Always with Christ

Always with Christ is a ministry of Holy Cross Anglican Church and is presented by Fr. Damien Grout. This Sunday marks the beginning of the three Gesima Sundays, today being Septuagesima, which begins our counting down to the Holy Mystery of Easter. In these Gesima Sundays, we begin to prepare ourselves for Lent, which, in turn, prepares us for Holy Week and Easter, and today we consider the analogy of the Christian life as a race, given to us by St. Paul in 1 Corinthians 9:24-27.

Today, January 27, the are called to remember St. John Chrysostom, Bishop of Constantinople, who, using not only words, but also by his life, preaches to transforming power of the gospel and treasures of the Kingdom of Heaven, Matthew 5:13-19

On January 26, we celebrate the grace of God that enabled Polycarp (AD 69-155) to willingly offer himself, body and soul, as a living sacrifice to God, even in the years before his death. To help us understand the witness of this one who was trained in the faith by St. John the Apostle and by others who were eyewitnesses of the ministry of Jesus, we have the record of the Church in Smyrna, who bear witness to his martyrdom in letter written to the Church at Philomelium. 1 John 3:10-16

On January 25th, we remember the conversion of St. Paul, who, in the power of the grace of God, is struck down on the road to Damascus and he who was a chief persecutor of the Church, becomes the Apostle to the Gentiles. To help us to understand this day, we hear from a Homily by St. Augustine, the Bishop on this occasion. Acts 9:1-18

Today, we are called to the feast and to remember the faith of St. Timothy, who was the Son in the Faith of St. Paul, and who was installed as Bishop in Ephesus. In his life and in his death we see the pattern of the life of Christ, the Good Shepherd. 2 Timothy 1:1-7

In the Miracle of the changing of water into wine at Cana of Galilee, we are given another profound revelation of the story of the Church and of our the Salvation that is offered to us in Christ. John 2:1-11.

(Transferred from January 21) Today, we are called to remember the feast of St. Agnes, who even in her youth, becomes a teacher to all those who seek to walk by faith and not by sight. To learn what she teaches, we listen to St. Ambrose's reflection on the life and death of this blessed saint. Matthew 25;1

On January 22, the Church calls us to celebrate St. Vincent, Deacon and Martyr. Vincent was renowned for his preaching and during the persecution under Diocletian, Vincent becomes the voice of the Church in Spain before the Governor Dacian. Though subjected to great mockeries and cruelties, Vincent holds fast to Christ and the faith of the Church and though the enemies of Christ destroy his body, they cannot touch his soul. Luke 21:9-18

Always with Christ is a ministry of Holy Cross Anglican Church in Alpine, Texas, and is presented by Fr. Damien Grout. In this 3rd Sunday after the Epiphany, we are once again invited to see the mystery that had been hidden in ages past revealed in the Incarnation of the Son. Today, we see in the water turned wine at the wedding in Cana, another powerful demonstration of just who this Jesus is. John 2:1-11

On January 20th, we remember two saints: St. Fabian, Bishop of Rome from 236 to 250, and St. Sebastian, a soldier serving in the Praetorian Guard of the Emperor Diocletian whose faithfulness to Christ brings upon him the wrath of Diocletian and his death. Both of these Martyrs know what it means to be a solider of Christ and the surpassing value of the Kingdom of Christ. Hebrews 11:33-40