Saint Aidan Catholic Church - Livonia, MI
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  • Discover
    • About >
      • About Us
      • Our Patron Saint
      • Church Tour
    • Schedule
    • Contact
    • Register
    • Livestream Masses
    • Follow Us on Social Media
    • Groups >
      • Women of St. Aidan
      • Men's Club
      • Men's Prayer Group
      • Christian Services
    • Links
  • Grow
    • Become Catholic
    • Children's Liturgy of the Word
    • Families
    • Sacrament Prep >
      • Baptism
      • Reconciliation & Holy Communion
      • Confirmation
    • Staff Articles
    • Young Adults
    • VBS
  • Service
    • Pray
    • Assistance
    • Christian Services
    • Volunteer
  • Give
    • Electronic Donations
    • CSA
    • Endowment
    • RMD QCD IRA Contributors
    • Annual Report

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

<<Previous

    Authors

    ​Elizabeth Dyc. Our Director of Music Ministry.

    Paul Pyrkosz. Our Youth Minister & Bookkeeper.

    ​

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St. Aidan Catholic Church
17500 Farmington Rd. 
Livonia, MI 48152
Phone: 734-425-5950
[email protected]

Weekend Mass Schedule
Saturday Vigil: 5:00 PM
Sunday: 7:30, 9:30, 11:30 AM

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