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

Stark Reality

3/24/2018

 
Today we enter the holiest week of the year for Christians around the world. We hear, we sing, we pray, and we recount the scripture stories of the fulfillment of all God’s covenants: the realization from the beginning of time of God’s plan for us—the Paschal Mystery—the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

This time for we who believe, is not about coloring eggs and Easter egg hunts, or chocolate, or bunnies, or butter shaped like lambs, and ham. All of these things are lovely custom and tradition: they celebrate the end of the Lenten season and new life in the start of Spring—new life in the world of nature. This time for us as believers is to understand and experience in our very core and center that Jesus sacrificed himself for us. He died and rose; alive after death! 

Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord allows us the time to prepare our hearts and minds for the Paschal Mystery. We turn toward the cross today; we are in the shadow of the cross this week until the beginning of the Triduum on Thursday.  We are in the stark reality of the sacrifice; and yet, at the same time, we are all fallow ground for the faith-filled growth of our spirit. 

Some synonyms for the word stark are: barren bare, severe, harsh, desolate, and austere. This is a time of paring down; stripping, trimming and preparing ourselves for this time ahead. Those persons who join us only for Christmas and Easter are very welcome; but they miss the point. They miss the experience of the stark reality of our faith—our whole year of faith. The reason Jesus came as a babe was to witness God’s love, to teach and help us to understand God’s word, and to sacrifice himself on the cross and save us. Then He rises  from the dead for us and sends us an advocate—so we too, may be as He himself was among us in this field of souls. That is the point; that is the stark reality of our faith. But Be Not Afraid of this demanding love! For there is great joy in the journey of your spirit—if you would only show up to travel the way…

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