Bulletin 27 September 2020

SERVICES AND GATHERINGS
Because of the coronavirus pandemic, public Church services and gatherings are limited till further notice. Father Duncan will live-stream Holy Mass every day and assures you of his prayers for you and your family.

A READING FROM THE HOLY GOSPEL ACCORDING TO MATTHEW (Matthew 20:28-32)
Jesus said to the chief priests and the elders of the people 'What is your opinion? A man had two sons. He went and said to the first "My boy, you go and work in the vineyard today." He answered "I will not go" but afterwards thought better of it and went. The man then went and said the same thing to the second who answered "Certainly, sir" but did not go. Which of the two did the father's will?" "The first" they said. Jesus said to them "I tell you solemnly, tax collectors and prostitutes are making their way into the kingdom of God before you. For John came to you, a pattern of true righteousness, but you did not believe him and yet the tax collectors and prostitutes did. Even after seeing that, you refused to think better of it and believe in him."

REFLECTION
Jesus really knows how to make a point! This is a wonderful example of him trapping the chief priests and elders into reinforcing his teaching even though they don't want to! The reference to 'tax collectors and prostitutes' must have really riled them! But perhaps the subtext would have annoyed them more - Jesus is saying they are the first son, who says all the right things but does not do his father's will. The Pharisees, scribes and leaders of Israel might be saying the right things, as they preach the Law of Moses, but they are not doing the right things not repenting and listening to Jesus! Of course, the ideal is to bring both our words and deeds together this is integrity so that we both say 'Yes' to God and carry out his will.

THE LORD'S DAY AT HOME
If you are housebound or self-isolating at this time, please use these prayers to unite yourself with the worship of the Universal Church, and your own parish, this Sunday. If alone, read or say these prayers quietly to yourself. If with another, or in a family, someone should read the Gospel and others respond. It might be suitable to find a special, quiet place at home for your Sunday prayers.

SAINT PETER'S AND SAINT BRIDE'S CHURCH SERVICES

	Saint Peter's - All Masses are live-streamed and public unless otherwise stated.	Saint Bride's - All Masses are public unless otherwise stated.
Saturday 26 September Our Lady's Day Twenty-sixth Sunday of the Year	Holy Mass at 10.00am for Alice Morgan who died recently Private Vigil Mass at 5.30pm for David Farrell at his anniversary
Sunday 27 September Twenty-sixth Sunday of the Year	Holy Mass at 10.30am for our parishes	Holy Mass at 12.15pm for our parishes
Monday 28 September	Holy Mass at 10.00am for George and Annie Hilferty at their anniversaries
Tuesday 29 September	Requiem Mass at 10.00am for Francie Stalker Private
Wednesday 30 September Memorial of Saint Jerome	Holy Mass at 10.00am for Iain Tarbet at his anniversary and Ann Gilmour
Thursday 1 October Memorial of Saint Therese of the Child Jesus	Holy Mass at 10.00am for Bebe Carrol at her anniversary and John Marshall *Private*
Friday 2 October Memorial of the Holy Guardian Angels	Holy Mass at 10.00am for Tilly Docherty as a special intention and the most forgotten in Purgatory	Holy Mass at 12 noon
Saturday 3 October Our Lady's Day Twenty-seventh Sunday of the Year	Holy Mass at 10.00am for all our children celebrating their First Eucharist in September and October Private Vigil Mass at 5.30pm for Sister Ishbel MacPherson as a special intention at her Seventy Years Jubilee

SAINT MARY'S AND SAINT JOHN'S CHURCH SERVICES

	Saint Mary's Church, Saltcoats	Saint John’s Church, Stevenston
Saturday 26 September Twenty-sixth Sunday of the Year	Vigil Mass at 4.30pm
Sunday 27 September Twenty-sixthSunday of the Year	Holy Mass at 10.00am	Holy Mass at 11.30am
Monday 28 September
Tuesday 29 September	Holy Mass at 10.00am
Wednesday 30 September Memorial of Saint Jerome		Holy Mass at 10.00am
Thursday 1 October Memorial of Saint Therese of the Child Jesus	Holy Mass at 10.00am
Friday 2 October Memorial of the Holy Guardian Angels		Holy Mass at 10.00am
Saturday 3 October Our Lady's Day Twenty-seventh Sunday of the Year	First Holy Communion at 10.00 am and 12 noon Vigil Mass at 4.30pm

PRAYERS
Please remember in your prayers:
John Clarke, Anthony Brennan, Cathie Currie, Katie Millar;
Francie Stalker who died recently;
Brian Ghosh 2002, Maureen Johnson 2003, Brownlie Smyth 2014, John Brodie 2001, Angela Brown 2008, Peggy McKay 1992, Robert Leo Walsh 1968, Mary Barr, Fiona McKellar 2015, Finbarr Moynihan 2015, Dominic Burke 1988, Dorothea Campbell 2011, Mary Clarke 1984, Iain Tarbet 2016, Bert Body 1985, Bridget Carroll 2016, John Connor 1983, Charles Coulter 1992, Kathleen Mulhearn 2009, Sadie O'Reilly 2019, Isabella (Tibby) Avey 2019, Canon Lawrence Fischer 1980 pictured right, Patrick Giffney 1971, Peter Morgan 2010, Lily Murphy 1990, Duncan Rhodes 2012, Hannah Burns 2002, Joseph Griffin 2001, Francis Ketchen 2013, Catherine Helen McMullan 2000, John Paterson 2005 and Teresa Walker 1987 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. If members of your family or friends are in need of our prayers, please tell Father Duncan or the parish office.

SAINT PETER'S NOTICES

REQUIEM MASS FOR FRANCIS STALKER
Please pray for the Repose of the Soul of Francie Stalker who died on Tuesday 22 September. His Requiem Mass on Tuesday 29 September at 10.00am will be followed by his interment at Ardrossan Cemetery. May he rest in peace and rise in glory!

MASS BOOKINGS
To book for Mass, please call the Parish Office on 01294 464063 between 9.00 and 11.00am on Mondays to Fridays. Thank you.

SACRAMENT OF BAPTISM
We welcome to the Family of the Church Mary Clara Loi who will be baptised this Sunday. Congratulations to her parents and Godparent.

LAST CHANCE TO HAND IN SCIAF WEE BOXES
The timing of the Covid outbreak in Scotland, in the fourth week of Lent and just days before the Fourth Sunday collection, could scarcely have been worse for the Lenten campaign fundraising. Yet despite the trials of lockdown, the campaign has been met with the most fantastic generosity from many parishioners. The Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund (SCIAF) is delighted to share with you that if you still have your WEE BOX at home, you can hand them in at Church or to donate your Wee Box money directly to SCIAF during September at www.sciaf.org.uk/weebox or 0141 354 5555. Thank you.

PARISH STEWARDSHIP
The Offertory Collection last weekend amounted to £535.35 and the Maintenance Fund collection to £240.00 - many thanks.

CHURCH PIETY STALL
Our stall is now open if you should require to purchase anything, for example, Mass Cards, religious Items and so on. It is important that we only admit one person at a time and a face covering must be worn. Please do not touch the display items. Just ask Betty and she will show you them. Thank you!

LIVE-STREAMING OF MASS
All our Celebrations of Mass and other services are live-streamed, starting five minutes beforehand. You can access them every day by going to our websites. On SaintPeterInChains.net, in the top right corner, click on Live Streaming at Mass Times. On SaintPeterInChains.co.uk, click Services in the red menu bar, select Mass Times then scroll down to Click here to view Mass.

VOTIVE LAMPS FOR OUR LADY'S MOSAIC
There has been a suggestion for the mosaic of Our Lady in the Church, namely to add two small hanging votive lamps on either side of the mosaic. Parishioners are invited to make a contribution if they wish. The Votive Lamps will cost around £45 each and the hanging arm brackets will be around £20 each. Any donations will be very welcome. Thank you!

SAINT BRIDE'S NOTICES

NEW WEBSITE
Please have a look our new website at StBridesChurch.co.uk. We would be delighted to have your comments or any suggestions sent to Joe.McAleavy1804@yahoo.com.

OFFERTORY COLLECTION
Last Sunday's Offertory Collection amounted to £179.00 - many thanks. Paul McNulty will be happy to provide Standing Order forms.

A SIMPLE EXPLANATION OF THE MASS - PART 17
What happens in us when we receive Holy Communion? Holy Communion separates us from sin (1393). The Catechism states 'The body of Christ we receive in Holy Communion is 'given up for us' and the blood we drink 'shed for the many for the forgiveness of sins.' For this reason the Eucharist cannot unite us to Christ without at the same time cleansing us from past sins and preserving us from future sins.' This teaching will come as a surprise to many Catholics who associate the forgiveness of sins solely with the Sacrament of Penance but upon reflection, we can easily see that if the Eucharist helps to increase our love for Christ, it must also keep us from the darkness of selfishness, which is sin. This is not to say that the Eucharist replaces our need for the Sacrament of Penance. It doesn't. Rather, it complements the work of sacramental reconciliation.

PRAYER FOR SPIRITUAL COMMUNION
My Jesus, I believe that you are present in this Holy Sacrament of the altar. I love you above all things and I passionately desire to receive you into my soul. Since I cannot now receive you sacramentally, come spiritually into my soul so that I may unite myself wholly to you now and forever. Amen.

PRAYER FOR STRENGTH FOR NURSES AND CARERS
Dear Lord, please give me strength to face the day ahead.
Dear Lord, please give me courage as I approach each hurting bed.
Dear Lord, please give me wisdom with every word I speak.
Dear Lord, please give me patience as I comfort the sick and weak.
Dear Lord, please give me assurance as the day slips into night, that I have done the best I can, that I have done what's right. Amen

SEVEN REASONS FOR WANTING TO SPEND TIME WITH JESUS IN THE BLESSED SACRAMENT
1 You are greatly needed! 'The Church and the world have a great need of Eucharistic Adoration.'  Pope John Paul II, Dominicae Cenae
2 This is a personal invitation to you from Jesus. 'Jesus waits for us in this Sacrament of Love.'   Pope John Paul II, Dominicae Cenae
3 Jesus is counting on you because the Eucharist is the centre of life. 'Every member of the Church must be vigilant in seeing that the sacrament of Love shall be at the center of the life of the people of God so that through all the manifestations of worship due Him shall be given back 'love for love' and truly become the life of our souls.'  Pope John Paul II, Redeemer of Man
4 Your hour with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament will repair for evils of the world and bring about peace on earth. 'Let us be generous with our time in going to meet Jesus and ready to make reparation for the great evils of the world. Let your adoration never cease.'  Pope John Paul II, Dominicae Cenae
5 Day and night Jesus dwells in the Blessed Sacrament because you are the most important person in the world to Him! 'Christ is reserved in our churches as the spiritual centre of the heart of the community, the universal Church and all humanity, since within the veil of the species, Christ is contained, the Invisible Heart of the Church, the Redeemer of the world, the centre of all hearts, by Him all things are and of whom we exist.'   Pope Paul IV, Mysterium Fidei
6 You grow spiritually with each moment you spend with Jesus! 'Our essential commitment in life is to preserve and advance constantly in Eucharistic life and Eucharistic piety and to grow spiritually in the climate of the Holy Eucharist.'   Pope John Paul II, Redeemer of Man
7 The best time you spend on earth is with Jesus, your Best Friend, in the Blessed Sacrament! 'How great is the value of conversation with Christ in the Blessed Sacrament for there is nothing more consoling on earth, nothing more efficacious for advancing along the road of holiness!'   Pope Paul IV, Mysterium Fidei

FROM THE MOUTHS OF CHILDREN
A grandmother recently went to dinner at a restaurant with her son and two grandchildren. They were sitting at the table waiting for their food when the five-year-old Clare asked "Grandma, what was your mum like? "She was a very wonderful lady, Clare" said the grandmother. "Your Daddy knew her, too before she died." The five-year-old looked at her Dad and said, "Did you, Dad?" Dad answered, "Yes I did, Clare. She was a very nice lady." "What was your Dad like, Grandma?" asked Clare. Grandmother responded "He was nice, too, but I didn't know him very well because he died when I was only ten years old." Clare's Dad chimed in "Isn't it great that Grandma's Mum did such a good job taking care of Grandma even though her Dad wasn't with them?" Clare didn't say anything else after that. The next day, Sunday, Clare was just talking with her Dad. She said "Dad, will people be able to see each other in heaven?" Her Dad said "Sure they will, Clare". Then she asked "Dad, I guess, since you're older than me, you'll die first." Her Dad responded "Yes, I guess I will, Clare." Then she said "I'll really miss you, Dad." By this time Dad was having trouble keeping the tears from his eyes. After a moment of silence, Clare said "Dad, will you please tell Jesus I love Him when you get there?" Dad responded with tears flowing down his face "Sure, Clare, I'll be glad to tell him."

JUST FOR A LAUGH ...
A primary school teacher was discussing the Ten Commandments with her five- and six-year olds. After explaining the commandment to 'honour' thy Father and thy Mother, she asked "Is there a commandment that teaches us how to treat our brothers and sisters?" Without missing a beat one little boy, the oldest of a family, answered "Thou shall not kill."

SUNDAY OBLIGATION
Sunday obligation to attend Holy Mass remains suspended for the time being and availability is restricted for those wishing to attend. Some of our parishioners are working during the week and can only attend at the weekend. Therefore, to make Holy Mass available to everyone we would be grateful if you wish to attend Mass and are able to attend on a weekday please do so, leaving seats for those parishioners working during the week. Thank you.

SACRAMENT OF BAPTISM
We welcome to the Family of the Church Freya Patricia Martha Reid who will be baptised on Saturday and also Mary Clara Loi who will be baptised on Sunday. Congratulations to their parents and Godparents.

FINANCIAL SUPPORT
It is now possible to make online donations to Saint Peter's. Details are on the Donations page and this News page. Thanks for your generosity.

STANDING ORDERS - PLEASE THINK ABOUT IT
The parishes have taken quite a 'knock' through lockdown when public Mass was not available for sixteen weeks. This has had a huge impact on our parishes' finances. Could you consider taking out a Standing Order? It would be of great benefit to our parish. Forms are available from the Parish Office and here. Thank you

COLLECTION FOR OUR RETIRED PRIESTS
There are special collection donation envelopes this weekend for our Retired Priests in the Diocese. Thank you for your support and generosity!

WEEKLY BULLETIN
If you would like to receive the weekly Bulletin and updates by email, please get in touch with the parish office and send us your email address. If you know of someone who would like to be included on the mailing list, please let us know - thanks.

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.

JOB VACANCY - ASSISTANT SERVICE COORDINATOR
North Ayrshire Recovery Service has a vacancy for an Assistant Service Coordinator. Please visit the Turning Point Scotland website. The closing date for applications is 30 September.

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.