Sunday Services

Sunday School - 9:30 am

Holy Communion - 1st, 3rd, and 5th Sundays, 10:30 am

Morning Prayer - 2nd and 4th Sundays, 10:30 am

Thursday Services

Evening Prayer 7 PM weekly

Reaching out to the least, the lonely, and the lost

Holy Communion Service at Friendship South

2nd and 4th Sundays, 2:30 pm

Thoughts from the Lectionary for the Second Sunday in Lent

From the Gospel Lesson: St. Matthew 15:21-28

Vss. 25-27 25 "Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me. But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs. And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table."

In this passage of Matthew’s gospel we read of an encounter Jesus had with a Canaanite woman as he traveled in the coasts of Tyre and Sidon. Her daughter being vexed by a devil, she entreats the Lord to drive the demon out and restore her daughter to health. But Christ, testing her faith, doesn’t answer at first. She persists however, to the point that the disciples become annoyed and suggest that Jesus send her away. Christ mentions that, at that point in His mission he was sent to the House of Israel to gather the lost sheep from there. Finally catching up to Him the woman worships Him and again begs Jesus to heal her daughter. Christ tells her that it is inappropriate to give nourishment intended for the children of a household to dogs. The woman acknowledges her unworthiness but states that even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from the master of the house’s table. Christ seeing her faith heals her demon possessed child. By faith she received that which she sought (which was far more than crumbs).

We, like the Canaanite woman, are not worthy of the many blessings that we have in life. All we have, and ever shall receive from the hand of God is apprehended by faith in Christ. Let us, like her, recognizing our unworthy condition, place our faith in Christ alone. By so doing, though unworthy, we shall receive the blessings of God.

Blessings,

Fr. Duane+