . . .

But this is not what Jeremiah wants us to think about.   In the "reminders" that I mentioned above, they are concerned with earthly, material things.  And nothing is necessarily wrong with with the things that I mentioned:  it's good to give gifts as a token of affection to loved ones;  it's good to prepare your home for the winter; it's good for politicians to do their job, etc.  But we have to keep everything in perspective of what is important.  Jeremiah continues:  "BEHOLD, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth"    We need to be concerned with the coming of the Lord as Christians.  We need to concern ourselves with making a place ready for Him when He comes.  And, quite frankly, we can make that happen now!  Yes, we can prepare our hearts for Him and prepare a place in our heart for Our Blessed Lord.  You see, all of the daily routines in life have their place: the daily chores, preparation of meals, going to work, paying bills, etc.  But there is one more daily "chore," and it should not even be called a "chore,"  it would be better described as a "daily necessity,"   . . . . and this "daily necessity" is time spent with Our Lord and preparing  a place for Him in our hearts!  As we come upon the liturgical season of Advent, the Church prepares for the coming of the Lord as a small innocent Infant.  Let us also prepare our hearts for the coming of that small Divine Infant by making a place for Him to dwell.  Get to know Jesus.  Give Him your heart because He has already given His Sacred Heart to you!

Mass will be celebrated on Sunday, November 25th, 2018 at 9:30 AM.  Please mark your calendars and plan to join with us at Mass.  Come hear the Word of God proclaimed!  Come hear God speaking directly to you!  Come join your brothers and sisters in Christ as we gather together to worship Our Heavenly Father!  And join us as we receive the Most Precious Body and Blood of Our Saviour at Communion time to help prepare us, to nourish us, to sustain us for the days to come!

St. Margaret of Scotland Anglican Church worships at the beautiful Chapel at Marquette Manor, which is located at 8140 N. Township Line Road, on the Northwest side of Indianapolis.

Feast of St. Margaret (Transferred), November 18, 2018

Feast of St. Margaret of Scotland, Queen and Widow (Transferred), November 18th, 2018

In the Thirteenth Chapter of St. Matthew's Gospel we hear Our Blessed Saviour speaking to a great multitude.  And during this talk, He uses an analogy to describe the Kingdom of Heaven for the multitude.  In the passage which we are focusing on.  Our Lord states that the Kingdom of Heaven is like a buried treasure in a field and a pearl of great price.  In both of these examples, Our Lord describes men having great joy when they find these things and then these same men sold all in order to keep these items of great value.  Is this not the case for us when we get something of great value to us?  Don't we treasure this item and keep it safe?  We do what we can to make sure nothing happens to it.  We take care of it and cherish it.    Whether it be a car which we have just purchased, we do our best to keep it clean and washed.  We make sure the oil is changed.  etc.   It could be anything we value:  a rare book .. .  a valuable painting . . .  a beautiful dress or suit.  All of us are different.  We all have things that we value.  But the point is the same.  We value the things that are important to us.  As I stated, Our Lord used the analogy of someone finding a treasure in a field or a merchant that found a pearl of great price.  In both examples, Our Lord emphasized that both men sold all they had in order to obtain these items.  If Our Lord were speaking today, He might have used an analogy of a collector who sold everything he had to buy a particular item.  Sometimes we hear on the news about an item from a movie going up for sale or a very rare, historic baseball card or comic book going up for sale.  Whatever example we think of, the collector pays a great price for the item and then treasures it, takes care of it, perhaps even shows it off because he is so proud of it.  Whatever example we use, the point is still the same.   Shouldn't we value Heaven just as much?  Shouldn't we value our relationship with God even more than we do a pair of expensive sneakers?  a rare comic book?  a new sports car?  We spend so much time focusing on our hobbies and the things we enjoy but how much time do we spend focusing on God?  How much time do we dedicate to God on a daily basis?  Do I read God's Word every day?  Do I spend time in prayer every day?  Do I make a point to thank God every day for all the blessings in my life?  Do I make a point to go to church to worship Him?   The items which we treasure so much today might be gone tomorrow.  Whether these items rust away, or get lost, or get stolen . . . perhaps they lose their value or even might lose our interest.  Whatever the reason, we know for sure that we come into this world with nothing and we leave this world with nothing.  The only sure thing that we can possess for all eternity is a place in Heaven in the Presence of Our Blessed Saviour.  We need to remember this and value that above everything else.  Because in so doing, we will strengthen our relationship with God here and now and we will look forward to spending eternity with Him.  

On Sunday, November 18th, 2018 we celebrate the transferred feast of St. Margaret of Scotland, Queen and Widow.   Please join us as we honor the patroness of our parish who has inspired the Church through her personal example of charitable acts for the poor and love for others.  

Mass is celebrated in the Chapel of Marquette Manor, which is located at 8140 N. Township Line Road on the northwest side of Indianapolis.  Join us as we hear the Word of God preached from the King James Version of the Bible.  Listen to the Word of God speaking to you.   Spend time as God's family in solemn worship of God, taking time out of the busy schedule of life and devoting one hour to God.  And receive Our Blessed Lord in His Precious Body and Blood to help sustain us and nourish us for the journey called life.

Twenty-Fourth Sunday after Trinity, November 11, 2018

Twenty-Fourth Sunday after Trinity, November 11th, 2018

In the Ninth Chapter of the Gospel of St. Matthew, we hear a certain ruler come to Our Lord in desperation on behalf of his daughter.  St. Matthew tells us that Our Lord immediately arose and followed the man to his home.  While on the way there, St. Matthew informs us,  a woman with "an issue of blood twelve years, came behind Him and touched the hem of His garment." (St. Matthew 9:20)  When Our Lord realized what was happening He turned to the woman and told her:  "Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole." (St. Matthew 9:22)  " . .  . Thy faith hath made thee whole . .  ."  Certainly, we look to a wide array or assortment of things in hopes of them making us "whole," don't we?  I refer to it as "the grass is always greener" syndrome, truth be known.  If I could just get that promotion at work that I want so badly, I will be happy.  If I could just pay off these bills that are killing me, I could be happy.  If I could just buy a house in this particular neighborhood, everything would be great.  If I can just make it to the weekend, everything will be fine.  etc. etc. etc.   You get the picture.  As I way, we come up with a wide array of things that will cure us, will help us, will solve our problems.  But as we saw a little bit ago, it is our faith that truly makes us whole.  In the passage appointed from this ninth chapter of St. Matthew's Gospel, we see the ruler, the woman and even two blind men, all coming to Jesus to cure them or their loved one.  We see these individuals desperate for a cure.  Without a doubt, they came to Our Lord in seek of healing.  And in each case Our Lord did not disappoint.   Our Lord cured each one.  Our Lord gave them the anointing that they sought.  

Yet in each of these cases mentioned in this short passage from St. Matthew, we see that "faith" turns out to be the key component.  In the case of the woman that touched the hem of Jesus' garment, Our Lord commends the woman for her faith and He says to her:  "Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole" (9:22).   And then fast forward to the two blind men seeking to be healed, Our Lord told them:  "According to your faith be it unto you." (9:29)  We place our "faith" in many people.  We place our "faith" in products which we use.  We place our "faith" in situations which we hope will give us happiness or peace.  And yet it seems time after time we find that the "faith" we place in these things ends up disappointing us:  people end up disappointing us; products fail or simply do not do the job; situations which we hoped would bring us peace and contentment only do so for a short time.  We need to place our faith in God.  We need to have faith that God will cure us.  We need to be content and satisfied with God and let everything fall into place.  " . . .  Be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole . . ."  Only God can make us whole but it is our faith that leads us to God.  It is our faith that allows us to know that God can solve my problem.  It is our faith which allows us to see God for who He truly is.  So often, as human beings we place misguided "faith" in people and things that only ultimately disappoint.  Yet, in God we will never be disappointed.  In God, we have our strength.  In God, we have the victory.  We should always turn to Him and stay close to Him.    

St. Margaret of Scotland Anglican Church worships each and every Sunday at 9:30 AM.  Please take time to join us as we gather together to worship Our Heavenly Father as a family.  We worship at the beautiful chapel at Marquette Manor, which is located at 8140 N. Township Line Road on the Northwest side of Indianapolis.

Twenty-Third Sunday after Trinity, November 4th, 2018

Twenty-Third Sunday after Trinity, November 4th, 2018

In the Third Chapter of the Epistle to the Philippians, St. Paul reminds us that our true citizenship is not here on earth.  St Paul writes important words for each one of us to ponder:  "For our citizenship is in heaven" (3:17 ff)  For the Christian, this is always important for us to make note of.  It is easy to forget sometimes, if you ask me.  Why do I say that?  We have a tendency as human beings to focus on the "here and now."  In other words, we focus on what is affecting us right here and right now.  If a bill is due right away, we focus on that specific bill and leave the others for later.  If we have a particular report due tomorrow where we work, we take care of that report now and worry about the report that is due next week  later.  We may need to paint the bathroom but first we need to take care of the broken faucet in the kitchen,  etc.  In a general sense, we human beings  focus on the things of the world:  satisfying our desires; paying the bills; putting a roof over our head; etc.  And all of these things are perfectly understandable but St. Paul is giving us a good reminder that while, yes, we are human beings and we have to focus on the "here and now" of this life, we also have to take care of our other citizenship as Christians.  As mentioned above, so often we go from project to project just trying to take care of what needs to be taken care of immediately or what needs to be done now.  And everything else can wait.  When it comes to being a Christian, though, this can not wait.  Being a Christian takes effort.  Being a Christian takes patience.  Being a Christian takes practice.  " . . .  our citizenship is in Heaven," St. Paul reminds us.  And, as such, we need to see the world and approach the world through the eyes of Christ.  This is difficult at times because the human side of us wants to only focus on "us:"  my needs . . .  my desires . . . . my wants . . . .  Even in dealing with others, we want things our way.  And yet if we are to be true, committed, devout, practicing Christians, it is not our will that needs to be done, it is the will of Our Heavenly Father that must take priority:  "Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven."   We must always remember that we are dual citizens . . .   of earth and of Heaven . . . . but our first allegiance is to God as Christians.  This is easy for us to remember when we are in church on Sundays but it is sometimes easy to forget when we are out in the "world," at our jobs, at the store, stuck in traffic, etc.   Thus, we need to remember the words of St. Paul:  "For our citizenship is in heaven . .  ."  We need to remember those words when we get stressed about the faucet breaking the kitchen.  We need to remember those words when our boss tells us at the last minute a report was due . . .  five minutes ago!   We need to remember those words when the whole world seems to be crashing down around us and everyone is getting on our nerves.  "For our citizenship is in heaven . . .. "

Join us on Sunday, November 4th, 2018 as we gather together to worship Our Heavenly Father.  Join us as we listen to the Word of God found in the King James Bible and the 1928 Book of Common Prayer.  Join us as we receive the Precious Body and Blood of Our Blessed Saviour at Communion time.

St. Margaret Church meets every Sunday at 9:30 AM.  We worship in the beautiful chapel at Marquette Manor, which is located at 8140 N. Township Line Road on the Northwest side of Indianapolis.

All Saints Day, November 1, 2018

Do you remember the show, "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?"  I don't remember ever watching it, to be honest with you.  But I certainly remember the title of the show.  Who wants to be a millionaire?  We all do, don't we?   Within the last few weeks, there were a whole lot of folks that were asking the question:  Who wants to be a BILLIONAIRE?!?!?  With 1.6 Billion on the line in the Mega Millions Lottery, there were a whole lot of folks dreaming of becoming a billionaire.  I mean don't we all dream of being a millionaire?  Haven't all of us day-dreamed of becoming a millionaire?  I mean as a millionaire, we could pay off all our bills.  We could live where we wanted to live.  We could travel anywhere we wanted to travel . . . . buy anything we wanted to buy . . . . never have to work again.  Come on, haven't we all had a daydream or two about being a millionaire?

Probably, truth be known, we dream of being all kinds of things, don't we?  We dream of being professional sports stars.  We dream of making it big on the stage.  We dream of making it big in Hollywood.  We dream of all kinds of things, don't we?  Who wants to be a rock star?  Who wants to be a sports star?  Who wants to be a movie star?  But I have one question to ask that perhaps you have never heard asked before:  Who wants to be a Saint?  No, I am not talking about the "New Orleans Saints" of the NFL.  I am talking about a "Saint of God."  Who wants to be a Saint?  Do you want to be a Saint?  I know that I do and I am sure that you do too.  But in order to become a saint, we have to begin the work right here and right now.  We have to begin giving our heart to God.  A lot of people envision Heaven a whole lot of different ways.  But basically Heaven is God's home.  Heaven is where God is.  And Heaven is being in the presence of God.  Thus, why not be in His presence right now?  Why not spend time with God right now?  So many people are too busy to spend time with God.  We are not against God, mind you.  It's just that we are so busy.  We have jobs to go to . . . and we have homes to take care of . . . and we have children to raise . . . and we have to go shop  . . .   and etc, etc, etc.   We come up with all kinds of excuses as to why we don't spend time with God.  Until we need Him, of course.  But we have to make time for God here and now if we want to spend eternity with Him in Heaven.  "Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the Name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours." (I Corinthians 1:2)   We are called to be saints but we have to respond.  We respond not only with what we say but with how we act . . . how we live . . . how we love . . . .  Who wants to be a Saint?

Feast of Saint Simon and Saint Jude, October 28, 2018

Feast of Saint Simon and Saint Jude, 

Sunday, October 28th, 2018

In the Fifteenth Chapter of the Gospel of St. John, we hear Our Blessed Saviour give sound advice to the apostles:  "If the world hate you, ye know that it hated Me before it hated you. "  (St. John 15:17)  Certainly, without a doubt, there were multitudes that loved and cherished Our Blessed Saviour.  But on the other hand, He had his enemies which hated Him with an intense passion as well.  We ask ourselves the question as to why anyone would hate Our Blessed Saviour?     Let us consider two reasons:

First of all, Our Lord did not "meet their expectations" in regards to being the Messiah.   Let us consider the fact that the Jews were long awaiting the Coming of the Messiah.  But, keep in mind, the Jews had a specific "image" in mind that the Messiah would look like and act like.  They were expecting to see a Messiah riding in a great white horse with a mighty army behind him.  They were expecting the Messiah to come in and wipe out all of his enemies.   They were supposing the Messiah to be powerful and mighty.   Thus, when they saw Our Blessed Saviour walking around and preaching and teaching and telling whoever would listen about the love of God,  They could not believe their eyes.  The Pharisees and the Saducees would never accept Our Blessed Saviour as the Messiah, quite frankly, because He did not meet their expectations of what they expected the Messiah to be.  So, too, sometimes people will not accept us because we don't fit in with what they expect of us.  The world will sometimes hate us too because choose to follow God instead of following the world.  

Next, we need to consider that Our Lord always told the truth.  And very often, let's face it, we do not want to hear the truth.   Our Lord told it like it is, as I like to say, and those in charge did not want to hear His words.  Our Blessed Saviour was not afraid to tell people what they needed to hear.  He went around and preached to vast multitudes and told them about His Heavenly Father.  Again, many of the things that He spoke about did not match up with they expected to hear about God.  So, too, we need to speak the truth no matter what.  But even in speaking the truth, sadly, many in our day and age today do not want to hear the truth.  "For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God .  . . . . " (I Corinthians 3:19)  Thus, when we choose to speak of God in the world today, we should be prepared for scorn and ridicule from many because they do not want to hear about God.   Many people will not accept us because we do not tell them what they want to hear.  

St. Margaret Church gathers every Sunday morning to hear the Word of God and to worship Our Heavenly Father.  We are a traditional church.  We use the King James Version of the Bible and the 1928 Book of Common Prayer.  Mass begins at 9:30 AM.  We celebrate at the beautiful chapel at Marquette Manor, located at 8140 N. Township Line Road on the Northwest side of Indianapolis.  Please join us and dedicate an hour of your week to God.  Return home to Him, the God Who waits patiently for your return.

Twenty-First Sunday after Trinity, October 21, 2018

Twenty-First Sunday after Trinity, October 21st, 2018

I know it's been a hot Summer but it seems like it is finally moving on to the next season.  I say "it seems like" because in Indiana, as I like to say, "if you don't like the weather, stick around ten minutes, it will change."   But whether we want to think about it or not, pretty soon we will be pulling out the winter coats, the scarves, the hats, the gloves, the boots.  We try to protect ourselves from head to foot when it gets so brutally cold in the winter, don't we?  And rightfully so because it doesn't make any sense to go outside in 0 degree weather not protected from the elements.  When the temperature is 10 below Zero, you want to protect yourself as much as possible from the elements so you don't get cold and you don't get frostbite.  We protect ourselves.  

In a spiritual sense, St. Paul gives the same exact advice when he writes:  "Put on the whole armour of God!"   (Ephesians 6:10)  St. Paul gives sound advice for protecting ourselves from the devil.  In this sixth chapter, St. Paul uses the analogy of a soldier dressed for war.  He goes on to describe all the different items that a soldier either wears or uses to protect himself from the enemy.  And then St. Paul makes the point that we should be fully protected as well in the spiritual sense so that we are protected from attacks from the devil.  If we are going outside in the dead of winter and it is 10 below Zero, we wouldn't go outside just wearing a tee-shirt, shorts and flip-flops.  It we are going into battle, it would not be wise to be dressed in simply a tee-shirt, shorts and flip-flops on our feet.  If we are going to a job interview at a fancy corporation, again, would it really be wise to go there wearing a tee-shirt, shorts and flip-flops?   We need to be dressed appropriately for whatever task faces us.  Most of us know this.   It is just common sense to dress appropriately for the elements or based on the situation.  But that being said, in a spiritual sense, how many of us are caught severely lacking?  

According to St. Paul we need the following items if we are going to be fully prepared:  " . . . . your loins girt about with truth, . . .  the breastplate of righteousness; . .  . feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;  . . . the shield of faith,  .  . .  the helmet of salvation,  . . .  and the sword of the Spirit,"  (Ephesians 6:14-17)  Are we fully prepared?  I'm speaking about in a spiritual sense.  Are we fully prepared to face the world and the traps we might find in our way?  St. Peter tells us that the devil is like a lion seeking to devour us:  "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour."  (I St. Peter 5:8)   Surely, we wouldn't go on an African safari unprotected, would we?  And yet we go about the world unprotected and unprepared for the attacks of the devil against us.  Always have God close to you.  Pray often.  Read the Scriptures often.  Go to church on Sundays if you are able.  Do this for your own edification and in order to help edify your fellow brothers and sisters in the Lord.  Always be aware of traps along the way . . .  traps that will take us away from God, lure us away from being faithful to God.  

St. Margaret of Scotland Anglican Church gathers together each and every Sunday morning at 9:30 AM.  We worship at the beautiful Chapel at Marquette Manor, located at 8140 N. Township Line Road on the Northwest side of Indianapolis.

Join us as we listen to the Word of God found in the King James Version of the Bible and the 1928 Book of Common Prayer.  Join us as we gather together as God's family and worship Our Blessed Saviour.  And, at Communion time, we come forward to receive His Precious Body and Blood so that we can be nourished for the journey ahead.

Twentieth Sunday after Trinity, October 14th, 2018

Twentieth Sunday after Trinity, October 14th, 2018

In the Twenty-Second chapter of the Gospel of St. Matthew, we hear Our Blessed Saviour comparing Heaven to a king who is throwing a wedding feast for his son:  "The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son, and sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come." (St. Matthew 22:1)  The problem is that the invited guests would not come to the wedding.  The guests would either simply ignore the invitation or reject it outright.  As Our Lord continues His parable, He states:  "But (the invited guests) made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise"  (St. Matthew 22:5)  Judging from this parable that Our Lord spoke, people back then were not that much different from people nowadays.  How many of us simply go our own way without any thought of God?  How many of us make light of God's invitation because we do not have the time  . . .  we are too busy doing "our own thing" . . . . we would rather be doing something else . . . . we could care less . . .  .  We need to make the time.  We need to find the time.  We need to make God a priority in our life.  Our Lord stated:  "In My Father's house are many mansions:  if it were not so, I would have told you.  I go to prepare a place for you."  (St. John 14:2)  Our Lord is preparing a place for us but the question is are we preparing ourselves?  Are we spending time with God right now?  Are we trying our best to keep close to God?  Or are we too busy for God?  Are we too busy with the things of the world?    It seems to me that when a party is thrown, there is preparation on both the part of the host and the guest as well:  the host has to prepare the hall, prepare the food, etc.  But the guest also has preparation to make by getting properly dressed, cleaned up, etc.  God is inviting us to His house.  We have all been invited.  The question is are we even paying attention to the invitation? 

St. Margaret Church meets every Sunday morning at 9:30 AM.  We worship at the beautiful chapel at Marquette Manor, located at 8140 N. Township Line Road on the Northwest side of Indianapolis.  Please join us.

Nineteenth Sunday after Trinity, October 7th, 2018

Nineteenth Sunday after Trinity, October 7th, 2018

One of my favorite movie actors is Charlton Heston.  Of course when I mention his name I am sure we all think of great movies like "Ben Hur" and "The Ten Commandments."  Another great movie featuring Charlton Heston playing the lead character is a 1961 classic called "El Cid."  For whatever reason this movie does not seem as readily available to view as his other movies.  That being said, there is a really memorable line in that movie.  Later on in the movie, El Cid captures the fortress of Valencia.  After the victory, his followers are begging El Cid to name himself as king of Valencia but instead he claims the crown for King Alfonso of Spain and has the crown delivered to the king.  Thus, it is said of El Cid:  "What a noble subject, if only he had a noble king."  In other words, the point being that El Cid was a more noble subject than was the king.  In short, El Cid was loyal to a king that was not deserving of his loyalty.  

Can the same thing be said of us?  Do we show our never-ending loyalty to someone or something that does not even deserve our loyalty?  How many of us go above and beyond for our job? . . . . for our profession?   We spend long, hard hours giving our best efforts for an employer that is not nearly as loyal to us as we are to it.  How many of us are loyal to friends that merely use us for what we give to them or what they can get from us?  How many in our society show their loyalty to drugs or drink and get nothing in return for their loyalty?  The only thing they git is the ruin of their lives . . .  their finances . . . their families so often pay the price as well.  

Being "loyal" is not the issue.  I am certainly not criticizing being loyal.  It is a good trait to have, without a doubt.  But that being said, I am only making the point that so many of us are loyal to people or things that are not worthy of our loyalty.  Not deserving of our loyalty.  Who then is worthy of such loyalty?   Of course the answer is quite clear:  God.  When we give our life to God, we are transformed as a new creature.  St. Paul writes:  " . . . and that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. "  (Ephesians 4:17 ff)  Just like El Cid did everything on behalf of King Alfonso, we are called to do all our efforts on behalf of our King:  Christ the King!  And in so doing, we will begin to resemble Our Blessed Lord!  The characteristics of God will show forth in us when we give our heart to Him.  And this takes us back to what we were discussing earlier.   So many of us give our heart to something that is not worthy of our heart:  a company which we work for .  . . . a profession .. . .  . a habit  . . . . a brand name . . . . the list goes on and on.  We are called as Christians, though, to be loyal to God.  This takes making Him number one in our life.  As long as God is first and foremost in our life, everything else will fall into place. 

 St. Margaret Church meets each and every Sunday at 9:30 AM at the beautiful chapel at Marquette Manor, located at 8140 N. Township Line Road on the Northwest side of Indianapolis.  Join us as we hear the Word of God found in the 1928 Book of Common Prayer and the King James Bible.  Come dedicate one hour of your week to God.  Step away from the busy-ness of the world for just one hour and focus totally on God.  Come and worship Him.  Let Him feed you spiritually.   Receive the Precious Body and Blood at Communion time.

Seventeenth Sunday after Trinity, September 23, 2018

Seventeenth Sunday after Trinity, September 23rd, 2018

In the Epistle to the Ephesians, beginning in the fourth chapter, we hear the following:  " . . . .  one Lord, one faith, one baptism . . . . "  Now, in my opinion, it seems so often in the society in which we live that we focus on what makes us different.  We are African-Americans; Hispanic-Americans; Asian-Americans; etc.  I also notice a lot of articles or new-stories focusing on the differences between men and women.  Men do things a certain way and women do things a completely different way.  Men think a certain way.  Women think a certain way.  And even in religion, we are constantly reminded on the differences between the various churches, the various denominations, the various liturgical styles, and so on.  If you look around, it's plain enough to find out about what separates us, what makes us different from one another.  But St. Paul is focusing on what unifies us as Christians:  " . . .  one Lord, one faith, one baptism. . . . . "   In this sense, St. Paul is focusing on what unifies us and not on what makes us different.  This unity is what defines us.  And this unity comes to us through being the children of Our Heavenly Father:  "One God and Father of all, Who is above all, and through all, and in you all." (Chapter 4: 6)  Obviously, we are all different in one way or another:  I like certain types of food and you prefer other types of food.  I like to go to bed early and get up early.  Someone else is a "night-owl" and likes to sleep in.  I like certain singers and certain types of music, and so on.  The list goes on and on in regards to what makes us different.  But in focusing on what we each have in common:  " .. . .  one Lord, one faith, one baptism . . . ." focusing on what unifies us helps us to focus on the source of our unity:  Our Heavenly Father.   And when we focus all of our attention on Him, the things that separate us become less important.  They become secondary.  We need this message preached to us like never before, it seems to me.   We are all ONE in CHRIST!  Christ died for all of us.  God is OUR Father.   

Join us on Sunday, September 23rd, 2018 at 9:30 AM at St. Margaret of Scotland Anglican Church as we celebrate Mass and listen to the Word of God.  Mass is celebrated at the Chapel at Marquette Manor, which is located at 8140 N. Township Line Road on the Northwest Side of Indianapolis.

Sixteenth Sunday after Trinity, September 16th, 2018

Sixteenth Sunday after Trinity, Sunday, September 16th, 2018

I carry a back-pack from home when I go to work.  In it I have various items:  a note-pad; pens; an eraser; my eyeglasses; etc.  As you can probably tell I carry things in there that I might need.  At home I have a drawer in a dresser which seems to be a "catch-all" where I store all kinds of things:  scissors; post-it notes; pocket knives; tape; measuring tape; etc.  Again, I store all kinds of things in that drawer and when I need something I go looking in that drawer.  If I can't find what I looking for anywhere else, the odds are good I'll find it in that drawer.   I am sure that each of us have something or someplace where we store all kinds of things.  Whether it be a drawer in a cabinet or a box in the garage.  

  Just like that bag that I bring to work everyday or the dresser drawer that seems to keep all my odds and ends, we can also find all kinds of "things" stored in our heart.  What do we "keep" in our heart?  Do we find fear?  Do we find anger?  Do we find hatred?  Perhaps we find sorrow.  We can store all kinds of things in our heart, can't we?  In the Epistle to the Ephesians, St Paul talks about what we should store in our heart:   ". .  . . that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith;" (Ephesians 3:17)   St. Paul tells us that we should have Christ in our heart.  This is absolutely true but, that being said, this is easier said than done, isn't it?  As human beings we are affected by various emotions: whether they be sorrows, fears, anger, hopelessness, etc.  So the point is not that we are not affected by emotions.  We are human beings and we are certainly affected by emotions.  The point is what do we do with these emotions?  When we get angry, for example, do we act out on that anger?  Do we stay calm on the outside and let the anger rage and "boil" deep under the surface?  Do we allow this anger to turn into hatred?  Do we hold on to this anger and hold a grudge?  As Christians, we are called to give everything over to God.   I think St. Paul's advice is good for all of us:   ". .  . . that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith;" (Ephesians 3:17)"   If we do our best to focus on the love which we have for Our Blessed Saviour we won't have time to focus on our fear.  If we dwell on our love of Christ we won't have as much time to dwell on our hatred of those who did wrong to us, will we?  It's similar to taking a glass  and filling it with water.  If the glass is full to the brim, we won't be able to pour any more water into it, can we?  Similar with our hearts, if we fill our hearts with hatred, with jealousy, with fear, with anger, etc. how can there be any room for the love of Christ?  On the other hand, if we follow St. Paul's admonition for us that we let Christ dwell in our heart, we won't have any place for fear or anger or hatred . . . . Fill your heart with Christ.  Fill your heart with things of God.  Fill your heart with the love of God and watch that love spread throughout your heart and beyond.  

St. Margaret Church celebrates Mass each and every Sunday at 9:30 AM.  Mass is celebrated at the beautiful chapel at Marquette Manor, located as 8140 N. Township Line Road on the Northwest side of Indianapolis.

Join us for Mass as we listen to the Word of God found in the King James Bible and the 1928 Book of Common Prayer.  Join us as we hear God speaking to us in His Word.  Our Lord also offers to each one of us His Most Precious Body and Blood at Communion time.  Receive the Precious Body and Blood to strengthen and nourish you for your daily journey.  And afterward, please join us for our Coffee Hour to have some delicious goodies and good fellowship.

Our Hearts Are Restless . . . .

Let's face it,  if you have not had anything to eat for a while, your mind starts to dwell on your hunger and nothing else.  We focus on everything that we might want to eat:  pizza . . .  Chinese food . . .  spaghetti . . . Mexican  . . .  . fast food . . . fried chicken . . . a sandwich . . . Then we finally decide what exactly we want and we fixate on our food of choice until we get it.  And then finally we eat and we are satisfied.     But what if you just finished eating an hour ago, and your mind still thinks about various foods.  Of course, it might be the fact that we are simply being greedy and causing us to think this way.  But the fact remains that as human beings we get hungry,  . . . we get cravings, . . . we focus on fulfilling our desires or what we are hungry for.  And it is not simply limited to food, quite frankly.  Human beings get fixated on a number of desires that they would like to fill.  Whether it be food, or drink, or drugs, or power, or money . . . . the list goes on and on.  Our Blessed Lord sums it up perfectly when He says:  "Be not anxious for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than the food, and the body than the raiment? "  (St. Matthew 6:25)

As human beings we need to be fed and we also have to be clothed.  But as Christians, we also have to be spiritually fed on a daily basis.    People are hungry for the Word of God.  They want to hear what God is saying to them. They are searching for God and may not even know it.  As St. Augustine pointed out:   "You have made us for Yourself and our hearts are restless until they rest in You."  St. Augustine knew full well the desires of the human heart.  He was restless himself as a young man but he tried to "calm" this restlessness by focusing on fulfilling many desires of his heart and mind.  St. Augustine sought to fulfill his hunger with sex.  He sought to fulfill his hunger with wine.  He even sought to satisfy this restlessness with learning and education.  In essence, St. Augustine found that he went down many avenues to satisfy his restlessness and search for happiness.  And he found that each and every time he was indeed "satisfied" for a while but then his heart became "restless" again.  And St. Augustine discovered a pattern each of these points in his life:  he was satisfied for a time, yes, but then he wanted something else.  It was not until St. Augustine gave his heart to God that he discovered his heart was "restless" no longer.    Our human hearts are indeed restless.  Our human minds are restless.  We human beings are constantly searching for things that make us happy, for things that satisfy us.  And again we find inspiration from St. Augustine when he gives us the answer to satisfying our true hunger as human beings:  "So I set about to find God and found that I could not find Him until I embraced the mediator between God and man, Christ Jesus, Who is over all these things, Who was calling me and saying:  'I am the Way, the Truth and the Life . . . ."
As St. Augustine discovered in his own life, the human heart desires many things to be "satisfied."  But above all these "desires" is the desire to be with God and this can only be satisfied by a relationship with Our Blessed Saviour.  "Therefore take no thought, saying What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?   . . . . for your Heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.  But seek ye first the Kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you."  (St. Matthew 6:31-33)  As human beings we will desire many things but we need to first seek and desire God.  Until we discover that purpose, we will forever be restless and unsatisfied in life.

Thus, it is understandable that people who are searching for God turn to the clergy in their search for the Almighty.  They want to hear inspiration.  They want to learn more about God.  They want to have these spiritual desires met.  But in all fairness pastors, priests, ministers, bishops, etc. can only do so much in a given week.  What I mean by this statement is that time is limited in what the priest or pastor can talk about in a given week.  If the average church service is, say, an hour  . . . an hour and a half . . . how much of that time is strictly dedicated to preaching by the priest or minister?  Fifteen minutes?  Twenty minutes?  More?  Less?  As my congregation will let you know, I don't time my preaching  . . . . . I just start in and see where God is leading me!  But even with that, I might get twenty minutes or twenty-five minutes of preaching in on a given Sunday morning.  In comparison, that is not very much time out of a given week.  Think about it.  Twenty-four hours in a day.  Seven days in a week.  By my calculation, that is One-Hundred and Sixty-Eight hours in a given week and the preacher gets fifteen, twenty-five, maybe thirty minutes of preaching out of all those hours in a week.  That's not much time in comparison to the rest of the week.  So that's why I say, in essence what the preacher is doing is planting the seed and leaving the rest to God.

One of my favorite Scripture passages is from First Kings.  It is the passage where the Prophet Elijah is fleeing from Jezebel and we read where "(Elijah) went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die: and said, it is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life: for I am not better than my fathers."  (I Kings 19:4)

Then Elijah laid down and went to sleep and the angel of the Lord touched Elijah and "said unto him, Arise and eat."  (Verse 5)  And Elijah had seen where the angel of the Lord had placed there by his head water and food for him to eat.

And then Elijah laid down again,  . . . "And the angel of the Lord came again the second time, and touched him, and said, Arise and eat: because the journey is too great for thee."  (Verse 7)


This is certainly one of my all-time Scripture passages.  I think it is profound for a number of reasons:

First,  God does indeed feed us.  He feeds us through the Word of God.  We Christians must be hungry for the Word of God.  In our society, there are so many different types of food to choose from as we pointed out earlier:  pizza . . . Chinese food  . .  . Mexican food . . . fast-food . . . chicken . . . seafood . . . . etc.  Likewise, many people choose to get "fed" from different interests or desires:  power, riches, money, fame, drugs, alcohol, etc.  People make choices where they eat and how they spend their time.  We, as Christians, have to make a choice as well:  we have to want to be fed by the Word of God.  And then make a point of studying the Word of God on a daily basis.  Get in the habit of reading the Bible every day.

Secondly, God also feeds us through His Church.  God does not need our help but He desires us to help Him.  And as a result, He founded the Church here on earth.  And the Church distributes the Sacraments to the world.  And the Chief Sacrament is the Mass.  Come to Mass and receive the Precious Body and Blood of Our Blessed Saviour.  Our Lord loves us so much that He gives of Himself so that we can be nourished.  "Arise and eat: because the journey is too great for thee!"  Our Lord wants us to receive of the Sacraments of the Church as a physical and spiritual reminder that He is alive and well in the world.  The Sacraments help nourish and sustain us in the long journey we call "life."

God gives us nourishment but we have to go find it.  God gives us food but we have to make the effort to get it.  God provides spiritual food and drink for our journey but we have to make the effort to obtain it.  Get a relationship with God.  Make Him the Lord and Master of your life.  Get in the habit of reading the Bible on a daily basis.  And take advantage of the Sacraments.  The same Lord Who said:  "This is My Body, This is My Blood" is the same Lord Who is awaiting for us to come and worship Him, to come and listen to Him, to come and receive Him when we come to church.

Fourteenth Sunday after Trinity, Sunday, September 2nd, 2018

Fourteenth Sunday after Trinity, Sunday, September 2nd, 2018

Call me "Old-Fashioned," . . .  Call me "Old School," . .  ..  but it drives me absolutely crazy when I encounter someone who does not have common courtesy enough to say:  "Please" . . . "Thank you" . . . . "Excuse me" . . . .  Now don't get me wrong.  There are plenty of people out there that still show courtesy but sometimes it seems that common courtesy is becoming a "sign of the past."  I suppose I can blame my parents for my "obsession" of being respectful.  I mean they are the ones who taught me the importance of showing common courtesy and having respect for people.    But just walk through a shopping mall or a store and see for yourself.  How many people will say "Excuse me" when they pass by in the aisle.  Or find out who will say "Thank you" when you hold a door for someone.  As I stated, my parents instilled in me early on the importance and value of being polite.  They taught me that it does not take money to have manners.  You can be a garbage collector or a CEO of a big corporation and still have good manners.   You can be young or old and still be polite.  You can be Black, Brown, Yellow, White or Polka-Dot and still be courteous to folks.  I hate to beat a dead horse but I just think it is a rather sad commentary on our society when having good manners seems to be a dying art.

If we look back to the Seventeenth Chapter of the Gospel of St. Luke, we hear the story of Our Blessed Saviour healing the ten lepers.   The premise of this passage is that ten lepers were healed but only one showed thanks.  "And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine? There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger." (St. Luke 17:17-18)  Even Our Lord was appalled by the other nine lepers lack of good manners.  He made a point that only one out of the ten lepers took the time to give thanks to God for being healed.  We hear:  "And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, and fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan." (St. Luke 17:15-16)   How many times have we too failed to thank Our Heavenly Father for the many blessings He gives to us?  Do we go for a day without thanking God for the gifts He gives to us?  How about something as simple as thanking God before we eat?  I always make a point to say grace before I eat a meal.  I guess I can also blame that habit on my parents.   It is a good habit to get in to thank God for blessing us.  The ten lepers came running when they wanted to be healed.  They implored Our Lord when they desired a miracle.  And yet only one out of the ten made a point to thank God for giving him the miracle he asked for.  Let us not be like the nine ungrateful lepers.  Let us always make a point to thank God for all the blessings He bestows upon us.  Let us make a point to go to God in thanksgiving when we are grateful.  Sometimes we only go to God when we want something.  Let's go to God not only when we want something from Him.  Let's go to Him to thank Him . . . to praise Him . . .  to glorify Him.  God gave us the greatest gift we could ever hope to receive.  He offered us the gift of Salvation which was delivered upon the Cross by His Son.  Let us always be grateful and show our gratefulness for this gift.

St. Margaret Church meets each and every Sunday morning at 9:30 AM.  We worship at the beautiful Chapel at Marquette Manor, located at 8140 N. Township Line Road on the Northwest side of Indianapolis.  We use the King James Bible and the 1928 Book of Common Prayer.  Come join us as we listen to God speak to us through His Word.  At Communion time, we receive the Precious Body and Blood of Christ to nourish us and give us strength for our journey called life.  

Thirteenth Sunday after Trinity, August 26th, 2018

Thirteenth Sunday after Trinity, Sunday, August 26th, 2018

Have you ever had the experience to look for something and you look and look and look and you can not find the object anywhere?  And then you go and look some more and you still can not find it.  And then at some point you find the item and it was exactly where you were looking the whole time.  In essence, you probably looked right at it but did not see it.  I am sure that each of us have had that experience at one point or another.  In the Tenth Chapter of St. Luke's Gospel, we hear Our Blessed Saviour giving instructions to the disciples:  " BLESSED are the eyes which see the things that ye see. . . ."  (St. Luke 10:23).  Our Lord is reminding the disciples that they are indeed blessed to see the things that they are seeing.  And certainly this is the case.  In other words, Our Lord was making the point further on that  " . . .  many prophets and kings have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them." (St. Luke 10:24).  While this is certainly the truth . . . . i.e., that the disciples and the Apostles had the distinct honour of being in the presence of the Messiah of the world . . . . the point remains the same that the disciples still had to make the effort to look for and make the point to see the Messiah.  In other words, they could have moved on with their lives and never even made the effort to notice the miracles which Our Lord performed . . . or they could have certainly not have cared enough to stop and to listen to the words that Our Lord was speaking.  The point that I am making is that while they were certainly blessed to see what they saw and hear what they heard, they still had to make the effort to stop long enough to see with their own eyes and to hear with their own ears what was being said to them by the Lord.

How many times has the Lord made the point to show Himself to us but, unfortunately, we were too busy to notice?  How many times throughout our life did God try to speak to us and we never heard what He had to say because we were too busy listening to everybody and everything else?  Sometimes the miracles are right in front of our eyes but we never take notice because we are too busy to look.  Sometimes the answer is being given to us but we never hear it because we are focused on other things.  Just like Our Lord showed Himself to the disciples and the Apostles, He also shows Himself to us.  Now, it may be true that we may have to pay closer attention and alter our way of looking for Him, make no doubt about it:  God is still making a point to show Himself to us . .  . He is still making a point to speak to us.  We just need to pay attention and know where to look.  " . . .  Blessed are the eyes that see the things that YOU see . . . .."

Please make a point to join us for Mass on Sunday morning.  Mass is celebrated in the beautiful Chapel at Marquette Manor, located at 8140 N. Township Line Road on the Northwest side of Indianapolis.  Join us as we hear the Word of God and listen to what God is saying to each one of us.  Join with us as we worship Our Blessed Saviour as God's family and then receive His Most Precious Body and Blood at Communion time.

Twelfth Sunday after Trinity, August 19th, 2018

Twelfth Sunday after Trinity, Sunday, August 19th, 2018

The older I get it amazes me how many incredible things are introduced and invented.  I don't think of myself as "old," by any stretch of the imagination but at the same time I see all the things available today that I never knew as a child.  For instance, when I was a child we did not have cable TV.  Therefore we didn't have 400 channels to choose from.  We had five channels to watch.  Speaking of televisions, we had no VCR's or DVD's back then so if you wanted to watch something on TV you better make sure you saw it when the show aired or you were out of luck.  There were no personal computers back then.  Certainly, no internet to browse and surf.  I could go on and on but you get the idea.  Things are certainly a lot different now than they were when I was a child.  It only causes me to think how different things will be fifty years from now, one hundred years from now.  How was life back in the year 1918 compared to how it is in the year 2018?  Thus, how different will life be One Hundred years from now?  The point that I'm making is that human beings are amazing when they want to be.  But St. Paul has a different spin on this point.

In the Second Epistle to the Corinthians, we hear:  ". . . . not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God;" (II Corinthians 3:5)  God is the one who makes all things possible.  God is the one who gives us the tools we need to create, develop and produce the amazing things we enjoy in life.  He provides man with the talent and the ability to create amazing things.  We do our part by using the skills and talents we have been blessed with but God makes all things possible.  St. Paul recognized this fact.  "But by the grace of God I am what I am: and His grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain . . . " (I Corinthians 15:10)   As faithful, devout Christians we are called to use the skills and talents each one of us possess.  For some, they are good with their hands.  These people can fix things and build things.  While someone else may have the gift of teaching and making things understandable.  Others are gifted with the talent to make beautiful works of art enjoyed by others.  All of us have gifts and talents that only we possess.  We are all called to use the talents that the Good Lord has bestowed upon each one of us.  But first, we need to acknowledge the gift that God has given to us in these varied gifts and talents.  Like St. Paul, we should always remember that our talent, our skill, our ability .. . .  none of these would exist without God.  We depend totally upon God for the blessings we enjoy. 

St. Margaret of Scotland Anglican Church worships each and every Sunday at 9:30 AM.  Please take time to join us as we gather together to worship Our Heavenly Father as a family.  We worship at the beautiful chapel at Marquette Manor, which is located at 8140 N. Township Line Road on the Northwest side of Indianapolis.

Eleventh Sunday after Trinity, August 12th, 2018

Eleventh Sunday after Trinity, Sunday, August 12th, 2018

In the Eighteenth Chapter of St. Luke's Gospel, we hear the story of what is known commonly as the "Publican and the Pharisee."  Now before I go any further I want to point out something that should be of great importance here.  Before he begins telling us the story that Our Lord told, St. Luke tells us to whom Our Lord told this story:  "JESUS spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others." (St. Luke 18:9)  It is the second part of this statement that really struck me as I was meditating on it:  " . . . and despised others."  Actually, the more I think about it the first part of the above verse really strikes home as well:  "Jesus spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, . . . . "  In other words, Our Lord is speaking to those who were "self-righteous."  Actually, when you think about this verse, Our Lord could have been speaking about our generation today, in my humble opinion.  We seem to have a whole bunch of "self-righteous" folks running around.  You can't turn on the nightly news . . or look at a news program . . .  or get on the internet . . . without having to see and hear someone who believes that their position is the only valid one and how the "other" side is corrupt, crooked, abusive, etc.  Do we despise others?  Do we hold others in contempt simply because they do not "think like us" or "agree with us" or "hold the same position as us?"  Do we despise others because they are "different" from us?  "Different" could mean anything from having a different gender .. .  or a different race . . .  a different nationality.  How about if that person has a different political persuasion.  What if that person lives in a different part of town . . . or a state . . . or a different country?  

Do we despise someone for something that they have absolutely no control over . . . . such as their race or what country they were born in?  Do we despise someone simply because they do not agree with what we believe?  I haven't actually even began discussing yet the actual parable itself because I am struck by what St. Luke wrote to whom Our Lord was addressing the parable:  ". . . unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others."  Are we so sure of ourselves?  If so, why?  Is it because someone told us to believe that way?  Is it because we have always believed that way?  Is it because it is "cool" to believe that way now?  We should try to base our beliefs on what God teaches us.  What God would have us believe.   So much of our society in which we live today base what they believe on what they are told to believe:  by the news media, . . .  by politicians,  . . .  by the media.  And none of these things is necessarily wrong but we always have to put everything in perspective of what God believes and what God thinks is important.

And even if we do believe correctly, when do we have a right to despise someone else?  The Pharisees certainly believed correctly when it came to the Law.  The Pharisees were proud of their strict observance of the Law.  They did everything in their power to keep the laws and observe the laws.  And yet they despised people that did not "keep the law."  These people were beneath them.  Again, do we despise someone that is beneath us?  Are we ever like the Pharisees?  Do we have a right to despise someone else simply because they are . . .  well, different?    It seems to me that God sent His Son into the world to save all of us from our sins:  Pharisees . . . Publicans . . . Republicans . . . Democrats . . . . Rich  . . . Poor . . . Progressive  . . .  Conservative . . . . We could go on and on and on.  But the point remains that Our Lord died on the Cross for all people everywhere.  He opened the door to salvation and offered it freely to all by dying on the Cross for us.  Even from the Cross as He was dying, Our Lord prayed for those who were against Him:  "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do." (St. Luke 23:34)   

St. Margaret Church gathers together every Sunday morning and we would love for you to join us in our weekly worship of Our Heavenly Father. Mass begins at 9:30 AM. We celebrate Mass in the Chapel of Marquette Manor, which is located at 8140 N. Township Line Road in Indianapolis, Indiana. Please choose to take some time out of your busy schedule to spend some quality time with God.