Bulletin 30 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 (Matthew 28:16-20)
The eleven disciples set out for Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had arranged to meet them. When they saw him, they fell down before him, though some hesitated. Jesus came up and spoke to them. He said "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, make disciples of all the nations. Baptise them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and teach them to observe all the commands I gave you. And know that I am with you always - yes, to the end of time."

REFLECTION
We begin our Summer 'Ordinary Time' by celebrating a strange feast - not of a particular saint or event but of the awesome paradoxes of our God, the Three-in-One, Father, Son and Spirit - so immeasurably distant, yet so amazingly close, so full of power and so full of love. It is love that is the key to the mystery - the revelation of God, to Moses and in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, shows a perfect love, a perfect unity. In the beginning, in the story of Creation in Genesis, God made man and woman 'in the image and likeness of God', to live together as a community of love. So too, the Church is an image of this perfection of community which is Father, Son and Spirit. We, as many members of one Church, strive in our everyday lives to imitate God who is Three and One, perfect unity and perfect love.

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 29 May Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity	Vigil Mass at 5.30pm for Kenneth Breen at his anniversary, the Little family at their anniversaries and Nan Donohoe on her birthday
Sunday 30 May Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity	Holy Mass at 10.30am for our parishes	Holy Mass at 12.15pm for Agnes Marshall who died recently
Monday 31 May Feast of the Visitation of Mary	Holy Mass at 10.00am for Simon and Matilda Brannan at their anniversaries and Alice Crow who died recently
Tuesday 1 June Memorial of Saint Justin	Holy Mass 10.00am for Joseph and Sarah Sammons at their anniversaries and Benet Brodie who died recently Private	Holy Mass at 10.00am
Wednesday 2 June Memorial of Saints Marcellinus and Peter	Holy Mass 10.00am for Edward McLaughlin and Peter Knight who both died recently
Thursday 3 June Memorial of Saint Charles Lwanga and companions	Holy Mass at 10.00am for all Souls in Purgatory Private
Friday 4 June	Holy Mass at 10.00am for Joseph McLaughlin's special intention and Robert and Jane Monan at their anniversaries	Holy Mass at 12 noon
Saturday 5 June Solemnity of Corpus Christi	Vigil Mass at 5.30pm for Alison Dunn at her anniversary and Betty Dunn who died recently
		*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 29 May Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity	Vigil Mass at 4.30pm
Sunday 30 May Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity	Holy Mass at 10.00am	Holy Mass at 11.30am
Monday 31 May Feast of the Visitation of Mary
Tuesday 1 June Memorial of Saint Justin	Holy Mass at 10.00am Online Mass at 1.30pm
Wednesday 2 June Memorial of Saints Marcellinus and Peter		Holy Mass at 10.00am
Thursday 3 June Memorial of Saint Charles Lwanga and companions	Holy Mass at 10.00am
Friday 4 June		Holy Mass at 10.00am
Saturday 5 June Solemnity of Corpus Christi	First Eucharist 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, Bill Holden, Valerie Bickers, Jean Brawley and Anita Smallridge;
Annie Watt, Agnes Marshall née McLaughlin, Alice Crow, Peter Knight, Betty Dunn, Patricia Woodcock née Leonard, Benet Brodie and Edward McLaughlin who died recently;
Joseph Bale 2011, Simon Brannan, Tilly Doherty, James Kyle 1992, Sadie Grant 2001, Anthony Lundie 2010, Maria Manfredini 2018, Isabella McCarroll 1968, Anne-Marie McLaughlin 2017, Kathleen Conway 1989, Bessie Grant (McCourt) 2002, Dora Grogan 2010, Canon Nicholas Murphy 1992, Pat Walker 1999, James Lane 1995, William McMullan 1939, Tony O'Brien 2015, Peg Brown 1991, Michael Collins, Annie Daniels 2014, the Fitzpatrick and Fitzsimmons families, Susan Giffney 1972, Mary Kelly 1985, Teresa McEvoy 2014, Greta McGreevy 2009, Janette Smyth 2007, Susan Boylan, Helen Cambridge 1980, Annie Daniels 2014, Margaret Fisher 1905, Jim Glass, Denis Long 2005, Monsignor Brendan Murphy 1988, Ted Procter 2012, James Boyle 2008, Gilbert Marshall 2007, Father Michael Masterson 1997, Rose McKenzie 1996 and Neil O'Connell 1992 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 is called to look at history with God's own eyes to recognise the action of the Holy Spirit, who, blowing where he wills, reveals signs of his presence. This makes it possible for the Church to recognise the signs of the times in the heart of every person and culture, in all which is authentically human. Evangelising does not mean occupying a given territory but eliciting spiritual processes in the lives of persons so that the faith may become rooted and significant. Together with a worrying social inequality that often results in alarming global tensions, profound changes are taking place within the horizon of meaning of human experience itself. Priority is given to the outward, the immediate, the visible, the quick, the superficial and the provisional. A central role is entrusted to science and technology as if on their own they could provide answers to the deepest questions. For the Church, the revolution taking place in communications media and information technologies represents a great and thrilling challenge; may we respond to that challenge with fresh energy and imagination as we seek to share with others the beauty of God.
                  Directory of Catechism 42-47

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.

IS THE BLESSED TRINITY RELEVANT?
Trinity Sunday celebrates the dogma of the Most Holy Trinity - that God is Trinity, one God in three persons. This doctrine has baffled people for 2000 years. Given that it is so hard to accept, why bother with it? What difference does the dogma really make to how we live our Christian lives? Everywhere the New Testament refers to three distinct persons who are equally divine, yet one, for example, 2 Cor 13:13. But if the doctrine of the Trinity is authentically biblical, is it relevant? Does it really matter? If Christianity is about personal relationship with God, then who God really is matters totally. Common sense tells us that some supreme being made the universe and that we owe Him homage - but that this creator is a trinity of persons who invites us to intimate friendship with Himself, we never could have guessed. We only know it because God has revealed it. God is love, says 1 John 4:8 - see too John 3:16. If God were solitary, how could he have been love before he created the world? Who would there have been to love? Jesus reveals a God who is eternally a community of three persons pouring themselves out in love for one another. The Father does not create the Son and then, with the Son, create the Spirit. No, the Father eternally generates the Son - and with and through the Son, this Father eternally 'breathes' the Spirit as a sort of personalised sigh of love. "As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be" - that's what the conclusion of the Glory Be really means, that the self-giving of the three divine persons did not begin at a moment in time, but was, is, and is to come. If we are truly to 'know' our God, we must know this - but if we are ever to understand ourselves, we must also know this. For we were made in the image and likeness of God, and God is a community of self-donating love. That means that we can never be happy isolated from others, protecting ourselves from others, holding ourselves back selfishly from others. So yes, the Trinity does matter.

THANK YOU, LORD
Even though I clutch my blanket and growl when the alarm rings - thank you, Lord, that I can hear. There are many who are deaf.
Even though I keep my eyes closed against the morning light as long as possible - thank you, Lord, that I can see. Many are blind.
Even though I huddle in my bed and put off rising - thank you, Lord, that I have the strength to rise. There are many who are bedridden.
Even though the first hour of my day is hectic, when socks are lost, toast is burned, tempers are short and my children are so loud - thank you, Lord, for my family. There are many who are lonely.
Even though our breakfast table never looks like the picture in magazines and the menu is at times unbalanced - thank you, Lord, for the food we have. There are many who are hungry.
Even though the routine of my job often is monotonous - thank you, Lord, for the opportunity to work. There are many who have no job.
Even though I grumble and bemoan my fate from day to day and wish my circumstances were not so modest - thank you, Lord, for life.

JUST FOR A LAUGH ...
   • Three friends from the local Church were asked "When you're in your coffin and friends and parishioners are mourning over you, what would you like them to say?" Sam said "I would like them to say I was a wonderful husband, a fine spiritual leader and a great family man." Ben commented "I would like them to say I was a wonderful teacher and servant of God who made a huge difference in people's lives." Paul said "I'd like them to say "Look, he's moving!"
   • A man goes to see the Rabbi. "Rabbi, something terrible is happening and I have to talk to you about it." The Rabbi asked "What's wrong?" The man replied "My wife is poisoning me. The Rabbi, very surprised by this, asks "How can that be?" The man then pleads "I'm telling you, I'm certain she's poisoning me. What should I do?" The Rabbi then offers "Tell you what. Let me talk to her. I'll see what I can find out and I'll let you know." A week later the Rabbi calls the man and says "I spoke to her on the phone for three hours. You want my advice? The man said "Yes" and the Rabbi replied "Take the poison."

ROSARY RALLY
You are invited to join the month of May Rosary Mission 2021 where once again the peoples of the Dioceses of Scotland, Wales and England will pray the Rosary for the following intentions:
   1 Protecting our families and the family of nations, especially in this Year of Saint Joseph
   2  A deepening of faith, hope and love and the protection of life
   3 Peace in the world
   4 Deliverance from Coronavirus - for those working for a cure, for those who have died, for those who are suffering and those who care for them.
The Rosary Hour for our Diocese of Galloway is from 4.00pm until 5.00pm on Trinity Sunday 30 May 2021.

PARISH STEWARDSHIP
Saint Bride's Offertory collection last weekend amounted to £92.00 and Saint Peter's to £580.02. Many thanks for your support and generosity.

IN AND AROUND SAINT BRIDE'S
Hopefully, the painting inside the Church will be completed this coming week.

IN AND AROUND SAINT PETER'S
A door-stop has been attached to the Church side door. The sound system and live-stream controls have been tidied, rewired and a new desk has been made to accommodate the control boxes in the choir loft.

STUDENTS FUND COLLECTION
Our annual collection for the students studying for the priesthood will take place this 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.