Seventeenth Sunday after Trinity, October 13th, 2019

Seventeenth Sunday after Trinity, October 13th, 2019

The more things change, the more things stay the same.  Have you ever heard that saying?  It seems this notion is especially true in the world of fashion.  Styles that were really hot way back when come back and people start wearing them all over again.  In Hollywood, they also seem to end up re-making movies and TV shows from long ago.  The more things change, the more they stay the same.   This is definitely true of human beings.  When we read the Fourteenth Chapter of the Gospel of St. Luke, we see that this is particularly the case.  For it is in this chapter where we hear Our Blessed Saviour tell the story of the man who had to be put back in his place because he assumed he had more importance than he really did.  Our Blessed Lord told this story to show the importance of humility because even back then people were full of themselves.   Our Lord saw how people wanted others to notice how important they were.  They wanted everyone else to see how important they were not only by what they wore . . . but also by the titles they possessed . . .  and where they sat at important events.  Our Lord noticed all this and He made the point to tell the story of a man who assumed that he should sit down at a seat of great honor.   But Our Lord went on to tell how embarrassed this man was when he was told to move out of the way for someone more important than him and go over to a different seat.  

The more things change, the more they stay the same.   Whether it was two-thousand years ago or today, people always think they are more important than they really are.  They want the world to know how important they are.   We want to be known at work.  We want to be important in our community.  We want to be popular.  We want people to love us.  But, unfortunately, someone will always hate us no matter what.  Someone will always be jealous of us.  No matter what we say, we will usually please some folks and irritate others.  As Christians, we are called to please God.  As Christians, we are called to do the will of God.  As Christians, we are called to imitate Christ.  And Christ was humble.  Christ humbled Himself.  "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the Cross."  (Philippians 2:5-8)  " . . . . but made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant . . . . . "  Our Lord came to serve.  He humbled Himself.  And He did all of this because of love.  Love for you and for me.  Our Blessed Saviour gives us a difficult task when it comes to humbling ourselves.  And yet Christ never asks us to do anything that He Himself was not willing to do.  Christ humbled Himself.  We are called to do likewise.  

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.