Bulletin 23 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 ACTS OF THE APOSTLES (Acts 2:1-11)
When Pentecost day came round, they had all met in one room, when suddenly they heard what sounded like a powerful wind from heaven, the noise of which filled the entire house in which they were sitting; and something appeared to them that seemed like tongues of fire. These separated and came to rest on the head of each of them. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak foreign languages as the Spirit gave them the gift of speech. Now there were devout men living in Jerusalem from every nation under heaven and at this sound they all assembled, each one bewildered to hear these men speaking his own language. They were amazed and astonished. "Surely" they said "all these men speaking are Galileans? How does it happen that each of us hears them in his own native language? Parthians, Medes and Elamites. People from Mesopotamia, Judaea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya round Cyrene as well as visitors from Rome - Jews and proselytes alike - Cretans and Arabs. We hear them preaching in our own language about the marvels of God."

REFLECTION
Today is the birthday of the Church - that body of people of every race and nation, spread out through time, who seek to continue the Mission of Jesus, proclaiming faith in God and a way of life that leads to his Kingdom. It is the gift of the Holy Spirit that enables us to do this, that allows us to pray, that ensures the continuing presence of Jesus in Holy Communion, that ensures we remain true to His teachings as the centuries unfold. In the reading above, we hear of the miracle of Pentecost, also referred to in the Preface of Mass today - the Spirit 'brought together the many languages of the earth in profession of the one faith'. What is the language of the Church? Some would say Latin, while others would go back further and say Greek or Aramaic! But the language of the Church must be love - a love which breaks down barriers and unites all people in God's Kingdom. Let us pray that the Spirit may blow like a rushing wind through our world today, to fill us with the language of love in all that we say and do.

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 22 May Solemnity of Pentecost	Vigil Mass at 5.30pm for Benet Brodie who died recently and Frank and Sadie Hamilton and Father Christopher Mroczek at their anniversaries
Sunday 23 May Solemnity of Pentecost	Holy Mass at 10.30am for our parishes	Holy Mass at 12.15pm
Monday 24 May Memorial of Mary, Mother of the Church	Holy Mass 10.00am for Margaret Thompson at her anniversary and Bobby McKee and Patricia Woodcock née Leonard who both died recently
Tuesday 25 May	Votive Mass of the Holy Spirit for Rosa Carrino who died recently and Robert and Margaret Monan at their anniversaries Private	Holy Mass at 10.00am
Wednesday 26 May Memorial of Saint Philip Neri	Votive Mass of Saint Joseph at 10.00am for Agnes McGonigle and Bobby Milligan who both died recently
Thursday 27 May	Votive Mass of the Holy Spirit at 10.00am for James O'Hara at his anniversary and baby Freddie Private
Friday 28 May	Votive Mass of the Holy Spirit at 10.00am for Hugh and Tommy McEvoy at his anniversary and Ruth and Joanne (Dalmally)	Holy Mass at 12 noon
Saturday 29 May Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity	Vigil Mass at 5.30pm for Kenneth Breen at his anniversary and the Little family 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 22 May Solemnity of Pentecost	Vigil Mass at 4.30pm
Sunday 23 May Solemnity of Pentecost	Holy Mass at 10.00am	Holy Mass at 11.30am
Monday 24 May Memorial of Mary, Mother of the Church
Tuesday 25 May	Holy Mass at 10.00am
Wednesday 26 May Memorial of Saint Philip Neri		Holy Mass at 10.00am
Thursday 27 May	Holy Mass at 10.00am
Friday 28 May		Holy Mass at 10.00am
Saturday 29 May Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity	Vigil Mass at 4.30pm
	*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, Agnes McGonigle, Bobby McKee, Bobby Milligan, Alice Crow and Edward McLaughlin who died recently;
Mary Brown 2013, James Cairnie 1953, Mary Kelly 2002, Sadie Welsh 2009, Meta McCulloch, John McKibben 2012, Patrick O'Hare 1973, Margaret McAuley 1953, Joe Peppard 1993, Christine Stevens 1996, Bobby Flood 2018, Joseph Higgins 2006, Robert and Margaret Monan 1977, Lily Peppard 2004, Georgina Akins 1961, Mary Lynn Beattie 1998, Bernard Little 1999, Sarah Ramsay 2000, Desmond Langan 2005, Jim Little 1945, Andrew McCarroll 1967, Hugh McEvoy 2016, William McNeil 2007, William Stewart 2006, Kenny Breen 2018, Gerald Kelly 2014, Des Madine 1982, Brian Towie 2013 and Cameron Walsh 1987 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.

TODAY IS THE BIRTHDAY OF THE CHURCH
The Feast of Pentecost, originally the Jewish Feast of weeks commemorating the gift of the Law to Moses on Mount Sinai fifty days after the Exodus, was the day when the Holy Spirit was poured out in the Upper Room upon the apostles and other disciples in the form of tongues of fire and a strong wind, fifty days after Easter Sunday. Somehow we can get the feeling that we have somehow missed the good news about Pentecost. Okay, we Catholics celebrate the feast every year and talk about it it in Confirmation but lots of us evidently didn't 'get it' - because if we 'got it', we'd be different. Bold instead of timid, energetic instead of anaemic, fascinated instead of bored. Compare the apostles before and after Pentecost and you'll see the difference the Spirit makes. The gospel is Good News not just because we're going to heaven but because we've been empowered to become new people, here and now. Vatican II insisted that each of us is called to the heights of holiness (Lumen Gentium, chapter V) - not by will-power, mind you, but by Holy Spirit power. Holiness consists in faith, hope and especially divine love. These are 'virtues', literally 'powers' given by the Spirit. To top it off, the Spirit gives us seven further gifts, making it possible for us to live a supernatural life - wisdom, knowledge, understanding, counsel, piety, fortitude and fear of the Lord. These gifts are standard equipment given in Baptism and Confirmation.

LETTER TO A SUFFERING CHURCH FROM BISHOP BARRON
Are you feeling hurt, angry, or demoralised about the sexual abuse crisis plaguing the Catholic Church? Our parish wants to help and that’s why we’ve made available a downloadable version of a new book on our websites. It’s titled Letter to a Suffering Church - A Bishop Speaks on the Sexual Abuse Crisis by the well-known American Bishop Robert Barron. I invite you to download your free copy. I think you’ll find it helpful and uplifting. Bishop Barron provides clear insight on the crisis and where we should go from here so please make sure to take a copy of the book and know that the arishes of Saint Bride’s and Saint Peter’s care deeply about helping you navigate these stormy waters.

FEED YOUR SOUL - RENEWING OUR PARISH COMMUNITIES
Evangelisation takes shape essentially in three areas.
   1 Ordinary pastoral care carried out in Christian communities
      We include here those who preserve a deep and sincere faith, expressing it in different ways. Ordinary pastoral ministry helps believers grow spiritually and respond to God's love ever more fully in their lives.
   2  The baptised whose lives do not reflect the demands of baptism, lack a meaningful relationship to the Church and no longer experience the consolation born of faith.
       The Church seeks to develop new language attuned to the different world cultures, proposing the truth of Christ with an attitude of dialogue and friendship
   3 Those who do not know Christ or have already rejected him.
      Many of them are quietly seeking God, led by a yearning to see his face. Christians have the duty to proclaim the Gospel without excluding anyone.
      Instead of seeking to impose new obligations they should appear as people who wish to share their joy, who point to a horizon of beauty and invite others to a delicious banquet.
                  Directory of Catechism 28-42

FIRST RECONCILIATION THIS WEEK
Our Saint Peter's Primary 3 children will be making their First Confession on Wednesday 26 May. Please keep them and their families in your thoughts and prayers that they may experience a day of joy, peace and healing.

SAINT PETER'S 50/50 CLUB WINNERS
Congratulations to our 50/50 Club winners who each win £25.
   January - 17 Julie Henry, 152 Linda Swan, 121 Anne Hastings and 115 Patricia Dixon
   February - 228 Sheila Boyle, 111 Kate Dunn, 156 Betty Craig and 99 Nicola Convery
   March - 179 Margaret McAuliffe, 92 Donnie Brown, 102 Mary Lee and 109 Patricia McAuliffe
   April - 238 Phylis Kennedy, 175 John McPherson, 126 Margaret Brawley and 202 Elizabeth Govan.
The April bonus prize of £100 was won by 239 Aidan and Bethany McGrath. Well done and good luck in the next draw at the end of May. We welcome new members at any time by contacting M Sammons 01294 469006. Please notify your change of address as soon as possible as all prizes are posted out to our winners. Can we remind a few members who still have to renew their membership of £15 for 2021? Your support of the parish is appreciated.

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.

SPARROW AT STARBUCKS
It was chilly in New York but warm inside the Starbucks shop just a skip up from Times Square. For a musician, it's the most lucrative Starbucks location in the world, I'm told, and consequently, the tips can be substantial if you play your tunes right. During our emotional rendition of If You Don't Know Me By Now, I noticed a lady sitting in one of the lounge chairs across from me. She was swaying to the beat and singing along. After the tune was over, she approached me. "I apologise for singing along on that song. Did it bother you?" she asked. "No" I replied. "We love it when the audience joins in. Would you like to sing up front on the next selection?" To my delight, she accepted my invitation. "You choose" I said. "What are you in the mood to sing?" "Well, do you know any hymns?" Hymns? This woman didn't know who she was dealing with. I cut my teeth on hymns. Before I was even born, I was going to Church. I gave our guest singer a knowing look. "Name one" "Oh, I don't know. There are so many good ones. You pick one." "Okay" I replied. "How about His Eye Is On The Sparrow?" My new friend was silent, her eyes averted. Then she fixed her eyes on mine again and said "Yeah. Let's do that one. She began to sing. "Why should I be discouraged? Why should the shadows come?" The audience of coffee drinkers was transfixed. "I sing because I'm happy. I sing because I'm free. For his eye is on the sparrow. And I know He watches me." When the last note was sung, the applause crescendoed to a deafening roar. Embarrassed, the woman tried to shout over the din "Oh, y'all go back to your coffee! I didn't come in here to do a concert! I just came in here to get somethin' to drink, just like you!" But the ovation continued. I embraced my new friend. "You, my dear, have made my whole year! That was beautiful!" "It's funny that you picked that particular hymn" she said. "Why is that?" She hesitated again. "That was my daughter's favourite song." She grabbed my hands. By this time, the applause had subsided and it was business as usual. "She was sixteen. She died of a brain tumour last week." I said the first thing that found its way through my silence. "Are you going to be okay?" She smiled through tear-filled eyes and squeezed my hands. "I'm gonna be okay. I've just got to keep trusting the Lord and singing his songs and everything's gonna be just fine." Was it just a coincidence that we happened to be singing in that particular coffee shop on that particular November night? Coincidence that this wonderful lady just happened to walk into that particular shop? Coincidence that of all the hymns to choose from, I just happened to pick the very hymn that was the favourite of her daughter who had died just the week before? I refuse to believe it. God has been arranging encounters in human history since the beginning of time and it's no stretch for me to imagine that he could reach into a coffee shop in New York and turn an ordinary day into a revival. It was a great reminder that if we keep trusting him and singing his songs, everything's gonna be okay.

JUST FOR A LAUGH ...
Father Duncan walked into a pub in Ardrossan and said to the first man he met "Do you want to go to heaven?" The man replied "I do Father." The priest said "Then stand over there against the wall." Then the priest asked a second man "Do you want to go to heaven?" "Certainly, Father" was the man's reply. The priest said "Then stand over there against the wall." Then Father Duncan walked up to Hamish and said "Do you want to go to heaven?" Hamish said "No, I don't, Father." The priest said "I don't believe this. You mean to tell me that when you die, you don't want to go to heaven?" Hamish said "Oh, when I die, yes. I thought you were getting a group together to go right now."

WHITE FLOWER APPEAL 2021
On Saturday 22 May 2021, at Carfin Grotto, the Society for the Protection of the Unborn Child (SPUC) Scotland will display 14000 white flower images, one for every child lost to abortion in Scotland in one year, to create a carpet of flowers for the unborn. Bishop Toal will bless the physical display at 2.00pm. If you would like to sponsor a virtual flower, please visit www.WhiteFlower.org.uk or call SPUC Scotland on 0141 221 2094 to make a donation. Thank you!

PARISH STEWARDSHIP
Saint Bride's Offertory collection last weekend amounted to £114.00 and Saint Peter's to £701.44. Many thanks for your support and generosity.

STUDENTS FUND COLLECTION
Our annual collection for the students studying for the priesthood will take place next weekend - 29 and 30 May. Your generosity is much appreciated.

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.