Bulletin 16 May 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 17:11-19)
Jesus raised his eyes to heaven and said "Holy Father, keep those you have given me true to your name so that they may be one like us. While I was with them, I kept those you had given me true to your name. I have watched over them and not one is lost except the one who chose to be lost and this was to fulfil the scriptures. But now I am coming to you and while still in the world I say these things to share my joy with them to the full. I passed your word on to them and the world hated them because they belong to the world no more than I belong to the world. I am not asking you to remove them from the world but to protect them from the evil one. They do not belong to the world any more than I belong to the world. Consecrate them in the truth Your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world and for their sake I consecrate myself so that they too may be consecrated in truth."

REFLECTION
Our Gospel this Sunday is part of the so-called 'priestly prayer' of Jesus at the Last Supper. In it, he prays for us - the Church - the night before his Passion. This prayer of Jesus was not just offered on that one night. It is his constant prayer to his heavenly Father, at whose right hand he now reigns, while also remaining here with us. The Church is not just a human institution but the Body of Christ, he the head and we the members. His prayer is our prayer, offered for us. Today, let us rejoice in the constant prayer of Jesus for us, his friends, the Church and pray that though we must live and work in this world, we will not belong to it, but may have hearts and minds set on the Kingdom of Heaven. May the promised Spirit be renewed in us!

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 AND SAINT BRIDE'S CHURCH SERVICES

	Saint Peter's All services are live-streamed and public by booking unless otherwise stated.	Saint Bride's Church, West Kilbride All services are public by booking unless otherwise stated.
Saturday 15 May Seventh Sunday of Easter	Vigil Mass at 5.30pm for John Cairns and Rosa Carrino who both died recently
Sunday 16 May Seventh Sunday of Easter	Holy Mass at 10.30am for our parishes	Holy Mass at 12.15pm
Monday 17 May	Holy Mass 10.00am for Margaret Gleeson and Patricia Woodcock who both died recently
Tuesday 18 May	Requiem Mass at 10.00am for Benet Brodie Private	Holy Mass at 10.00am
Wednesday 19 May	Votive Mass of Saint Joseph at 10.00am for Patrick McGuire and Frank McGee at their anniversaries
Thursday 20 May	Holy Mass at 10.00am for Billy Sheehan and Theresa Tumilty at their anniversaries Private
Friday 21 May	Holy Mass at 10.00am for the special intention of Sarah McFadden and Josephine Atkins who died recently	Holy Mass at 12 noon
Saturday 22 May Solemnity of Pentecost	Vigil Mass at 5.30pm for Benet Brodie who died recently and Frank and Sadie Hamilton at their anniversaries
		*Father Duncan* is assisted by the retired priest, Father Gerry Hamill.

SAINT MARY'S AND SAINT JOHN'S CHURCH SERVICES

	Saint Mary's Church, Saltcoats All services are live-streamed and public by booking unless otherwise stated.	Saint John’s Church, Stevenston All services are live-streamed and public by booking unless otherwise stated.
Saturday 15 May Seventh Sunday of Easter	Vigil Mass at 4.30pm
Sunday 16 May Seventh Sunday of Easter	Holy Mass at 10.00am	Holy Mass at 11.30am
Monday 17 May
Tuesday 18 May	Holy Mass at 10.00am
Wednesday 19 May		Holy Mass at 10.00am
Thursday 20 May	Holy Mass at 9.30am Holy Mass at 7.00pm
Friday 21 May		Holy Mass at 10.00am
Saturday 22 May Solemnity of Pentecost	Vigil Mass at 4.30pm	First Eucharist Masses at 11.00am and 1.00pm
	*Canon Martin Poland is assisted by Father Benjamin Mkeri and Canon Matt McManus who is retired.*

PRAYERS
Please remember in your prayers:
Jim Boyle, Annie Watt, Bill Holden, Valerie Bickers, Jean Brawley and Anita Smallridge;
Rosa Carrino, Patricia Woodcock née Leonard, Benet Brodie, Margaret Gleeson, Agnes McGonigle, Bobby McKee and Josephine Atkins who died recently;
Anthony Bale 2017, Charles Campbell 2008, Patricia Joanna Pengilley 2017, Ann Cameron 2003, Mary Teresa Dolan 1999, Danny McMurdy 2017, Bill O'Neill 2009, Lexie Wright 2010, Father John Fitzsimmons 2008, Natalie Anne Hultz 2018, Susan Little 2007, William Sheehan senior 1983, Kathleen Watt 2012, William Calvert 1992, Frances Hackett 1997, Dennis Kelly 2019, Harry Andrew 2003, Tommy Coulter 2010, Daniel Cullinane 1971, Mary McKay 1980, Robert McKay 1942, Gwendoline McMullan 2016, Mary Quinn 1978, Ian Waterson 2016, George Wilson 2006, Deborah McFarlane Armstrong 2015, Hugh Cairns 2015, Patricia Butcher 2009, Brian Cairns 2004, James Freer 2018, Nora Ramsay 2007, Ronnie Stewart 1971, Angus Donnelly 2003, Janet Gee 2010, William McCafferty 1920 and Susan McKinlay 2012 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.

FEED YOUR SOUL - RENEWING OUR PARISH COMMUNITIES
The Church faces a 'new stage of evangelisation'. Our times are complex, pervaded by profound changes, and the Churches of the developed western world are often marked by phenomena of detachment from a lived ecclesial and faith experience. Yet the Holy Spirit continues to arouse the thirst for God within people and within the Church a new fervour, new methods and new expressions for the proclamation of the good news of Jesus. The Holy Spirit is the soul of the evangelising Church. The spirituality of the new evangelisation is realised today in a pastoral conversion through which the Church is called to come to fruition by going forth and puts her in a permanent state of mission. This leads to a true reform of ecclesial structures so that they become more missionary, capable of enlivening with boldness and creativity the cultural and religious landscape. Every one of the baptised, as a missionary disciple, is an active participant in this mission.
Directory of Catechism 38-42

THE SEVEN GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
The Novena in honour of the Holy Spirit is the oldest of all Novenas since it was first made at the direction of our Lord himself when he sent his apostles back to Jerusalem to await the coming of the Holy Spirit on the first Pentecost. Addressed to the Third Person of the Blessed Trinity, it is a powerful plea for the light, strength and love so sorely needed by every Christian, especially in these challenging times. We hope that you will be prompted to ask the Holy Spirit to empower, encourage and embolden you to follow His lead. We pray the Novena from Ascension Thursday, 13 May until the Solemnity of Pentecost, 23 May 2021. Come, Holy Spirit! A booklet called The Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit can be downloaded.

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.

POPE FRANCIS' LETTER TO SAINT JOSEPH
In one of the footnotes, Pope Francis writes 'Every day, for over forty years following Lauds, I have recited a prayer to Saint Joseph taken from a nineteenth-century French prayer book of the Congregation of the Sisters of Jesus and Mary. It expresses devotion and trust and even poses a certain challenge to Saint Joseph.
Glorious Patriarch Saint Joseph, whose power makes the impossible possible, come to my aid in these times of anguish and difficulty. Take under your protection the serious and troubling situations that I commend to you, that they may have a happy outcome. My beloved father, all my trust is in you. Let it not be said that I invoked you in vain, and since you can do everything with Jesus and Mary, show me that your goodness is as great as your power. Amen.

KEEP THE EASTER JOY GOING
Easter Sunday was weeks ago but the Easter season continues and in this seventh week of the Easter Season, it's a good moment to see how your Easter joy is doing. Joy is something deeper than comfort or convenience which is why it is deeper and more lasting than simply feeling good. Its source is also deeper and more lasting. Pope Francis in his Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium - The Joy of the Gospel - noted that 'There are Christians whose lives seem like Lent without Easter' (n6). He acknowledges that the joy of the Gospel is sometimes just a flicker of light born of a certainty that 'when everything is said and done, we are infinitely loved' (n6). Without this joy, the desire to do good fades (n2). Joy is key to proclaiming the Gospel. Pope Francis also wrote about the gift of joy 'Love is much deeper than a superficial and passing happiness and being aware that we are infinitely loved is the source of our joy. Our Lord encourages us to rejoice and be glad in this Gospel passage when we are persecuted or humiliated for his sake, the moments where the joy may be reduced to a 'flicker' but is not extinguished. The joy of truth expresses the restlessness of the human heart until it encounters and dwells within God's Light and shares that Light with all people. Many people today pursue loves and joys that ultimately turn out to be false or fleeting, but when they experience the true lasting love found in God they cannot help but share it with others. Haven't we all been overwhelmed at some point by current events around the world? It can sap us of our joy but that's because it distances us from the source of our joy: spiritual time, in silence, in our hearts. The source of our joy is Our Lord and an awareness of his infinite love for us. That comes from prayer and becomes service. If you want to stoke up the fire of your joy, take it to Our Lord in prayer and focus on him and what you can do for others. May you rejoice and be glad this Easter season and always.

A DIFFERENT PRAYER
Heavenly Father, help us remember that the 'so-and-so' who cut us off in traffic last night is a single mother who worked nine hours that day and is rushing home to cook dinner, help with homework, do the laundry and spend a few precious moments with her children. Help us to remember that the pierced, tattooed, disinterested young man who can't seem to get his life together is a worried nineteen--year-old student, balancing his apprehension over final exams with his fear of not getting his student loans for next semester. Remind us, Lord, that the scary looking down-and-out, begging for money in the same spot every day - who really ought to get a job - is a slave to addictions that we can only imagine in our worst nightmares. Help us to remember that the old couple walking annoyingly slow through the supermarket aisle and blocking our shopping progress are savouring this moment, knowing that, based on the biopsy report she got back last week, this will be the last year that they go shopping together. Heavenly Father, remind us each day that, of all the gifts you give us, the greatest gift is love. It is not enough to share that love with those we hold dear. Open our hearts not to just those who are close to us, but to all the people around us. Let us be slow to judge and quick to forgive, let us show patience, empathy and most of all love. Amen.

JUST FOR A LAUGH ...
A parish priest is walking down the street one day when he notices a very small boy trying to press a doorbell on a house across the street. However, the boy is very small and the doorbell is too high for him to reach. After watching the boy's efforts for some time, the priest moves closer to the boy's position. He steps smartly across the street, walks up behind the little fellow and, placing his hand kindly on the child's shoulder leans over and gives the doorbell a solid ring. Crouching down to the child's level, the priest smiles benevolently and asks "And now what, my little man?" - to which the boy replies "Now we run!"

REQUIEM MASS FOR BENET BRODIE
Please pray for the Repose of the Soul of Benet Brodie who died on Friday 30 April 2021 aged 89 years. His Requiem Mass in Saint Peter's on Tuesday 18 May at 10.00am will be followed by his interment at Ardrossan Cemetery. May he rest in peace and rise in glory!

PARISH STEWARDSHIP
Saint Bride's Offertory collection last weekend amounted to £182.00 and Saint Peter's to £488.78. The Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund Wee Box collections amounted to £357.00 for Saint Bride's and 1372.65 for Saint Peter's. Many thanks for your support and generosity.

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.