Passion Sunday, March 26th, 2023

 Fifth Sunday in Lent, Commonly Called Passion Sunday, March 26th, 2023

We have all known smart people.  We are impressed by their knowledge and how smart they are.  If you are like me you might even turn on the game show "Jeopardy" and ask yourself, "How do they know all these things?"   But in regards to the Bible, certainly Solomon comes to mind in regards to people who are wise.  We hear in the First Book of Kings 3:5 that "the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night: and God said, Ask what I shall give thee."  Just imagine if God would come to you or me and would ask us this same question.  What would we ask for?  Would we ask for riches?  Would we ask to made powerful in the eyes of the world?  Would we ask for a great mansion with all the luxuries known to man?  What would you ask for?   Well, in Solomon's case, he asked for wisdom.  Solomon responded to God by saying:  "Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad; for who is able to judge this thy so great a people."  (I Kings 3:9)  This answer pleased God that Solomon would ask for wisdom instead of riches or power or even comfort in life.  What does this have to do with Lent, you may ask.  What does this have to do with Passion Sunday or Lent, you may ask.  Solomon asked for wisdom because he was chosen to become king after David his father.  As such, he saw that there was great responsibility to look after God's chosen ones:  Solomon speaks to God, saying:  "And thy servant is in the midst of thy people which thou hast chosen, a great people, that cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude.  Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad; for who is able to judge this thy so great a people." (I Kings 3:8-9)  So it was not only the case that Solomon asked for wisdom, we also have to look at the reason why Solomon asked for wisdom:  so that he could rule the people that God had chosen.   So, too, Our Blessed Lord did all that He did on behalf of God's chosen people.  This includes you and me.  Christ chose to become a human being so that He could spend time with us.  He became a human being so that He could teach us about Our Heavenly Father.  He chose to come to earth as a human being so that the "human" and the "Divine" could be fully united like never before.  Solomon chose wisdom to better serve God's chosen people.  Christ chose human nature to save God's chosen people.   In this sense, we too have choices to make.  We can choose to serve ourselves or we can choose to serve God.  We can be selfish in our choices or we can think of others.  God thought of us when He sent His Only Son into the world.  Christ thought of us when He chose to take on human form.  The Holy Ghost chooses to come into our hearts if we let Him.  But it is up to us.  We must make the choice. 

St. Margaret Church worships every Sunday morning at 10:30 AM at the Chapel at Marquette Manor, which is located at 8140 N. Township Line Road on the Northwest side of Indianapolis.

NOTE:  Keep in mind that we must enter in the main entrance of the lobby and sign in before we go to the chapel.  

Please Join us as we gather together as God's family to:  hear the Word of God; listen as God speaks to each one of us in our hearts; worship God in song and in word; listen to the King James Bible and the 1928 Book of Common Prayer; and, finally, receive Our Blessed Lord in Holy Communion so that we can be nourished for the journey we call life.  Take one hour out of your busy schedule to worship God, to honour God, to acknowledge the need for God in your life. 

Fourth Sunday in Lent, March 19th, 2023

 Fourth Sunday in Lent, 

also called Laetare Sunday, March 19th, 2023

In the Fourth Chapter of St. Paul's Epistle written to the Galatians he speaks of Abraham and Sarah.  Keep in mind that we know from Scripture that Sarah and Abraham were barren and could not have children.  And as a result of desperation, Sarah urged Abraham to have a son through the slave-girl, Hagar.  But through God's grace and power, He made it possible ultimately for Sarah to have a son even at her advanced age.  In bringing up this example St. Paul it pointing out the fact that with God all things are possible.  With the grace of God all things are made new.  Through God's grace we are made new creatures.  As such, we should not return to our old ways.  As daughters and sons of the Most High, we should always remember to Whom we belong.  We should always remember that we are a new creature.  We should always act as a True Child of God in all aspects of our life.  God is Our Father and we are His children.  St. Paul is suggesting that we need to remember this fact and act accordingly inn all aspects of our life.

St. Margaret Church worships every Sunday morning at 10:30 AM at the Chapel at Marquette Manor, which is located at 8140 N. Township Line Road on the Northwest side of Indianapolis.

NOTE:  Keep in mind that we must enter in the main entrance of the lobby and sign in before we go to the chapel.  

Please Join us as we gather together as God's family to:  hear the Word of God; listen as God speaks to each one of us in our hearts; worship God in song and in word; listen to the King James Bible and the 1928 Book of Common Prayer; and, finally, receive Our Blessed Lord in Holy Communion so that we can be nourished for the journey we call life.  Take one hour out of your busy schedule to worship God, to honour God, to acknowledge the need for God in your life.

Third Sunday in Lent, March 12th, 2023

 Third Sunday in Lent, March 12th, 2023

I am amazed at how often I "revert" back to doing something when I know I should not be doing it and then I turn around and do it again.  For example, I type every day on the computer.  And sometimes . . . . I don't know the reason why .. . . I may type the wrong letter in a certain word and then I will go back and erase it and type the correct word but then the next time I get to type that same word I end up typing the same exact wrong letter all over again.  And then it gets to the point that it is laughable because then suddenly no matter how hard I try and how determined I am NOT to type that one wrong letter . . .  . I do it again.

Sin is like that as well.  We may keep doing the same wrong things all over again even though deep down inside we know that the sinful behaviour is no good for us but we keep going back and doing the same thing over and over again.  In the Fifth Chapter of St. Paul's Letter to the Ephesians, we hear the following:  "For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord."  Our Blessed Saviour redeemed us by His Own Precious Blood.  Our Saviour took our sins upon His shoulders and carried them to that hill at Calvary.  Our Saviour saved us from our sins by dying on the Cross for us.  With all of this in mind, it begs the question:  why do we do what we do . . . . especially when we supposedly know better?  How often do we do something really stupid and then we say out loud to ourselves:  "Why did I do that?"  St. Paul is saying to the Ephesians just like he is saying to us:  "You used to be ignorant of your sins but now you have knowledge in Christ . . . you are knowledgeable of Our Lord . . .  you know about Him . .    you know His ways . .  . you know Him . . . . now, act like Him and do not go back to your former, sinful ways."  This, in essence, is what St. Paul was saying to the church at Ephesus and what he is saying to us.

St. Margaret Church worships every Sunday morning at 10:30 AM at the Chapel at Marquette Manor, which is located at 8140 N. Township Line Road on the Northwest side of Indianapolis.

NOTE:  Keep in mind that we must enter in the main entrance of the lobby and sign in before we go to the chapel.  

Please Join us as we gather together as God's family to:  hear the Word of God; listen as God speaks to each one of us in our hearts; worship God in song and in word; listen to the King James Bible and the 1928 Book of Common Prayer; and, finally, receive Our Blessed Lord in Holy Communion so that we can be nourished for the journey we call life.  Take one hour out of your busy schedule to worship God, to honour God, to acknowledge the need for God in your life.

Second Sunday in Lent, March 5th, 2023

 Second Sunday in Lent, March 5th, 2023

I have owned pets for the better part of my life.   Pets are great.  They are a lot of work but they provide much love and a lot of comfort.   I have noticed with pets . . . . especially the dogs . . .  they like to beg for food.  As soon as you sit down to eat, you see those very attentive eyes staring up at you, not blinking, not moving, just staring at you to see what you are eating and see if you "drop" anything.   They seem to be satisfied with any scraps coming from the table.  They just wait for anything that may find its' way from the table to their mouths.  Those little tails start to move around as soon as they see something coming their way.  They are content with anything at all that comes their way as long as they get something.  

In the Fifteenth chapter of St. Matthew's Gospel, we hear the story of the woman of Canaan seeking a cure on behalf of her daughter.   But Our Lord did not answer her a word as St. Matthew tells us.  But this did not stop the determined mother.  She started in on the disciples.  In fact, she started bothering them so much that they soon went to Our Lord to get Him to listen to her for no other reason than so she would leave them alone.  Our Lord finally did speak to her but He seemed to give her the "cold shoulder."  At first He stated to the Canaanite women that He was "sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel."  Next, He told her that it was not "meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to the dogs."  To this, she responded that at least "the dogs eat from the crumbs which fall from the table."  If her determination was not by itself impressive, her final response was enough to convince Our Lord of this woman's humility and faithfulness.

The Canaanite woman responded by referring to the dogs eating of the crumbs falling from the table.  How many of us are satisfied with the "crumbs" that fall our way?  How many of us are satisfied with the left-overs that we have?  How many of us are content with the second best?  So many people satisfy themselves with a wide multitude of things in this world.  Some people satisfy themselves with drink or drugs.  Other people content themselves with money or riches.  Others crave after material possessions such as fancy clothing or video games or technological gadgets.  But do any of these things truly satisfy us?  No matter what we can think of, none of them last.  If it's a car, for example, eventually it will break down or rust away.  Same thing with a computer:  it will eventually break down and you will need to get another one.  Clothing will either wear out or go out of style.  No matter what you can think of in this world, none of it compares to a relationship with God.  In that sense, the things of this world are like "crumbs."  We are like the little dogs content with the crumbs falling from the table.  Wouldn't we rather have something more nourishing, . . . more satisfying . . . longer-lasting?  That is a relationship with Our Blessed Saviour.  All else pales in comparison.  Nothing satisfies in this life like a relationship with God.  So many people in this world spend their time chasing after things that seem so worthwhile to them at the time.  And yet nothing is truly everlasting . . .  nothing except the love of God.  God's love never disappoints.  God's love never ends.  God's love never falls short.  Stop chasing after the "crumbs" of this world.  Stop being content with just "crumbs."  Have a relationship with God.

St. Margaret Church worships every Sunday morning at 10:30 AM at the Chapel at Marquette Manor, which is located at 8140 N. Township Line Road on the Northwest side of Indianapolis.

NOTE:  Keep in mind that we must enter in the main entrance of the lobby and sign in before we go to the chapel.  

Please Join us as we gather together as God's family to:  hear the Word of God; listen as God speaks to each one of us in our hearts; worship God in song and in word; listen to the King James Bible and the 1928 Book of Common Prayer; and, finally, receive Our Blessed Lord in Holy Communion so that we can be nourished for the journey we call life.  Take one hour out of your busy schedule to worship God, to honour God, to acknowledge the need for God in your life.