CHURCH
OF SAINT PETER IN CHAINS, ARDROSSAN • A Family of
Parishes • SAINT BRIDE'S CHURCH, WEST KILBRIDE
BULLETIN 21 JUNE 2020
SERVICES
AND GATHERINGS
Because of the coronavirus pandemic, public Church services and gatherings
are suspended till further notice. Father
Duncan
will live stream Holy Mass every day and assures you of his prayers for you
and your family.
INTRODUCTION
We are back in Ordinary Time for our Sundays now - all the way to Advent!
On these Sundays, we will be reading through the Gospel of Saint Matthew week
by week. Today we hear Jesus reminding us how much our God loves us, and encouraging
us not to be afraid. We pray that we may always have confidence in God's love
for us.
A READING
FROM THE HOLY GOSPEL ACCORDING TO MATTHEW (10:26-33)
Jesus instructed the Twelve as follows "Do not be afraid. For everything
that is now covered will be uncovered and everything now hidden will be made
clear. What I say to you in the dark, tell in the daylight. What you hear
in whispers, proclaim from the housetops. Do not be afraid of those who kill
the body but cannot kill the soul. Fear him rather who can destroy both body
and soul in hell. Can you not buy two sparrows for a penny? And yet not one
falls to the ground without your Father knowing. Why, every hair on your head
has been counted. So there is no need to be afraid. You are worth more than
hundreds of sparrows. So if anyone declares himself for me in the presence
of men, I will declare myself for him in the presence of my Father in heaven.
But the one who disowns me in the presence of men, I will disown in the presence
of my Father in heaven."
REFLECTION
Social media has expanded the ways in which we connect with each other, though
sometimes not for the best! There can be the temptation to view our relationships
in numbers - how many friends or followers do you have? Sometimes there can
be an anonymity in these relationships. We don't really know anything about
the people we 'connect' with! How different is our God who knows and values
each one of us more than we can imagine. "You are worth more than hundreds
of sparrows!" Sometimes we do not value life as we should - whether our
own lives or the lives of others. To God our loving Father, every single human
life is of immense value, every person is loved, every hair on every head
has been counted! Let us embrace God's love and at the same time seek to value
the lives of others more and more.
|
SAINT
PETER'S NEWS
RE-OPENING
OF SAINT PETER'S FOR PRIVATE PRAYER |
|
SAINT
BRIDE'S NEWS
FAREWELL
AND WELCOME |
THOUGHTS
FOR THE DAY
Every day this week, Father Duncan
will celebrate Holy Mass, focusing on these thoughts about the World's Greatest
Story.
A message from Father Duncan on Sunday 21 June 2020
Today, I celebrate Holy Mass for the Parishes. What
does it mean to preach the Gospel? Among other ways this preaching could be
described, it means telling the story of Jesus, what one film calls The Greatest
Story Ever Told. The name of Jesus means 'God saves' (Matthew 1:21). To tell
the story of Jesus, then, is to tell the story of God, the story of those
he came to save and to tell the story of how this all works in each human
life. So what are the basic building blocks of the story of Jesus? This week,
our thoughts will be on a version of the Gospel in seven simple points. The
first is that God created each of us, the universe, and everything in it out
of love. We are not accidents! When we consider the beauty and order of creation
- from the incredible pictures we see of outer space to the wonders of the
way our bodies work - it just doesn't make sense to say that this is all the
product of purposeless processes with no higher power making it all and making
it all work. He created the universe from nothing and humanity is the crowning
achievement of God's visible creation. Unfortunately, we haven't always acted
like it. Please be assured of my daily prayers for you and your
family.
A message from Father Duncan on Monday 22 June 2020
Today,
I celebrate Holy Mass for the Parishes. Sin
infects the world, and death is the consequence of sin. British Catholic author
G K Chesterton once described the problem of sin in the world as a truth 'as
plain as potatoes'. When we look at the world around us and, frankly, when
we look inside of our hearts, we know that things are not the way they ought
to be. There is evil in the world and each of our hearts is infected with
some measure of evil desire.
Please be assured of my daily prayers for you
and your family.
A message from Father Duncan on Tuesday 23 June 2020
Today,
I celebrate Holy Mass for the Parishes. We cannot
solve the problems of sin and death. Like a child who breaks something valuable
and tries to fix it, we simply don't have the power to fix what we've broken
through sin. We need to be rescued or death is our only possible destiny.
The Book of Job captures this plight powerfully when Job says "Is not
man's life on earth a drudgery?" and then "My life is like the wind.
I shall not see happiness again." (7:1, 7). Any one of us could say those
words truthfully if we had been left to ourselves to recover from the wounds
of sin. Please be assured of my daily prayers for you and your
family.
A message from Father Duncan on Wednesday
24 June 2020 - Solemnity of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist
Today,
I celebrate Holy Mass for the Parishes. God has come
to the rescue and more. God has not left us to recover from the wounds of
sin on our own. In his unfathomable love for us, He has sent his only Son
to become one of us (John 3:16). In his life, death and resurrection, Jesus
saves us from condemnation and wins for us a life beyond anything we could
have imagined. He offers us the power to become like him, to share in his
life forever. Please be assured of
my daily prayers for you and your family.
A message from Father Duncan on Thursday 25 June 2020
Today,
I celebrate Holy Mass for the Parishes. What God
has done in Jesus, he has done once and for all. Saint Peter says in the Acts
of the Apostles "There is no salvation through anyone else, nor is there
any other name under heaven given to the human race by which we are to be
saved" (4:12). Any person who is saved from sin and death, without exception,
is saved by Jesus Christ. Even in the case of someone being saved without
explicitly believing in Jesus, that person must somehow implicitly say "yes"
to God with all his heart. Please
be assured of my daily prayers for you and your family.
A message from Father Duncan on Friday 26 June 2020
Today,
I celebrate Holy Mass for the Parishes and Michael and Karen Fitzpatrick at
their anniversaries. God's 'once and for all' rescue
stretches across time and space in the life of His Church. God 'wills everyone
to be saved and to come to knowledge of the truth' (1 Timothy 2:4) - and so
Christ established the Church, calling Peter 'the rock' upon whom he would
build His Church (Matthew 16:18) and telling His first apostles to 'proclaim
the Gospel to every creature' (Mark 16:15), to baptise and teach God's commandments
(Matthew 28:19-20), to celebrate the Eucharist (Luke 22:19) and that the Eucharist
would bring to the baptised the gift of eternal life (John 6:54-55). For two
thousand years, the Church has been working to distribute the gifts of God
to every corner of the globe, beginning with those first apostles. Please
be assured of my daily prayers for you and your family.
A message from Father Duncan on Saturday 27 June 2020
Today,
I celebrate Holy Mass for the Parishes. 'What must
I do to be saved?' (Acts 16:30) - 'Repent and be baptised' (Acts 2:38). Salvation
is a gift, not something we earn. But as with any gift, we need to be receptive
and make good use of what we have been given, with a spirit of gratitude.
God is calling each of us to turn our lives over to Him. Each of us is called
to repent of our sins, to believe in Jesus Christ and to become united to
him through the Sacrament of Baptism. Baptism makes us members of God's family
in the Church and then we are called to live as a family, in union with Christ
and with each other. We do this especially in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass
and in the celebration of the other Sacraments, in prayer, in works of charity
and in sharing our faith with others. This is the story of Jesus, and it is
the story of every member of His Church. It is truly the greatest story ever
told. Every Catholic needs to learn this story and pray for the grace and
courage to share it with others. Please
be assured of my daily prayers for you and your family.
THE EYES OF A FATHER
This teenager lived alone with his father and the two of them had a very special
relationship. Even though the son was always with the substitutes, his father
was always in the stands cheering. He never missed a game of football. This
young man was still the smallest of the class when he entered high school.
But his father continued to encourage him but also made it very clear that
he did not have to play football if he didn't want to - but the young man
loved football and decided to hang in there. He was determined to try his
best at every practice and perhaps he'd get to play when he became older.
All through high school the son never missed a practice nor a game. His faithful
father was always in the stands, always with words of encouragement for him.
When the young man went to college, he decided to try for the college football
team. Everyone was sure he could never make it, but he did. The trainer admitted
that he kept him on the list because he always puts his heart and soul into
every practice and at the same time, provided the other members with the spirit
and enthusiasm they badly needed. The news that he had survived the tests
thrilled him so much that he rushed to the nearest phone and called his father.
His father shared his excitement and was sent tickets for all the college
games. This persistent young athlete never missed practice during his four
years at college but he never got to play in the game. It was the end of his
senior football season and as he trotted on to the practice field shortly
before the big play-off game, the trainer met him with a terrible piece of
news. The trainer told him "I am sorry, but your father died this morning.
We have just received the news. I am so sorry". The coach put his arm
gently around his shoulder and said "Take the rest of the week off, son
- and don't even plan to come back to the game on Saturday. Saturday arrived
and the game was not going well. During the second half, a silent young man
quietly slipped into the empty locker room and put on his football gear. As
he ran on to the sidelines, the coach and his players were astounded to see
their faithful teammate back so soon. "Sir, please let me play. I've
just got to play today." said the young man. The trainer pretended not
to hear him. There was no way he wanted his worst player in this important
game - but the young man persisted and finally feeling sorry for him, the
trainer gave in. "All right" he said, "you can play."
Before long, the trainer, the players and everyone in the stands could not
believe their eyes. This little unknown, who had never played before was doing
everything right. The opposing team could not stop him. He ran, he passed
and played like a star. His team began to triumph. The score was soon tied.
In the closing seconds of the game, this young man received a brilliant pass
and scored the winning goal. The fans broke loose. His teammates hoisted him
onto their shoulders. Such cheering you've never heard! Finally, after the
stands had emptied and the team had showered and left the locker room, the
trainer noticed that the young man was sitting quietly in the corner all alone.
The trainer came to him and said "Son, I can't believe it. You were fantastic!
Tell me what got into you? How did you do it?" He looked at the coach,
with tears in his eyes, and said "Well, you knew my dad died - but did
you know that my dad was blind?" The young man swallowed hard and forced
a smile "Dad came to all my games but today was the first time he could
see me play and I wanted to show him I could do it!" Happy Father's Day!
PRAYER DURING A PANDEMIC
May we who are merely inconvenienced remember those whose lives are at stake.
May we who have no risk factors remember those most vulnerable.
May we who have the luxury of working from home remember those who must choose
between preserving their health or making their rent.
May we who have the flexibility to care for our children when their schools
close remember those who have no options.
May we who have to cancel our trips remember those that have no safe place
to go.
May we who are losing our margin money in the tumult of the economic market
remember those who have no margin at all.
May we who settle in for a quarantine at home remember those who have no home.
As fear grips our country, let us choose love.
During this time when we cannot physically wrap our arms around each other,
let us yet find ways to be the loving embrace of God to our neighbours. Amen. Cameron
Bellm
JUST
FOR A LAUGH ...
• Three priests from Ayrshire sat discussing the best positions for prayer
while a telephone repairman worked nearby. "Kneeling is definitely best"
claimed one. "No" another contended. "I get the best results
standing with my hands outstretched to Heaven." "You're both wrong"
the third insisted. "The most effective prayer position is lying prostrate,
face down on the floor." The repairman could contain himself no longer.
"Hey, Fathers" he interrupted "the best prayin' I ever did
was hangin' upside down from a telephone pole!"
• The
devil says "With the Covid-19, I closed all your Churches. God says "On
the contrary, I opened one in each home! This is the Domestic Church.
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!
FINANCIAL SUPPORT
The financial support and upkeep of the Parish is also drastically affected
by the present situation. Please try and hand in your Offertory envelopes
to the Parish Office when you can or better still, consider taking out a Banker's
Order for Saint Peter's as the social isolation will probably impact us
for the next months. Banker's
Order and Gift
Aid Declaration forms are available in the Parish Office and on our website.
If you would prefer that we email you or post the forms, please let the Parish
Office know. If you require any assistance in completing the forms, please
contact George at the Parish Office and he can speak to you by phone. Thank
you for all you do and for your solidarity and generosity. In
these difficult financial times, there is no obligation to give to the Sunday
Collection. If, however, you feel able to, you can donate by text message
to an account set up by the Diocese of Galloway. It is not possible to nominate
a particular parish so all text-giving donations will be shared among parishes.
To donate, text the word SUNDAY to 70085 followed by the number of pounds,
from 1 to 20. For example, SUNDAY 5 to 70085 gives £5. This message
would cost £5 plus one standard rate message charge. Thank you for all
your commitment and support.
USED
POSTAGE STAMPS
We have been asked to donate our used postage stamps to fund Medical Science.
Please hand your used stamps to the Parish Office or give to Alfie Agostini.
NEW PARISH WEBSITE
Please have a look at our new parish website which is now up and running.
There are lots of resources for prayer and information, latest news and also
the weekly bulletin. The history section is being expanded step by step and
has really interesting video clips and photos from past events at Saint Peter's.
Have a look at SaintPeterInChains.co.uk.
The older website at is www.SaintPeterInChains.net
and Saint Bride's website is at StBridesChurch.co.uk.
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.
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.