BULLETIN                16 DECEMBER 2007

THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT IN YEAR 1


CHURCH SERVICE
S

Saturday 15 December

Confession on request from 4.30 to 5.15 pm  
Vigil Mass at 5.30 pm in thanksgiving for Addie Hissey's one hundredth birthday  

Sunday 16 December
Sunday Mass at 10.00 am
Sunday Mass at 12.00 noon
Monday 17 December
Mass at 10.00 am for Roseann McDonald
Tuesday 18 December
Mass at 10.00 am for Margaret Fulton
Wednesday 19 December
Mass at 10.00 am for Gerard Ritchie
Thursday 20 December
Mass at 10.00 am for Terry Britnall
Penitential Service at 7.00 pm
Friday 21 December
Mass at 10.00 am for a special intention - IB  
Saturday 22 December
Mass at 10.00 am for Bridie Clarke


PARISH CENTRE EVENTS

Sunday 16 December
10.00 am
10.00 am
11.00 am
2.00 pm

Children's Liturgy
Sacramental Preparation
Tea and Coffee after Mass
Birthday Party

Monday 17 December
9.00 to 11.30 am
9.30 to 11.30 am
12.30 to 3.00 pm
7.00 pm
7.00 pm

Nursery
Toddlers' Party
Nursery
Saint Vincent de Paul Society  
Weight Watchers

Tuesday 18 December
9.00 to 11.30 am
9.30 to 11.00 am
11.00 am
12.30 to 3.00 pm
7.30 pm
Nursery Nativity Play
Kindergarten
Legion of Mary
Nursery Nativity Play
Keep Fit
Wednesday 19 December
9.00 to 11.30 am
9.30 to 11.00 am
12.30 to 3.00 pm
Nursery
Kindergarten
Nursery
Thursday 20 December
6.30 to 7.30 pm
7.30 to 9.00 pm
Brownies
Girl Guides
Friday 21 December
7.30 to 11.45 pmPrivate Party

PRAYERS
Please remember in your prayers:
   Agnes Martin, Jim Cairns (Saltcoats) and Desmond Walsh (Kilwinning)
   who died recently and
   Theresa Dorrans 2006, Anne Thompson 1988, Josephine McGeachy 2003,
   Mary Magee 1997, Harry McNamara 2002, Robert McKay 1993,
   Larry Kernahan 1998, Roseanne Kirkwood 1991, Susan Jones 1996,
   Mary Wishart 2002, Frances Kilbane, Chris Casey 2006,
   Sister Hilda CP 2000, Jenny McAtee 2003, Tom Braniff 2003
   and Ellen Barrett 1984 whose anniversaries occur at this time
.

SUNDAY COLLECTION
Last weekend's collection amounted to £756.49 - many thanks. Banker's Orders amount to an average of £4300 per month. Each month £4000 is repaid to the Diocese for the building loan and levy.

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.

PARISH CENTRE COLLECTION
Last weekend's collection for the Parish Centre amounted to £300.65 - many thanks.

CONGRATULATIONS, ADDIE
Congratulations and best wishes to
Addie Hissey who celebrates her one hundredth birthday on Monday.

ADVENT PENITENTIAL SERVICE
An Advent Penitential Service will be held in Saint Mary's, Largs
on Friday 21 December at 7.00 pm.

CHOIR PRACTICE
All members of the choir are invited to a practice in the Church on Thursday at 7.30 pm in preparation for Christmas.

NATIVITY SET RAFFLE
Raffle tickets for a Nativity Set with Shed costing 50p a strip are on sale at the stall. The draw will take place at the Sunday Teas on 23 December.

ADVENT EXTRA AND 2008 DIARIES
Advent Extras and 2008 Diaries are available at the stall at a cost of 50 pence.

SAINT VINCENT DE PAUL SOCIETY
The Saint Vincent de Paul Society would welcome any gifts of non perishable, in-date foodstuffs to supplement its stock for food parcels and so on. A box has been placed in the porch for such donations. K
eyrings at £1.00 and fridge magnets at £1.50 are for sale. They hold photographs of Saint Peter's Church.

SAINT PETER'S CHILDREN'S CENTRE
The children will be performing a Nativity Play on Tuesday at 10.00 am and 1.30 pm to which parishioners will be very welcome. On Wednesday, the Centre will close after the Christmas Parties for the Kindergarten and Nursery children and reopen on Monday 7th January. Josephine Coulter and staff would like to thank all parents for their support since August and wish them all a Happy Christmas and Best Wishes for 2008.

A SCOTTISH FAREWELL TO FATHER JOHN
Father John returns to Africa at the beginning of February. We plan to 'roll-up' our usual Saint Andrew's Night Social and Burns Supper into A Scottish Farewell to Father John on two dates. On Friday 25 January, there will be a meal and Scottish entertainment at 7.20 pm for 7.30 pm to 11.00 pm in the Parish Centre. Tickets cost £10 and will be on sale from the Parish Office from Monday 7 January. Call in and collect or book by phone on 464063. They will be issued on a first come, first served basis. On Sunday 27 January form 1.00 pm to 4.00 pm, there will be an 'open house' event in the Parish Centre with Scottish snacks - roll and sausage, hot pies, lentil soup and so on. Come anytime and spend an hour or so chatting. Envelopes for anything you wish Father John to use in Tanzania will be available in January.

GALLOWAY NEWSLETTER
Copies of the Galloway Newsletter are available at the stall. Please take one.

A HISTORY OF OUR LADY, STAR OF THE SEA
A book by Bernard Aspinwall, titled A History Of Our Lady, Star Of The Sea (Saint Mary's) Saltcoats on the history of the Church from 1853 to 2007 is available from the parish office for £5.

FOUND
An Italian Millenium Medal was found in one of the collection bags. It can be collected from the stall.

DIOCESE OF GALLOWAY CAROL SERVICE
The Annual Diocesan Carol
Service will take place in Saint Margaret's Cathedral, Ayr on Wednesday 19 December at 7.30 pm. It will be led by Bishop Cunningham. Tea, coffee and mince pies will be served in the hall afterwards. All are welc
ome.

FORGIVENESS
"My life is like shattered glass." said the visitor. "My soul is tainted with evil. Is there any hope for me?". "Yes" said the Master. "There is something whereby each broken thing is bound again and every stain made clean." . "What?". "Forgiveness". "Whom do I forgive?". "Everyone - Life, God, your neighbour - especially yourself.". "How is that done?". "By understanding that no one is to blame." said the Master. "No one.".



  Keep your fears to yourself, but share your courage with others.  



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 35:1-6,10
Let the wilderness and the dry-lands exult, let the wasteland rejoice and bloom, let it bring forth flowers like the jonquil, let it rejoice and sing for joy. The glory of Lebanon is bestowed on it, the splendour of Carmel and Sharon; they shall see the glory of the Lord, the splendour of our God. Strengthen all weary hands, steady all trembling knees and say to all faint hearts, Courage! Do not be afraid. Look, your God is coming, vengeance is coming, the retribution of God; he is coming to save you. Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, the ears of the deaf unsealed, then the lame shall leap like a deer and the tongues of the dumb sing for joy; for those the Lord has ransomed shall return. They will come to Zion shouting for joy, everlasting joy on their faces; joy and gladness will go with them and sorrow and lament be ended.

Second Reading           James 5:7-10
Be patient, brothers, until the Lord"s coming. Think of a farmer: how patiently he waits for the precious fruit of the ground until it has had the autumn rains and the spring rains! You too have to be patient; do not lose heart, because the Lord"s coming will be soon. Do not make complaints against one another, brothers, so as not to be brought to judgement yourselves; the Judge is already to be seen waiting at the gates. For your example, brothers, in submitting with patience, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.

Gospel           Matthew 11:2-11
John in his prison had heard what Christ was doing and he sent his disciples to ask him, "Are you the one who is to come, or have we got to wait for someone else?" Jesus answered, "Go back and tell John what you hear and see; the blind see again, and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised to life and the Good News is proclaimed to the poor; and happy is the man who does not lose faith in me." as the messengers were leaving, Jesus began to talk to the people about John: "What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed swaying in the breeze? No? Then what did you go out to see? A man wearing fine clothes? Oh no, those who wear fine clothes are to be found in palaces. Then what did you go out for? To see a prophet? Yes, I tell you, and much more than a prophet: he is the one of whom scripture says: Look, I am going to send my messenger before you; he will prepare your way before you. I tell you solemnly, of all the children born of women, a greater than John the Baptist has never been seen; yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he is.".