Saint Aidan Catholic Church - Livonia, MI
  • 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
  • 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

Endings & Beginnings

11/10/2019

 
​As we near the end of our liturgical year, we begin to hear readings about end times—death, and life after death, and the second coming of Christ. Today we celebrate the Thirty-Second Sunday of Ordinary Time─just two weeks until we celebrate the Solemnity of Christ the King (the ending of this liturgical year and the beginning of the next). We are three weeks to the First Sunday of Advent, five weeks to our Advent Pageant (Save the Date!), and then seven weeks until Christmas (less than 2 months away—yikes!). I don’t mean to rush things, as we all understand that time is a process, but it’s just that it feels like we are rolling down hill as we end one season and prepare for the start of another. We end this liturgical year and are “shot out of a cannon” into Advent and Christmas.

Today, though, we stop to think specifically about “endings” from the readings: our end, the “end” of Jesus, the end of our liturgical year. Personally, though, I do think, that it is important at the same time for us to keep beginnings in mind as we contemplate the endings—in order to live in hope for whatever the future may bring when something ends. While being reminded today of endings, we are all in the midst of, and busy preparing for the beginning of the new seasons. 

Our St. Aidan Music Ministry is preparing diligently for Advent and Christmas while singing about all the ends we are encountering right now in Scripture. This mixture of endings and beginnings reflects our very spiritual beliefs in that we live preparing for our endings here on earth by living truly Christ-like lives, always knowing our life choices should reflect the beginnings of our new life in heaven. The “end times” we experience on earth are not really the ending for those who believe. We believe in resurrection living and in the surety and hope of eternal life—because we will remain faithful in our relationship with the living God. 

The Gospel story we hear today isn’t really about marriage in heaven, but it is about the resurrection and the new life heaven will bring. The debate about heaven and marriage that took place between Jesus and some Sadducees is a silly one—it was simply a trick to trap Jesus. Jesus knew that—for to be in heaven is to leave behind our misinformed, malformed egos and become fully the creatures that God destined us to be. Only in heaven do we find our true identity, and our destiny—but it doesn’t mean we can’t have Kingdom living right here and now. 

The righteous will live forever with the risen Christ (and All the other Saints!); and all of us will eventually stand before Christ as his Bride (the Church). In heaven all (souls)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 are espoused to Christ, who never stops caring and loving His Bride─us─as His own Body. This is an everlasting covenant—it began, but will not end. We, the faithful need not really worry about end times as we only need to be ready and to be busy about God’s business for the Kingdom. We need to keep the promise of new life in our sight, while preparing for the ending of this one.

Keep singing!

Elizabeth Dyc

Comments are closed.

    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.

    Archives

    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

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.

Picture