CHURCH OF SAINT PETER IN CHAINS, ARDROSSAN  •  A Family of Parishes  •  SAINT BRIDE'S CHURCH, WEST KILBRIDE

                                                        

BULLETIN                                          22 NOVEMBER 2020

THE SOLEMNITY OF CHRIST THE KING IN YEAR 1

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 25:31-46)
Jesus said to his disciples "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, escorted by all the angels, then he will take his seat on his throne of glory. All the nations will be assembled before him and he will separate men one from another as the shepherd separates sheep from goats. He will place the sheep on his right hand and the goats on his left. Then the King will say to those on his right hand "Come, you whom my Father has blessed, take for your heritage the kingdom prepared for you since the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food. I was thirsty and you gave me drink. I was a stranger and you made me welcome - naked and you clothed me, sick and you visited me, in prison and you came to see me." Then the virtuous will say to him in reply "Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you; or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and make you welcome - naked and clothe you, sick or in prison and go to see you?" And the King will answer "I tell you solemnly, in so far as you did this to one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did it to me." Next he will say to those on his left hand "Go away from me, with your curse upon you, to the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you never gave me food. I was thirsty and you never gave me anything to drink. I was a stranger and you never made me welcome, naked and you never clothed me, sick and in prison and you never visited me." Then it will be their turn to ask "Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty, a stranger or naked, sick or in prison and did not come to your help?" Then he will answer "I tell you solemnly, in so far as you neglected to do this to one of the least of these, you neglected to do it to me." And they will
go away to eternal punishment, and the virtuous to eternal life."

REFLECTION
Absolute monarchy is not something our contemporary society is comfortable with - most monarchies in our world today are 'constitutional' or limited in some way. When a leader starts behaving like an absolute monarch, warnings about civil liberty and the rights of the people begin to be raised. So it can seem strange that today we celebrate the most absolute monarchy you can imagine - Jesus Christ, King of the Universe! That word 'king' implies a kingdom and we know that Jesus frequently talked about the Kingdom of God or the Kingdom of Heaven. His kingdom, as he himself pointed out to Pontius Pilate, is "not of this world". It is not a geographical kingdom, marked by borders and customs posts, but a kingdom of the mind and heart, the soul and spirit. We choose to be citizens of that Kingdom by our own behaviour, priorities and actions, as Jesus defines in today's Gospel. It is by our lives of mercy and kindness that we belong to His Kingdom, that we claim Him as our King, that we prepare to welcome Him in His glory.

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 21 November  
Memorial of the Presentation  
  of the Blessed Virgin Mary
  
 
 
Solemnity of Christ the King  

Holy Mass at 10.00am for Ian Ayres
  Private


Vigil Mass at 5.30pm for Ellen Bell who died recently and Anne Lafferty
 
Sunday 22 November  
Solemnity of Christ the King  
Holy Mass at 10.30am for our parishes Holy Mass at 12.15pm for our parishes
Monday 23 November  
Feast of Saint Margaret of  
Scotland
  
Holy Mass at 10.00am for Tommy Rae and Barbara Allan who died recently and Catherine (Kay) Stranigan at her anniversary  
Tuesday 24 November 
Memorial of Saint Andrew  
Dung Lac and Companions  
Holy Mass at 10.00am for Kathleen Cairns who died recently, Mary Jane Hutson at her anniversary and Margaret Taylor
  Private
 
Wednesday 25 November  
Holy Mass at 10.00am for Theresa Loudon and Donald Dunn who both died recently  
Thursday 26 November  
Holy Mass at 10.00am for Sister Roberta McLaren, Louise Watson Fell and John Higgins who all died recently
  Private
 
Friday 27 November  
  
Holy Mass at 10.00am in time of pandemic for Kenneth Donnelly and John Maxwell at their anniversaries and Nancy Flynn who died recently Holy Mass at 12 noon for Norma Donlevy's month's mind

Saturday 28 November  
Our Lady's Day  
 
  
First Sunday of Advent  

Holy Mass at 10.00am for Wee Joe McIver
  Private

Vigil Mass at 5.30pm for Maria Reid at her anniversary and K Collins in thanksgiving
 

SAINT MARY'S AND SAINT JOHN'S CHURCH SERVICES
 

Saturday 21 November  
Solemnity of Christ the King  

Vigil Mass at 4.30pm  
Sunday 22 November  
Solemnity of Christ the King  
Holy Mass at 10.00am

Holy Mass at 11.30am
Monday 23 November  
Feast of Saint Margaret of  
Scotland
  
   
Tuesday 24 November 
Memorial of Saint Andrew  
Dung Lac and Companions  
Holy Mass at 10.00am  
Wednesday 25 November  
  Holy Mass at 10.00am
Thursday 26 November  
Holy Mass at 10.00am  
Friday 27 November  
  
  Holy Mass at 10.00am

Saturday 28 November  
First Sunday of Advent  

Vigil Mass at 4.30pm  

PRAYERS
Please remember in your prayers:
John Clarke, Anthony Brennan, Cathie Currie, Maria Hilferty and Cathie Slimman;
Ian Ayres, Ellen Bell, Anne Lafferty, Barbara Allan (Glasgow), Tommy Rae, Kathleen Cairns, Theresa Loudon (Saltcoats), Donald Dunn, Sister Roberta McLaren, Louise Watson Fell, John Higgins, Nancy Flynn (East Kilbride), Norma Donlevy, John Finnigan and Jane McNeil who died recently;
Karen Sharon Byrne 2003, Patrick Gerald Burns 2003, John Carry 1997, Canon George McCafferty 2000, Nora Moore 2012,
Janie Matthews 2014, Elizabeth McDougall 1948, Mart Toland 2015, Father John Walsh 2009, Monsignor Frank Duffy 2000, Mary McNally 2004, Ian Mitchell 2011, Declan Kelly 2016, Mary Higgins 1992, Jim Brodie 2011, Kenneth Donnelly 2008, Hannah Kirk 1989, John Maxwell 2002, Sarah McNamara 1980, Liz Berti 2018, Shannon Elizabeth Byrne 2000, Sarah Heaney 1955, Jemima McAuliffe 2001, Eddie McNamara 2014, Lilian Paterson 2011, Maria Reid 2013, Peggy Dorian Smith 1991 and Martin Vernon 2011
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

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.

FATHER DUNCAN ON CALL
Father Duncan will be on-call for the hospitals this coming week. Please keep the sick and those in hospital at this time in your prayers.

SACRAMENT OF BAPTISM
We welcome to the Family of the Church Jack McLaughlin who was baptised on Saturday. We also welcome John Paul McMeechan who will be baptised this coming Saturday. Congratulations to their parents and Godparents.

FUNERAL SERVICE FOR JANE McNEIL
Please pray for the Repose of the Soul of Jane McNeil who died on 9 November . Her Funeral Service on Monday 23 November at 2.00pm at the Garnock Valley and Clyde Coast Crematorium. May she rest in peace and rise in glory!

IN AND AROUND THE CHURCH
Repairs have been done to the attic doors in the Parish Centre and a new alarm system has been fitted. We still haven't found a solution to the leaks in the Church tower or in the back sacristy. The security cameras around the Church have been serviced. Sincere thanks for all the hard work in the past weeks.

PARISH STEWARDSHIP
The Offertory collection last weekend amounted to £649.09 and the Maintenance Fund collection to £240.00 - many thanks.

CHURCH PIETY STALL
We now have lovely Christmas cards in stock at the stall.

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.

USED POSTAGE STAMPS
We have been asked to donate our used postage stamps to fund Medical Science. Please hand your used stamps in to the Parish Office or give them to Alfie Agostini.


SAINT BRIDE'S NOTICES

FATHER GERRY HAMMILL
We welcome Father Gerry Hamill to Saint Bride's as he moves in this week. We hope that he really feels at home in our parish family.

IN AND AROUND THE CHURCH
We are still waiting for the control panel for the heating system in the Church to be repaired - probably some time next week. Sincere thanks for all the hard work in the past weeks.

ADVENT REFLECTIONS
The season of Advent is quickly approaching - but what does this mean for each one of us? Many people see Advent as an early Christmas filled only with the busyness of shopping, wrapping, baking and travelling. Advent, however, is about growing closer to our beloved one, Jesus Christ. We are preparing our hearts for his coming at Christmas. We’re also preparing our souls for his second coming at the end of time. Even though we have many tasks throughout Advent, we can use this opportunity on the liturgical calendar to learn, pray and reflect more and open our hearts to God’s love and healing. Sixteen parishioners from our Church have prepared a series of Advent reflections that will guide you on your adventure. Our hope is that you will be able to slow down this Advent and turn your gaze to the infant in the manger. The booklet is available in the Church and a digital version is available on our websites. May God bless you - and may this coming Advent prepare you for the wonder of the Incarnation at Christmas.

OFFERTORY COLLECTION
The Offertory Collection last weekend amounted to £127.00 - many thanks.

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 NOVEMBER
We seem to give them back to thee, O God, who gavest them to us
Yet as thou didst not lose them in giving so we do not lose them by their return.
Not as the world giveth, givest thou, O Lover of souls.
What thou givest, thou takest not away, for what is thine is ours also if we are thine.
And life is eternal and love immortal, and death is only a horizon and a horizon is nothing, save the limit of our sight.
Lift us up, strong Son of God, that we may see further, cleanse our eyes that we may see more clearly
Draw us closer to thyself that we may know ourselves to be nearer to our loved ones who are with thee
And while thou dost prepare a place for us, prepare us also for that happy place that where thou art we may be also for evermore
           Bede Jarrett

THE MOST BEAUTIFUL FLOWER
The park bench was deserted as I sat down to read beneath the long, straggly branches of an old willow tree
     Disillusioned by life with good reason to frown, for the world was intent on dragging me down
And if that weren't enough to ruin my day, a young boy out of breath approached me, all tired from play
     He stood right before me with his head tilted down and said with great excitement "Look what I found!"
In his hand was a flower and what a pitiful sight, with its petals all worn, not enough rain or too little light
     Wanting him to take his dead flower and go off to play, I faked a small smile and then shifted away
But instead of retreating he sat next to my side and placed the flower to his nose and declared with surprise
     "It sure smells pretty and it's beautiful, too. That's why I picked it; here, it's for you."
The weed before me was dying or dead. Not vibrant of colours, orange, yellow or red
     But I knew I must take it or he might never leave. So I reached for the flower, and replied, "Just what I need."
But instead of him placing the flower in my hand, he held it mid-air without reason or plan
     It was then that I noticed for the very first time that weed-toting boy could not see - he was blind
I heard my voice quiver, tears shone like the sun as I thanked him for picking the very best one
     "You're welcome," he smiled and then ran off to play, unaware of the impact he'd had on my day
I sat there and wondered how he managed to see a self-pitying woman beneath an old willow tree
     How did he know of my self-indulged plight? Perhaps from his heart, he'd been blessed with true sight
Through the eyes of a blind child, at last I could see the problem was not with the world - the problem was me
     And for all of those times I myself had been blind, I vowed to see beauty, and appreciate every second that's mine
And then I held that wilted flower up to my nose and breathed in the fragrance of a beautiful rose
     And smiled as that young boy, another weed in his hand about to change the life of an unsuspecting old man

JUST FOR A LAUGH ...
Football tickets - England v Scotland - June 2021
This may be of interest to one of you. A friend of mine has two tickets in a corporate box for England v Scotland. He paid £300 each but he didn't realise when he bought them that it was going to be the same day as his Covid-19 postponed wedding. If you are interested, he is looking for someone to take his place. It's at Hamilton Registry Office at 2.30pm. The bride's name is Moira, she's 5 feet 4 inches, about eight stone, quite pretty, has her own income and is a really good cook.

CHURCHES HOMELESSNESS ACTION NORTH AYRSHIRE (CHANA) AT CHRISTMAS TIME
CHANA usually coordinates donations of gifts to help the most vulnerable in communities across North Ayrshire. Covid restrictions mean a different tack is required this year and CHANA has teamed up with the Ayrshire-based charity Night Before Christmas. CHANA is asking people to support Night Before Christmas by donating to the Just Giving page which is already up and running https://www.JustGiving.com/nb4cc or people could put cash in an envelope marked CHANA and put it in the collection. Presents for those in need will be bought and distributed by Night Before Christmas. CHANA has donated £400. Thank you.

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.

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

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.


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.