I Hope you and all those around you are doing okay. And hope you all remembered to put your clocks forward one hour.  Lighter nights!!  Thank God.

Seems like it’s been a terribly long winter...Another strange Sunday with Masses without any congregation.

Most folk are familiar with the Lazarus story. It’s one of the great RCIA Lenten gospels and it’s the gospel for today’s Mass.  Hopefully you maybe get a chance to sit down and get a read through it, on your own or maybe as a family, or hear it in one of the live streamed Masses from our Cathedral.

Lazarus’ sister, Martha, says, “Yes, Lord, I believe”. When did you last use these words? Today, try to repeat these words and believe. Maybe when out for your once a day exercise, or while sitting in the house self isolating, say “Yes, Lord, I believe”. 

If standing at your back door tonight gazing up at the stars in the sky, (here’s hoping it’s a clear sky) say “Yes, Lord, I believe”.

While marvelling at nature, maybe the daffs & snowdrops coming up in your garden, say “Yes, Lord, I believe”. 

Even in times when we might find it hard to believe, or find it hard and a struggle to pray, say “Yes, Lord, I believe”.

It’s good to repeat these words and repeat them often.

Remember, and try and catch the 10am or 12noon or 5.15pm Mass live streamed today from our Cathedral. Visit www.mcmedia.tv/camera/st-andrews-cathedral     

Be Still and Know that God is in charge.

The care of the sick is a core pastoral duty of the Church. Priests would never opt not to attend to the sick, but these extraordinary times of the sick in hospital or in self isolation call for priests to carry out their duty in a different way. I hope you will find the "Will God forgive my sins even if I can't get to Confession?" information helpful. If any who are sick in the parish , and who are able to do so, would like to have a chat on the phone or pray together on the phone, please don't hesitate to give me a call on 0141 942 4635.  
​Fr Mackle

To assist in the pastoral care of those suffering from the coronavirus, with the encouragement and approval of Pope Francis, the Holy See has granted a Plenary Indulgence to all who are sick or dying. 

In effect, this Plenary Indulgence means that when a priest is unable to attend our loved ones who are dying, they are not deprived of the necessary graces which would have come to them through the Sacrament of the Sick, even though they are unable to receive the Sacrament. 

The Indulgence can be obtained by joining in the Mass or Rosary via TV or internet, or at least by saying the Creed, the Our Father, and the Hail Mary, holding or meditating on the Crucifix.
 ​

The Creed
I believe in God the Father Almighty 
Creator of heaven and earth, 
And in Jesus, Christ his only Son, 
Our Lord, 
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, Born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,  
Was crucified, died and was buried;
He descended into hell; 
On the third day he rose again from the dead;
He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God,  
the Father Almighty; 
from there He will come to judge the living and the dead. 
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
The holy catholic Church, 
the communion of saints, 
the forgiveness of sins. 
The resurrection of the body, 
and life everlasting, Amen. 
 
Our Father who art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy name;
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
As it is in heaven.
Forgive us this day our daily bread,
And forgive us our trespasses,
As we forgive those who trespass against us;
And lead us not into temptation,
But deliver us from evil, Amen.
 
Hail Mary Full of Grace, 
The Lord is with Thee.
Blessed art thou among women
And blessed is the fruit of Thy Womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners
Now, and at the Hour of our death, Amen.
 
Jesus, Mary and Joseph, 
I give you my heart and my soul.
Jesus, Mary and Joseph, assist me in my last agony.
Jesus, Mary and Joseph, may I breathe forth my soul in peace with You, Amen 

The care of the sick is a core pastoral duty of the Church. Priests would never opt not to attend to the sick, but these extraordinary times of the sick in hospital or in self isolation call for priests to carry out their duty in a different way. I hope you will find the "Will God forgive my sins even if I can't get to Confession?" information helpful. If any who are sick in the parish , and who are able to do so, would like to have a chat on the phone or pray together on the phone, please don't hesitate to give me a call on 0141 942 4635.  
Fr Mackle

Will God forgive my sins even if I can’t get to Confession?
 
The Church clearly tells us that “Individual and integral confession and absolution constitute the only ordinary means by which a member of the faithful who is conscious of grave sin can be reconciled with God and the Church”, but immediately also tells us that “physical or moral impossibility excuses from confession” and that “in such a case reconciliation can be obtained by other means”[1].

Basically, if we can go to Confession then we must go to Confession, but if we are in hospital or self-isolation, then God loves us so much that he offers us other means of forgiveness, for He does not want “that any should perish”[2] but rather “desires all men to be saved”[3].
If we cannot get to Confession but truly wish our sins forgiven then we must make an act of perfect contrition. Perfect contrition means that we hate the sins we have committed, are truly sorry for them and are resolved not to sin again, as we say in the Act of Contrition. Such an act of perfect contrition obtains forgiveness of mortal sin as long as we have a firm intention to have recourse to sacramental confession as soon as possible.[4]

In making an act of perfect contrition, we could use the words that are familiar to us from the “I Confess” at Mass or from the prayer often used at Stations of the Cross, “I love thee, Jesus, my love above all things”, or we could use whichever act of contrition we normally use in Confession. What matters is not the words so much as the intention behind the words, the intention to love God, to be truly sorry for our sins, and to intend to Confess in the normal manner as soon as possible. 

Added to this, Pope Francis has offered a Plenary Indulgence. A Plenary Indulgence is a grant from the Church, applying the treasury of the satisfactions of Christ and the saints, which takes away all punishments due for the sins that we have committed and which have been forgiven by the perfect act of contrition. 

Those who are suffering from the coronavirus, but who are well enough to do so,  can obtain this Indulgence by joining in the Mass or Rosary via TV or internet, or at least by saying the Creed, the Our Father, and the Hail Mary.

The indulgence is also granted to every Catholic who, at the point of death, cannot receive the Last Rites (as may well be the case due to current health restrictions), and who has tried to pray in life and who has tried to love God.     

[1] C.960 Code of Canon Law
[2] 2 Peter 3:9
[3] 1 Timothy 2:4
[4] §1452 Catechism of the Catholic Church

Holy Week and the Sacred Triduum - Since the current restrictions will remain in place in Scotland at least until after Holy Week and Easter Sunday, the Archbishop has issued  instructions for the various rites and liturgies that priests and deacons may celebrate without the presence of the people, avoiding concelebration and omitting the sign of peace.
 
Palm Sunday. Palms will be blessed at 10am Mass in St Andrew's, Bearsden, but distributed at a later time when circumstances permit.
 
Holy Thursday. Mass will be celebrated at 5pm in the parish.  Omitted will be the washing of feet, and the end of Mass procession. The Blessed Sacrament will be kept in the Tabernacle. 
 
Good Friday. The adoration of the Cross by kissing it shall be limited solely to the celebrant.  This will be at 12noon in our parish. A special intention will be included for those who find themselves in distress, the sick and the dead.
 
The Easter Vigil can be celebrated in parish churches with the priest only present. Monsignor and I have decided rather than celebrating an Easter Vigil,  each of us will celebrate separately Mass on Easter Sunday. We pray that Yvonne and Jen will experience the joy of initiation before too long.

Do remember that all these services will be conducted without a congregation present.
 
Live-streamed Liturgies - Archbishop Tartaglia intends to conduct the Palm Sunday and the Triduum  liturgies in St Andrew’s Cathedral and live-stream them at the following times: 
 
Palm Sunday 5th April 12 noon.
 
Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday 9th April 6pm.
 
Good Friday  10th April 3pm.
 
Easter Vigil  11th April 8.30pm.

A few words from Fr Mackle.....

Hope all’s well with you all.

Many have been asking - just to say the Foodbank is still open, and all food donations can be placed in the house porch. Vision Aid ‘any unwanted spectacles’ container there too.

It’s unfortunate, but so necessary the church being closed, but as Christ says, knock and the door will be opened. With all that’s going on, one of the things it’s done, I think, is made us all slow down. We can’t just rush about as much as we used to. Standing in a long shopping queue for a long time is very much the norm for many at present. 

Life for some might have become more hectic with home working and home schooling. If you can, try and catch at least a five minute slot in the day for prayer - it’s good to spend some time each day in conversation with God. He knows what’s in your heart. Talk to him. Have that heart speaking to heart time.

If you get the chance,  join in the Pope’s live broadcast of prayer and adoration tomorrow (Friday) 5pm our time - 6pm Rome time. Links below

• https://www.vaticannews.va/en.html
  
• https://www.ewtn.com/tv/extra-watch-live/europe

Take care.  

​Fr Mackle

Dear Father/colleague
 
We have been asked to widely circulate the information that the Holy Father, Francis will observe a period of prayer and Eucharistic Adoration on Friday 27th March at 5.00 pm (UK time). During this time of prayer the Holy Father will impart an extraordinary Urbi et Orbi blessing at this time of global crisis.
 
The Archdiocese will make this known on its usual social media platforms. Please use whatever means you have available to invite your people to participate in this moment of prayer. It will be streamed on Vatican News, on this link, and will mostly be accessible through channels like EWTN.

• https://www.vaticannews.va/en.html
• https://www.ewtn.com/tv/extra-watch-live/europe

 
With kind regards,
​
Paul

The Archdiocese of Glasgow is a charity registered in Scotland (SC018140).