Fifth Sunday after Trinity, June 30th, 2024

 Fifth Sunday after Trinity, June 30th, 2024

Human beings are amazing.  We have qualities that are amazing, quite frankly.  You find people that are loyal and dedicated and will remain your friend through thick and thin, through good times and bad.  You will find people that will give you the shirt right off of their back for no other reason than you need the help and they want to do their part to help.  You find amazing fathers and mothers who will stay dedicated to their families and will work two jobs to support their family.  You find amazing volunteers who not only give of their time but they give of themselves.  Like I say, the world is full of amazing people and I am quite sure that you can come up with your own list. 

On the other hand, the world is filled with people who could care less about anyone or anything  . . . .  . other than themselves, that is.  Just turn on the nightly news if you can't think of any examples that you know personally.  What about the people that try to pull scams on unsuspecting senior citizens?  How about people that steal from charities?  How about people that steal from their own families, for that matter?  How about people that abuse children?  Or animals?  Or spouses?  Again, we could go on and on and on in regards to this list as well.  We either know people that could fit this description or see them on the news. 

We have described both good and bad but let's be honest.  All of us have qualities of each to one degree or another, don't we?   I mean let's face it, none of us is perfect.  We can be extremely caring and giving one minute but selfish and only focus on ourselves the next minute.  I am sure that everyone who reads this short essay can admit that they have done wrong things in their life.  I know I have.  St. Peter fell down at Our Lord's feet and said to Him:  "Depart from me; for I am a sinful man"  (St. Luke 5:8)  St. Peter recognized the greatness of the Lord.  And in so doing he was suddenly confronted with the fact that he was sinful compared to the man Whom he was in the presence of.  And yet Our Blessed Saviour chose him to be one of the Apostles.  Our Lord used St. Peter to help build His Church here on earth.  Despite the fact that St. Peter was, in his own words, a "sinful man."  Despite the fact that St. Peter would still mess up and say wrong things and still do wrong things.  Our Lord chose him as Our Lord chooses us. 

As human beings we will never be perfect.  As human beings we will make mistakes from time to time.  As human beings we will do the wrong thing sometimes.  So the key is to always keep our focus on God and not on us.   "If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us."   (I St. John 4:12)  God sent His Son into the world to save us.  He sent His Son into the world to not only preach the love of God but to show the love of God.  We are called to do this as well.  Although we will often do it imperfectly, the key is to focus on the love that God has for others.  Typically when we focus on ourselves only, this is based on selfishness.  Yet, when we focus on others we have the opportunity to love and to show love as Christ did. 

Please make a point to join us for Mass on Sunday.  St. Margaret Church gathers together each and every Sunday at 10:30 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.  We use the 1928 Book of Common Prayer.  And receive the Most Precious Body and Blood of Our Saviour at Communion time.   We are all busy.  We all lead busy lives.  Take an hour out of your busy week and dedicate it to God.  Give that hour to God and spend it with Him.

Fourth Sunday after Trinity, June 23rd, 2024

 Fourth Sunday after Trinity, June 23rd, 2024

Being a Christian is not an easy job by any stretch of the imagination.  Come to think of it, being a human being is not an easy thing either.  Having to make decisions that affect your own life.  Having to make decisions that affect others . . . . for example, if you are a parent or the owner of a company.  Having to do things that you would prefer not to do but have to be done . . .  cutting the grass comes to mind or paying bills.  Having to juggle various roles all at the same time . . .   going to work . . . taking care of your home . . .  being a parent . . .  being a child . . . . paying bills . . . doing chores . . .  etc. The point being is that life is busy . . . at least it is for me . . . and life is full of difficulties and challenges . . .  again, at least it is for me.  But as I look around on social media and in the news and listening to people's conversations, it seems that people must have a whole lot of free time that they don't know what to do with.  And what do these people apparently do with all this free time?  They argue with people who have a different opinion than they do.  They belittle people that have different points of view than they do.  It used to be that if you held a different belief than me, I might not have agreed with you but it amounted to nothing more than that:  a difference of opinion.  Period.  End of story.  I might not like your choice of viewpoint, or I might not like your belief but on the other hand you might not be too fond of something about mine either.  But we just left it at that.  And, more importantly, we left it alone.  You had your belief.  I had my belief. Period.  Today, people get into all kinds of arguments and criticisms of one another if they do not agree and support the other person one hundred and twenty percent.

In St. Luke's Gospel, Our Lord said:  " BE ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful."  (St. Luke 6:36)  But then He goes on to say in the following verse:  "Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned; forgive, and ye shall be forgiven."   (v.37)  It is that last part that we should be most concerned with . . . ". .  . forgive, and ye shall be forgiven."   I have long said that we tend to be so focused on the wrong-doing in others lives, if for no other reason, it takes the focus off of our wrong doing.  If I focus on someone else and where they are wrong in their life, it means that I have less time to focus on what is wrong in my own life.    A few verses later, Our Lord states in Verse 41:  "And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but perceivest not the beam that is in thine own eye?"  Why am I so concerned about the speck that I see in my brother's eye when I am totally oblivious to the plank in my own eye?!?  The bottom line is this:  Don't be too quick to criticize someone else because your backyard probably needs a little sprucing up as well.  You don't have to be in complete agreement with someone in order to be civil and loving to that person.  Our Lord stated that we need to "love one another"  He did not say that we need to "agree with one another."  And finally,  show a little mercy and compassion to those around you.  Do not be so quick to condemn someone who does not agree with you.  That person may not agree with you either on other subjects.  The bottom line is that each one of us needs to be concerned if we agree with God.   I should be LESS concerned about making MY own voice heard  . . . and be MORE concerned about making GOD'S voice heard in my life and the way in which I treat others around me.

Please make a point to join us for Mass on Sunday.  St. Margaret Church gathers together each and every Sunday at 10:30 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.  We use the 1928 Book of Common Prayer.  And receive the Most Precious Body and Blood of Our Saviour at Communion time.   We are all busy.  We all lead busy lives.  Take an hour out of your busy week and dedicate it to God.  Give that hour to God and spend it with Him.

Third Sunday after Trinity, June 16th, 2024

 Third Sunday after Trinity, June 16th, 2024

From the First Epistle of St. Peter we hear:  ". . . for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble." (I St. Peter 5:5 ff)  St. Peter more than likely is quoting Scripture here because we also find in Proverbs 3:34:  "Surely He scorneth the scorners: but He giveth grace unto the lowly."   . .. . giveth grace to he humble . . . giveth grace to the lowly . .  .   Not only did St. Peter learn this truth from Holy Scripture but he learned it even more importantly in witnessing countless souls approaching humbly to Our Blessed Saviour.  Of course, Our Blessed Lord came to be with the humble of the world:  the poor and needy;  the sick; the sinners.  This is the reason He came:  to redeem those in need of redemption.  But before we can obtain redemption, we have to acknowledge our need of redemption.  In other words, we have to admit in our hearts, in our souls, in our minds, that we have sinned and are in need of forgiveness.  In a similar sense, it is much like acknowledging that we are sick and going to the doctor in search of healing.  We first recognize the fact that we are sick; next, we realize that we cannot get well on our own; finally, we go to the doctor seeking medical treatment.  The same is true, spiritually speaking:  we first recognize the fact that we are sinners; we realize that we can not find peace and healing in ourselves; we finally humble ourself and ask for God's forgiveness and ask Him to come into our heart.  "When Jesus heard it, He saith unto them, They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."  (St. Mark 2:17)  Let us pray for humility enough to recognize that we are in need of God in our life and then give our hearts over to Him.

Please make a point to join us for Mass on Sunday.  St. Margaret Church gathers together each and every Sunday at 10:30 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.  We use the 1928 Book of Common Prayer.  And receive the Most Precious Body and Blood of Our Saviour at Communion time.   We are all busy.  We all lead busy lives.  Take an hour out of your busy week and dedicate it to God.  Give that hour to God and spend it with Him.

Second Sunday after Trinity, June 9th, 2024

 Second Sunday after Trinity, June 9th, 2024

It was a beautiful Sunday afternoon last weekend . . .  a little bit hot, yes . . . . but a beautiful weekend nonetheless.   Because of that reason I was trying to finish up the work I was doing in the back yard at home.  The peacefulness of the afternoon was soon disrupted because the neighbors that live behind us were having a party of sorts with a pool and one of those big, inflatable bounce house's that the kids jump in.  I think there must have been perhaps ten to twelve children at this gathering.  These children were aged eight to ten years old, I guess, although I am not good at guessing ages.  Anyway, these children were very loud as you might expect.  Now, I really didn't have a problem with the yelling and screaming of the children.  That's just what kids do when they are outside at a party with other children.  Here's what caught my attention, though.  One of these children  . . . . at the top of her lungs . . . .  would yell "Oh My God!"   Now, this was happening every minute or so and it was very hard to miss each time she would yell it.  I have discovered that Children are very similar to parrots.  They both mimic what they have heard.  Thus, be careful what you speak in front of both parrots and children.  Thus, it was pretty obvious to figure out that this little girl heard "Oh My God" said quite a bit at home.  I do not fault the little girl in the least.  We hear this phrase . . .  and, sadly, much worse . . . . spoken in conversations;  . . . we hear it on TV and in the movies;  . . .  we hear Our Lord's Name spoken more as a curse word than we do as a source of praise for the wonderful things He does for us.   St John writes in his first epistle:  "That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ" (1 St. John 3:23)   The Name of God  . . .  The Name of His Son . . . . The Names and titles of the Holy Ghost . . . . All of these names are sacred; they are holy; we should speak these names with honor and respect.  And yet people utter the Name of God with utter disregard and do not even realize it.  Call on God in prayer.  Call Him when you need Him.  Utter His Name to describe the wonderful things He has done for you.  "O give thanks unto the Lord; call upon His Name!" (Psalm 105:1)  The Name of God is holy.  The Name of God is sacred.  The Name of God should mean something and stand for something.    " . . .  and we will walk in the Name of the Lord Our God for ever and ever." (Micah 4:5) When we do speak the Lord's Name, let us speak His Name in the proper context.   Let us praise the Name of the Lord.  Let us speak His Name with pride and love.  Let us thank Him by Name for all of the wonderful things He has done for us.

Please make a point to join us for Mass on Sunday.  St. Margaret Church gathers together each and every Sunday at 10:30 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.  We use the 1928 Book of Common Prayer.  And receive the Most Precious Body and Blood of Our Saviour at Communion time.   We are all busy.  We all lead busy lives.  Take an hour out of your busy week and dedicate it to God.  Give that hour to God and spend it with Him.

First Sunday after Trinity

 First Sunday after Trinity, June 2nd, 2024

In the Sixteenth Chapter of St. Luke's Gospel, we hear the story of Lazarus and the Rich man.  And as Our Lord tells the story He portrays how different life was for the rich man in comparison to the life that Lazarus had.  The rich man dressed in the finest clothing and enjoyed the finest food and did not have a care in the world.  While on the other hand Our Lord describes the life which Lazarus lived as one of misery and hunger.  As Our Lord tells the story we hear this description of Lazarus:  "and there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, and desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table"  As Our Lord describes Lazarus He tells us that he is "full of sores," unable to walk and hungry.  In fact, Our Lord tells us that Lazarus was so hungry that he was content to be fed with crumbs which fell from the rich man's table.  Very often we are satisfied with "crumbs" as well.  We chase after what the world has to offer with its' so-called riches and luxuries and we think we have it all, don't we?  But for those who have a relationship with God, we know we have something better than the world can ever offer.  Riches come and go, don't they?  We get paid and we spend the money and it's gone.  We enjoy a nice meal and it's gone and we're hungry again after that.  We go after the latest fashion in clothing and shoes and before too long the styles have changed and we start our "style quest" all over again. These are nothing more than "crumbs" that the world offers.  God offers so much more when we have a relationship with Him.  We do what we can to hang on to this physical life which we have but in comparison to eternity our years on earth are over just like that.  But Our Lord offers us an eternal life spent with Him if we so choose.  Don't spend your life chasing after "crumbs."  Spend your life preparing for eternity in the presence of Our Heavenly Father.

Please make a point to join us for Mass on Sunday.  St. Margaret Church gathers together each and every Sunday at 10:30 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.  We use the 1928 Book of Common Prayer.  And receive the Most Precious Body and Blood of Our Saviour at Communion time.   We are all busy.  We all lead busy lives.  Take an hour out of your busy week and dedicate it to God.  Give that hour to God and spend it with Him.