BULLETIN                    24 DECEMBER 2006

FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT IN YEAR 3


FATHER MATT AND FATHER JOHN WISH YOU ALL A HAPPY CHRISTMAS.

CHURCH SERVICES

Saturday 23 December

Confession on request from 4.30 to 5.15 pm
Vigil Mass at 5.30 pm

Sunday 24 December
Sunday Mass at 10.00 am
Sunday Mass at 12.00 noon
Christmas Vigil Masses at 5.30 pm and 8.30 pm  
preceeded by Carols at 5.15 pm and 8.15 pm  
Monday 25 December
Christmas Day Mass at 11.00 am
Tuesday 26 December
Mass at 10.00 am for Jessie Brown
Wednesday 27 December
Mass at 10.00 am for Con McNulty
Thursday 28 December
Mass at 7.00 pm for Cosimo and Arturo Farro
Friday 29 December
Mass at 10.00 am for Ester Smith
Saturday 30 December
Mass at 10.00 am for Mr and Mrs A Murphy


PARISH CENTRE EVENTS

Sunday 24 December
10.00 am
10.00 am
11.00 am

Children's Liturgy
Sacramental Preparation
Tea and Coffee after Mass

PRAYERS
Please remember in your prayers:
   Christopher Casey, Rose Leonard and May Wilson who died recently;
   Mereno Berti 2003, Margaret Shanks 1966, Tom Finn 1993, Patrick Quinn 1969,
   Isobel Rae O'Hare 2004, Anne-Marie Jenkins 2005, Molly Cosgrove 1994,
   Arthur Robertson, Arturo Farro 1994 and Mary Dorian Stirling 1999
   whose anniversaries occur at this time;
   and those who are sick.

SUNDAY COLLECTION
Last weekend's collection amounted to £767.97 - 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 £360.71 - 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.

DONATIONS TO THE PARISH CENTRE
Many thanks for donations to the Parish Centre, namely, £700 from the sponsored disco received from the 1st Ardrossan Rainbows, 3rd and 5th Ardrossan Brownies and the 5th Ardrossan Guides and £150 from the Thursday Club.

REFURBISHING THE BLESSED SACRAMENT CHAPEL
A donation of £100, gratefully received from a parishioner, brings the total for refurbishing the Blessed Sacrament Chapel to £3125.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY
Congratulations to Mrs Addie Hissey who celebrated her ninety-ninth birthday last Sunday.

CRIB FIGURES RAFFLE
Congratulations to Father Matt who won the crib figures in the recent raffle.

CHILDREN'S LITURGY
If your child is now confident enough to go on his/her own to the Children's Liturgy, please let them. However, we could do with a few more parents on the rota. If you can take part - now that have seen how it is done - please contact Kate and complete the necessary Disclosure Scotland form.

CAR PARKING
Please don't block the presbytery driveway. If you are late, there is a little space in the car park extension at the side of the Presbytery.

SAINT PETER'S CHILDREN'S CENTRE
Anne Hunter and staff would like to thank all parents who supported them throughout the year. We hope you and the children have a happy holiday, a merry Christmas and a happy new year. See you all on Monday 8 January 2007.

THE INNOCENTS
Many thanks to all who have handed in goods over the year which Frank and Josephine Coulter kindly pass on to the Innocents in Kilmarnock.

BURNS SUPPER
The Burns Supper will be held in the Parish Centre on Saturday, 20 January 2007. Tickets co
sting £10 each are available from Kate and Gerry. Patrons are asked to be seated by 7.20 pm for a prompt start at 7.30 pm. The speakers and musicians are George McGrattan, Father Matt McManus, David Munn, Margaret Munn, Len Murray, Robin Reid, Ciaran Sinclair, Margaret Swiercz, Aimee Taylor and Monica Taylor. Len Murray is a retired Glasgow solicitor who has spoken at over 300 Burns Suppers on four continents. Further details of this and previous Burns Suppers are on Saint Peter's website.

50-50 CLUB
Congratulations to the following 50-50 Club prizewinners:
  115 J Little £25, 99 Marina Carr £25, 119 Sharon McLaughlin £25,
  83 Isobel Farrell £25, 152 Linda Swan £100
Thank you for your continued support of the 50-50 Club. If you would like to join the 50-50 Club, please contact Myriame Sammons.




  Christmas waves a magic wand over this world and  
behold, everything is softer and more beautiful.



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           Micah 5:1-4
The Lord says this: You, Bethlehem Ephrathah, the least of the clans of Judah, out of you will be born for me the one who is to rule over Israel; his origin goes back to the distant past, to the days of old. The Lord is therefore going to abandon them till the time when she who is to give birth gives birth. Then the remnant of his brothers will come back to the sons of Israel. He will stand and feed his flock with the power of the Lord, with the majesty of the name of his God. They will live secure, for from then on he will extend his power to the ends of the land. He himself will be peace.

Second Reading           Hebrews 10:5-10
This is what Christ said, on coming into the world: You who wanted no sacrifice or oblation, prepared a body for me. You took no pleasure in holocausts or sacrifices for sin; then I said, just as I was commanded in the scroll of the book, "God, here I am! I am coming to obey your will." Notice that he says first: You did not want what the Law lays down as the things to be offered, that is: the sacrifices, the oblations, the holocausts and the sacrifices for sin, and you took no pleasure in them; and then he says: Here I am! I am coming to obey your will. He is abolishing the first sort to replace it with the second. And this will was for us to be made holy by the offering of his body made once and for all by Jesus Christ.

Gospel           Luke 1:39-45
Mary set out and went as quickly as she could to a town in the hill country of Judah. She went into Zechariah's house and greeted Elizabeth. Now as soon as Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the child leapt in her womb and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. She gave a loud cry and said, "Of all women you are the most blessed, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. Why should I be honoured with a visit from the mother of my Lord? For the moment your greeting reached my ears, the child in my womb leapt for joy. Yes, blessed is she who believed that the promise made her by the Lord would be fulfilled.".