CHURCH OF SAINT PETER IN CHAINS, ARDROSSAN  •  A Family of Parishes  •  SAINT BRIDE'S CHURCH, WEST KILBRIDE

                                                        

Meeting people where they are - leading them to where God calls them to be!


BULLETIN                                          14 MARCH 2021

FOURTH SUNDAY OF LENT IN YEAR 2

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 3:14-21)
Jesus said to Nicodemus "The Son of Man must be lifted up as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert so that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him. Yes, God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not be lost but may have eternal life. For God sent his Son into the world not to condemn the world but so that through him the world might be saved. No one who believes in him will be condemned but whoever refuses to believe is condemned already, because he has refused to believe in the name of God's only Son. On these grounds is sentence pronounced - that though the light has come into the world, men have shown they prefer darkness to the light because their deeds were evil. And indeed, everybody who does wrong hates the light and avoids it for fear his actions should be exposed but the man who lives by the truth comes out into the light so that it may be plainly seen that what he does is done in God."

REFLECTION
Our Scripture readings today are a complicated mix, but the main theme is Down and Up - in that order! In Church, our first reading and psalm are about the exile of God's people to Babylon and their eventual return. Down and Up. In the second reading, Saint Paul talks about us being 'dead through sin' - Down - and raised through grace - Up! Down and Up again! The Gospel is the same - a part of a long conversation Jesus has with the Pharisee Nicodemus by night. Jesus talks about what salvation means. P
eople who have gone Down into the darkness, living lives ruled by sin, will be brought Up into the light by virtue of the cross, Jesus himself being 'lifted up' to be the invitation to faith that brings eternal life. Down and Up! We all have our downs in life, some bigger than others. The promise of Jesus, who himself descended into hell before ascending to heaven, is that by believing in him, we can hope to rise up eternally. As we live through our Downs let us hope in his Ups - and rejoice!

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 13 March  
Fourth Sunday of Lent  

Vigil Mass at 5.30pm for Marion Borland who died recently
Sunday 14 March  
Fourth Sunday of Lent   
Mothers' Day   
Holy Mass at 10.30am for our parishes
Monday 15 March  
Holy Mass 10.00am for Josephine Atkins who died recently and Elizabeth McGee at her anniversary
Tuesday 16 March  

Requiem Mass at 10.00am for Marion Borland

Wednesday 17 March  
Feast of Saint Patrick 
Holy Mass at 10.00am for Michael Reilly and Janie Aitken at their anniversaries
Thursday 18 March 
Holy Mass at 10.00am for Declan Cody who died recently and Thomas Rourke at his anniversary
Friday 19 March 
Solemnity of Saint Joseph, 
spouse of the Virgin Mary 
Stations of the Cross at 9.30am
Holy Mass at 10.00am for Robert Stevenson and Margaret Friel who both died recently

Saturday 20 March  
Fifth Sunday of Lent  

Vigil Mass at 5.30pm for Sister Moira Donnelly who died recently and Nan Reid's special intention

SAINT MARY'S AND SAINT JOHN'S CHURCH SERVICES
 
 
All Masses are live-streamed and private unless otherwise stated.
All Masses are live-streamed and private unless otherwise stated.

Saturday 13 March  
Fourth Sunday of Lent  

Vigil Mass at 4.30pm  
Sunday 14 March  
Fourth Sunday of Lent   
Mothers' Day   
Holy Mass at 10.00am
Holy Mass at 11.30am
Monday 15 March  





Mass times were not available when the bulletin was published.
Please visit Saint Mary's website and Saint John’s website for Mass times.

Tuesday 16 March  
Wednesday 17 March  
Feast of Saint Patrick 
Thursday 18 March 
Friday 19 March 
Solemnity of Saint Joseph, 
spouse of the Virgin Mary 

Saturday 20 March  
Fifth Sunday of Lent  

Vigil Mass at 4.30pm  

PRAYERS
Please remember in your prayers:
Jim Boyle and Annie Watt;
Marion Borland, Jim Watt, Josephine Atkins, Declan Cody, Robert Stevenson, Margaret Friel, Sister Moira Donnelly, Barbara Townsend (Plymouth), John Maguire, Jeff and Kate Simpson (Glasgow) and Patrick Reilly (Baillieston) who died recently;
Aldegonda Brogi 1971, Susan Morgan 2012, Frances Smith 2019, Louis Ferguson 2020, Grace Jamieson 2005, Canon Charles Matthews 1996, Doris McNamara 2010, Catherine Stewart 2004, Victor Donald 1985, Mary Gribben 2012, Susan Heaney 1956, Martha Pentleton 1984, Billy Shanks 2015, Janie Aitken 1989, John McCormick 2019, Michael Reilly 2013, Ian Trayner 2008, Keith Baldwin 2006, Sheila Giebler 2019, John Gurney 2004, James Terence McHugh 2020, James Mulhearn 1982, Thomas Rourke 2015, William Tait 1996, Kevin Doherty 1979, Alistair Malloy 2014, Peggy McArthur 1986, Andrew Murphy 1971, Agnes Dougan 2018 and Kate Smith 1972
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.



SAINT PETER'S NOTICES

REQUIEM MASS FOR MARION BORLAND
Please pray for the Repose of the Soul of Marion Borland who died on Wednesday 3 March 2021 aged 82 years. Her Requiem Mass, which will be live-streamed on Tuesday 16 March at 10.00am, will be followed by her interment at Ardrossan Cemetery. May she rest in peace and rise in glory!

PALM SUNDAY - COLLECTION OF PALMS
Palms will be available from Mass on Palm Sunday 28 March, Monday 29, Tuesday 30 and can also be collected from the porch of the presbytery on Wednesday 31 between 9.00 and 11.00am.

PARISH STEWARDSHIP
Last Sunday's Offertory Collection amounted to £387.00 - many thanks.

HOLY WEEK BOOKINGS
Bookings for Holy Week services open on Monday 22 March. Please phone the Parish Office 01294 464063 on Monday to Friday from 9.00 to 11.30am and try to keep to these times. Saint Peter's can accommodate fifty people.


SAINT BRIDE'S NOTICES

PALM SUNDAY - COLLECTION OF PALMS
Palms will be available from Mass on Palm Sunday 28 March and Tuesday 30 March.


HOLY WEEK BOOKINGS
Please phone Phyllis Howie on 01294 822320 or 07843 602745 between 7.00 and 9.00pm for Holy Week bookings.


GOOD NEWS - HOLY WEEK IN CHURCH
Our Churches can reopen starting on Friday 26 March. We are allowed up to fifty parishioners for each Mass. This means we will be able to celebrate the Holy Week and Easter much more as a community. The other restrictions are still in place. Mass and service times will be announced in next week's bulletin.

LENTEN COVERING OF CROSSES AND IMAGES
At the end of this week, we will be covering the crosses and images in our Churches with purple cloths. Crosses remain covered until the end of the Lord's Passion. Statues and images remain covered until the beginning of the Easter Vigil. The custom of veiling crosses and images has much to commend it in terms of religious psychology because it helps us to concentrate on the great essentials of Christ's work of redemption and see them with 'new eyes' in the light of Easter.

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.


COME BACK TO HOPE - COME BACK TO CHURCH
As Easter approaches, our hope is that we can slowly return to normal as a faith community. The greatest way God communicates himself is through our participation in the Eucharist. We will never be closer to God this side of heaven than when we are at Mass. Therefore, after time of prudently finding ways to safely and reverently celebrate Mass, it is vital that all who are able return to physical participation in the Mass. While there cannot be a guarantee from all the harms of this world, including Covid-19, few places are as safe as our Churches. Let people know that they can come back to Mass without greatly increasing their susceptibility of getting sick. Here are three easy ways that we as joyful missionary disciples can invite others to come back to Mass. Firstly, make a personal invitation. Nothing substitutes for personally inviting someone. Each of us knows someone who has not been back to Church since the pandemic began. By reaching out to them by a phone call, a text message or through social media, we demonstrate our care for them and could provide them with the gentle nudge that makes the difference. Secondly, share an individual or a family selfie at Church on social media. For better or worse, social media sites like Instagram and Facebook are the places we are most likely to give an anonymous encouragement to someone to return to Mass. Thirdly, ask your parish how you can help. We have to look together and how we can welcome our friends and neighbours back to Church. 'Business as usual' just won't make any impact any more. As we return to the regular practice of Sunday Mass and invite people once again to take up the obligation to participate at Sunday Mass as an expression of our faith, hope and love, it's important that we do that joyfully and as missionary disciples so that many people can participate in the graces God wants to give them by being physically present at Church for the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.



FOUR LITTLE WORDS
If there is something one cannot do without, it is a mother. Father loves her, daughter imitates her, son ignores her, salesmen thrive on her, motorists hurry around her, teachers phone her and the woman next door confides in her. She can be sweeter than sugar, more sour than a lemon, all smiles, and crying her heart out - all within any given two-minute period. She likes sewing, detective stories, having her birthday remembered, Church, a new dress, the cleaning woman, father's praise, a little lipstick, flowers and plants, Coronation Street on television, dinner out on Sunday, policemen, one whole day in bed, crossword puzzles, sunny days, tea and a good chat. She dislikes doing the dishes, father's boss, having her birthday forgotten, the motorist behind her, spring cleaning, her oldest child's report card, rainy days, the neighbour's dog, stairs and the man who was supposed to cut the grass. She can be found standing by, bending over, reaching for, kneeling under and stretching around but rarely sitting on. She has the beauty of a spring day, the patience of a saint, the appetite of a small bird, the memory of a large elephant. She knows the lowest prices, everybody's birthday, what you should be doing and all your secret thoughts. She is always straightening up after, reminding you to and taking care of, but never asking for. Yes, a mother is one thing that nobody can do without - and when you have harassed her, buffeted her about, tried her patience and worn her out, and it seems that the end of the world is about to descend upon you, then you can win her back with four little words - Mum, I love you!

JUST FOR A LAUGH ...
   • Over the massive front doors of a Church, these words were inscribed - the Gates of Heaven. Below that was a small cardboard sign which read Please use other entrance.
   • A Catholic primary school teacher asked her little children, as they were on the way to Mass "And why is it necessary to be quiet in Church?" One bright little girl replied "Because people are sleeping."
Here are some actual announcements taken from Church Newsletters:
   • Don't let worry kill you - let the Church help!
   • Weight Watchers will meet at 7.00pm at the Parish Hall. Please use large double door at the side entrance.


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.