BULLETIN                  31 DECEMBER 2017

FEAST OF THE HOLY FAMILY IN YEAR 2

CHURCH SERVICES

Saturday 30 December	Our Lady's Day Holy Mass at 10.00 am for John Patrick Hendry and Mary Kinhart Vigil Mass of Sunday at 5.30 pm for Theresa McGuire and Christmas Intentions
Sunday 31 December	The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph Sunday Mass at 10.30 am for the congregation
Monday 1 January	Mary, Holy Mother of God - Prayer for peace Holy Mass at 12.00 noon for the congregation
Tuesday 2 January	Saint Basil and Saint Gregory - Prayer for faithfulness in our families Holy Mass at 10.00 am for Jim Boyle
Wednesday 3 January	The Holy Name of Jesus - Prayer for families in crisis Holy Mass at 10.00 am for Jimmy and Emily McLaughlin
Thursday 4 January	Christmas weekday - Prayer for single-parent families Holy Mass at 10.00 am for Gerry Brown and Patrick and Sarah Braniff
Friday 5 January	Christmas weekday - Prayer for families suffering abuse and addictions Holy Mass at 10.00 am for Anthony McGarvey and a special intention
Saturday 6 January	Our Lady's Day - Prayer for engaged couples Holy Mass at 10.00 am for Ya Ming, Xing Yu and Ever Wang and families Vigil Mass of Sunday at 5.30 pm for Angus McMillan
The Holy Mass intention list is just over two weeks ahead. Please notify anniversaries as early as you can. Thanks. Any changes to the above times caused, for example, by a funeral will be notified on the home page of this website.

SAINT MARY'S AND SAINT JOHN'S CHURCH SERVICES

	Saint Mary's Church, Saltcoats	Saint John’s Church, Stevenston
Saturday 30 December	Vigil Mass at 4.30 pm	Holy Mass at 10.00 am
Sunday 31 December	Sunday Mass at 10.00 am	Sunday Mass at 11.30 am
Monday 1 January	Holy Mass at 11.00 am	Holy Mass at 11.00 am
Tuesday 2 January	Mass at 10.00 am	Service at 10.00 am
Wednesday 3 January		Holy Mass at 10.00 am
Thursday 4 January	Service at 10.00 am	Service at 10.00 am
Friday 5 January	Holy Mass at 10.00 am	Funeral Service at 12 noon
Saturday 6 January	Vigil Mass at 4.30 pm	Holy Mass at 10.00 am

PRAYERS
Please remember in your prayers:
John Ireland and James Robertson who died recently;
Alfonso Agostini 1955, Brian Connick 2010, Father Joseph Glendinning 1993, Catherine McAteer 2014, Joleen McIndoe 2015, William Twigg 1982, June Doherty 2010, Isabella Dougherty 2010, Charles Patrick Hendry 1967, Father Andrew Karwemera 2002, Lizzie Macnamara, James Murphy 1997, Hugh Brown 1980, Susan Burns 1986, May Rollie 2007, Frank Clark 2009, Catherine Marroni 2012, Helen McGinn 2012, John McTiernan 2016, Sister Imelda CP 2000, Sister Marie Celeste CP 2000, Gerry Brown 2010, Tom McAvennie 2011, Charles Retzbach 2000, Patrick Braniff 1991, Gary Cahill 2012, Margaret Griffin 1997, Isabella Keenan 1939, James Monan 1969, Celia Ralston 2007, Leda Biagioni 2007, James Burns 1955, Patrick Cawley 2001, Canon Peter Fitzpatrick 1952 and Helen McCluskey 2004 whose anniversaries occur at this time and those who are sick.
If deceased members of your family are not on our anniversary list, please tell Father Duncan, the parish office or contact WebsiteAuthor@SaintPeterinChains.net.

SUNDAY MASS TIMES
Sunday Mass times in Saint Peter's are 5.30 pm Vigil and 10.30 am. Sunday Holy Mass times in other local parishes can be seen here.

SACRAMENT OF FORGIVENESS
The Sacrament of Forgiveness is celebrated on Saturdays between 4.45 and 5.15 pm and at other times on request.

HOSPITAL CHAPLAINCY
If a member of your family or a friend is sick, please let us know and give us the details. Deacon Bill Corbett (01292 521208, 07904 248948, Rev.BillCorbett@btinternet.com) is the chaplain to Crosshouse Hospital and is assisted by the priest on call each week.

FINANCES
Bankers Orders for the Parish and Parish Centre amount to £3500 per month. We are grateful for your generous support in collections. If you can manage a little more from time to time, it would be a great help. A Standing Order would make the handling of money so much easier. Have you signed a Gift Aid form? If you are a taxpayer the Church would get 25p added to every £1 you donate.

COLLECTIONS
Last weekend's Offertory collection amounted to £445.60 and the Maintenance Fund collection to £165.85. The Christmas collections amounted to £1227.81 - thanks.

GIFT AID
The Inland Revenue now requires us to use a new style of Gift Aid form. These are available at the back of the Church and on the parish website. If you pay tax, please complete the new form and return it to the box provided. This allows us to provide the additional information required on the Gift Aid claim. Gift Aid is a vital source of income. All that is needed is that you pay tax. You simply declare that you give funds to the Church. We do the rest. Why not sign a form today? We get back an extra 25p for every £1 you give the Church in your weekly collection or by way of a donation. There is no need to cancel or renew it. We simply claim in the income we receive.

PARISH RECORDS
Our parish records are covered by the Data Protection Act and are for parish use only. We cannot give out phone numbers or addresses. Please help us to keep our records up to date using the cards provided.

READERS
Next weekend's readers are Marade Griffin at 5.30 pm and Emily Tarbet at 10.30 am.

ALTAR SERVERS
Next weekend's altar servers are Group 1 at 5.30 pm and Group 3 at 10.30 am.

MUSIC MINISTRY
Next weekend's musicians are the choir at the Vigil Mass and Andrena Hughes at 10.30 am.

CHILDREN’S LITURGY
Next week's Children's Liturgy helpers are Jacqueline Waugh for the pre-fives, Claire Sweenie and Linda Martin for Primaries 1, 2 and 3 and Frances Gemmell and Gayle Paterson for Primary 4.

SUNDAY TEAS

Tea and coffee will be served after the 10.30 am Mass in the Parish Centre next Sunday.

HOUSE BLESSING ON EPIPHANY NEXT SUNDAY
Next Sunday, on the Solemnity of the Epiphany, we will bless the chalk for the traditional House Blessing for the New Year. Chalk is blessed at Mass and then taken home. On a suitable place beside the door is written the Blessing with the dates of the New Year like this - 20 + C + M + B + 18. These are the initials of the Three Kings - Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar and the House Blessing in Latin - Christus Mansionem Benedicat - May Christ bless our house. Please take some along for neighbours or family members. The blessed chalk will be given out during the final hymn at Mass along with a leaflet with the prayers for the blessing.

THREE TIPS FROM THE POPE ON HOW TO SHARE THE FAITH THIS CHRISTMAS SEASON
Pope Francis's document The Joy of the Gospel is loaded with great tips on how to share the faith with others. Firstly,
APPEAL TO PEOPLE'S DEEPEST DESIRES. This is the common denominator in our humanity. We are all looking for 'something'- some kind of happiness, some kind of fulfilment. All sharing of who Christ is - and why people should care - must begin with an appeal to that longing for life, love, and happiness, witnessing to the eternal banquet that satisfies our deepest hunger. As Pope Francis says "All Christian formation consists of entering more deeply into . . . the message capable of responding to the desire for the infinite which abides in every human heart" - Joy of the Gospel 165. "Instead of seeming to impose new obligations, ministers of the new evangelisation should appear as people who wish to share their joy, who point to a horizon of beauty and who invite others to a delicious banquet" Joy of the Gospel 15. Then secondly,
SPEAK OF YOUR FAITH IN EVERYDAY LANGUAGE. It's an obvious point that, if we are to communicate, we need to speak in a language that people understand. But it's a point that is often ignored for some reason when it comes to sharing the faith. As Pope Francis says Today's "vast and rapid cultural changes demand that we constantly seek ways of expressing unchanging truths in a language which brings out their abiding newness. The deposit of faith is one thing . . . the way it is expressed is another" Joy of the Gospel 41. The language we use "must be one that people understand, lest we risk speaking to a void. … The greatest risk for a preacher is that he becomes so accustomed to his own language that he thinks that everyone else naturally understands and uses it. If we wish to adapt to people's language and to reach them with God's word, we need to share in their lives and pay loving attention to them" Joy of the Gospel 158. And finally, thirdly,
REMAIN OPEN TO THE FIRE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. If evangelisation means bringing Christ to the world, Mary was the first evangelist. How did she do it? How did she bring Christ to the world? The Holy Spirit came upon her and she conceived - see Lk 1:34-35. The Holy Spirit - the fire of God - is the very source of evangelisation. Hence, evangelisation is simply impossible unless we remain open to this fire. As Pope Francis says Evangelisers must be "fearlessly open to the working of the Holy Spirit. At Pentecost, the Spirit made the apostles go forth from themselves and turned them into heralds of God's wondrous deeds, capable of speaking to each person in his or her own language. The Holy Spirit also grants the courage to proclaim the newness of the Gospel with boldness in every time and place, even when it meets with opposition" Joy of the Gospel 259. "How I long to find the right words to stir up enthusiasm for a new chapter of evangelisation full of fervour, joy, generosity, courage, boundless love and attraction! Yet I realise that no words of encouragement will be enough unless the fire of the Holy Spirit burns in our hearts" Joy of the Gospel 261.

POPE FRANCIS' FAMILY PHRASEBOOK
Pope Francis suggested some phrases to ensure peace in the family - "Please", "Thank you" and "I'm sorry".
PLEASE "When we take care to ask for something kindly - even something we think we have a rightful claim to - we help to strengthen the common life that undergirds marriage and the family. Entering into the life of another, even when that person already has a part to play in our life, demands the sensitivity of a non-invasive attitude which renews trust and respect."
THANK YOU "Sometimes we have to wonder if we are turning into a civilisation of bad manners and bad words as if this were a sign of self-liberation. Kindness and the ability to say "thank you" are often considered a sign of weakness and raise the suspicion of others. We must become firmly determined to educate others to be grateful and appreciative. The dignity of the person and social justice must both pass through the portal of the family. If family life neglects this style of living, social life will also reject it."
I'M SORRY "Granted, it's not always easy to say, but it is so necessary. Whenever it is lacking, the little cracks begin to open up - even when we don't want them to - and they can even become enormous sinkholes. To acknowledge that we have fallen short, to be desirous of returning that which has been taken away - respect, sincerity, love - these make us worthy of pardon."

REST ON THE FLIGHT TO EGYPT BY LUC OLIVIER MERSON - 1879
In Boston's Museum of Fine Arts, a painting beautifully depicts the Holy Family resting on the flight to Egypt to escape Herod's persecution. The Blessed Mother and child, both asleep, are nestled between the paws of a statue of an Egyptian Sphinx. Jesus is nestled in his mother's arms, protecting and cherishing in such a way that neither would have been comfortable without the other also being comfortable. A short distance away, at the base of the platform on which the statue rests, Saint Joseph is out cold, near a diminishing fire and a donkey. He was exhausted protecting his family but if anyone tried to get near the Blessed Mother and child, they'd have to go through him first. The positioning of these figures beautifully illustrates the challenges of family life but also the symbiosis. Each one lives in function of the others. No sacrifice is too great or small for the people you love.

FAMILY PRAYER FOR THE NEW YEAR
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
Dearest Jesus, Yyou lived in your family with Mary and Joseph. We know that our family is meant to live together as you did with yours. Help us to love and nurture each of us and help us to become more like you every day. Watch over our family this year, we pray. Teach us forgiveness when we are hurt, tenderness when someone is in pain and generosity with all that we have. We know that you are with us here in our home and we open our hearts to you now. Guide our hearts to be open to others, as a sign of your heart, always open to the needs and pain of the world. We who are sick, lonely, or in need of prayer. [Mention any names out loud at this point.] Give us courage to act on your behalf in service and to love each other the members of our Parish of Saint Peter's and all the people of the world. We offer this prayer to you, with gratitude for your immense love, you who are one with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and forever. Amen.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

JUST FOR A LAUGH ……
Cryptic Christmas Card
A man sent his friend a cryptic Christmas card. It said A B C D E F G H I J K M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z. The recipient puzzled over it for weeks, finally gave up and wrote asking for an explanation. In July, he received the explanation on a postcard: "No L."
Pontius Who?
At Sunday school, the younger children were drawing pictures illustrating Biblical stories. The teacher walked by and noticed one little boy was drawing an aeroplane! "Oh, what Bible story are you drawing?" she asked. "This is the Flight into Egypt" the little boy answered. "See, here is Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus. And this" he said, pointing to the front of the plane, "is Pontius. He's the Pilot."
The Gravestone Message
The following caption was found written on a gravestone - 'As I am now, you soon shall be, so be content to follow me.' Then someone taped the following note on that gravestone - 'To follow you I'm not content, until I know which way you went!'

50/50 CLUB WINNER'S LIST
The December winners who each win £25 are 183 Margaret McGregor, 59 Siena Boyle, 81 David Munn and 100 Peter John Walsh. The December Bonus Draw winner was 34 Siobhan McGrath who wins £100. The winners' list for this quarter can be seen in the Church porch and foyer notice boards. We thank our members for their continued support during 2017 and remind them that 2018 dues of £15 are due now. We will have the usual Early Bird Draw for those who renew in January. Sign-up Sunday dates are 7 and 14 January in Parish Centre after the Vigil and Sunday morning Masses when we will collect from all members. We hope to save on the postage and save sending reminders in the post. New members are very welcome and we wish you good luck in January draw.        Myriame Sammons, Promoter of the 50/50 Club.

GALLOWAY LOURDES HOSPITALITÉ MEMBERSHIP SUBSCRIPTIONS
We received a further £20 this month This brings our parish total to £523 collected for subscriptions and donations for year ending 2017. We appreciate your continued support and Mass will be offered in Lourdes for your intentions. For your information, Galloway Lourdes Hospitalité annual general meeting will be held in Saint Margaret's, Ayr on Sunday 11 February. Details will be given nearer the date.

SAINT PETER'S BURNS SUPPER
The 2018 Burns Supper will take place in the Parish Centre on Saturday 3 February at 7.00 pm. Patrons are asked to be seated by 6.50 pm for a prompt start. The Immortal Memory will be delivered by Drew Cochrane, for forty years the Editor of the Largs and Millport Weekly News. Former parishioner, Martin Cosgrove, will propose the Toast to the Lassies and our parishioner, Julie Coldwell, will reply. Other participants are Father Duncan, Bill Andrew, Aidan and Bethany McGrath, George McGrattan and Ciaran Sinclair. Tickets cost £15 and can be booked in advance though the Parish Office on 01294 464063. Patrons can request group seating arrangements to be with friends. The meal will be prepared and served by Michael and Fiona Brown, family and friends. Vegetarian meals are available with notice as an alternative to the traditional Burns Supper main course. There are more details on the Church website. Your support is appreciated.

VISITORS
Are you visiting us for Holy Mass? Please know that you are very welcome. During the 10.30 am Holy Mass outwith holidays, there is a Children’s Liturgy provided for preschool children, children in Primaries 1 to 3 and a Sacramental Programme for children in Primary 4. After the 10.30 am Holy Mass, tea, coffee cakes and buns are available in the Parish Centre. At both of our weekend Holy Masses, we have a second collection for Church maintenance.

ADVERTISER SUPPORT
Our advertisers would welcome your support. We are grateful for their continuing sponsorship. We are grateful for the support of Mr and Mrs Sohal, Nisa Stores, Glasgow Street for the weekly donation of tea, coffee and milk for the Sunday teas.

PROTECTION OF CHILDREN AND VULNERABLE ADULTS - MISSION STATEMENT
The Catholic Church in Scotland is concerned with the lives, safety, wholeness and well-being of each individual person within God's purpose for everyone. It seeks to safeguard the welfare of people of all ages who are involved in whatever capacity with the Church and its organisations. As a Church community, we accept that it is the responsibility of all of us, ordained, professed, paid and voluntary members, to work together to prevent the physical, sexual, emotional abuse or neglect of children, young people and vulnerable adults.