CHURCH
OF SAINT PETER IN CHAINS, ARDROSSAN • A Family of
Parishes • SAINT BRIDE'S CHURCH, WEST KILBRIDE
BULLETIN 20 SEPTEMBER 2020
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 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."
REFLECTION
Our Gospels recently have really been hammering home the teaching about the
generosity - almost the foolish generosity - of God's mercy and today is no
different. This parable is all about repentance and coming into God's kingdom
- the vineyard of the story. Some people have been faithful believers for
years, while some arrive at the last minute - or 'at the eleventh hour' in
the story. The challenging aspect of this parable is that God will forgive
even at the last minute - if repentance is genuine. Perhaps something in us
rebels against this. "I've been a good Catholic for sixty, seventy, eighty
years - I deserve more than some new convert!" This is jealousy and envy
and it is denying God the love for every single person, whoever they are or
whatever they have done. God's generosity is something that we have all received
- see last week's Gospel - and so we should never begrudge that mercy to another.
Saint
Peter's - All Masses are live-streamed and
public unless otherwise stated. |
Saint
Bride's - All Masses are public
unless otherwise stated. |
|
Saturday
19 September |
Holy Mass at 10.00am
for Margaret McCabe as a special intention Private Vigil Mass at 5.30pm for Ronnie Cairns at his anniversary |
|
Sunday
20 September
Twenty-fifth Sunday of the Year |
Holy Mass at 10.30am for our parishes | Holy Mass at 12.15pm for our parishes |
Monday
21 September
Feast of Saint Matthew, apostle |
Holy
Mass at 10.00am
for the special intentions of Billy Sheehan and Len Harley |
|
Tuesday
22 September
|
Holy
Mass at 10.00am
for Joe McIver as a special intention Private |
|
Wednesday
23 September
Memorial of Padre Pio |
Holy
Mass at 10.00am for John Boyle (Ireland) and Margaret Harvey who both
died recently |
|
Thursday
24 September
|
Holy
Mass at 10.00am for Joseph and Josephine Brady at their anniversaries Private |
|
Friday
25 September
Special Mass in time of pandemic |
Holy
Mass at 10.00am
for Margaret Timmons (Dunfermline) who died recently |
Holy Mass at 12 noon |
Saturday
26 September |
Holy Mass at 10.00am
for Alice Morgan who died recently Private Vigil Mass at 5.30pm for David Farrell at his anniversary |
Saturday
19 September |
Vigil Mass at 4.30pm | |
Sunday
20 September
Twenty-fifth Sunday of the Year |
Holy
Mass
at 10.00am |
Holy
Mass
at 11.30am |
Monday
21 September
Feast of Saint Matthew, apostle |
||
Tuesday
22 September
|
Holy Mass at 10.00am | |
Wednesday
23 September
Memorial of Padre Pio |
Holy Mass at 10.00am | |
Thursday
24 September
|
Holy Mass at 10.00am | |
Friday
25 September
|
Requiem Mass | |
Saturday
26 September |
Vigil Mass at 4.30pm |
SAINT
PETER'S NOTICES
MASS
BOOKINGS |
SAINT
BRIDE'S NOTICES
NEW
WEBSITE |
A
SIMPLE EXPLANATION OF THE MASS - PART 16
What happens in us when we receive Holy Communion? The Catechism of the Catholic
Church (1391-1401) tells us of five different fruits we receive with Holy
Communion. For the next five Sundays, we will look at each one individually.
Firstly, Holy Communion augments our union with Christ (1391). The principal
fruit of receiving Holy Communion is the intimate union with Christ. In his
discourse on the Bread of Life, Jesus says "He who eats my flesh and
drinks my blood abides in me and I in him." (6:56). Paul sees this abiding
in terms of putting on Christ, identifying with Christ, developing within
ourselves Christ's outlook, attitudes and his commitment to the Father. Unless
we abide in Christ, all our efforts are in vain (Jn 15:4). Hence, receiving
Holy Communion entails a willingness to do all we can to have the same attitude
that is also ours in Christ Jesus (Phi 2:5).
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
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
AN INTERVIEW WITH GOD
I dreamed I had an interview with God. "So, you would like to interview
me?" God asked. "If you have time" I said. God smiled. "My
time is eternity. What questions do you have in mind for me?" "What
surprises you the most about humankind?" God answered "That they
get bored with childhood, that they rush to grow up and then long to be children
again. That they lose their health to make money and then lose their money
to restore their health. That by thinking anxiously about the future, they
forget the present, such that they live in neither the present nor the future.
That they live as if they would never die and die as though they had never
lived." God's hand took mine and we were silent for a while. And then
I asked "As a parent, what are some of life's lessons you want your children
to learn?" God replied "To learn they cannot make anyone love them.
All they can do is let themselves be loved. To learn that it is not good to
compare themselves to others. To learn to forgive by practicing forgiveness.
To learn that it only takes a few seconds to open profound wounds in those
they love and it can take many years to heal them. To learn that a rich person
is not one who has the most but is one who needs the least. To learn that
there are people who love them dearly but simply do not yet know how to express
or show their feelings. To learn that two people can look at the same thing
and see it differently. To learn that it is not enough that they forgive one
another but they must also forgive themselves." "Thank you for your
time" I said humbly. "Is there anything else you would like your
children to know?" God smiled and said "Just know that I am here.
Always."
JUST FOR A LAUGH ...
A man suffered a serious heart attack and had an open-heart by-pass surgery.
He awakened from the surgery to find himself in the care of nuns at a Catholic
Hospital. As he was recovering, a nun asked him questions regarding how he
was going to pay for his treatment. She asked if he had health insurance.
He replied, in a raspy voice "No health insurance." The nun asked
if he had money in the bank. He replied "No money in the bank."
The nun asked "Do you have a relative who could help you?" He said
"I only have a spinster sister who is a nun." The nun became agitated
and announced loudly "Nuns are not spinsters! Nuns are married to God."
The patient replied "Send the bill to my brother-in-law then."
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.
SACRAMENT OF BAPTISM
We welcome to the Family of the Church Freya Patricia Martha Reid who will
be baptised on Saturday and also Mary Clara Loi who will be baptised on Sunday.
Congratulations to their parents and Godparents.
POPE FRANCIS NEW ENCYCLICAL - FRATELLI TUTTI
Pope Francis will travel to Assisi on 3 October to sign an encyclical on the
social, political and economic obligations that flow from a belief that all
people are children of God and therefore brothers and sisters to one another.
The Vatican press office, confirming the Pope's trip, said the document will
be titled Fratelli Tutti in Italian. In English, the phrase could be translated
as Brothers And Sisters All but apparently it is inspired by what is known
as Saint Francis of Assisi's sixth admonition to his friars. Conventual Franciscan
Father Mauro Gambetti, custodian of the Assisi convent, said the document
"will indicate to the world a style for the future and will give the
church and people of goodwill the responsibility for building it together…
The Pope is clearly inspired by Francis of Assisi who, in following Jesus,
recognised in fraternity, lived under the sign of mutual and loving service,
the horizon of a fulfilled and happy humanity" Father Gambetti added.
The encyclical is expected to echo many of the themes Pope Francis has been
discussing in his general audience talks on Catholic social teaching in light
of the pandemic - human fraternity, the equal dignity of all people, the preferential
option for the poor, the universal destination of goods and the obligation
of solidarity. Care for the environment and the virtue of peacemaking also
are expected to be part of the encyclical.
ARDROSSAN CHURCHES GROUP - LATEST NEWS
The Park Church will welcome a new minister by the end of the month - Marianne
Howie. The Kirkgate Church will also welcome a new minister by the end of
the year - Nigel Chikanya, originally from Zambia. We wish them both every
blessing for a good start. The Remembrance Sunday Prayers on Sunday 8 November
at 1.00pm will go ahead as usual, however with only two representatives from
each organisation and parish. The Christmas Carol Concert will have to be
cancelled this year, owing to the Covid restrictions.
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
RETIRED PRIESTS' COLLECTION
A special collection will be made next weekend of September for our Retired
Priests in the Diocese. Please collect the special donation envelopes. Thank
you for your support and generosity!
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.