BULLETIN                           22 APRIL 2007

THIRD SUNDAY OF EASTER IN YEAR 3


CHURCH SERVICES

Saturday 21 April

Confession on request from 4.30 to 5.15 pm
Vigil Mass at 5.30 pm for Kevin, Philomena, Patrick and  
Michael Doherty senior

Sunday 22 April
Sunday Mass at 10.00 am
Sunday Mass at 12.00 noon
Monday 23 April
Mass at 10.00 am for Bridget and Mary McLellan  
Tuesday 24 April
Requiem Mass at 10.00 am for William Main
Wednesday 25 April
Mass at 10.00 am for Agnes McCann
Thursday 26 April
Mass at 7.00 pm for Peter McIlhatton
Friday 27 April
Mass at 10.00 am for Audrey Allan
Saturday 28 April
Mass at 10.00 am for Lelia Morrison


PARISH CENTRE EVENTS

Sunday 22 April
10.00 am
10.00 am
11.00 am

Children's Liturgy
Sacramental Preparation
Tea and Coffee after Mass

Monday 23 April
8.00 to 5.30 pm
9.00 to 11.30 am
9.30 to 11.30 am
12.30 to 2.30 pm
2.00 to 3.00 pm
5.30 to 6.30 pm
6.30 to 8.00 pm
7.00 pm
7.00 to 8.00 pm

Wrap-around Care for 3 to 5 year olds  
Nursery
Parents and Toddlers
Kindergarten
Cardiac Rehabilitation
Rainbows
Brownies
Saint Vincent de Paul Society
Weight Watchers

Tuesday 24 April

8.00 to 5.30 pm
9.00 to 11.00 am
9.30 to 11.00 am
11.15 am
2.00 pm
7.30 pm

Wrap-around Care for 3 to 5 year olds
Nursery
Kindergarten
Funeral Tea
Ignatian Prayer Group
Keep Fit

Wednesday 25 April

8.00 to 5.30 pm
9.00 to 11.30 am
9.00 to 4.00 pm
9.30 to 11.00 am
12.30 to 3.00 pm
5.00 to 6.00 pm
6.00 to 7.00 pm
7.30 pm

Wrap-around Care for 3 to 5 year olds
Nursery
Key Housing
Kindergarten
Nursery
 
Street Dance for 13 to 18 year olds 
Burakudo Karate Club
Legion of Mary

Thursday 26 April
8.00 to 5.30 pm
9.00 to 11.30 am
9.30 to 11.00 am
12.30 to 3.00 pm
1.00 to 2.30 pm
2.00 to 3.00 pm
6.00 to 7.30 pm
7.30 to 9.00 pm

Wrap-around Care for 3 to 5 year olds
Nursery
Kindergarten
Nursery
Kindergarten

Cardiac Rehabilitation
Brownies
Girl Guides

Friday 27 April
8.00 to 5.30 pm
9.00 to 11.30 am
9.30 to 11.30 am
12.30 to 2.30 pm
Wrap-around Care for 3 to 5 year olds  
Nursery
Parents and Toddlers
Kindergarten
Saturday 27 April
7.30 pmFamily Party

PRAYERS
Please remember in your prayers:
   Effie McPhee, Jimmy Lappin, Norman Gough, Joe Conroy,
   Patricia Carmichael and William Main who died recently;
   James Welsh 1997, Margaret Grear 1994, Sarah Coulter 1972,
   Thomas Nellany 2001, Mary Robertson 1988, John Murphy,
   Agnes McKay 1969, Bridget McLellan 1995, Agnes McCann 1970,
   Patrick Doherty 2005, Jack Ferguson, Frank Robertson 1989,
   Joseph Stevens 1993, Jessie Stevens 2000, Edward McNamara 1977,
   and Angel Doyle 2006
whose anniversaries occur at this time;
   and Scott William Nelson who was baptised recently.

SUNDAY COLLECTION
Last weekend's collection amounted to £719.89 and the previous weekend's came to £1003.65 - many thanks. Banker's Orders amount to an average of £4300 per month. Each month £4000 is repaid to the Diocese for the building loan and levy.

PARISH CENTRE COLLECTION
Last weekend's collection for
the Parish Centre amounted to £349.04 and the previous weekend's to £556.33 - many thanks.


GOOD FRIDAY COLLECTION
The Good Friday collection for the Holy Places and African Missions amounted to £242.59 - many thanks.

BANKER'S ORDERS
Paying your collection by monthly or quarterly banker's order makes money handling much safer. Banker's Order forms are available in the porch.

VOCATIONS SUNDAY
Next Sunday is Vocations Sunday.

SCOTTISH INTERNATIONAL AID FUND (SCIAF)
So far the Lenten Alms boxes have raised £432.89 for SCIAF. If you still have a box at home, please hand it in.

KITS FOR KIDS
Kits For Kids tokens can be collected from the Sunday Mail and Daily Record and placed in the box in the porch. James Reid School, Saltcoats is this area's school.

THURSDAY CLUB TRIP TO WALES
The bus taking the Thursday Club for a holiday in Wales will leave the Church car park on Monday 23 April at 9.00 am returning on Friday 27.

EDUCATE THE KIDS FUND RAISING SOCIAL
One of our cantors, Marie-Anne McGrattan, is going to Africa for four weeks in the summer to work with deprived children. To help support her efforts, there will be a fund-raising social event in the Parish Centre on Saturday 2 June at 8.00 pm. Details of how the proceeds will be used can be seen at www.EducateTheKids.com. Further information on the event will be given nearer the time.

COFFEE AFTERNOON
The Thursday Club is having a Coffee Afternoon on Tuesday 8 May at 1.00 pm in the Parish Centre. There will be the usual stalls - home baking, bric-a-brac and so on. Tickets cost £1.00. All are welcome.

SAINT VINCENT DE PAUL SOCIETY
Many thanks to those who responded to the Saint Vincent de Paul Society's request for a cot. It was very much appreciated. There is now a spare one ready for use when it is required.

SACRAMENTS OF CONFIRMATION AND FIRST COMMUNION
Primary 4 children will celebrate the Sacraments of Confirmatiion and First Communion on Sunday 13 May, 20 May and 3 June at 10.00 am Mass. Please pray for them and their families.

CHILDREN'S LITURGY ADULT HELPERS
   22 April
      Pre-Fives: Frances and Maria
      Primary 1 to 3: Andrena and Theresa
      Primary 4: Karen and Sharon
   29 April
      Pre-Fives: Frances and Maria
      Primary 1 to 3: Eileen, Anne and Elaine
      Primary 4: Gayle and Julie

THE COMMAND
The command we have from Christ is blunt - loving God includes loving people. You've got to love both. People who are full of criticism, sarcasm or arrogance are difficult to love - but God asks us to love difficult people too. The Holy Spirit will help you stop being so defensive or critical or controlling and enable you to love others. It is the way we show the world that we love God. God loves you and me - let us therefore love each other.

GATHERING
People must learn to gather adventures and experiences rather than things or possessions. Possessions will burden you but adventures are memories which will enrich your soul and they will last forever.


READINGS
The readings for this weekend's Masses are shown below in English. They are available in eleven other languages
including French, German, Italian, Polish and Spanish by clicking on this link.

First Reading           Acts 5:27-32.40-41
The high priest demanded an explanation of the apostles. We gave you a formal warning he said not to preach in this name, and what have you done? You have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and seem determined to fix the guilt of this mans death on us. In reply Peter and the apostles said, Obedience to God comes before obedience to men; it was the God of our ancestors who raised up Jesus, but it was you who had him executed by hanging on a tree. By his own right hand God has now raised him up to be leader and saviour, to give repentance and forgiveness of sins through him to Israel. We are witnesses to all this, we and the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him. They warned the apostles not to speak in the name of Jesus and released them. And so they left the presence of the Sanhedrin glad to have had the honour of suffering humiliation for the sake of the name.

Second Reading           Apocalypse 5:11-14
In my vision, I, John, heard the sound of an immense number of angels gathered round the throne and the animals and the elders; there were ten thousand times ten thousand of them and thousands upon thousands, shouting, "The Lamb that was sacrificed is worthy to be given power, riches, wisdom, strength, honour, glory and blessing." Then I heard all the living things in creation - everything that lives in the air, and on the ground, and under the ground, and in the sea, crying, "To the One who is sitting on the throne and to the Lamb, be all praise, honour, glory and power, for ever and ever." And the four animals said, "Amen"; and the elders prostrated themselves to worship.

Gospel           John 21:1-19
Jesus showed himself again to the disciples. It was by the Sea of Tiberias, and it happened like this: Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee and two more of his disciples were together. Simon Peter said, "I'm going fishing." They replied, "We'll come with you." They went out and got into the boat but caught nothing that night. It was light by now and there stood Jesus on the shore, though the disciples did not realise that it was Jesus. Jesus called out, "Have you caught anything, friends?" And when they answered, "No", he said, "Throw the net out to starboard and you'll find something." So they dropped the net, and there were so many fish that they could not haul it in. The disciple Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord." At these words "It is the Lord", Simon Peter, who had practically nothing on, wrapped his cloak round him and jumped into the water. The other disciples came on in the boat, towing the net and the fish; they were only about a hundred yards from land. As soon as they came ashore they saw that there was some bread there, and a charcoal fire with fish cooking on it. Jesus said, "Bring some of the fish you have just caught." Simon Peter went aboard and dragged the net to the shore, full of big fish, one hundred and fifty-three of them; and in spite of there being so many the net was not broken. Jesus said to them, "Come and have breakfast." None of the disciples was bold enough to ask, "Who are you?"; they knew quite well it was the Lord. Jesus then stepped forward, took the bread and gave it to them, and the same with the fish. This was the third time that Jesus showed himself to the disciples after rising from the dead. After the meal Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon son of John, do you love me more than these others do?" He answered, "Yes Lord, you know I love you." Jesus said to him, "Feed my lambs." A second time he said to him, "Simon son of John, do you love me?" He replied, "Yes, Lord, you know I love you." Jesus said to him, "Look after my sheep." Then he said to him a third time, "Simon son of John, do you love me?" Peter was upset that he asked him the third time, "Do you love me?" and said, "Lord, you know everything; you know I love you." Jesus said to him, "Feed my sheep. I tell you most solemnly, when you were young you put on your own belt and walked where you liked; but when you grow old you will stretch out your hands, and somebody else will put a belt round you and take you where you would rather not go." In these words he indicated the kind of death by which Peter would give glory to God. After this he said, "Follow me.".