| St Andrew's RC Church Bearsden |
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 As a general principle it may be laid down that a worker ought to have leisure and rest proportionate to the wear and tear of their strength, for waste of strength must be repaired by cessation from hard work.
Rerum Novarum, para. 42
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The new edition of Flourish is now published and ready to read online at www.flourishnewspaper.co.uk
Don’t miss the articles by four Parish Priests reflecting on what lessons we can draw from lockdown. On a lighter note Sister Margaret McGrath has a poem or two from her ironing table and there is the usual mix of news and features from Catholic life at home and abroad.  A few words....
Hope all’s well. Just a reminder that the church is open today 12 noon until 3pm. If you’re free to call in for a short visit, please, remember, bring and wear your face covering. There will be exposition of the Blessed Sacrament. It’s always good when we get the opportunity to come before Christ who is always there in the Blessed Sacrament. Jesus is there to listen to everyone who wishes to speak to him. He is there waiting for a heart speaking to heart. He hears us He sees us. He knows our cares, our needs, our desires. He waits for us to come before him. If you can, even just for a few moments, call in to the church today for quiet prayer before the Blessed Sacrament. Coming before the Blessed Sacrament enables us to make contact with God. If you are not free to pop in for a visit, there is live online Perpetual Adoration from Tyburn Convent. Just to sit in prayerful silence for even just five minutes is lovely and peaceful and calming. Hope you have a good day. Take care Fr Mackle Sundays 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon
Wednesdays 12:00 noon - 3:00 p.m. Last week went well. Thank you to everyone,so far, who have volunteered to help with stewarding and cleaning. Please consider the following if you want to come to the church to pray:
This is a joyful opportunity to visit the sacred place of church after a prolonged absence. By observing the safety rules, we will help to make it a safe and prayerful experience for all. An information leaflet will soon be delivered to all 1300 households in the parish. I am very grateful to all existing and new volunteer messengers who have said they’ll assist with the leaflet delivery.  A few words...
Hope all’s well. See those times in life when yesterday all seemed well, but today you’re in a crisis, well the gospel for today’s Mass is for those times. It has a vital message for us when that is our experience of life. The storm on the Sea of Galilee was sudden and unexpected. Sometimes our personal circumstances can be like that. They can change without warning. We can suddenly find ourselves in the midst of some unwanted situation, some overwhelming crisis. The shouted prayer of the disciples, ‘Save us, Lord, we are going down’ is the cry of us all at some time in our lives. The message is that Christ is near. Our desperate prayers for help don’t go unheard. Christ is stronger than any storm that may threaten us, and in calling out, ‘Lord, save us’, we will not be left without help. In some recent spiritual reading, I came across this ‘St Therese of Lisieux used to meditate on this gospel passage in times of inner turmoil or darkness. But she wouldn’t wake up the Lord. For her, it was enough to go over and sit beside him as he slept. Let the tempest rage; stay close to Christ and all will be well’ If you’re free to call in for a short visit, the church will be open tomorrow for private prayer from 12 noon until 3pm. Please, bring and wear your face covering. See the post immediately after this one for some information and guidance. Hope you have a good day. Take care Fr Mackle  A few words....
Hope all’s well. ‘I want to be baptised’ was a child’s request, and their reason, ‘I want to become a follower of Jesus’. They didn’t say I want to join the Church, or I want to become a Catholic, or I want to join RCIC, or I want to become a member of the parish. Quite simply their reason for wanting to be baptised - ‘I want to become a follower of Jesus’. Of course, in becoming a follower of Jesus, they would join the Church, become a Catholic, and go through RCIC (Rite of Christian Initiation of Children). The gospel for today’s Mass is nice and short. To individuals wanting to become followers of Jesus, Christ spells out what’s required.
Christ wants the best for us, and the best is to be wholeheartedly commmitted. This is shown often in the little things and in the little ways of daily life. In preparation for Masses when they resume, work continues today installing a TV system so that we can use our two halls as overflow areas, and live stream Masses to your devices. Hope you have a good day Take care, and keep up the distancing. Fr Mackle A lovely video compilation of features of our beautiful church. We’re open now every Sunday for private prayer 10am until 12 noon, and on Wednesdays 12 noon until 3pm. If you can, do call in for a short quiet, prayerful visit. Please, bring and wear a face covering. Our church may reopen for public Mass soon after the Scottish Government’s 23rd July review. We’ll keep you posted and updated through our social media. Stay safe. Pray safe and take care. Fr Mackle  A few words Hope all's well. The very first time I heard the prayer, 'Footprints In the Sand', was in my first year in seminary. I fellow student gave it to me as a prayer card, which I still have in my breviary, and I like to reread it now and again. The final verses in the gospel for today's Mass are a fulfilment of Isaiah, who was prophesying around seven hundred years before the birth of Christ, and they really sum up the life and ministry of Jesus. - 'Ours were the sufferings he bore, ours the sorrows he carried' Whatever our suffering in life might be, Christ suffers with us. He is with us. At the most difficult and sorrowful times, he is with us, he carries us. This is the good news we are to believe, take to heart and share. Tomorrow's A few words... will be an audio. Just a reminder that the church will be open from 10am until 12 noon tomorrow, if you wish to pop in for a visit and a quiet prayer. Take care Have a safe and happy Saturday. Fr Mackle Footprints In the Sand One night I dreamed a dream. I was walking along the beach with my Lord. Across the dark sky flashed scenes from my life. For each scene, I noticed two sets of footprints in the sand, one belonging to me and one to my Lord. When the last scene of my life shot before me I looked back at the footprints in the sand. There was only one set of footprints. I realized that this was at the lowest and saddest times of my life. This always bothered me and I questioned the Lord about my dilemma. "Lord, You told me when I decided to follow You, You would walk and talk with me all the way. But I'm aware that during the most troublesome times of my life there is only one set of footprints. I just don't understand why, when I need You most, You leave me." He whispered, "My precious child, I love you and will never leave you, never, ever, during your trials and testings. When you saw only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you." Mary Stevenson 1936 St Andrew's is open for private prayer
Sundays 10am - 12 noon Wednesdays 12 noon - 3pm. Please remember and bring your face covering with you. Stay safe. Pray safe. |
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