Bulletin 7 March 2021

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 JOHN (John 2:13-25)
Just before the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem and in the Temple he found people selling cattle and sheep and pigeons and the money-changers sitting at their counters there. Making a whip out of some cord, he drove them all out of the Temple, cattle and sheep as well, scattered the money-changers' coins, knocked their tables over and said to the pigeon-sellers "Take all this out of here and stop turning my Father's house into a market." Then his disciples remembered the words of scripture - Zeal for your house will devour me. The Jews intervened and said "What sign can you show us to justify what you have done?" Jesus answered "Destroy this sanctuary and in three days I will raise it up." The Jews replied "It has taken forty-six years to build this sanctuary. Are you going to raise it up in three days?" But he was speaking of the sanctuary that was his body and when Jesus rose from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this and they believed the scripture and the words he had said. During his stay in Jerusalem for the Passover, many believed in his name when they saw the signs that he gave but Jesus knew them all and did not trust himself to them. He never needed evidence about any man - he could tell what a man had in him.

REFLECTION
While the other Scripture readings in Church today make this a bit of a complicated Sunday, we will stick with the Gospel, this famous story of Jesus clearing the Temple. What's going on here? There are two main ideas. Firstly, Jesus cleanses the holy place of everything that stops it being holy - the cheats and swindlers and crooked exchange merchants. The meaning is simple - holy places must be holy! There is also a second theme - a more symbolic one. When Jesus 'cleanses' the Temple, he is, in a sense, declaring it unnecessary. He is the New Temple which will be destroyed and rebuilt in 'three days' when he dies on the cross and rises again. The Temple was the place where God dwelt with his people. After Easter Sunday, that 'place' will be Jesus himself. So, we do not need to travel to Jerusalem, to visit that building, to be close to God. All we need do is 'visit' Jesus, the New Temple. We could add a third understanding of this Gospel which helps us understand our Lenten journey. We are the Temple of the Holy Spirit, as the Scriptures tell us in several places. God wants to dwell within us - but as the Temple of God, do I need cleansing? Do I need Jesus to help clear - at best - the indifference and - at worst - the injustice, selfishness and cruelty that clutters up my life? 'Decluttering' our homes has become something of a 'thing' lately - see Marie Kondo! Lent is time for the decluttering of our spiritual lives and our relationship with God.

THE LORD'S DAY AT HOME
If you are housebound or self-isolating at this time, please use these prayers to unite yourself with the worship of the Universal Church, and your own parish, this Sunday. If alone, read or say these prayers quietly to yourself. If with another, or in a family, someone should read the Gospel and others respond. It might be suitable to find a special, quiet place at home for your Sunday prayers.

SAINT PETER'S CHURCH SERVICES

	*All Services are live-streamed and private unless otherwise stated.*
Saturday 6 March Third Sunday of Lent	Vigil Mass at 5.30pm for Anne O'Neill, Kathy McAuliffe and Sadie Gallagher who all died recently
Sunday 7 March Third Sunday of Lent	Holy Mass at 10.30am for our parishes
Monday 8 March	Holy Mass for the Pope and the success of the Papal visit to Iraq at 10.00am for Cosimo and Arturo Farro and Chris Callaghan at their anniversaries
Tuesday 9 March	Requiem Mass at 10.00am for Margaret Friel
Wednesday 10 March Feast of Saint John Ogilvie	Holy Mass at 10.00am for Robert Ferguson who died recently
Thursday 11 March	Votive Mass of Saint Joseph at 10.00am for Josephine Atkins who died recently and Annmarie Dickie at her anniversary
Friday 12 March	Stations of the Cross at 9.30am Holy Mass at 10.00am for Robert Stevenson who died recently
Saturday 13 March Fourth Sunday of Lent	Vigil Mass at 5.30pm for Marion Borland who died recently

SAINT MARY'S AND SAINT JOHN'S CHURCH SERVICES

	Saint Mary's Church, Saltcoats	Saint John’s Church, Stevenston
	*All Masses are live-streamed and private unless otherwise stated.*	*All Masses are live-streamed and private unless otherwise stated.*
Saturday 6 March Third Sunday of Lent	Vigil Mass at 4.30pm
Sunday 7 March Third Sunday of Lent	Holy Mass at 10.00am	Holy Mass at 11.30am
Monday 8 March		Requiem Mass at 10.00am for Robert Ferguson
Tuesday 9 March	Holy Mass at 10.00am	Holy Mass at 1.30pm with Saint John's Primary School
Wednesday 10 March Feast of Saint John Ogilvie	Holy Mass at 1.30pm with Saint Anthony's Primary School	Holy Mass at 10.00am
Thursday 11 March	Requiem Mass at 10.00am for Christina Coleman
Friday 12 March		Holy Mass at 10.00am
Saturday 13 March Fourth Sunday of Lent	Vigil Mass at 4.30pm

PRAYERS
Please remember in your prayers:
Jim Boyle and Annie Watt;
Robert Stevenson, Cornelius Welsh, Margaret Friel, Sister Moira Donnelly, Marion Borland, Robert Ferguson and Josephine Atkins who died recently;
Billy Sheehan 2019, Joe Colvin 1908, Olga Mastradomenico 2009, Cosimo Farro 1993, Francis Flynn 1990, Hugh McCluskey 1992, Catherine Robertson 2012, Mary To 2014, Luke Gargan 2001, Father Jerry Sheehy SCJ 2012, Frances Stannisforth 2017, Alice Bell 2005, May Bell 2003, John Carroll 2004, John Kyle 2009, Myles McDonald, Monsignor Archibald McSparran 1950, Stephanie Hope Turner 2001, Helen Brown 2013, Peter McGlone 2016, Agnes Scott 1990, Monsignor Edward Traynor 2006, Lilia Agostini 1969, Mary Andrew 1957, Hessie Hyslop 1998 and Jean Walker 2001 whose anniversaries occur at this time and those who are sick.
If deceased members of your family are not on our anniversary list, please tell Father Duncan, the parish office or contact WebsiteAuthor@SaintPeterinChains.net. If members of your family or friends are in need of our prayers, please tell Father Duncan or the parish office.

REQUIEM MASS FOR MARGARET FRIEL
Please pray for the Repose of the Soul of Margaret Friel who died on Saturday 27 February 2021 aged 78 years. Her Requiem Mass on Tuesday 9 March at 10.00am will be followed by her interment at Ardrossan Cemetery. May she rest in peace and rise in glory!

EASTER CANDLES
The large Easter Candles for Saint Bride's and Saint Peter's have been ordered and they will be designed and decorated this year by Nora Hartley from East Kilbride.

REPAIRS AT SAINT PETER'S
At the end of this week, the sound system tweaks will be carried out and the spotlights repaired in the Sanctuary and over the Tabernacle. This should be finished by this coming Saturday. We should be ready for the Easter celebrations.

STANDING ORDER UPDATE
I am so grateful to all our parishioners from Saint Bride's and Saint Peter's who have taken out a standing order in the last weeks. It has been a wonderful show of support sand generosity to our parish communities. It has been great to see parishioners coming together and starting to look at getting things going again. Sincere thanks! If you haven't done so already, please consider a Standing Order and possible Gift Aid in support of our parishes. Just let us know and we will send you the forms by email or post. Thanks again for all the help and commitment. It makes a huge difference!

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.

EXPLAINING GOD
The story below was written by an eight-year-old called Danny Dutton for a homework assignment to Explain God.
One of God's main jobs is making people. He makes them to replace the ones that die so there will be enough people to take care of things on earth. He doesn't make grown-ups, just babies. I think because they are smaller and easier to make. That way he doesn't have to take up his valuable time teaching them to talk and walk. He can just leave that to mothers and fathers. God's second most important job is listening to prayers. An awful lot of this goes on, since some people, like priests and things, pray at times beside bedtime. God doesn't have time to listen to the radio or television because of this. Because he hears everything, there must be a terrible lot of noise in his ears, unless he has thought of a way to turn it off. God sees everything and hears everything and is everywhere which keeps him pretty busy. So you shouldn't go wasting his time by going over your mum and dad's head asking for something they said you couldn't have. Atheists are people who don't believe in God. I don't think there are any in Bolton. At least there aren't any who come to our Church. Jesus is God's son. He used to do all the hard work, like walking on water and performing miracles and trying to teach the people who didn't want to learn about God. They finally got tired of him preaching to them and they crucified him. But he was good and kind, like his father, and he told his father that they didn't know what they were doing and to forgive them and God said okay. His dad, God, appreciated everything that he had done and all his hard work on earth so he told him he didn't have to go out on the road anymore. He could stay in heaven. So he did - and now he helps his dad out by listening to prayers and seeing things which are important for God to take care of and which ones he can take care of himself without having to bother God. He is like a secretary, only more important. You can pray anytime you want and they are sure to help you because they got it worked out so one of them is on duty all the time. You should always go to Church on Sunday because it makes God happy and if there's anybody you want to make happy, it's God! If you don't believe in God, besides being an atheist, you will be very lonely because your parents can't go everywhere with you, like on school trips, but God can. It is good to know he's around you when you're scared, in the dark or when you can't swim and you get thrown into real deep water by big kids - but you shouldn't just always think of what God can do for you. I figure God put me here and he can take me back anytime he pleases - and that's why I believe in God.

JUST FOR A LAUGH ...
Here are some of the funny things that you can read in parish newsletters:
   • Everyone is excited about the upcoming wedding of Brad and Melody. They are having a country style wedding. Everyone is invited to join them as they exchange cows in the church courtyard on 7 June.
   • Remember, we'll be gathering with other area Churches for the singing in the park on Sunday night. I want to remind the choir and all sinners to be at the park by 4.30 pm for warm up and sound checks.
   • The Seniors Group will have a picnic on Saturday. Each person is asked to bring a friend, a vegetable or dessert in a covered dish. Meat and drinks will be furnished.
   • We are especially thankful that when Sister Dora was at death's door, the Lord and her doctor pulled her through.

SAINT PETER'S 50/50 CLUB
2020 has proved a very difficult year in the life of our parish and 2021 is still tough on everyone. Since we cannot meet with each other, not even at Church, we cannot have our usual 'Sign-Up' meeting in the Parish Centre. We are grateful to those who responded in renewing their membership by post or letterbox drop to the Promoter, Mrs M Sammons at 30 Seafield Court, Ardrossan, KA22 8NS. We ask members to do the same at your earliest convenience by sending your cheque for £15 in the post made payable to Saint Peter's 50/50 Club and including your name and address or alternatively cash by letterbox drop to the Promoter at the above address. Please do not send cash in the post. Thank you for your continued support.

BBC BROADCASTS FOR LENT AND EASTER
Please see below details of forthcoming Masses which will be broadcast on BBC Scotland at 12 noon on the following Sundays:
   • 14 March - Our Holy Redeemer, Stornoway
   • 4 April, Easter Sunday - Saint Mirin's Cathedral, Paisley
The documentary Priest School is available on iPlayer at https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m000hmvf/priest-school and YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KyVwwxOmsdI..

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.

STANDING ORDERS - PLEASE THINK ABOUT IT
The parishes have taken quite a 'knock' through lockdown when public Mass is not available. 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.

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.