St Andrew's RC Church Bearsden - Latest

Monday 1st May 2020

1/6/2020

A few words...

Hope all’s well.

A new week, a new month, and looking like it’s going to be another scorcher. Hope you manage to get out and catch some of this glorious lockdown sunshine.

29 Club Big Prizes Draw 11am today in the church grounds. Good luck! We’ll post winners’ names online.

Did you know that June is the only month this year when the 1st of a month falls on a Monday?

How sad is that that I checked out the calendar for that?

Didn’t happen last year when there was only one Monday the 1st month and won’t happen next year.

Yesterday’s feast Pentecost is regarded as the birthday of the Church.

Great all the Pentecost pics that were sent in. All posted online.

Today’s feast is Mary Mother of the Church and always the Monday after Pentecost. Only recently did Pope Francis ask for this feast to be included in the calendar, highlighting this link between Mary and the Church.

Mary is the mother of Jesus, and she is our mother too. She is the spiritual mother of each one of us.

It was St Augustine who said that through baptism we become Christ and we gain his mother.

We have Mary as our mother.

We have a mother that does God’s will no matter how difficult it is.

We have a mother who points us to her son Jesus. Remember the wedding feast at Cana. ‘Do whatever he tells you’ Mary says.

We have a mother who is always waiting on us to join our prayers with hers.

We have a mother that we can go to anytime day or night.

Mary as we know has so many titles - Comforter of the afflicted; Help of Christians; Queen of peace, to name just a few.

Today we are reminded that she is Mother of the Church.

She is your mother and my mother.

Mary, Mother of the Church, pray for us to God.

Have a safe and happy Monday the 1st.

Take care

Fr Mackle

PS Lovely photos sent in for Pentecost Sunday thank you

Video Shared By Parishioner

1/6/2020

Night Prayer 31st may 2020

1/6/2020

Night Prayer by Father Mackle Sunday 31st May 2020

Sunday 31st May 2020

31/5/2020

A few words....

Hope all’s well.

Fabulous weather this weekend and set to go on for another few days.

Look out for Monsignor’s Pentecost Reflection al fresco style. Plus, our sanctuary has been beautifully decorated for Pentecost. Check out terrific photos of it online.

Remember, if you can, join Archbishop Tartaglia this evening at 6.15pm for live streamed rosary from St Andrew’s Cathedral.

This Tuesday, the Bishops’ Conference’s working party will meet. They’re very much focussed on planning for the future reopening of our churches, and are wanting to make sure that our parishes are fully prepared for this.

The group is preparing training for Diocesan Coordinators so that training in safety / infection control precautions can be passed on to all parishes via parish coordinators.

It’s nice to see some bright signs regarding opening our church doors again when circumstances do permit.

As you can imagine, the new norm, for quite a period of time, will be a very different experience for us praying, celebrating the sacraments, being at Mass, as it will be within a whole setting of necessary restrictions and limitations.

And I’ll happily say this again, with us having been united in the 9@9 for the past week and a bit, there’s a great feeling of us journeying together into the 'new norm'.

We’re all in this together, we’re often told these days.  On this great feast of Pentecost, we pray to Christ, who is calling his Church together in the Holy Spirit.

Together in the new norm, we will need the help of a considerable number of volunteers.

The church will need to be cleaned / thoroughly sanitised after each use, basically after every Mass we will need a team of volunteers to clean and wipe all surfaces.

Plus, we’ll be looking for help for people to become stewards for various roles. We’ll be appealing very soon for all this, so please do think about becoming a volunteer.

Remember, if you’ve got a picture of a flame or a dove in your window or a lighted candle today or this evening for Pentecost,  why not take a photo and send it in and our online team will get it posted. Send to elizabeth_reid@ntlworld.com

Another idea we’ve got that I’ll mention to you just now is compiling a video collage of pilgrimages. So, maybe start some searching now for any photos you might have on your PC or tucked away in a drawer of parish pilgrimages. More details soon.

Tomorrow is the feast of Mary Mother of the Church. Always celebrated first Monday after Pentecost.

I wish you a safe and  happy Sunday.

Take care

Fr Mackle

Requiescat In Pace

31/5/2020

We pray for the peaceful repose of the soul of Anne Laurie whose anniversary it is today.

Thoughts and prayers today are with Tom and his family.

May God give Anne rest and peace in the kingdom of light.

Sunday 31st May 2020 Pentecost Sunday

30/5/2020

Pentecost Sunday 2020 Monsignor Ryan's Gospel Reflections

Saturday 30th May 2020

30/5/2020

"Christ's Charge to Peter" c.1515-16 RAPHAEL (URBINO 1483-ROME 1520)

A few words....

Hope all’s well.

Another scorcher, thankfully.

Last night tonight of our 9@9 prayer to the Holy Spirit, journeying together as we have been doing waiting and praying.

Some gospel scenes can be like when you were at school I think.

In class there are those who have the courage to ask questions when they don’t understand the lesson, and those who are afraid to ask.

When Thomas the apostle asked questions, I often think maybe some of the others were quietly saying to themselves, thank goodness he asked that, because I wasn’t understanding it either.

Then there is the scene of the apostles arguing among themselves who is the greatest.

Again, what happens at school - there’s the seeing who’s the fastest, who’s the best at football/ netball / running whatever. I always remember it was always seeing who’s the best fighter, and yes there were times when I was always quite happy to compete.

Today’s gospel could be a classroom scene. Peter asks about the future of his fellow disciple. ‘What about him, Lord?’.

Remember, Jesus in yesterday’s gospel had given Peter his role when he said to him, ‘Feed my sheep’.

Again in the classroom there can be someone asking, ‘What about him, Miss? What are going to ask him to do in the Christmas play?’

Jesus’ reply to Peter in today’s gospel, ‘What does it matter you. You are to follow me’.

Back to the classroom scene when someone asks, What about him, Miss?, the teacher says, ‘Don’t you start worrying about what others are being asked to do. You just concentrate on what you’re being asked to do’.

“God has created me for some definite service; He has committed some work to me which He has not committed to another”. St John Henry Cardinal Newman

Remember, join the Pope today at 4.30pm for live streamed rosary from the Lourdes grotto in the Vatican Gardens.

Have a safe and happy Saturday

Take care

Fr Mackle

9@9 Prayer

Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created. And You shall renew the face of the earth.

O, God, who by the light of the Holy Spirit, did instruct the hearts of the faithful, grant that by the same Holy Spirit we may be truly wise and ever enjoy His consolations, Through Christ Our Lord,

Amen.

A Word In Your Ear

30/5/2020

Video compiled by one of our parishioners Isabelle McGhee.

Friday 29th May 2020

29/5/2020

A few words...

Hope all's well.

Second last night. Remember the 9@9 prayer to the Holy Spirit tonight. 

We are always given the chance by God to make amends. Thank God for that.

Peter certainly was given that chance.

Three times he had denied ever knowing Jesus.

Three times the risen Jesus asks him a question to give him the chance to get right again with God.

When you think of it, Jesus could have asked Peter, 'What were you playing at when you said you didn't know me?' Or he could have said, 'You didn’t half let me down...some friend you are.’

He didn't say anything like that.

He asks Peter, 'Do you love me?' And three times he asks that question.

It's worth you getting a read through today's gospel passage.

In asking Peter this question three times, he was really saying that the past is in the past. What is important now is the present. Do you love me?

Just as Peter was asked that question, so too are we asked it by the Risen Jesus, 'Do you love me?'

Our answer to Christ's question is to be shown through the words we say, the prayers we pray, and the lives we live.

Remember, God always gives us the chance to make amends, to get right again with him.

Remember, too, that this weekend is a big Rosary weekend.

Join the Pope tomorrow at 4.30pm for live streamed Rosary from the Vatican Gardens.
www.vaticannews.va/en.html

And on Sunday at 6.15pm, Archbishop Tartaglia will lead live streamed Rosary from St Andrew's Cathedral. So, plenty times this weekend for prayer.

Our parish continues to make plans and preparations for the reopening of the church when circumstances for that permit. I’ll keep you fully informed.

Have a safe and happy Friday. Hope you get a chance to catch some of the sunshine.

Take care

Fr Mackle

9@9 Prayer

Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created. And You shall renew the face of the earth.

O, God, who by the light of the Holy Spirit, did instruct the hearts of the faithful, grant that by the same Holy Spirit we may be truly wise and ever enjoy His consolations, Through Christ Our Lord,

Amen.

Thursday 28th May 2020

28/5/2020

A few words...

Hope all's well.

We are nearing the end of our 9@9 novena to the Holy Spirit. There's a tremendous feeling of continuing together, with faith, our walk into the 'new norm'.

Now and again when I am praying the daily psalms from the breviary on my own, I like to pray them aloud. (Anyone hearing me might think he's aff his heid!!!)

I feel it gives more of a sense of speaking to God rather than praying them silently all the time.

Christ prayed out loud. Look at today's gospel of the Last Supper. In it Christ is teaching us something about how to pray.

In praying out loud he is giving us very much an assurance that his words are being heard by God the Father.

This is what we are to believe when we pray. God hears our prayers. No prayer ever goes unheard.

Our prayers might not be answered in the way we want, but no prayer ever goes unheard.

God hears our every prayer because he cares for us.

He wants us to spend time talking to him, to spend time in conversation with him.

Whatever is on your mind or in your heart, speak to God about it. What God wants is heart speaking to heart. That's what he wants and that's what he knows we need.

Again, going back forever ago to the start of lockdown and the Bob Hoskins BT ad - It's good to talk...…to God

Have a safe and happy Thursday.

Take care

Fr Mackle

St Andrew's Cathedral Glasgow Livestream Services

Online Services
Latest
Bulletin
Groups
Search
Contact
Safeguarding

St Andrew's RC Church
29 Roman Road
Bearsden
Glasgow
G61 2SN
Telephone : 0141 942 4635
Email : standrew@rcag.org.uk

A Parish of the Archdiocese of Glasgow a Registered Scottish Charity No SC018140

Web design by Joe Lennon
(web@standrewsbearsden.co.uk for website related matters)