Septuagesima, February 17th, 2019

Septuagesima, February 17th, 2019

The Daytona 500, which kicks off the NASCAR racing season, is the premier race in that series.  In other words, the biggest game for the NFL would be the Super Bowl and that is at the end of the season, not the beginning. Same with Major League Baseball, the World Series is at the end of the season.  But with NASCAR, they have their most anticipated race at the very beginning of the season.  From the end of the previous racing season until the running of the Daytona 500, the racing teams are preparing so that they can have the best car possible to race at Daytona.  It is amazing to think of all the dedication and preparation that goes into preparing these race cars.  And everyone on the team has to work together in order to make the effort worthwhile.  The driver, the pit crew, the mechanics, etc.  They all work very hard to stay focused on what they do so that they can win the race.  This is what St. Paul is speaking of in this famous passage from the Ninth Chapter of St. Paul's First Epistle to the Corinthians:  "KNOW ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain."  (I Corinthians 9:24)  Only one racing team can win the trophy.  Only one team can win the World Series.  Only one team can win the Superbowl.  But as Christians we can all win the prize at the end of our race.  Our prize will be winning the opportunity to go home . . .  our eternal home.  To spend all eternity in the Presence of Our Blessed Saviour.  This is why St. Paul was urging the Christians at Corinth to work hard at winning that prize.  This is why St. Paul is still urging all of us to continually push on forward so that we reach the finish line.  St. Paul clarifies the difference between those who train in order to win a crown that ultimately fades away and faithful, committed Christians:  "Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible."  (I Corinthians 9:25) Certainly, the crown that we have the opportunity to gain will be the one given to us by Our Blessed Saviour as He welcomes us home.  Let us look forward to that day.  Let us anticipate that day with great joy.  Let us "train" in this life in order to prepare for the next.  

NOTE:  Today the Church celebrates Septuagesima Sunday.   This begins the three "gesima" Sundays which lead us to the penitential season of Lent.  Septuagesima refers to Seventy Days before Easter.  

St. Margaret Church meets each and every Sunday morning at 9:30 AM.  Come hear the Word of God preached from the King James Version and the 1928 Book of Common Prayer.  Join us as we receive the Precious Body and Blood of Our Blessed Saviour at Communion time.  We worship at the beautiful chapel at Marquette Manor, which is located at 8140 N. Township Line Road on the Northwest side of Indianapolis.

Fifth Sunday after Epiphany, February 10th, 2019

Fifth Sunday after Epiphany, February 10th, 2019

On February Fourteenth of every year we celebrate St. Valentine's Day.  But the majority of the world seems to leave off the "Saint" part of it and simply celebrates "Valentine's Day."  As soon as the Christmas displays come down in the stores, the "Valentine's Day" displays goes up and the shelves are filled with candies, heart-shaped boxes, balloons, stuffed animals, etc.  The stores would have us believe that we show off our love by spending the most money.  But, truth be known, they also have this attitude when it comes to Christmas as well:   . . .  if you REALLY love that person, spend LOTS and LOTS of money on the most expensive gifts.  Commercialism has ruined most holidays, it would seem.  Let me go out and buy flowers, . . .  candy,  . . .  jewelry, . . . a meal at an expensive restaurant, . . . .  a Hallmark card, . .  . . etc, etc, etc.    I don't think there is necessarily anything wrong with buying someone you love a nice gift but love should be measured by more than how much money we spend on a gift.  It is good to love.  It is good to show love.  But the point I am trying to make is that love is not shown solely and exclusively by purchasing the most expensive gifts.  Additionally, love is something that we should work on doing all year long and not just around the Fourteenth of February. 

If we read the Thirteenth Chapter of St. Paul's Letter to the Romans, we hear the following:  " OWE no man any thing, but to love one another . . . ."  Then St. Paul goes on to say that if we love one another we have fulfilled the law (Chapter 13:8)  This advice seems pretty simple but it also sounds pretty difficult at the same time.  In other words, it is really easy for me to show love to those who are good to me.  It is really difficult, on the other hand, to love those who really tick me off.  And yet as Christians we know that Our Blessed Saviour did not make a distinction between the two: those that are easy to love and those who are difficult to love.  It's easy to love those that are good to us, that treat us well, that are fun and naturally happy.   It's easy to love those who do nice things for us and treat us nicely.  It's very easy to love people like that.  But as I say, St. Paul never made a distinction between how to treat nice people as opposed to how to treat not-so-nice people.  And I am not aware of Our Lord making a distinction, either.  In fact, in the sixth chapter of St. Luke's Gospel, we hear Our Lord speaking:  "But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you, Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you." (St. Luke 6: 27-28)  And then He goes on to say:  "And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.  For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye?  for sinners also love those that love them.  And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye?  for sinners also do even the same."  (vv 31-32)  And, finally, Our Lord states plainly:  "But love ye your enemies, and do good and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest . . . " (v. 35)

We are indeed children of the Highest if we follow His commandments in our lives.  And following the commandments of God is sometimes pretty easy and straightforward.  But other times, following Our Lord can be a bit trickier like showing love to those whom we admittedly do not like very much.  But going back to what we were saying earlier:  we are commanded by Our Blessed Lord . . . . again, He does not suggest . . . He does not recommend . . . He does not state to only do when we feel like it . . . . He commands us to love one another:  "A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another." (St. John 13:34)  Certainly, Our Blessed Saviour, as I like to say, "talked the talk and walked the walk."  In other words, Our Lord preached not only through His words but also, first and foremost, by His actions.  And He wants us to do the same as faithful, committed Christians.  He wants us to love not only those who love us but to also love those who do not love us in return.  Again, He wants us to love our enemies.  Isn't this what He did?  He showed love to those who were His enemies.  In fact, once again, He told us to do likewise:  "But I say to you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which spitefully use you, and persecute you . . . " (St. Matthew 5:44)  Certainly, this is not easy to do and it is something we will often fail at.  But if we want to grow in our Christian fidelity . . . . if we want to grow in our faithfulness . . .  if we want to be more Christ-like . . .  then we should be willing not only to follow Our Lord's advice,  His commandment, and His example:  to love those who love us . . . . to love those who hate us . . . to love those who do not love themselves.  And by doing this we are showing the world a reflection of God's love found in us.  February Fourteenth, Saint Valentine's Day, is a good reminder that we should love and that we should show love all year around.  We should show the love of God the whole year long to everyone we come in contact with.

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.

Fourth Sunday after Epiphany, February 3rd, 2019

Fourth Sunday after Epiphany, February 3rd, 2019

When we ask someone to do some favor for us, don't we usually phrase it something like:  "Will you do this favor for me?"  "Will you get me something at the store?"  "Will you go with me to the doctor's office?"  "Will you . . . . "  And if we are able to do what is being asked, our response more than likely would be:  "Yes, I will."  "Yes, I will do that for you."  "Yes, I will get that for you."  In other words, when we ask someone to do something for us, we are asking that person if they are willing to do this for us.  We are really asking, "Are you willing to get me something at the store?"  But we shorten it to "Will you get me something at the store?"  But again, the point is still the same, "Are you willing to do this favor for me?"  

Beginning in the Eighth Chapter of the Gospel of St. Matthew, Our Lord has an encounter with a Leper.  St. Matthew tells us in this chapter that Our Saviour had come down from the mountain and the great multitudes had followed Him.  It is at this point that St. Matthew tells us that the Leper said to Our Blessed Lord:  "Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean"  (St. Matthew 8:2)  In other words, the Leper is asking Our Lord:  "Lord, If You are willing  . . . .  "   St. Matthew tells us what happened next:  ""And Jesus put forth His hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean."  (St. Matthew 8:3)  Two things which I would like to point out in regards to Our Lord's response to the Leper.  St. Matthew tells us that first before He even responded to the request by speaking, He held out His hand first and afterward He stated "I will . . . "  Perhaps I am making too fine of a point here but it seems to me that Our Lord responded first with action and next with words.  In other words, Our Lord responded with His actions and also responded with His words as to what He was willing to do.  

I am sure that each and every one of us can think of someone whose words do not equate with their actions.  Unfortunately, this would include us sometimes as well.  Someone who says one thing but does another.  Or someone who says they will help us but then does not follow through.  We say who we are, quite frankly, more by our actions than by our words.  We can talk all we want and say we are going to do this and we are going to do that, but if we never get out there and just do it . . . ..  what do our words mean?  They are empty.  Our Lord responded first and foremost to the request of the Leper through action.  And then He responded:  "I will . . . "  When it comes to God, our actions need to match up with our words.   How many of us act one way when we are in church on Sunday but then go out and act the exact opposite the other six days of the week?  How many of us state that we are Christian but we do not act very Christian?  How many times do we promise God that we will do something and then do not actually do it?  "Actions speak louder than words."  I am sure everyone has heard that phrase.   But it is so true.  Actions really do speak louder than words.  If you want to know if I am a Christian, you don't need to listen to me saying it;  watch how I behave.  Our Lord stated in regards to the command to "love one another as He has loved us:"  "By this shall all men know that ye are My disciples, if ye have love one to another."  (St. John 13:35)  We will show who we are by our actions more than our words.  We will show the world that we are followers of Christ by how we love one another and show that love . . . . not just say it.  

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.

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.