"He knows what is in the darkness" - Daniel 12:17-30
Have you ever been ashamed of something you did or said, and then deeply regretted it ? I think we all have. The author of this reflection was ashamed and in despair and found God's love and forgiveness. Blessings, love, and hugs, Fr. Jack. I was ashamed and in despair, carrying a burden of guilt that seemed suffocating. I had hurt someone dear. I would have done anything to have taken it back, but the deed was done. The more I tried to come up with a way out, a way to "fix" the problem, the more hopeless things seemed to be. I needed help and didn't know where to turn. Panic set in. I went to church still stewing. Despite my distractions, the Lord made sure I listened to familiar words of the opening collect from Holy Eucharist: " Almighty God, to you all hearts are open, all desires known, and from you no secrets are hid..." My muscles began to relax as I slowly exhaled. Gradually, palpably, the realization spread over me that God already knew full well what I had done and loved me anyway. I poured out my heart, asking for forgiveness and guidance. I no longer felt alone. There is darkness in all of our lives. What do you need to share with God "from whom no secrets are hid." ( Forward Day by Day, 2006. Unknown author. ) Love
Friends: I like to read about Holy Men and Women. Their lives reflect how much they served and loved others. I think we Christians should always "be full of love for each other and God following the example of Christ who loved you and gave himself to God as a sacrifice to take away your sins. And God was pleased, for Christ's love for you was like sweet perfume to him." (Ephesians 5:2, The Living Bible.) I also believe we should "be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another." (Philippians 4:32) And "regard others as more important than yourselves." (Philippians 2:3 ) And "Love one another." (John 13:34). What separates Christians, who totally entrust their lives to Jesus, from the secular world, is love. We live in this world but we are not of it. We have hope to keep us going, and the love and assurance of Jesus that he will be with us no matter what challenges our daily life brings to us. He will love us through them. And one day we will pass on to live with him in his Father's kingdom where all of the rooms are 10 star rated, and those dear loved ones who arrived there before you will be on hand to greet you! Thank you for all the love you have shown to Sarah and I and so many others. You are very special people, Father Jack. Friends: We have two events coming up on the Episcopal Church's Liturgical calendar.
They are Ash Wednesday and Shrove Tuesday. Here's some information about them I thought you might find helpful. Blessings, love, and hugs, Fr. Jack. Ash Wednesday: Day on the liturgical Calendar forty-six days, or forty days other than Sundays, before Easter; marks the beginning Lent. Follows Mardi Gras, or "Fat Tuesday," or Shrove Tuesday. See the Book of Common Prayer service on page 264 for Ash Wednesday, which sets an appropriately penitential or preparatory tone for Lent. The name Ash Wednesday derives from the traditional rite of that day in which the celebrant makes the sign of the cross on the foreheads of the worshippers, using ashes made of palm leaves left over from the preceding Palm Sunday celebration. Shrove Tuesday: The day before Ash Wednesday, named for the "shriving" or confessions and absolutions, performed traditionally on that day. Also known as "Mardi Gras," or "Fat Tuesday," for those who prepare for Lent by making sure they have sins of which to repent. The Men of St. John's Church will be hosting a free pancake supper on Shrove Tuesday, February 25, at 5:30 pm, for the parish family. Source of this information: "A New Dictionary for Episcopalians," by The Rev. John N. Wall, Jr. Winston Press. The Episcopal Church remembers Florence Li Tim Oi, who was ordained a priest in China, in the year 1941, by the Anglican Church. Women were not ordained Priests in the Episcopal Church until the 1970's, and in the Anglican Communion we are part of, a few decades ago. What a blessing their ministry has been for us!
Blessings, Love, and hugs, Fr. Jack. Named by her father "much beloved daughter," Li Tim-Oi was born in Hong Kong in 1907. When she was baptized as a student, she chose the name of Florence in honor of Florence Nightingale. Florence studied at Union Theological College in Guangzhou (Canton), In 1938, she served in a lay capacity, first in Kowloon and then in nearby Macao. In May 1941 Florence was ordained deaconess. Some months later, Hong Kong fell to Japanese invaders, and priests could not travel to Macao to celebrate the Eucharist. Despite this setback, Florence continued her ministry. Her work came to the attention of Bishop Ronald Hall of Hong Kong, who decided that "God's work would reap better results if she had the proper title" of priest. On January 25, 1944, the Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul, Bishop Hall ordained her priest, the first woman so ordained in the Anglican Communion. When World War II came to an end, Florence Li Tim-Oi's ordination was the subject of much controversy. She made the personal decision not to exercise her priesthood until it was acknowledged by the wider Anglican Communion. Undeterred, she continued to minister with great faithfulness, and in 1947 was appointed rector of St. Barnabas Church in Hepu where, on Bishop Hall's instructions, she was still to be called priest. When the Communists came to power in China in 1949, Florence undertook theological studies in Beijing to further understand the implications of the Three-Self Movement (self-rule, self-support and self- propagation) which now determined the life of the churches. She then moved to Guangzhou to teach and to serve the Cathedral of Our Savior. However, for sixteen years, from 1958 onwards, during the Cultural Revolution, all churches were closed. Florence was forced to work first on a farm and then in a factory. Accused of counter-revolutionary activity, she was required to undergo political re-education. Finally, in 1974, she was allowed to retire from her work in the factory. In 1979 the churches reopened, and Florence resumed her public ministry. Then, two years later, she was allowed to visit family members living in Canada. While there, to her great joy, she was licensed as a priest in the Diocese of Montreal and later in the Diocese of Toronto, where she finally settled, until her death on February 26, 1992. Gracious God, we thank you for calling Florence Li Tim-Oi, much beloved daughter, to be the first woman to exercise the office of a priest in our Communion: By the grace of your Spirit inspire us to follow her example, serving your people with patience and happiness all our days, and witnessing in every circumstance to our Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the same Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. Source: Holy Women, Holy Men Celebrating the Saints copyright 2010 by The Church Pension Fund Friends: I enjoyed this reflection by Rick Hamlin, Executive Editor of a Guideposts publication titled "Morning with Jesus." This appeared in their January/February issue. I like its theme too, "Daily Encouragement for Your Spirit."
I recommend it to you. Blessings, love, and hugs, Fr. Jack. "Jesus said to them, I am the bread of life; he who comes to me shall not hunger, and he who believes in me shall never thirst." (John 6:35) "For a lack of attention a thousand forms of loveliness elude us every day." (Evelyn Underhill) I confess that when I'm sitting in church in a Sunday my thoughts don't always go in saintly directions. I'll wonder why that mom can't keep her kid from running up and down the aisle during worship, or why that guy wears the same jacket week after week - it could use some dry cleaning - or why the preacher takes 20 minutes to say something that could be said in 10. This is in church, when I'm supposed to be thinking about God. I found a healthy corrective the other day as I was talking to one of my fellow choir members. "You know," she said, "I've decided that if I'm not paid to be a judge, I'm not going to judge. It's as simple as that." She should know. She works as a judge for the state. It's her job. It's not mine. So why keep doing it ? After all, what do I really know about the mom and her kid or the guy and his jacket or the preacher and the theological insights he has to share? Can't I do better? "Judge not, that you not be judged," Jesus said. What we give is what we get back - practical advice that has passed the test of centuries. Followers of Jesus are still observing it. Come meet them in this issue of "Mornings with Jesus" as we grow in faith, hope, and non-judgmental love. (You can find more information about "Mornings with Jesus" at www.guideposts.org/faith-and-prayer/daily-devotions) Friends. God wants a relationship with us even when our lives are falling apart. I have found that to be so true in my own life. God loves and wants to help us at all times - even when we don't feel very good about ourselves.
Blessings, love, and hugs, Fr. Jack. Psalm 6: 6-7. I grow weary because of my groaning; every night I drench my bed and flood my couch with tears. My eyes are wasted with grief and worn away because of my enemies. I love this passage from Psalms because it reminds us it's okay to have seasons when we're weary and wasted with grief. God loves us and wants us just as much when everything is a hot mess as when we have it all together. I had to learn this hard truth when I went through divorce. Years of codependency and dysfunction blew up, and my tidy life became untidy. It took years for me to surrender to God and accept God's love in the midst of my pain. God wants a deep, abiding relationship with us-especially when our lives seem to be falling apart. These times when we are at our weakest as humans teach us to lean more heavily on Christ and to grow stronger in our bonds to the Creator. - This wonderful reflection was written by retired Navy Officer, James Neal, in the January 14, 2020 issue of Forward Day by Day. He is a member of St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Enid, Oklahoma. They have two daughters and three dogs. James is a newspaper journalist. Friends. Our Mike Gollihur sent me this beautiful prayer. It says to me, do the best you can and don't beat yourself up - keep on keeping on, whatever your ministry for Jesus is. Entrust your life to Jesus.
Blessings, love, and hugs, Fr. Jack. In 1979, John Cardinal Dearden recited the following prayer. It came from a homily he gave at a Mass for deceased priests. Those words were words drafted for Dearden by Bishop Ken Untener. A Prayer for Those in Ministry by Ken Untener It helps, now and then, to step back, and take the long view. The Kingdom of Heaven is not only beyond our efforts, it is even beyond our vision. We accomplish in our lifetime only a tiny fraction of the magnificent enterprise that is God's work. Nothing we do is complete, which is another way of saying that the Kingdom always lies beyond us. No statement says all that could be said. No prayer fully expresses our faith. No confession brings perfection. No pastoral visit brings wholeness. No program accomplishes the Church's mission. No set of goals and objectives includes everything. This is what we are about. We will plant the seeds that one day will grow, We water seeds already planted, knowing that they hold future promise. We lay foundations that will need further development. We provide yeast that produces effects far beyond our capabilities. We cannot do everything, and there is a sense of liberation in realizing that. This enables us to do something, and to do it very well. It may be incomplete, but everything is a beginning, a step along the way, an opportunity for the Lord's grace to enter and do the rest. We may never see the end results, But that is the difference between the master builder and the worker. We are the workers, not master builders, ministers, not messiahs. We are prophets of a future of our own. May that future be filled with grace, peace, and hope. Amen. I always want to put strong wings on your weary hearts, and encourage you to entrust your life to Jesus.
Entrust your life to Jesus with enthusiasm; tell others about what Jesus has done for you (and me too). Blessings and love, Fr. Jack. A Salvation Prayer: An invitation to an "Act of Faith," saying," Lord, I believe. I believe in your love. I believe your love has saved me. I believe your love has given me dignity I didn't have. I believe your love has given me hope." (A Roman Catholic Prayer - September 2017) "God is coming to you and has so much to give. All you have to do is trust - and wait. God never runs out of time, or love, or space. May you be blessed to know that today." (Safronia Scott, Forward Day by Day, September 2017) The Epiphany of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The Feast of the Epiphany starts on January 6 each year, and runs from January 6 until Ash Wednesday on February 26. Epiphany means "revealing" or "showing forth,” and the Epiphany season begins with the showing forth of Jesus' ministry to the Gentiles, specifically to the wise men, astrologers or Magi in Greek, of Matthews Gospel. They are the first to know of Jesus' divinity. Epiphany thus proclaims Jesus as Savior of the whole world, and prepares for the proclamation that the church is the people of God, with promises of salvation now applying to all the peoples of the earth. Christ was made known to the world. In the course of time the Lordship of Christ was revealed in various people. The "Wisemen from the East " observed his star and were guided to his cradle where they worshiped him as a newborn king. When John baptized him in the river Jordan, the Holy Spirit descended "as a dove" and a voice from heaven proclaimed, "This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased." At a wedding feast at Cana his embarrassed host was amazed when he turned water into wine. He revealed himself to his disciples and through their witness the knowledge of him spread. As the church grew its witness to him was formalized in the sacraments and the canonical scriptures. In the Epiphany season we remember these events, and the expanding revelation and manifestation of Christ to the world. We pray for the continued growth of his kingdom until "The earth shall be filled with the glory of God as the waters cover the sea." In the ancient Eastern Church, January 6 was observed as the feast of the Nativity, "Christmas." The Eve of Epiphany is still observed in some places as the "Twelfth Night " of Christmas and the conclusion of the nativity season. Blessings, love, and hugs, Fr. Jack. Sources of the above information: " Saints Galore, " The Rev. David L. Veal, and " A New Dictionary for Episcopalians," The Rev. John N. Wall, Jr. "Every day of our lives is a new Christmas Day."
I have saved my copies of Forward Day by Day for many years. I make notes at the top to indicate the theme of each reflection. I have found that every question or concern I am having some author has blessed me with a thoughtful reflection on it. This December 25, 2011, author is a young lay woman who is a former overseas missionary. That's all FDBD says about her. I wanted to share it with you. Entrust your life to Jesus. Blessings, love, and hugs, Fr. Jack. Luke 2:1 (15-20). But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid, for see - I am bringing you good news of great joy for all people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord." Christmas Day. And time to unwrap presents. And time to begin unwrapping the greatest gift of all. The Incarnation of the Son of God has much in common with what we find under the Christmas tree. It isn't something we have earned; there is nothing we might ever do to entitle ourselves to this. It is freely given, a gift of pure love. It was carefully chosen just for us, to bring joy, amazement, peace, renewal. The Incarnation also differs from other festive packages in some important ways. It cannot be returned or exchanged. This gift is always with us, even at the too numerous times that we forget we have it. And try as we might, we can never fully unwrap it, never fully see and appreciate its beauty and value. Not in this life, anyway. But we can be intentional about peeling away the layers, revealing more of this gift as we pray, praise, and serve. Every day of our lives a new Christmas Day. |