So, what matters to you? What is most important in your priority line-up? Family, work, faith, fun? What if we were to live what matters most to God? What if that became our goal and our first priority? Our priority would be that we are concerned more about what matters to God than we are concerned about what matters in pleasing our employer, our friends, and our co-workers ... even more than pleasing our spouse. What would change in our lives if we put what matters to God first?

​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: just what does matter most to God?

In the reading from Ecclesiastes today we hear how nothing of this world remains and that everything else passes away. 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 in love to further His Kingdom. Does God care about your position of power? Only in how you treat His other children with love. 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 what that is: 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 most 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 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: love in action for each other. I suspect His plans for us includes us growing rich in God’s sight: changing our selfish value systems, demanding economic justice for all, good stewardship of God’s Creation, 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 our mission on earth. To what really matters: this is the wisdom of God!

Keep singing!

Elizabeth Dyc

Just a Note:   What also matters to God is that no matter what, you realize that you are loved.

In my Webster’s Dictionary under the definition for the word “persist” it says: “To take a stand, to stand firm (to go on resolutely or stubbornly in spite of opposition, importunity, or warning); to remain unchanged or fixed in a specific character, condition, or position; to be insistent in the repetition or pressing of an utterance (as a question); to continue to exist past a usual, expected, or normal time.” To persist is to persevere, to keep it up, to keep on, to carry on, and to stick with it. This is part of the advice Jesus gives His Disciples [and us] about prayer. He tells us to pray always and to be persistent.

​In the Old Testament reading today (the Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time), Abraham keeps quizzing, keeps petitioning God about sparing the innocent people of Sodom instead of destroying all of the people (good and bad) together. He was persistent in his questioning, and God listened to his plea. We know that story’s outcome, but at least there was a possibility of saving any innocent people who might have been living in Sodom—thanks to Abraham’s persistence.

In the Gospel Jesus tells the parable about the persistence of a friend who needs something and Jesus says: “I tell you, if he (the home owner) does not get up to give the visitor the loaves because of their friendship, he will get up to give him whatever he needs because of his persistence.” This is the repetition or pressing of an utterance past the usual, normal time.

All of us who have had children know how they can wear us down with their persistence—“Mom. Mom. Mom…” Or we know about the energy of the young and why it is necessary to have someone to “hand off to” when dealing with children, in order to take a turn at rest from them. Their persistence in trying to get what they want is amazing and exhausting!

When I think of persistence, I think of practice. Trying to work out a difficult musical passage takes persistence—you have to keep at it, working the bits into a whole in order to be able to play/sing some difficult musical phrase. You have to stick with it, not give up, to carry on, to persevere in order to achieve the wanted result.

​The other part of today’s Gospel story about prayer refers to our personal relationship with God, the Father: He is our divine parent! Our relationship to God has an intimacy demonstrated by Jesus in His prayer today (the Lord’s Prayer), in calling our Creator “Father.” We are the children of a loving and bountiful God, who provides daily bread, forgiveness of sins, and eternal salvation.

Our dependence on God never ends, and our prayer must be as persistent and constant as is our dependence on Him. We understand that the “daily bread” is for the Eucharist and the eternal banquet in heaven, and that (God’s) forgiveness is needed to enter in⎯and may be in response to the forgiveness we extend to others. We are all in the midst of the “time of trial,” and we are given what is needed to persevere by the Holy Spirit to persist, to keep and carry on.

“And I tell you, ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” We know the Father is eager for us to receive all good gifts, and so confidently we ask, persistently we seek, and with blessed assurance we knock. We may find as we persist in our prayers that they change from petition to praise; from appeal to thanksgiving, “For the kingdom, the power and the glory are Yours, now and forever.”

Keep singing!

​Elizabeth Dyc

Just a Note:   Here are two versions of the Lord’s Prayer being sung and prayed.

What is hospitality? Webster says this: given to generous and cordial reception of guests; offering a pleasant or sustaining environment…  The First Reading from Genesis and the Gospel of Luke today (the Sixteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time) speaks of hospitality. We hear Abraham welcome three strangers (God), and then the familiar Gospel story of Mary and Martha welcoming Jesus. The custom in more “simple” societies was one of exaggerated care for the visitor. This may be so because life and death depended on our neighbor’s support, or that we all have been strangers in a strange land, or maybe because of the ancient belief that the visitor may be God or Jesus (or someone one other) in the form of other persons. This last idea is the basis of many old stories, tales and myths, (remember “Beauty and the Beast?), and is an archetype for our own contemporary “urban legends” about an unknown visitor. You know: you may be entertaining angels... (Hebrews 13:2) The point to remember is that we have been told that on Judgment Day we will be asked if we fed Jesus, clothed him, and visited him when he was sick or imprisoned. We know all should welcome and receive the living God⎯whether God Himself, or the God in all of us. 

In the Gospel Jesus reminds us that the better part of hospitality is more than the service we are to give to the body of a person—it is about paying attention to the person him/herself. Yes, one feeds the body, but then one is most hospitable by listening. He reminds Martha about the better part of hospitality—listening and paying attention to someone. It may be that God’s actual definition of hospitality might mean the care and nurture of fellow souls—rather than setting a Martha Stewart table—and so we set aside our own agenda and priorities for another’s sake. To stop and be present to another person is an acknowledgment of the divine within all of us.

​Taking this idea of God’s presence in us another step farther would mean extending that acknowledgement of God’s presence to respect and acceptance and understanding for His presence in all things, in all of Creation. Hospitality and service give way then to stewardship and care, to guardianship and responsibility. We are reminded that in everything living God is present, and we may be judged on how we respond. We don’t always recognize God in the “every day” of our lives!

One of my all-time favorite hymns has a lovely melody and a remarkable poetic text that speaks to the presence of God (a hymn not present in our Journey Songs Hymnal or Missalette, unfortunately). The lovely hymn “He Comes to Us as One Unknown” speaks about all the ways God comes to us: “a breath unseen, in the dark at rest, in the ocean and seas, in flesh and blood (in birth and in Eucharist, in the body of Christ), and in truth when faith is grown.” God is in all things and in every circumstance of our lives.

We should be stirred by God’s presence in all things: from Creation to the Spirit within us all, from love gained and given, in life, in art, in family and in Community. We are called to respond in hospitality⎯with attention and respect, with love and mercy⎯to the presence of God in every one and in all things. I like to believe that somewhere along the way I have given comfort and solace to an angel or two—or at least to any weary soul who needed nourishment, rest and safety in their journey in this wilderness. How about you?

Keep singing!

Elizabeth Dyc
​
Just a Note: Here is a lovely rendition for choir and assembly of “He Comes To Us As One Unknown.” I have also included two contemporary, thoughtful pieces about the presence of God in all—and by what we will be remembered.

Love demands relationship. You can memorize a stack of facts and know a whole lot about someone; you could even develop a fairly accurate profile describing and explaining their personality and predict their future behavior—and yet still not develop a real and loving relationship with that person. Making the choice to love someone forces you to see beyond your private world, beyond your words, beyond yourself altogether. Love feeds on a shared history of affection, secrets, surprises, mysteries, generosity, moments and spontaneity. In a manner of speaking, you make a history together.

​Today in the Gospel we hear Jesus tell us the Luke version of the “Love Law”: “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your being, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” Love is any relationship where we invest ourselves. Jesus' disciples learned it through experience. Toward the end of his life, St. John wrote this: “...let's not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions.”

Our world needs loving repair—and we need to be part of that solution by our loving actions. In Wendell Berry’s poem “manifesto: The Mad Farmer Liberation Front,” we are called to “practice resurrection.” We seek those things which bring love, renewal, repair to any situation. In her article, Tish Harrison Warren writes about those things we can do to practice resurrection. I was inspired by her thoughts, and I would like to share some of those with you—and maybe you can add some to the list, too. She says:

1. Have more in-person conversations. To love or even tolerate others, it helps to actually speak with them personally.
2. Get outside. Fresh air boosts our spirits and immune system and lowers our stress levels. Yea, Creation!
3. Eschew mobs—online and in real life. There is always much to protest and change—but incivility, vitriol and violence contributes heat, not light.
4. Read books. (One of my favorite suggestions!) Our world is complicated and while the internet gives us short pieces of information, it is good for our brains to work at focusing on longer, slower stories and ideas. In books we practice an empathy—putting ourselves in the place of a character or the author. A good thing to practice.
5. Give money away. One way to push back against injustice is for individuals and corporations to voluntarily redistribute wealth and invest in our society. How can we utilize our resources to heal the world?
6. Invest in institutions more than individual brands. To build a better world we must invest time, talent, treasure and energy to reform broken institutions and sustain healthy ones.
7. Invest in children. They are our future—invest your time and talent and treasure in mentoring them.
8. Observe the Sabbath. We all need rest. Don’t work, skip screens, slow down. Help others rest as well.
9. Make a steel man of other’s arguments—instead of a straw man. See your opponents’ arguments as the best and the brightest—it strengthens our own thinking and helps us be more compassionate to others. To seek out the arguments with those with whom we disagree requires humility and curiosity—and makes a healthier discourse.
10. Practice patience. Tish H. Warren suggests making friends with boredom and things you can’t control. Everything worth having takes time—and thus, patience.
11. Last and not least: Pray. True renewal requires more than we can do by ourselves.
    

These are a few things we can do—but you can add to this list, I am sure. Love is relationship and we must foster healing and love in this world. God means us to feel His presence, we must respond to His nudging. We see Him in others, we hear Him when He speaks, and we tell of His mighty wonders when He is silent. All the while He never leaves us, He understands us when we don't have the words to explain, He listens to us when no one else will, and He is constantly searching for ways to bring out the best in us. Our human relationships should be, should emulate all of this—and this should be the model for our relationship with God, too. God loves us. How do you know if you love him? If your love is in action for others.

Maybe a prayer for this week could be to reflect on, and then to tell at least one story of God's relationship with you in your life. Maybe contemplate how your love for God may translate into loving actions for those around you. Reflect on your love, tell about your love, and act on that love. This is practicing resurrection.

Keep singing!

​Elizabeth Dyc

With the Dobbs decision overturning both Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey, welcome progress has been made in the effort to protect and promote human life at each stage of development.  However, much work remains to be done, for now the matter of abortion will be decided state by state. Dobbs was a judicial decision, overturning a bad prior decision.  The decision, in fact, has less to do with abortion than with the scope of the SCOTUS.  The majority of justices voted to limit their own power, whereas Roe v. Wade extended that power to allow the SCOTUS to create law (which is the Legislature's purview).  The SCOTUS affirmed nothing more than the claim that “the Nation’s historical understanding of ordered liberty does not prevent the people’s elected representatives from deciding how abortion should be regulated.”  "We now...return that authority to the people and their elected representatives.”

​While we advocate for the abolition of abortion at the state level, we must continue and expand all our efforts to accompany women and couples who are facing unexpected or difficult pregnancies, and we must always offer our love and mercy to those suffering from abortion. There are many charities we can support; here are  two I am suggesting:

Consider donating to the Lennon Pregnancy Center in Dearborn Heights. The Center was vandalized early in the morning of June 23rd by pro-abortionists, who smashed windows and doors, and left a threatening spray-painted message on the exterior of the building. The Lennon Pregnancy Center provides enrichment, non-judgmental advice, education, counseling, and material assistance before, during and after pregnancy, and is a  registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit. https://support-lennoncenter.org/donate/

Mary’s Mantle is a residential program rooted in the Catholic faith. The home is designed to accommodate four expectant mothers at a time who are at least eighteen years old, regardless of their religious affiliation. Mary’s Mantle is a safe haven where expectant mothers can fully realize their potential as children of a loving God. http://marysmantle.net

Helpful Resources

It’s normal to grieve a pregnancy loss, including the loss of a child by abortion. It can form a hole in one’s heart, a hole so deep that sometimes it seems nothing can fill the emptiness. Project Rachel provides hope after abortion. https://hopeafterabortion.com

An extensive list of pro-life ministries in metro-Detroit can be viewed here: https://www.evangelicalcharity.org/charities/pro-life-ministries

David J. Conrad

You will notice work will begin to demolish and reconstruct our Baptismal Font in the coming weeks.  The original font failed to do its job of holding water inside it.  We repaired and resealed as long as we could, but it became a fruitless exercise.  The new font will match the materials and shape of the current sanctuary furniture and will be topped with a rare find, a Font from the 11th Century.  It will have circulating water.  Along with this change of shape, we will be recarpeting the Baptistry and the raised portion of the sanctuary.  There may be a bare floor for a few weeks as the carpet delivery has been delayed.

​For years, our bell tower repairs have been a death-defying feat.  There is no safety equipment to access the bells.  A 30’ steel ladder will be installed to the back of the bell tower along with some platforms to allow access and safety during repairs.  Two bells need repair and all three bells will be cleaned and the equipment will be given a fresh coat of paint.

The Rectory Basement will be getting some waterproofing.  A few years ago, it flooded when it rained and this year, it is flooding when it does not rain.  There will be a barrier attached to the walls and a drain added to the perimeter along with a sump pump to carry the water to the drain.  This will be carried out by Foundation System of Michigan.   This is the first time we have spent any significant amount of money on the rectory in 20 years.

Finally, we hope to see a new roof on the church and rectory this season.  Everything is signed, and we just need to wait for an installation date.

We have built up savings since 2006 when we retired out debt.  Mostly thanks to the overage from the Annual Catholic Services Appeal and the Changing Lives Together Campaign.  These necessary projects will significantly drain our savings.  St. Aidan has always been generous, and Fr. Kevin has always made sure we operate with a lean staff.  If you are able, please consider an additional donation to either the CSA, Roof fund, or Baptismal Font fund.  We have permission to fund raise and avoid the 7% assessment to these funds.  If you ask the bookkeeper what to do, he will tell you to go to our “GIVE” tab on our parish website and give to CSA directly through the Archdiocese.  This way, your donation will be returned to the Parish without being assessed or paying any processing fees.

Paul Pyrkosz