Fourth Sunday after Easter, April 29th, 2018

Fourth Sunday after Easter, April 29th, 2018

I am not sure when and how it started but, in my opinion, people do not listen as well as they used to.  Did you hear what I said?  People do NOT listen as well as they used to.   What do I mean by that statement, I am sure you are asking yourself.   I am not referring to the actual physical act of hearing.  I am actually referring to the people that we encounter that do NOT want to listen to anything other than their own viewpoint.  Now, human beings are all different.  And, as such, we are going to have different points of views on a whole array of subjects.  Whether it be taste in music . . . or food . . . or movies . . . or fashion.  Or perhaps it is something more serious such as opinions in politics or religious matters.  Human beings are NOT going to agree 100 percent of the time on anything.  Even spouses or siblings or family members are going to disagree or have differing opinions on things.  But it used to be when I was younger that if you had a differing opinion, you just acknowledged that you disagreed and moved on.   You might not like a person's political stand, for example, but in essence it just amounted to a difference of opinion.   You might not agree with a person's opinion on a given subject but you just left it at that.  Today, sadly, it seems that if someone has an opinion on something that is "politically incorrect" it's not enough to just disagree and move on.  No, today you have to boycott the person and have that person "suffer the consequences" for having a differing opinion.  If someone has an opinion on something that differs from you, fine, move on.  Maybe you don't like the position that person has.   If you don't, OK.   It's fine.  People are allowed to disagree and have different opinions.  

In St. Jame's Epistle beginning in the first chapter we hear the following:  "let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath" (St. James 1:19)  I was given some wise advice years and year ago when I was growing up:  "You have TWO ears and ONE mouth.  So listen twice as much as you speak."   Whoever told me this must have gotten this advice from St. James. Today, it seems the opposite.  We talk twice as much as we listen.  Is this because we are trying to "drown out" anyone else who thinks differently from us?  Is it because we are so desperate to have everyone else hear us?  

"Be stedfast in thy understanding; And let thy word be the same.  Be swift to hear; and let thy life be sincere; And with patience give answer." (Sirach 5:10-11) But then we read something really astounding in verse thirteen  if you think about it: "Honour and shame is in talk; And the tongue of man is his fall."  (Sirach 5: 13)  What does this mean?  Honour AND shame is in talk???  And the tongue of man is his fall????   Again, we would be wise to listen to the words of St. James:  "let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath"  The bottom line is that both cursing and blessing can come from the same mouth.  With the same tongue we can both edify and condemn.  We should be careful what comes out of our mouth because once it comes out, it is out and can not be put back in.  Be swift to hear . . .  and with patience give answer.   Today, we don't have patience for anything, let alone listening.  "He that hath knowledge spareth his words:  And a man of understanding is of an excellent spirit." (Proverbs 17:27)   Let us do our best to not only listen to what others have to say but to also remember that we are the instrument of God.  And as such let us do our best to speak as God would have us speak.  

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.

Third Sunday After Easter, April 22, 2018

Third Sunday After Easter, April 22nd, 2018

When you go on a trip, do you ever notice how much time you spend in preparation for the trip by packing?  If you are like me, it seems like you pack half the house to go on a trip.  And even if you are only going to be gone a few days, it's unbelievable how much stuff we pack for those few days: clothing items and shoes . . . . jackets  . . . .  hygiene items  . . . .  The list goes on and on.  Then you spend all that time in preparation making sure you are bringing everything you need.  And then when the trip is done, you have to make sure you don't leave anything behind.  You've heard of people with a fear of spiders or people with a fear of flying?  I think I have a fear of leaving something behind in the motel room.   I will check and recheck to make sure we did not leave anything behind.  It's amazing how much time we spend in packing and preparing for going places.  But truth be known, we don't take anything with us when we die, do we?  I joke around and say that I'm going to take my Elvis record collection with me when I die, but of course that's ridiculous.  We don't take anything with us when we die.   The only thing that we take with us to the grave, it seems to me, is the love that we have in our heart.  When our time comes to an end here on this ol' earth that we call home, the only "thing" we will take with us is the love that we have for God . . .  love for our neighbors . . .  and love for one another.  Other than that, what do we take with us when we die?   Just the love that we have in our heart.  Why do we spend our lifetime accumulating so much stuff?  In comparison, though, how much time do we spend preparing our heart in regards to showing love towards God and our neighbor?

In the Sixteenth Chapter of St. John's Gospel, we hear Our Lord speaking to the disciples about various matters.  One of the things that He tells the disciples is preparing them for when He shall leave.  He says:  "A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me, because I go to the Father." (St. John 16:16)  Our Lord is preparing the disciples for His departure because He knows that they will be in sorrow and distress at His departure:  But Our Lord states that the sorrow the disciples will feel at His departure will be turned to joy.  "And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you." (v. 22)  Again, many things that we have in life can be lost, taken from us, or stolen but the love and joy we have in our heart, nobody can take that from us.  Our Lord's last words in this discourse state:  "I came forth from the Father; and am come into the world: again, I leave the world, and go to the Father." (v. 28)  We can say the same thing, it seems to me.   When we are born, our life is a gift from the Good Lord Himself.   And when we die, we leave the world and return to God.   And when we return, the only thing that we have to show for our journey is how we have lived our life while we were here . . .  how much love we have for one another . . .  and how much love we showed while we were here.  When we travel here on earth, we are careful to pack what we need for the trip.  We should also prepare for our "final trip" by loving one another and showing the love that God has shown us and sharing that love to one another.  

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. 

Second Sunday after Easter, April 15th, 2018

Second Sunday After Easter, April 15th, 2018

Now, I don't consider myself an authority on parenting by any means, but it seems to me that a lot of parents are making some mistakes when it comes to raising their children.  Now, I'm no "Dr. Spock" when it comes to raising children.  I just want to point that out, first and foremost.  But it seems to me that children need their parents to be there for them.  Parents need to be in their child's life.  Now, you're saying to yourself as you read that last statement:  "Thanks, Mr. Rocket Scientist, That's just common sense."  Well, yes, it certainly is common sense.  So let me try to explain what I mean.  From my perspective on things, I see a lot of parents equate "buying things" or "giving things" with spending time with their children.  It's not the same thing, first and foremost.   I have seen parents . . .  mom's and dad's  . . . . spend their hard-earned money to buy their children:  computers, toys, expensive shoes and/or clothing, etc. The problem is that a lot of these parents that are buying things for their children do not necessarily spend any time with their children.  That's the sticking point right there.  These parents equate "buying things"  . . . . even expensive things . . . . they equate this as the same thing as spending quality time with their children.  It's not the same thing and it never will be.  I have seen fathers, for example, who pride themselves on being there for their children and yet, ironically, they are never there.  In other words, the father is always away working or spending time with friends or taking care of business.   But on the other hand very often these fathers will be the ones who buy their children expensive shoes, TV's, games, clothes, etc., etc., etc.  Buying things for children.  . .. even if it's expensive things . . .  is not the same as spending time with your children.  And I think that is the key right there.  It's easier for us to spend money than it is for us to spend time.  Now, I'm certainly not saying that buying things for your children is out of the question.  Obviously, as a parent you are obligated to provide food, shelter, clothing, etc. for your children.  What I'm suggesting is that very often parents who do NOT spend time with their children, try to ease  their conscience by buying their kids "this, that, and the other."   And then these parents turn around and say that they are a good parent.  No, you're not.  You're just good at buying things.  Buying things, again, is NOT the same thing as spending time with your children.  And this is why Our Blessed Saviour is the perfect role-model for parents because He came to spend time with us.  In the Tenth Chapter of the Gospel of St. John, Our Lord describes Himself as the Good Shepherd.  He says: "I am the good shepherd; and know my sheep, and am known of mine, even as the Father knoweth me, and I know the Father; . . ." He knows His sheep because He is with them.  He knows His sheep by spending time with them.  He knows His sheep because they are His.  And then Our Lord goes on to point out that "the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep"  In other words, Christ gave His life for us.  In life and in death, Christ chose to give of Himself.  In life, He chose to spend time with His children.  And He chose to die so that we could have new life with Him.  In both cases, He gave of Himself.  Likewise, this is what parents need to do with their children:  parents need to give of themselves and not just "buy."   God gave of Himself to His children.  That's how much He loves us.  Anybody can go out and "buy something" but the question is:  can you give of yourself?  Can you give of your time?  To your children?  To God?  

St. Margaret Church meets each and every Sunday morning at 9:30 AM to gather together as God's family so that we worship God in a traditional liturgy.  We use the King Jame Version of the Bible.  We also use the 1928 Book of Common Prayer.  We listen to what God is saying to us and open our hearts to hear His Word.  And then we receive His Most Precious Body and Blood at Communion time.  We worship at the beautiful chapel at Marquette Manor, located at 8140 N. Township Line Road on the Northwest side of Indianapolis.

Be Not Afraid

"The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?  The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?"  (Psalm 27:1)

Children seem to be scared about various things, don't they?   Whether it be a strange noise or fear of "monsters under the bed," children get scared quite often.  And as we get older, we still get scared of various things:  watching scary movies or hearing unfamiliar noises.  Even as adults, we still can get scared.  Whether it be someone threatening us or  receiving a bad health report from the doctor.   Again, the point is that all throughout our life human beings will get scared of various things.  But fear always seems to go away . . . or at least diminish a great deal .  . .  when someone is with us.  When the young child is scared of a "monster under the bed" or scared after having a bad dream, and mom or dad comes in, the child is relieved, the child is comforted.  When the teenager is bullied at school, it is comforting to be in the company of friends.  When someone gets a questionable health report and a MRI or a CAT scan is ordered, aren't we relieved when someone goes with us to the hospital . . . . to support us . . .  to help us  . . . . to be by our side?.  

I recently saw a TV program where it recounted a horrifying event where a woman was involved in a high-speed car chase.  The woman was being chased by an ex-boyfriend.  The man had intentions of killing this woman and so was chasing her with his car because he wanted to shoot her.  Well, the visual scenes were portrayals of the event that occurred but they played the actual recordings of the 911 calls.  You see, the woman was on the phone with the 911 operator for some eleven minutes while this whole event unfolded.  At one point, when the woman knew that the man was upon her and she felt that her end was near, this woman asked the 911 operator to please call her mother.   They interviewed the woman for the TV show and she explained the reason why she asked the operator to call her mother was because she wanted to hear her mother's calming voice.  She wanted to hear the voice of the person that was there for her throughout her entire life.  In her moment of panic, when things seemed the darkest, she wanted someone to be there for her.  She wanted her mother to be with her at that moment even if it was only via telephone.  Again, when we are facing trials or tribulations that scare us to death, we feel comfort when someone is with us . . . to support us,  . . .  to be with us, . . .  "Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD Thy God, He it is that doth go with thee; He will not fail thee, nor forsake thee." (Deuteronomy 31:6) 

In the Twentieth Chapter of St. John's Gospel, St. John describes the disciples days after Our Lord's Crucifixion.  St John describes that the disciples were found shut up behind closed doors: " . . .  . where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, . . . . " (St. John 20:19) The disciples were scared, St. John writes.  They had "fear of the Jews," we are told.  Now it's not the fear of the disciples that I want to focus on.  I mean, let's face it, wouldn't you be scared too?  I think I would be.  If we had been in their shoes and had seen our teacher, our leader, taken into custody, savagely scourged at the pillar, forced to carry His own Cross, and then crucified, they probably thought that they were next.  They obviously thought that they were targeted as well because, again, St. John tells us that they were "assembled for fear of the Jews."  All of this is obvious.  So what I want to focus on is the complete turn around when Our Lord appears to them.  We read that Our Blessed Saviour appears to them and shows them His Hands and His side.  And when the disciples recognize that this really is their Master, St. John writes:  "Then were the disciples glad when they saw the Lord. " (v. 20)  They were glad.  More than that, they were relieved.  The Lord was with them.  Similar to when the small child is scared of the "monster under the bed" or frightened due to a sudden shock, and the parent is there to protect, to comfort.  The child feels protected.  So, too, the disciples felt protected that the Blessed Lord was there in their midst . . . to comfort them . . . to relieve them . . .  to protect them.  

So often if life we get scared by a whole host of scary things:  losing people we don't want to lose . . . being overwhelmed by bills  . . . . health concerns . . . . getting older . .. . the list goes on and on.    We all have things that cause us to be scared to one degree or another.   And when people are scared, sometimes they turn to things they should not turn to to help them cope with their fear:  drugs, . . .  drink,  . . . .  But we should turn to God when we are scared.   We should turn to Our Heavenly Father when we have concerns.   God is the One that will help us.  God is the One that wants to be there for us.  God is the One that is concerned for our well-being.  Turn to God and turn your life over to Him.  Let Him be your guide, your inspiration, your anchor in the storm.   Remember when the disciples were in the ship and a storm came up and they became afraid that they were going to die.  Our Blessed Lord came to them:  "But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid."  (St. Matthew 14:27)

Our Lord is always with us.  God is always faithful to us.  God is always true to His word.  The problem is that we are not always true to our word.  Despite the fact that God is always with us, we are not always with God.  In other words, we are too busy with our own lives . . . our own concerns . . .  we are too busy involved in what keeps us busy in this life . . . too busy to notice that God was with us all along.  Our Lord said to the disciples in the last chapter of St. Matthew's Gospel:  " . . . and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world." (St. Matthew28:20)  

"Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you.  Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."  (St. John 14:27)  Only the peace of Christ can give us true security.  Only the peace found in Our Blessed Saviour can give true peace . . .  lasting peace . . . real joy.  So many of our concerns in our everyday life seem to trouble us to no end:  bills that never seem to get paid off . . . . responsibilities at work and home that seem to overwhelm us . . .  concerns for our well-being or the well-being of our loved ones that burden us.  We know that life is not always the proverbial "bowl of cherries."  Sometimes life is difficult, quite frankly.  Sometimes, life is overwhelming.   But God is there with us in the good times and the bad.  God is there for us  . . .  and with us . . . . when things seem the darkest.  "Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord Thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest."  (Joshua 1:9)  As I stated, sometimes life can be scary.  Sometimes life can be downright overwhelming.   Sometimes we have good reason to be scared . . . to be nervous.  I have to admit I always liked the John Wayne quote regarding courage.  He said:  "Courage is being scared to death, but saddling up anyway."   He's right.  The definition of "Courage" is not the absence of fear.  The definition of courage, it seems to me, is being afraid and moving forward despite the fear.  Be strong!  Have courage!  God is with us.  "Be not afraid."  "I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world."

First Sunday after Easter, Low Sunday, April 8th, 2018

First Sunday After Easter,  

Commonly Called Low Sunday, 

April 8th, 2018

"The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?  The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?"  (Psalm 27:1)

Children seem to be scared about various things, don't they?   Whether it be a strange noise or fear of "monsters under the bed," children get scared quite often.  And as we get older, we still get scared of various things:  watching scary movies or hearing unfamiliar noises.  Even as adults, we still can get scared.  Whether it be someone threatening us or  receiving a bad health report from the doctor.   Again, the point is that all throughout our life human beings will get scared of various things.  But fear always seems to go away . . . or at least diminish a great deal .  . .  when someone is with us.  When the young child is scared of a "monster under the bed" or scared after having a bad dream, and mom or dad comes in, the child is relieved, the child is comforted.  When the teenager is bullied at school, it is comforting to be in the company of friends.  When someone gets a questionable health report and a MRI or a CAT scan is ordered, aren't we relieved when someone goes with us to the hospital . . . . to support us . . .  to help us  . . . . to be by our side?.

I recently saw a TV program where it recounted a horrifying event where a woman was involved in a high-speed car chase.  The woman was being chased by an ex-boyfriend.  The man had intentions of killing this woman and so was chasing her with his car because he wanted to shoot her.  Well, the visual scenes were portrayals of the event that occurred but they played the actual recordings of the 911 calls.  You see, the woman was on the phone with the 911 operator for some eleven minutes while this whole event unfolded.  At one point, when the woman knew that the man was upon her and she felt that her end was near, this woman asked the 911 operator to please call her mother.   They interviewed the woman for the TV show and she explained the reason why she asked the operator to call her mother was because she wanted to hear her mother's calming voice.  She wanted to hear the voice of the person that was there for her throughout her entire life.  In her moment of panic, when things seemed the darkest, she wanted someone to be there for her.  She wanted her mother to be with her at that moment even if it was only via telephone.  Again, when we are facing trials or tribulations that scare us to death, we feel comfort when someone is with us . . . to support us,  . . .  to be with us, . . .  "Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD Thy God, He it is that doth go with thee; He will not fail thee, nor forsake thee." (Deuteronomy 31:6)

In the Twentieth Chapter of St. John's Gospel, St. John describes the disciples days after Our Lord's Crucifixion.  St John describes that the disciples were found shut up behind closed doors: " . . .  . where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, . . . . " (St. John 20:19) The disciples were scared, St. John writes.  They had "fear of the Jews," we are told.  Now it's not the fear of the disciples that I want to focus on.  I mean, let's face it, wouldn't you be scared too?  I think I would be.  If we had been in their shoes and had seen our teacher, our leader, taken into custody, savagely scourged at the pillar, forced to carry His own Cross, and then crucified, they probably thought that they were next.  They obviously thought that they were targeted as well because, again, St. John tells us that they were "assembled for fear of the Jews."  All of this is obvious.  So what I want to focus on is the complete turn around when Our Lord appears to them.  We read that Our Blessed Saviour appears to them and shows them His Hands and His side.  And when the disciples recognize that this really is their Master, St. John writes:  "Then were the disciples glad when they saw the Lord. " (v. 20)  They were glad.  More than that, they were relieved.  The Lord was with them.  Similar to when the small child is scared of the "monster under the bed" or frightened due to a sudden shock, and the parent is there to protect, to comfort.  The child feels protected.  So, too, the disciples felt protected that the Blessed Lord was there in their midst . . . to comfort them . . . to relieve them . . .  to protect them.

So often if life we get scared by a whole host of scary things:  losing people we don't want to lose . . . being overwhelmed by bills  . . . . health concerns . . . . getting older . .. . the list goes on and on.    We all have things that cause us to be scared to one degree or another.   And when people are scared, sometimes they turn to things they should not turn to to help them cope with their fear:  drugs, . . .  drink,  . . . .  But we should turn to God when we are scared.   We should turn to Our Heavenly Father when we have concerns.   God is the One that will help us.  God is the One that wants to be there for us.  God is the One that is concerned for our well-being.  Turn to God and turn your life over to Him.  Let Him be your guide, your inspiration, your anchor in the storm.   Remember when the disciples were in the ship and a storm came up and they became afraid that they were going to die.  Our Blessed Lord came to them:  "But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid."  (St. Matthew 14:27)

Our Lord is always with us.  God is always faithful to us.  God is always true to His word.  The problem is that we are not always true to our word.  Despite the fact that God is always with us, we are not always with God.  In other words, we are too busy with our own lives . . . our own concerns . . .  we are too busy involved in what keeps us busy in this life . . . too busy to notice that God was with us all along.  Our Lord said to the disciples in the last chapter of St. Matthew's Gospel:  " . . . and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world." (St. Matthew28:20)

"Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you.  Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."  (St. John 14:27)  Only the peace of Christ can give us true security.  Only the peace found in Our Blessed Saviour can give true peace . . .  lasting peace . . . real joy.  So many of our concerns in our everyday life seem to trouble us to no end:  bills that never seem to get paid off . . . . responsibilities at work and home that seem to overwhelm us . . .  concerns for our well-being or the well-being of our loved ones that burden us.  We know that life is not always the proverbial "bowl of cherries."  Sometimes life is difficult, quite frankly.  Sometimes, life is overwhelming.   But God is there with us in the good times and the bad.  God is there for us  . . .  and with us . . . . when things seem the darkest.  "Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord Thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest."  (Joshua 1:9)  As I stated, sometimes life can be scary.  Sometimes life can be downright overwhelming.   Sometimes we have good reason to be scared . . . to be nervous.  I have to admit I always liked the John Wayne quote regarding courage.  He said:  "Courage is being scared to death, but saddling up anyway."   He's right.  The definition of "Courage" is not the absence of fear.  The definition of courage, it seems to me, is being afraid and moving forward despite the fear.  Be strong!  Have courage!  God is with us.  "Be not afraid."  "I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world."

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.