Gaining his freedom in 1784, he refused to let oppression define him. When St. George’s Methodist sought to silence Black worshipers, he and Richard Allen walked out.
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Their vision gave birth to the African Episcopal Church of St. Thomas in 1794 - a sanctuary of dignity and joy for Black Christians. Jones was ordained a deacon in 1795 and a priest in 1802.
From the pulpit, he proclaimed the Gospel’s call to liberation, working tirelessly for abolition and the full dignity of Black Americans. His life was a beacon of hope.
The First Lesson for his feast reminds us of this hope:
"To open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners... from the prison those who sit in darkness...See, the former things have come to pass, and new things I now declare; before they spring forth, I tell you of them." (Isaiah 42:5-9)
Jones knew oppression & persecution - yet he also knew the amazing grace and hope-filled joy that defied despair. In God’s love, he found vertical assurance for horizontal endurance.
We are the heirs of that assurance. We walk in the endurance of Absalom Jones. With him, we proclaim: oppression does not have the final word. “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning” (Ps 30:5).
God has kept us, is keeping us, and will keep us forever. The former things have passed. God declares new things. Let us step forward in hope-filled joy.
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"To open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners... from the prison those who sit in darkness...See, the former things have come to pass, and new things I now declare; before they spring forth, I tell you of them." (Isaiah 42:5-9)
Absalom Jones, pray for us.
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