Aidan A.s.a.p

A is for Aidan's Day, 31 August. Also for Action for Justice. Aidan and Hilda members take some action on this day to mark Aidan's works of justice for slaves and the poor.

S is for Saint Aidan. Also for Sacred Space. I conversed with Richard Binns about the monastic garden and surrounding area. He reminded me that the historican Bede says that Bishops Aidan, Cuthbert and Eadfrith each went to a place of solitude. Richard thinks that even amid tourist places we must create spiritual landscapes that 'invite' people to silent reflection.

P stands for a pilgrim. Aidan was versed in the idea of Christians who renounced everything, even their homeland, for a life-long pilgrimage, letting God lead them and bringing Christ to people different from themselves. Did Aidan at times look back wistfully? Was he tempted to give up? If he was, he resisted the tempation, continued to the end, and exited this day in a trail of heavenly glory. Tonight our new vicar Paul Collins celebrates the liturgy of the transitus at St. Aidan's Church, Bamburgh, where our pilgrim saint died on this day in 651, while I lead our service here on the island.This morning Fr Tony of St Aidan's RC Church celebrated mass and young and old from St Aidan's Schools came. This was folllowed by a BBQ at The Open Gate. Aidan lives on in the A.S.A.P'S of today. Be one a.s.a.p..