Are we allowing Christ to forge us into the kind of people He wants us to be, namely, saints?  With the onset of the month of November, we turn our attention as a Church to the celebration of those in Heaven - the saints - with an eye on our own destiny: that we are called to be saints too.  Additionally, we spend November praying for the faithful departed, that in the Lord’s mercy and justice, any forging in this life that was not complete at the time of their death might be brought to a swift conclusion as they undergo final purification in Purgatory.  Committed to learning from and asking the assistance of the saints in Heaven as we submit to Christ, together with our concern for the faithful departed, we will find that at the conclusion of our earthly life we’ve been forged into saints too.

​C.S. Lewis describes an attitude that perhaps too many of us often settle for:

I think that many of us, when Christ has enabled us to overcome one or two sins that were an obvious nuisance, are inclined to feel (though we do not put it into words) that we are now good enough.  He has done all we wanted Him to do, and we should be obliged if He would now leave us alone.  As we say “I never expected to be a saint, I only wanted to be a decent ordinary chap.” And we imagine when we say this that we are being humble.

But this is the fatal mistake.  Of course we never wanted, and never asked, to be made into the sort of creatures He is going to make us into.  But the question is not what we intended ourselves to be, but what He intended us to be when He made us.

We should not be put off by Christ’s designs for us; we should not feel overwhelmed by the high calling that is to be a Christian.  Very few of us possess a genius for religious practice or are capable of great feats of inspiration.  Thankfully, this also means that very few people are truly wicked.  The vast majority of us are right in the middle.  If we aspire to be like the handful of rare, pious saints, we will fail miserably.  If we simply try to be the best version of our not so magnificent selves, we’ll flourish.  The mediocre man is the most moral man, not because he climbs to the greatest objectively measurable heights, but because he pushes himself as hard as he can possibly go.  Effort is all.  As free creatures, we should be cooperating with the help Christ gives us: You, therefore, must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect (Matthew 5:48), which is to say, “The only help I will give is help to become perfect.  You may want something less: but I will give you nothing less.”  Becoming perfect is not a requirement you must achieve in order for God  to help you. Rather, it is the goal and purpose for which God made you in the first place.

Thus the benefit of the witness of the saints in heaven, for we see how these others in their own earthly lives cooperated with the forging Christ invited them to be subjected to.  Now in heaven, the saints want for us what they now enjoy, thus they also pray for us that in our own lives we allow Christ to do in us what He did in them.  (Click on this link to discover saints you can relate to and ask for their intercession based on what they are patrons of.)

Finally, think of praying for the repose of the souls of the faithful departed as an opportunity to imitate Christ in being other-centered, for this is a key component on our path to perfection.  In willing the good of the other, we find ourselves truly fulfilled.  So offer this powerful prayer for the souls of the dead this November: Eternal rest grant to them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

David J. Conrad

Today we hear the familiar story of Zacchaeus, the short, chief tax collector who climbs the tree to see Jesus. What made him do that? In Jesus’ time, a tax collector was a despised Roman collaborator as the Romans were an occupying force and wanted funds from the provinces to fuel their conquering wars. Jesus sees him in the tree and tells him to come down, and that He will stay at Zaccheaus’ house. In the face of the Lord’s acceptance and love, Zacchaeus has a change of heart and is saved. Jesus reminds the people that “the Son of Man has come to seek and to save what was lost.” So, what is worth seeking and saving?

​I was sent an interesting email from a Sacred Heart classmate the back in the day—and in light of this weekend’s readings I thought it would be interesting to share it again. It was entitled: “The Paradox of Our Time” and when I read the story of Zacchaeus, it seemed to me that some things had been lost by us, too (outlined in the article)—and that with Jesus’ eyes we need to look at the world differently and do some saving for ourselves.

Here it is: The Paradox of Our Time in history is that we have taller buildings, but shorter tempers; wider freeways, but narrower viewpoints. We spend more, but have less; we buy more, but enjoy it less. We have bigger houses and smaller families; more conveniences, but less time; we have more degrees, but less sense; more knowledge, but less judgment; more experts, but more problems; more medicine, but less wellness.

We drink too much, smoke too much, gamble and spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry too quickly, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too seldom, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom. We have multiplied our possessions but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often. We've learned how to make a living, but not a life; we've added years to life, but not life to our years. We've been all the way to the moon and back but have trouble crossing the street to meet the new neighbor. We've conquered outer space, but not inner space. 

We've done larger things, but not better things. We work at cleaning up the air, but we pollute the soul.  We've split the atom, but not our prejudice. We write more but learn less.  We plan more but accomplish less. We've learned to rush, but not to wait. We have computers to hold more information, but don’t take the time to understand. We spend time on facebook, we snap chat, tic tok, text, tweet and instagram, but we have less real, and more meaningful communication with each other.

These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion; tall men, and short character; steep profits, and shallow relationships. These are the times we call for world peace, but have domestic warfare; more leisure opportunities, but less fun; more kinds of food, but less nutrition. These are days of two incomes, but more divorce; of fancier houses, but broken homes. These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throw-away morality, one-night stands, overweight bodies, and pills that do everything from cheer, to diet, to quiet, to kill. It is a time when there is so much in the show window and nothing in the stockroom.

So, what is the answer to this articles’ paradox of our times? Maybe, like Zaccheaus, we need to look closely at what is right in front of us in order to seek righteousness and be saved. How about slowing down and praying for discernment, understanding, compassion and tolerance. How about enjoying a meal together, get off of our phones, no television running, and actual sharing of conversation? Maybe like Zaccheus, we all should climb a tree in order to see what we really need to seek and what to save.

Keep singing!

Elizabeth Dyc

Just a Note: Hello Faith Formation Families! (And other children’s parents!)

I spoke with most of you at the last Faith Formation weekend about signing your children up for the St. Aidan Youth Choir. I will need to hear from you in order to have our materials ready for the rehearsal and the Mass at which they will be singing. Our next rehearsal is scheduled for November 11, Thursday at 5:00pm. Please let me know if your child will be attending. If we have enough participants we will proceed with the Youth Choir. I hope that your children in joining this choir will gain the understanding of what a joy it is to serve in a ministry. Please "RSVP" for your children at:     [email protected].

Thank you so much!

A supposed right to abortion centers on a woman’s autonomy to determine her life’s course.  The first problem with that assumption is the utter disregard for the other life involved, namely, that of the unborn child.  The second problem is that of acceding to an autonomy disconnected from objectivity.  Freedom is properly ordered to the truth since the longing of the will is a longing for that which truly satisfies it; and what is truth but the correspondence of mind to reality?  Pure autonomy, on the other hand - pure self-expression and pure self-determination - is the will turned in on itself, stewing in its own juices.

Before a society can be considered well-ordered, creative, and consonant with human dignity, it must be based on truth.  As the Apostle Paul exhorts us: Away with falsehood then; let everyone speak out the truth to his neighbor; membership of the body binds us to one another [Ephesians 4:25]…work for a closer fellowship in the world of spiritual values…These benefits not only influence, but at the same time give aim and scope to all that has bearing on cultural expressions, economic and social institutions, political movements and forms, laws, and all other structures by which society is outwardly established and constantly developed (St. Pope John XXIII, Pacem in Terris, articles 35 & 36).

Laws, then, do not stand in isolation from a society’s moral imagination, but are actually constituent parts of its transformation.

​David J. Conrad

Today’s readings challenge us to be Disciples with grateful hearts for God’s healing presence, and for the gift of faith and love. How do we respond to God’s generosity? How to make a return to the Lord for all God’s good gifts? With our lives we can witness a deep sense of gratitude by sharing what we have been given, by good stewardship, and by living life with a consciously grateful heart. We hear today about the curing of the leper Naaman (from the second Book of Kings), and then in the Gospel story about the only grateful leper of a group of ten whom Jesus cures. Jesus asks: “Where are the other nine?” We are all called to offer our thanks for everything God has done for us!

​We gather each weekend to be strengthened in Word and Eucharist for the week ahead. (Eucharist is a Greek word that means ‘thanksgiving.’) Today’s readings challenge us to be Disciples with grateful hearts for God’s healing presence and for all God’s good gifts. I would not want to be part of the group of nine (lepers) that did not give thanks—but I want to be like the one who returned to Him.

We all can make varied lists of things for which to be grateful: lists as varied as we are ourselves. As a musician, I am grateful for the generous people of this Parish who had decided to grace their worship, and worship space with fine instruments to support their singing in worship. Every time I hear the incredible sound of the lovely organ and the wonderful piano that I am privileged to play in the course of my work, I have the sense that a little piece of heaven has come to earth. That is what liturgy is about though, isn’t it? We experience a sense of the eternal banquet in heaven in the form of the Eucharist, and in worship and praise in the Body of Christ. In our Church’s worship tradition it is no wonder, not surprising that the organ is considered the king of instruments and the piano is queen!

The Church, as a universal Church, feeds all people who come to the table. Not every person is touched or inspired by the same things. Even in our differences we are all made in the image and likeness of God. There are many mansions, and I like to think that each room for worship in God’s mansion has a different instrument in it! The Scriptures talk of cymbals, drums, lyres (harps), strings, flutes and trumpets. The modern Church includes these and all other keyboards, guitars, wind instruments, etc. in praise of God.

Maybe some help for living in gratitude would be to keep this in mind: If you awoke this morn with more health than illness you are more blessed than the million who will die this week. If you have never experienced the danger of battle, the loneliness of imprisonment, the agony of torture, or the pangs of starvation you are ahead of 500 million people in the world. If you can attend a church without the fear of harassment, arrest, torture or death you are more blessed than 3 billion people. If you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof overhead and a place to sleep you are richer than 75% of the other people of this world (or the people of Puerto Rico and Florida). If you have money in the bank, your wallet, or spare change in a dish someplace you are among the top 8% of the world’s wealthy.   If you can read this message you are more blessed than 2 billion people who cannot read at all. If you can hold someone’s hand, hug them or even touch them on the shoulder you are blessed because you can offer God’s healing touch. If you can hold up your head with a smile on your face and be truly thankful that you are blessed because the majority can, but most do not.

This week instead of expecting or asking for something of God as you pray, maybe try prayers of gratitude and appreciation instead. In place of worrying about getting, go with giving, and see how your life changes. In gratitude for all the gifts our God has lavished upon us we are called to gift back—to make use of our time, talent and treasure for the building of the Kingdom here, on earth. Today’s Psalm (#98) celebrates God’s love for us: His wondrous deeds, victory, kindness and faithfulness toward us. The Psalm calls us to “Sing joyfully to the Lord—break into song; sing praise!”  Show your gratitude today like the Samaritan in the Gospel story by lifting up your voice to God in song, and by witnessing an every-day attitude of gratitude! So count your blessings.

Keep singing!

Elizabeth Dyc

JUST A NOTE: It is not (and never) too late to join a ministry. If you enjoy singing or you play an instrument, please see me about getting involved in our St. Aidan Music Ministry. I am looking for all voice parts (children, men and women) and a variety of instrumentalists for our various ensembles. Come and see me after any mass, or email me at: [email protected].

A couple of songs about giving thanks and being grateful.