Third Sunday after Epiphany, January 27th, 2019

Third Sunday after Epiphany, January 27th, 2019

In the Second Chapter of the Gospel of St. John, we hear the first recorded miracle which Our Blessed Lord performed.   "And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine." (St. John 2:3)  You see, the newly married couple had run out of wine at their wedding feast.  This may not sound like a big deal to us but back then it would have been a huge embarrassment for the young couple.  So the Blessed Mother turns to the one person she knew could help.  She asked her Son to do something about this problem.  As we read in Verse Four of this chapter, it would seem that Our Blessed Saviour comes up with two quick excuses:  "Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee?  mine hour is not yet come."  (St. John 2:4)  Yet without missing a beat Our Lady simply says to the servants at the feast:  "Whatsoever He saith unto you, do it."  (St. John 2:5)   Our Lord changed water into wine.  St. John tells us: "This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth His glory; and His disciples believed on Him."  (St. John 2:11)

If Our Blessed Lord can change water into wine, I am sure He can change just about anything.  Remember that this was simply " . . . the beginning of the miracles . . . " (v.11).  As we read through the Gospels we read about all the various miracles which Our Lord performed.   Sometimes we find ourselves in a fix that we can not seem to get out of.  Whether it be financial difficulties . . .  or bills we can not afford .  .  . or we are in need of a job . . . . or we have just screwed up royally and do not know where to turn.  Our Blessed Lord can help us.  Our Blessed Lord can help to fix things.  Our Lord is certainly able to do great things.  Our Lord said:   " . . . the works that I do in My Father's Name, they bear witness of Me." (St. John 10:25)  And yet how often do we doubt?  How often do we never go to God for a miracle because we are simply too stubborn?   How often do we not give our problems to God because of a lack of faith?  Our Lady did not doubt.  Our Blessed Mother did not hesitate.  When she knew something needed to be done for this young couple, she knew she could not help but she knew who could.   "Whatsoever He saith unto you, do it." (v.5)  We have to have the same firm faith as Mary.  We say we believe but then we hesitate.  We say we gave our problem to God but then we stop and look back.  It is time for us to stand firm in our faith.  It is time for us to place our trust in God.  In the world in which we live, people place their trust in money and wealth . . . they place their trust in products they believe will change their life . . . people place their trust in booze and pills to take their hurt away.  At best, these things are nothing more than a "quick fix."  "Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and He shall sustain thee: He shall never suffer the righteous to be moved."  (Psalm 55:22)  Give your burden to God.  Have faith that God can perform a miracle in your life.  

St. Margaret of Scotland Anglican Church celebrates Mass each and every Sunday morning at 9:30 AM at the Chapel at Marquette Manor, which is located at 8140 N. Township Line Road on the Northwest side of Indianapolis.  Please join us for Mass as we worship our Blessed Saviour as God's family.  Join us as we listen to the Word of God as found in the King James Version of the Bible and use the 1928 Book of Common Prayer.  Take some time our of your busy lives and step outside of the ordinary in order to worship God in a reverent, traditional worship.  Receive Our Blessed Lord in Holy Communion to nourish and sustain you for the coming week.  And following Mass, join us for a wonderful Coffee Hour with all sorts of delicious treats.

Second Sunday after Epiphany, January 20th, 2019

Second Sunday after Epiphany, January 20th, 2019

I think that all of us have had the experience of having really great food at a restaurant or receiving really outstanding customer service at a place of business.  When that happens we tell others about what a fantastic experience we had.  If we truly believe in a product or a business it stands to reason that we will tell others about that product/business.  In the First Chapter of St. Mark's Gospel, we hear of St. John the Baptist.  And it makes sense that St. Mark writes here at the beginning of his Gospel by speaking about St. John the Baptist.  We hear:  "Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee." (St. Mark 1:1)   St. Mark is quoting this verse from the Old Testament book of Malachi  to describe St. John the Baptist:  "Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me . . . ." (Malachi 3:1)  It is entirely appropriate that St. Mark would use this Scripture verse in reference to St. John the Baptist.  St. John did in fact prepare the way by preaching and speaking and telling about the Messiah Who was to come after him.  St. John the Baptist  introduced countless souls to Our Blessed Saviour.  He did, in fact, prepare the way of the Lord through his preaching and baptizing and telling others about God.  

Each of  us should follow the example of St. John the Baptist by preparing the way for the Lord.  We do this by introducing others around us to Jesus.  We do this in various ways:  speaking about our relationship with God; talking about what we read in Scripture; inviting others to come to church with us; acting with love towards others; and even praying for others that God will bless them.  There are many wonderful ways to prepare the way before Our Lord.  This reminds me of one of my all-time favorite quotations.  St. Francis said:  "Preach at all times, and sometimes even use words!"  If God has made a difference in my life, I will want to tell others about Him.  If God has blessed me, I will want to share that blessing with others.  In fact right before Our Blessed Saviour ascended into Heaven, He said to the Apostles:  "And He said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature." (St. Mark 16:15)  We are called to preach to the whole world.  What message are you preaching today?  

You can join us for Mass as we listen to the Word of God found in the King James Version of the Bible.  We also use the 1928 Book of Common Prayer.  We gather together as God's Family to worship Him and to be nourished by Him:  He nourishes us first through His Word; and then He nourishes us by His Most Precious Body and Blood during Holy Communion.  Take some time out of your busy schedule and make some time for God this week.

St. Margaret of Scotland church worships each Sunday morning at 9:30 AM.  You can join us for Mass by joining us in the beautiful Chapel at Marquette Manor, which is located at 8140 N. Township Line Road on the Northwest side of Indianapolis.  Join us for Mass and stay afterward for our Coffee Hour.

First Sunday after Epiphany, January 13th, 2019

First Sunday after Epiphany, January 13, 2019

As we celebrate the First Sunday after Epiphany, we turn to St. Luke's Gospel (St. Luke 2:42 ff) to hear the story of the finding of the Child Jesus in the Temple:  ". . . . they turned back again to Jerusalem, seeking him."  You see, the Holy Family was traveling to Jerusalem for the Feast of the Passover.  And when they had stayed there the days that were required, as St. Luke reminds us, they left to go back home.  While they were traveling, they discovered that the Child Jesus was not with them.  I am sure that just about all parents have experienced some anxiety when they find out that their child is not where he or she is supposed to be.  Whether it is during a trip to the mall or the local grocery store, etc., we turn around and little Johnnie or Susie is not behind us.  And we panic just long enough to discover our child over in the candy aisle.  Anyway, in that light, we can imagine the panic that came over Our Lady and St. Joseph when they discovered, much to their horror that the Child Jesus was not in their company.

Truth be known, we normally do not begin to look for something until we discover that the item is missing.  For example, when we are trying to leave the house to go to work or to an appointment and then suddenly we discover that the car keys are not where we thought we left them.  And then we panic because we don't want to be late and we need to find the car keys.  Any item that you can think of . . . . the remote control,  .   . . . the shirt that you wanted to wear . . ..  even the "missing" mate to a sock that you have just taken out of the dryer . . . . where, oh, where did it go?!?!?  Obviously, we don't search for things or items until we know that we are in need of them and suddenly realize that we don't know where the item is.  e.g., the lost car keys.  And only then do we make a point to go search for them.  I would contend that this is how it is in regards to our search for Jesus.  So many people do NOT search Him out because they do not know that they are missing Him.  This is because their minds are caught up in the things of the world:  their material possessions; their money; their pleasures; their food; their drink; etc.  They are too busy concerning themselves with the cares of the world that they don't have time to "search out" Jesus.  We do not make a point to search for something until we realize it is missing or realize that we need it.  Let each of us make the point to realize our need for Jesus and then search for Him until we find Him and never let Him go.

Mass is offered each and every Sunday 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 on Sunday morning.  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.

Epiphany, January 6, 2019

Epiphany, or the Manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles, 

January 6th, 2019

In the third chapter of the Letter to the Ephesians, we hear St. Paul write:  "Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ."  (Ephesians 3:8) It is interesting for us to note that when we think of the Feast of the Epiphany, we think of the Three Wise Men (or Three Kings) bearing gifts to the new-born Messiah, and yet, here is St. Paul speaking of the "unsearchable riches of Christ."   In the eyes of the world, the gifts that the three wise men brought to the Christ Child were unsearchable riches:  ". .  . and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh." (St. Matthew 2:11)  These gifts presented to the Christ Child represented gifts of great wealth.  In the eyes of the world these gifts were of immense value.  And yet, the richest\, most valuable gift in that scene was not the gold, nor the frankincense, nor the myrrh . . . . rather, the most valuable gift in that event over two thousand years ago was the gift of that small helpless babe given to the world as a gift from God given to us on that first Christmas day.  And, as St. Paul says, the grace has been given to him and to each one of us to "preach the unsearchable riches of Christ" to the world.  In the eyes of the world the "unsearchable riches" would be identified as the gold . . . the frankincense . . . the myrrh.  To the world in which we live, "unsearchable riches" would include:  money; power; clothes; electronics; etc.  And yet when we look through our eyes of faith, if you will,  the true unsearchable richness is not seen by our eyes . . . because it is hidden.  Hidden in the manger some two thousand years ago . . . hidden in the guise of a poor, working-class family . . . hidden in a small innocent baby.  And yet, here is where the "unsearchable riches" were to be found.  And, just like most "treasures," they have to be searched for in order to be discovered.

St. Margaret of Scotland Anglican Church celebrates Mass each and every Sunday morning at 9:30 AM at the Chapel at Marquette Manor, which is located at 8140 N. Township Line Road on the Northwest side of Indianapolis.  Please join us for Mass as we worship our Blessed Saviour as God's family.  Join us as we listen to the Word of God as found in the King James Version of the Bible and use the 1928 Book of Common Prayer.  Take some time our of your busy lives and step outside of the ordinary in order to worship God in a reverent, traditional worship.  Receive Our Blessed Lord in Holy Communion to nourish and sustain you for the coming week.  And following Mass, join us for a wonderful Coffee Hour with all sorts of delicious treats.