BULLETIN                                              18 SEPTEMBER 2005                    

TWENTY-FIFTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME OF YEAR 1


CHURCH SERVICES

Saturday 17 September
Confession on request from 4.45 to 5.15 pm
Vigil Mass at 5.30 pm
Sunday 18 September
Sunday Mass at 10.00 am
Sunday Mass at 12.00 noon
Monday 19 September
Eucharistic Service at 10.00 am
Requiem Mass for Nora Cairns in Saint Mary's Church, Saltcoats  
by Father Matt at 10.00 am
Tuesday 20 September
Mass at 10.00 am for Michael Mallon
Requiem Mass for David Dunbar in Saint Mary's Church, Saltcoats  
by Father Matt at 12.00 noon
Wednesday 21 September
Mass at 10.00 am for Hughie O'Hare
Thursday 22 September
Mass at 7.00 pm for Grant Middlemiss
Friday 23 September
Mass at 10.00 am for Pat, Ina and Patrick McClure
Saturday 24 September
Mass at 10.00 am for Walter Jones


PARISH CENTRE EVENTS

Sunday 18 September
11.00 am Tea and Coffee after Mass
Monday 19 September
8.00 to 6.00 pm
9.00 to 2.30 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
In-service Training
Rainbows
Brownies
Saint Vincent de Paul Society
Weight Watchers
Tuesday 20 September

8.00 to 9.00 am
9.00 to 11.30 am
11.30 to 6.00 pm
1.30 to 3.30 pm
6.00 pm
7.00 pm
7.30 pm

Wrap-around Care for 3 to 5 year olds
Nursery
Wrap-around Care for 3 to 5 year olds
Country Dancing
Management Committee
Saint Anne's Guild
Keep Fit
Wednesday 21 September
8.00 to 9.00 am
9.00 to 11.30 am
11.30 to 6.00 pm
5.00 to 6.00 pm
6.30 to 8.30 pm
7.00 pm
7.00 pm
Wrap-around Care for 3 to 5 year olds
Nursery
Wrap-around Care for 3 to 5 year olds
Street Dance for 13 to 18 year olds
2 B Slim
Special Religious Development (SPRED)  
Primary Four Parent Meeting
Thursday 22 September
8.00 to 9.00 am
9.00 to 11.30 am
11.30 to 6.00 pm
1.00 to 3.00 pm
6.00 to 7.00 pm
6.00 to 7.30 pm
7.30 to 9.00 pm
Wrap-around Care for 3 to 5 year olds
Nursery
Wrap-around Care for 3 to 5 year olds
Thursday Club
Rainbows
Brownies
Girl Guides
Friday 23 September

8.00 to 9.00 am
9.00 to 11.30 am
9.30 to 11.30 am
11.30 to 6.00 pm

Wrap-around Care for 3 to 5 year olds
Nursery
Parents and Toddlers
Wrap-around Care for 3 to 5 year olds

Saturday 24 September
6.30 to 11.00 pmFather Matt's Presentation and Party

PRAYERS
Please remember in your prayers:
   Jimmy Cassidy, Kevin O'Carroll, Sammy Cambridge,
   David Dunbar and Nora Cairns who died recently;
   Patrick McKay 1989, Sister Pauline CP 1999, Greta Foran,
   Catherine McLaughlin 2002, Rita Michelini 2002, Margaret Donnelly 1997,
   William McNamara 2001 and May McGraa 2002

   whose anniversaries occur at this time;
   James Gorman who was baptised recently;
   and those who are sick.

SUNDAY COLLECTION
Last weekend's collection amounted to £684.44 - many thanks.
Banker's Orders amount to an average of £4000 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 £338.04 - 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.

CAR BOOT SALE
The total raised at the car boot sale on 27 August was £75 - many thanks.

50-50 CLUB
Congratulations to the following 50-50 Club winners who each win £25:
  10 T Atkins, 53 K Brodie, 12 J Atkins and 110 J Hazelton
If you would like to win then consider joining the 50-50 Club. There are four prizes of £25 every month with bonus prizes of £100 every fourth month. It only costs £15 annually or £5 every fourth month in January, May and September. The next draw will be at the end of September. Please contact the promoter to join or pay dues. Many thanks for your continued support.

THANKS
We discovered that the heating pump had burned out. It is now replaced. I am thankful to the anonymous donor who paid the hefty bill.

FATHER MATT SIXTY-FIFTH BIRTHDAY AND FORTY YEARS OF PRIESTHOOD
Father Matt has come to Ardrossan to be our Parish Priest. This year he is celebrating forty years in the priesthood and this month his sixty-fifth birthday. This is more than sufficient reason to have a party. Please join us on Saturday 24 September for a Celebration Mass at 5.30 pm and afterwards at a party in the Parish Centre. There will be a bar, some music and a few surprise items. There will be a toast and a few words at about 7.00 pm. A light buffet will be available until 9.00 pm. You are welcome to stay for a while or just pop in for some food and a chat. The Centre will be open until 11.00 pm. Envelopes are available at the stall if you wish to make a donation to Father's presentation.

SOCIETY OF SAINT VINCENT DE PAUL ANNUAL MASS
The Annual Mass for the Sick will be celebrated by Bishop John Cunningham in the Good Shepherd Cathedral, Ayr on Wednesday 21 September at 7.30 pm. Tea will be available after Mass in the Cathedral Hall. Parishioner wishing to attend will be made most welcome. If transport is required, please contact a member of our Conference as soon as possible.

SACRAMENTAL PREPARATION
Parents of Primary 4 pupils are invited to a meeting in the Parish Centre on Wednesday 21 September at 7.00 pm.

CHILDREN'S LITURGY HELPERS
All those who are interested and willing to help with the Children's Liturgy are invited to a meeting in the Parish Centre on Monday 19 September at 7.00 pm to complete the necessary forms required by the Diocese for 'Safe From Harm', the Catholic Church's policy for keeping children safe.

THANKS
Tom and Greta McGreevy thank all those who gave them Mass Bouquet Cards, Congratulation Cards, gifts and offered their best wishes on the occasion of their Golden Wedding. They were all very much appreciated.

SMITHSTONE HOUSE
Details of forthcoming events at Smithstone House are on the noticeboard.

SAINT JOHN'S CHURCH, STEVENSTON
As part of their centenary celebrations there will be an exhibition of the history of Saint John's Parish in the Church Hall on Sunday 18 September from 1.00 to 3.00 pm. On Friday, 7 October there will be a performance by local students and musicians from the Royal Academy of Music. Tickets cost £4 and £3 concession.

GLASGOW PHOENIX CHOIR CONCERT
There will be a concert by Glasgow Phoenix Choir in Saint Mirin's Cathedral, Paisley on Friday 30 September at 7.30 pm. Further details are on the notice board.

SAINT ANNE'S GUILD
Saint Anne's Guild reopens on Tuesday 20 September at 7.00 pm in the parish Centre. New members are very welcome.


Every day may not be good, but there's something good in every day.



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           Isaiah 55:6-9
Seek the Lord while he is still to be found, call to him while he is still near. Let the wicked man abandon his way, the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn back to the Lord who will take pity on him, to our God who is rich in forgiving; for my thoughts are not your thoughts, my ways not your ways - it is the Lord who speaks. Yes, the heavens are as high above earth as my ways are above your ways, my thoughts above your thoughts.

Second Reading           Philippians 1:20-24.27
Christ will be glorified in my body, whether by my life or by my death. Life to me, of course, is Christ, but then death would bring me something more; but then again, if living in this body means doing work which is having good results - I do not know what I should choose. I am caught in this dilemma: I want to be gone and be with Christ, which would be very much the better, but for me to stay alive in this body is a more urgent need for your sake. Avoid anything in your everyday lives that would be unworthy of the gospel of Christ.

Gospel           Matthew 20:1-16
Jesus said to his disciples: "The kingdom of heaven is like a landowner going out at daybreak to hire workers for his vineyard. He made an agreement with the workers for one denarius a day, and sent them to his vineyard. Going out at about the third hour he saw others standing idle in the market place and said to them "You go to my vineyard too and I will give you a fair wage." So they went. At about the sixth hour and again at about the ninth hour, he went out and did the same. Then at about the eleventh hour he went out and found more men standing round, and he said to them "Why have you been standing here idle all day?" "Because no one has hired us" they answered. He said to them, "You go into my vineyard too." In the evening, the owner of the vineyard said to his bailiff, "Call the workers and pay them their wages, starting with the last arrivals and ending with the first." So those who were hired at about the eleventh hour came forward and received one denarius each. When the first came, they expected to get more, but they too received one denarius each. They took it, but grumbled at the landowner. "The men who came last" they said "have done only one hour, and you have treated them the same as us though we have done a heavy day's work in all the heat." He answered one of them and said, "My friend, I am not being unjust to you; did we not agree on one denarius? Take your earnings and go. I choose to pay the last-comer as much as I pay you. Have I no right to do what I like with my own? Why be envious because I am generous?" Thus the last will be first, and the first last.".