Fourth Sunday after Easter, May 7th, 2023

 Fourth Sunday after Easter, May 7th, 2023

In the Epistle for today's Mass from the Fourth Sunday after Easter, we hear the following:  " . . . . and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls ." (St. James 1:17-21)   Have you ever received a gift . . .  .. or for that matter, perhaps you bought something for yourself . . .  . and as you opened up the package, you discovered that it was something very precious to you.  As a result, you opened the package with great care not wanting to damage your new treasure in the least.  When I read the words of St. James from the quote above it makes me think of that image:  " . . .  receive with meekness the engrafted word . . . ."  Here, St. James is referring, of course, to the Word of God.  And what he is advising is that we take the Word of God and plant what we read in our hearts.  Sometimes if you go to the various social media sites such as Facebook, Pinterest, etc.  you will read various sayings that people have posted.  One saying I read recently stated something to the effect of:  "It is good to read the Word, but it is better to know the Author."  Of course, the meaning is clear.  It is clearly one thing to read the words of Scripture but it is better to know God and to have a personal relationship with Him.  I would agree with this and I am sure that you would also.  How many times do we read something, whether it be an email at work, or a news article, or even a handwritten message, and if we are not paying attention we have to read it all over again or go back to it again to get exactly what it means?  When we read Holy Scripture, often times we may read one specific passage .  . .  or one specific verse . . .  or one specific chapter . .  . and then we go back and read the same exact passage some time later, we seemingly get a completely different meaning from our reading.  The passage speaks something brand new to us that we did not "see" in our previous reading.  Has that ever happened to you when you read the Bible?   When that happens, be assured of two things:  God is speaking to you and that the Word of God is alive!  This is what St. James is getting at when we stated " . . . .  receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls."  Engraft the Word of God into your hearts.  Let it become a part of you.  Let it live within you.  To so many people, the Word of God is just a set of words and no more than that.  To others, the Word of God is simply some "book" setting up on a shelf gathering dust.  The Word of God is so much more than this.  The Holy Scriptures are meant to be absorbed into your heart, your soul.  The Word of God is like a seed that is planted in your heart.  And you water that seed by not only reading the Word of God but also opening yourself to God and letting Him into your life.  As St. James reminds us, let the Word of God to be "engrafted" into your hearts.  Let God speak to you through His Word and then put those words into practice on a daily basis.

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 after Easter, April 30th, 2023

 Third Sunday after Easter, April 30th, 2023

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 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 after Easter, April 23rd, 2023

 Second Sunday after Easter, April 23rd, 2023

In the Gospel for today's Mass, the Second Sunday after Easter, we hear Our Blessed Lord describe Himself as a "good shepherd:"  "JESUS said, I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.." (St. John 10)  Notice that He does not just describe Himself as a "shepherd" but He specifically describes Himself as a "good shepherd."  He tells us the reason why He says this:  " . .  . the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep."  Our Lord is indeed the Good Shepherd!  He has in fact laid down His life for His sheep . . .  us!!!

In the Book of the Prophet Ezekiel, we hear the following:  "As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered; so will I seek out my sheep, and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day."  (Ezekiel 34:12)

The Good Shepherd has indeed sought for us where we have been scattered.   As sheep are scattered, not paying attention, but are focused solely on eating and filling themselves, not paying attention to anything else.  As human beings, we are similar to the sheep in the regard that  we also have been scattered.  This is because we human beings become focused solely on what we want right then and right now:  wealth; possessions; drink; wine; drugs; power; envy; jealousy; hatred; ourselves and our pleasures . . . .   all these different things have led us down various paths and directions and as a result have been scattered.   But Our Blessed Lord has sought for us.  He has searched for us no matter where our travels have taken us.  And He has laid down His life for us . . .  on the Cross at Calvary!  We just have to respond and give our life to Him!  We  need to give our life to the Good Shepherd.    We were scattered but He sought for us:  "'I will seek out my sheep, and deliver them .  . . ."  Let us also seek for the Good Shepherd as He searches for 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.

First Sunday after Easter, April 16th, 2023

 

First Sunday after Easter, April 16th, 2023

Have you ever had the experience of starting a project or a job and then you discovered shortly thereafter that you did not have the correct tool or instrument to do the work?  And then you had to stop the project that you were working on until you obtained the correct tool.  In order to do certain tasks, you need certain tools.  In order to accomplish certain jobs, you have to have the correct instrument to finish your task.  Whether it is something as big as needing a stove in order to cook or something as simple as a certain type of a screwdriver to remove a screw.  Whether it is something small or something big, we have to have the right tools to do the job right and correctly.  In the First Epistle of St. John, we hear the following:  "WHATSOEVER is born of God overcometh the world. . . ."  (I St. John 5:4)  In other words, St. John is telling us that in order to overcome the world we need to be "born of God."  He is telling us that we need to have God in our lives if we want to overcome the world.  Sometimes we hear phrases such as "the world is a rat-race" or "it's a dog eat dog world out there."  In many ways, these are accurate descriptions in regards to the world in which we live.  It's a mean world out there with lot's of dangers.  Thus, to overcome the world we need to have the assistance of Our Heavenly Father.  Without Him, we can accomplish nothing.  We need to put our faith and trust in the Creator of the world.  This comes through having a relationship with Him and living for Him.  St. John continues:  "Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God . . ." (I St. John 5:5)  Put your trust in the One that has overcome the world . .. . the One Who has overcome death . . .  the One Who has come to forgive you your sins:  Jesus Christ!

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.

Easter Sunday, April 9th, 2023

 Easter Sunday, April 9th, 2023

As I was growing up I remember Easter being a wonderful holiday with going to church and having dinner with your extended family of grandparents, aunts and uncles, cousins, etc.  It is certainly still a wonderful holiday without a doubt but to so much of the world it seems like just another day.  How many people in the world don't see the significance and importance of Easter?  To them it is just another day.  No big deal.  Nothing different from any other day.  Or to others it is the day in which you simply give colored eggs and candy and visits from the Easter Rabbit. And yet we know that Easter is so much more than that.  We know that Our Blessed Lord gloriously rose from the dead on that first Easter morn defeating death on our behalf.  Our Lord did all on our behalf.  He died on the Cross to save us from our sins and He rose again from the Tomb in order to save us from death.  By His efforts on our behalf.   He has allowed us to share in eternity in the presence of Our Heavenly Father.  But we need to say yes.  We need to give our life to Christ.  We need to dedicate our life to the One Who dedicated His life for us.  Our Lord gave His life for us.  He became the Sacrificial Lamb and sacrificed His life for us.  Eather represents new life . . . new beginnings . . .  In this light let us dedicate our lives to Christ in a new way.  Let us dedicate our life to our Heavenly Father.  Let us become a new creature in Christ Jesus!

PLEASE NOTE:  ON EASTER SUNDAY, APRIL 9TH, 2023, MASS WILL BE CELEBRATED AT 11:00 AM INSTEAD OF 10:30 AM.  MASS WILL BE CELEBRATED A HALF HOUR LATER ON THIS DAY.

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.  

Palm Sunday, April 2nd, 2023

 Palm Sunday, April 2nd, 2023

I got a job delivering newspapers when I was around 11 or 12 years old and I have been working ever since.  I have worked at a number of jobs and places.  I have done some very interesting things at my job and I have also done very boring things as well.  I am sure you can probably say the same thing about your various jobs throughout your life.  I've also had some very interesting bosses and supervisors    the way.  Some were nice.  Some were not as nice.  Some were supportive and others not so supportive.  Again, I am sure you can say the same.  The best bosses, in my opinion, were the ones who led by example.  The best supervisors were the ones who got down in the trenches with you, so to speak.  They were the ones who were not afraid to do the work right next to you.  These bosses were not afraid to do the work and got right in there and worked alongside of you to get things accomplished.  They led by example.  In a certain way we could say that Our Lord is like that, isn't He?  He chose to come to earth so that He could be among His children.  He chose to be a Man so that He could lead by example and show us the right path.   He chose to walk among HIs children so that He could tell them about the love of the Father.   St. Paul writes that Our Lord "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)  In other words, everything that you go through in life Our Lord has gone through as well.  Our Lord knows your pain.  Our Lord knows your sorrow.  He knows what it is liked to be hated and despised.  He knows what it is like to be mocked.  He knows what it is like to be tired  . . . to be sorrowful . . . . to be exhausted.  Our Lord loves us so much that He wanted to be with us, to walk among us, to share with us the joys, the sorrows which life has to offer.  Our Lord, as St Paul stated, humbled Himself to take the 'form of a servant.'  He came to serve and to show the Father's love.  As Christians, we are called to emulate Our Blessed Saviour.  We are called to humble ourselves.  We are called to serve our brothers and our sisters.  We are called to become obedient to God in all our ways  

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.

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.