Saint Aidan Catholic Church - Livonia, MI
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  • Discover
    • Schedule >
      • Holy Week
    • Livestream Masses
    • Lent Fish Dinners
    • Contact
    • Register
    • About >
      • Our Patron Saint
      • Church Tour
      • PRES Plan
    • Groups >
      • Women of St. Aidan
      • Men's Club
      • Men's Prayer Group
      • Young(ish) Adults
    • Links
  • Grow
    • March Enrichment
    • Lent '23
    • Families
    • Blog
    • Bible Studies >
      • Exodus
    • Sacrament Prep >
      • Reconciliation & Holy Communion
      • Confirmation
    • Young(ish) Adults
    • Youth Ministry
    • Ongoing Enrichment >
      • Online Studies
      • Sacraments
      • Faith Basics
      • Library Database
    • Children's Liturgy of the Word
    • Become Catholic
    • VBS
  • Service
    • Assistance
    • Pray
    • Vocations
    • Volunteer
  • Give
    • Electronic Donations
    • CSA
    • Endowment

20 Years Ago

8/19/2019

 
As I open up the resources for this year’s upcoming faith formation, I am looking back at the changes that have taken place in the span of just 20 years.  In 1999 I was getting ready to share my faith with one of four classes filled with 7th grade students who met each week.  I was being mentored by some veteran catechist who had been giving up their Monday or Tuesday nights for years.  We were each armed with actual textbooks to teach a lesson every week and if you were brave, you brought the cart of Bibles to your room.  Occasionally, we would come across a resource and photocopy it, in black and white.

The pre-teens we were mentoring, were growing up in an almost Catholic Bubble.  Their peers were a bunch of familiar faces from church.  Their parents hung out with friends from Church and it was a time that it was relatively safe to admit, you were Catholic.  If you looked on their nightstand or near their bed, there was likely a religious item or even a Bible or prayer resource on display.

But, that was 20 years ago.  Every poll from Pew Research will tell you of a decline, not only in Catholicism, but all religion.  I like to think the change in direction St. Aidan took three years ago, to a family faith formation approach is the solution.  However, it is just one part of the solution.  While we have gone from black and white copies and texts to digital media and parent participation, we still have much more to do.

Consider this, in 1999 St. Aidan had almost 500 high school students.  Today we have only 164 and next year, 20 less.  Each of us, no matter who we are, are, by our baptism, called to witness the Good News.  Have you ever invited someone to St. Aidan?  When was the last time you shared a story of God working in your life?  How is your own prayer life?  Make a commitment to improve one thing this week to deepen your relationship with Christ and see if the results have you being a witness by the end of the week.

Paul Pyrkosz
Coordinator of Youth Ministry


Fiery Discipleship

8/19/2019

 
The Gospel Reading for this Twentieth Sunday of Ordinary Time contains a very difficult message to hear; Jesus says: “I have come to set the earth on fire, and how I wish it were already blazing!” He talks about His “baptism”—the cross—and His anguish until this “baptism” is accomplished. He speaks of the division that will be caused between (even) loved ones as a result of following in His path. Fire may kill; but it can generate life; and it can also purify and refine. Fire can transform—do you remember that we are tested by the fire of our trials and transformed by them? Jesus kicks us today in our complacency and self-contentment; we are confronted with decision and reckoning! We know that after a fire new life grows where the old was burned away; that fire is necessary for the new growth. (This is the pattern of salvation: death and resurrection!)

This summer’s readings from Luke on the practice of discipleship ignite a burning message in today’s Gospel. There is a cost to discipleship: there is suffering, division, and even rejection. These may be the cost for disciples who live the radical convictions and values of the kingdom of God in their family, workplace, parish, diocese—in their private and public lives.

Today we hear things spelled out: you cannot follow Christ without ‘skin in the game’; and you may not compromise or make excuses with your time, talent and treasure—for you have put on Christ! Your actions, decisions and priorities must show others that you take your Baptism seriously. It sure was easier to follow Him when He only wished us peace…

Jesus now wants to divide us— not from each other—but from those things that keep us from Him and true love. We are reminded today that the choices we must face as believers are difficult, sacrificial and sometimes very painful; yet the Psalm verses tell us that we are not alone in all our struggles—that like Jeremiah in the cistern—the Lord will hear our cries and deliver us.

Today is about the decision to let God start the fire in us—and that our passion for our faith will burn away the debris of sin—all the greed, pride, selfishness, lust and apathy. God, today, or any day, doesn’t advocate for lukewarm! He wants to send down His spiritual fire into our hearts that we may live with conviction, integrity, fervor and commitment for the Kingdom. We must pray to receive the grace of this fire and be willing to take up the fiery demands of discipleship: we have received the living God and must Lift High the Cross in order to build a City of God here and now.

Keep singing!

Elizabeth Dyc

Seeking a Heavenly Homeland

8/8/2019

 
There is an old hymn: “This World is Not My Home.” The first verse text goes this way:

​
“This world is not my home, I’m just a passing thru. My treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue; The angels beckon me from heaven’s open door, And I can’t feel at home in this world anymore. O Lord, You know I have no friend like you, If heaven’s not my home then Lord what will I do; The angels beckon me from heaven’s open door, And I can’t feel at home in this world anymore.” This old hymn reminds us that we live in a temporary tent here and now…

In the Second Reading this Nineteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time, St. Paul teaches the Hebrews and us about what faith is: “Faith is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen.” In reading this Scripture passage about Abraham and his descendants (called by St. Paul “strangers and aliens on earth”), they show themselves as seeking a homeland. They all died in faith—not yet understanding salvation as we do—and yet they remain faithful. Things hoped for and yet not seen by them; but we have “seen” and we know what Jesus did for us.

This reading made me ponder as how we all tend to live here on earth thinking that this is IT, this is the destination for us, and yet in faith we know that this not so. All of us are on a journey to our heavenly homeland—something in the day to day we tend to forget. We are instructed to live in the joy of this journey back home to God—and to be ready—for we do not know when we will be called back home, arriving at our real and final destination. Remember last weekend: we heard how our lives may be demanded suddenly of us—not knowing when this will happen. The Gospel Acclamation verse today is: “Stay awake and be ready! For you do not know on what day your Lord will come.”

Jesus instructs us today to be faithful and prudent stewards while waiting for him to “punch our tickets” for home. He says: “Much will be required of the person entrusted with much, and still more will be demanded of the person with more.” This is the point from last weekend about storing up treasure only for yourself; and for this week: how you are known by what it is that you value. Last weekend Fr. Kevin spoke about how we are known and shaped by our choices—so what is your treasure?

We hear Jesus say today: “Where your treasure is, there your heart shall be.” I think that our treasure is in heaven—and that all we say and do on this journey back to God must reflect this.  Are you actively seeking your heavenly homeland? You might pray today about your priorities and on what it is you truly value. Pray about where your heart is, and upon what you treasure. It may just be the way to find the path home that you need right now. Happy trails fellow travelers!

Keep singing!

Elizabeth Dyc


What Matters to God?

8/4/2019

 
Today in the Gospel Jesus tells the parable of the rich man and his bountiful harvest. The man tears down his barns to build bigger ones with more space in order to store all his extra harvest for his future. Jesus goes on to tell how that night the man died before he could enjoy all his good things; and then He goes on to say: “Thus will it be for all who store up treasure for themselves but are not rich in what matters to God.” So, we, as Disciples, need to ask ourselves: what matters to God? 

​In the reading from Ecclesiastes today we hear how nothing of this world remains, and that everything passes. Do you remember the story of King Midas and how his touch turned everything to gold? We see by that story that it is easy for the “possessor” to become the possessed… So ask yourself: Does God care about your bank balance? Only in so far as how you use it to further His Kingdom. Does God care about your position of power? Only in how you treat His other children. Does God care about all your treasure? Only in that you share your blessings.

Know this: treasure is not the actual wealth, power and stuff you are blessed to possess—you know: food, clothing, money, position, homes, transportation, a job—no, treasure is talent and ability and the priority for your time spent on earth. Even if you do not have the financial resources to throw your money at charities, (although that is better than nothing), how about lending a helping hand? What about the treasure of your time and talent? Remember: to those who are given much (earthly wealth, beauty, talent, ability, brains, etc.) much (more!) is expected. All the ‘treasure’ you have comes from God, and is a gift from God to be shared, developed and re-gifted for the Kingdom. That we know this, understand this, and live this, is what matters to God, I believe…

We all share in the Father’s legacy of salvation and creation. Any negligence, or compromise or greed or waste on our part jeopardizes our relationship with Him—as any sin does. Our lives cannot be made secure by stuff.  Our life is in heaven and we do not enter heaven with stuff. The attendant attitude of the “wealthy” is one of false security and self-sufficiency. (Vanity of vanities!) There is that old joke about the funeral director who attaches a u-haul to a casket in order for the deceased to take his stuff with him…

Last week we heard about the importance of persistence in prayer; this week it might be wise to apply this persistence to ponder and pray about what really matters to God. I suspect His plans for us includes us growing rich in God’s sight: changing our selfish value systems, demanding economic justice for all, sharing God’s grace, mercy, love, tolerance, patience and forgiveness to all we encounter in our every day lives. Because you never know when your life might be demanded of you. Now is the time to reconcile ourselves to God’s purpose. To what really matters: this is the wisdom of God!

Keep singing!

Elizabeth Dyc

    Authors

    David J. Conrad, M.A. Theology. Our Director of Faith Formation.

    Paul Pyrkosz. Our Youth Minister & Bookkeeper.

    ​Elizabeth Dyc. Our Director of Music Ministry.

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St. Aidan Catholic Church
17500 Farmington Rd. 
Livonia, MI 48152
Phone: 734-425-5950
office@saintaidanlivonia.org

Weekend Mass Schedule
Saturday Vigil: 5:00 p.m.
Sunday: 7:30, 9:30, 11:30 a.m.

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