Reflections on the Daily Readings 28th November 2022

Webmaster • November 27, 2022

Monday 28th November


Time to get ready! 


With the Thanksgiving holiday weekend wrapped up, Catholics yesterday began the Advent journey to Christmas. The word advent comes from Latin for “to come.” All the days from now until the celebration of the birth of Jesus are preparation for his coming. Preparation in this case means remembering to be ready with a spirit of both penance and joy. Did you set out an Advent wreath on your dinner table yesterday? For many, it’s the first of many Christmas decorations to come out—with festooned trees not far behind. The wreath is more than just a pretty adornment but also a daily reminder to pray as you count down each week with a new candle. Start the season out right by blessing your wreath with a prayer.


ADVENT WEEKDAY


Today's readings: Isaiah 4:2-6; Matthew 8:5-11 



Tuesday 29th November


Listen with the ear of a child 


“Advent is not a time to declare, but to listen, to listen to whatever God may want to tell us through the singing of the stars, the quickening of a baby, the gallantry of a dying man,” wrote Christian writer Madeleine L’Engle, born this day in 1918. L’Engle is especially known for her children’s books, including A Wrinkle in Time, which won the 1963 Newberry Medal. This Advent, consider what it might be like to imitate the Christ Child instead of the adult Jesus. As A Wrinkle in Time tells us: “To love is to be vulnerable; and it is only in vulnerability and risk—not safety and security—that we overcome darkness.”


ADVENT WEEKDAY


Today's readings: Isaiah 11:1-10; Luke 10:21-24 (176).


Wednesday 30th November


Be first to follow the Lord 


It’s no coincidence that Saint Andrew the Apostle is linked to Advent (which traditionally begins on the Sunday closest to his feast day). In Eastern Christianity he is known as protokletos, “first called,” because it was Andrew, who had been a disciple of John the Baptist, who persuaded his brother Simon (whom we know as Peter) to follow Jesus with his words, "We have found the Messiah!” Andrew also has a devotion linked to Advent, known as the Saint Andrew Novena. Try it out and see if it supports and deepens your living out your own call.


FEAST OF ANDREW, APOSTLE


Today's readings: Romans 10:9-18; Matthew 4:18-22 

Thursday 1st December


Build on higher ground


Anyone who has followed the news over the past year has seen more images than ever of people coping with floods. Families waiting on rooftops, people stuffed in boats, neighbors wading through murky water. Jesus constantly used images to make his point, including the image of discipleship as a solid house that stands firm during storms and floods. “Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies,” Saint Teresa of Calcutta once said. Are you building a strong, flood-proof house in the small things you do each day?


ADVENT WEEKDAY


Today's readings: Isaiah 26:1-6; Matthew 7:21, 24-27 

Friday 2nd December


Walk with each other


Today, the church remembers martyrs Jean Donovan, Maura Clarke, Dorothy Kazel, and Ita Ford, brutally murdered for standing with the poor in war-torn El Salvador in 1980. Their witness still speaks profoundly to us today as we encounter our own wars, violence, and suffering, especially among the most vulnerable. And still, we struggle to know what to do. Let us take courage as we ponder the questions posed by Ita Ford in 1977: "Am I willing to suffer with the people here, the suffering of the powerless? Can I say to my neighbors, ‘I have no solution to this situation. I don't know the answers, but I will walk with you, search with you, be with you?'"


Saturday 3rd December


Missionizing begins at home


Many of the practices of the great “missionizing projects” of centuries past are seen as problematic in our age, with its greater sensibility of the rights of indigenous peoples to worship freely as they wish. So, while the legacy of one of the patrons of foreign missions, Saint Francis Zavier, is a mixed one, it is significant to note that he always provided for ongoing pastoral care of the communities he missionized and also advocated for an educated native clergy (rather than foreign-born leadership). None of us acts with perfect justice, but each of us finds ourself living in a unique historical moment, called upon to help church and society live up to the best and most noble qualities of our tradition.


MEMORIAL OF FRANCIS XAVIER, JESUIT PRIEST


Today's readings: Isaiah 30:19-21, 23-26; Matthew 9:35—10:1, 5a, 6-8 (180).

Prayers for the Sick

By Webmaster • February 14, 2026
Please pray for Our Sick : Margaret Callaghan Doreen Cleary, Michael Ritchie, Neil Boyle, John Rielly Molly Strang, James Clark, Fr. Michael McLaughlin, Patricia Henderson, Joanna Maier (Connecticut USA), Therese Gilgunn Tressy Callaghan, Suzanne McMurray, Mary Coyle, Lesley Watson (Spain) Maureen McHugh, Margaret Burke, Marie White, Kathleen Daly, John McGuire, Jill Brown, Karen Pritchatt, Louise Newton, Faith Lyndsey, Jill Brown, Marie McGuire, James Morton, Paul Kearney, Thomas Daly, Andrew McCluskey, Premature Baby Vincent McDowell, Bill Allan, Gudren Berk (Germany), Jaqueline McReynolds, Mary Morrison, Helen Howarth (Easterhouse), Margaret Loan, Avril McCluskey and all our sick.

Ash Wednesday

By Webmaster • February 14, 2026
Ash Wednesday 18th February What is Ash Wednesday? Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent—and a wonderful opportunity to make yourself 100% available to God! How available to God are you? 50%? 75%? 96.4%? No matter what your answer, Ash Wednesday is the perfect time to decide that you will spend this Lent increasing that number. On Ash Wednesday, you can get your forehead blessed with ashes at Mass or a prayer service. These ashes are a reminder that we need to repent. Repentance is a powerful invitation. When John the Baptist first appeared in the desert of Judea, this was his message: “Repent, prepare the way of the Lord” (Matthew 3:2). Later, when Jesus began his ministry, he led with this message: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 4:17). But what does it mean for us to repent, here and now, more than two thousand years later? It means the same as it did to the people walking around the dusty pathways in their sandals, trying to inch closer to Jesus as he passed through their town or village. Repent means “to turn back to God.” We all find ourselves needing to turn back to God many times a day, in ways small and large. It is not a matter of guilt and it is not a shameful thing. It is simply that we are a better version of ourselves when we return to his side!  Ash Wednesday Mass Times 18th February: Masses 7am, 10am & 6pm

This week's readings

By Webmaster • February 14, 2026
The Sermon on the Mount continues as the focus of the Gospel readings during Winter Ordinary Time, and today’s passage from Matthew chapter 5 contains some of the most challenging verses in the Gospel. Before turning to that teaching, however, let’s consider the other readings. The First Reading comes from the Book of Sirach, also known by its Latin title Ecclesiasticus, or “Church Book,” so called because the early Church made extensive use of this wisdom text in moral instruction for catechumens and the faithful. Sirach reflects powerfully on moral freedom: If you choose, you can keep the commandments; they will save you. Before you are life and death, good and evil; whichever you choose shall be given you. Freedom of the will is one of God’s greatest gifts. God places before us the choice between good and evil and invites us to choose life. What is equally clear is that God does not choose sin or injustice on our behalf. The responsibility for our moral choices rests with us. The Second Reading continues from Saint Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians. Writing to a Christian community surrounded by moral confusion, Paul reminds them that true wisdom does not come from the world, but from God: What eye has not seen and ear has not heard… what God has prepared for those who love him, God has revealed through the Spirit.  This reading complements Sirach beautifully. If the First Reading emphasizes our freedom to choose, the Second reminds us that God does not leave us unassisted. Through the grace of the Holy Spirit, God prepares us to live according to divine wisdom rather than worldly standards. Together, these readings lead us into today’s Gospel. Jesus makes it clear that he has not come to abolish the Law, but to fulfill it. He then calls his disciples to a righteousness that surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees – not through legal technicalities, but through holiness of heart. Jesus’ striking examples – equating anger with murder and lust with adultery – may sound harsh to modern ears. Yet Matthew presents these teachings to a Jewish Christian community still shaped by strict legal interpretation. Jesus’ strong language is meant to awaken his listeners to the truth that holiness requires more than outward observance. It calls for an interior conversion, where the heart itself is transformed by God’s grace.

Prayers for the recently dead, months, mind and Anniversaries

By Webmaster • February 14, 2026
Our Recently Dead Thomas Gallacher, Frank Cook, John Harkins, Bridie McKechnie, Mary Irvine, Frances Drummond, Mary McCrudden, Paul McGoldrick, Kevin McMahon, Christine Divers (Glasgow), Ellen Thomson (Glasgow), Eugene McVay, Catherine Chrighton (Holytown), James Neary, Campbell McFall (St. Ninian's), John Monaghan, John Collin Month Minds & Anniversaries John Corns, James, Ruby & Mary McDaide, Elizabeth & Stuart Johnston, Margaret Fox, Laraine Fox, Christine Archibald, Ann Rodgers, Hugh Rodgers, Giovanni Battiste Fionda, Marie Carmen Fionda, Johny D'Ambrosio, Margaret D'Ambrosio Please if you could make sure all month minds and anniversaries are handed in no later than Wednesday Night. If they come in after that they will be read out at Mass on Sunday. If the recently dead come in after the Wednesday deadline they too will be read out at Mass on the Sunday

Dates for your diary

By Webmaster • January 30, 2026
Mass of the Sick Saturday 14th February 10am Mass Ash Wednesday 18th February: Masses 7am, 10am & 6pm Sacramental Meetings Tuesday 24th February St. Peter's & St. Mark's 6pm First Confession 6.30pm First Communion  7pm Confirmation Meetings will take place in the Church

Gift Aid

By Webmaster • January 30, 2026
If you wish to sign up for Gift Aid. It is a great way to help the parish financially, costing you absolutely nothing. If you wish to sign up contact myself or Doreen Lee and we will give you the form and hand it back as you can and we can get it organised. As I said it costs you nothing, but helps the parish so much.

Powerpoint Remote Control:

By Webmaster • January 30, 2026
I am looking for Volunteers to move the power-points on during the Sunday Masses, Vigil 4pm, 9.30am & 11am. It is very easy to operate, if we get enough volunteers for each Mass we would put a wee rota together. It would take a wee bit of pressure off me.

Year of St Francis of Assisi

By Webmaster • January 24, 2026
The “Year of St Francis of Assisi”, was proclaimed by Pope Leo, in Rome to mark the 800th Anniversary of St Francis’ death in 2026. I am proposing to put a statue of St. Francis in the Church for this jubilee year. This is from EWTN Pope Leo XIV has proclaimed a “Special Year of St. Francis” to commemorate the 800th anniversary of the saint’s death. During this time of grace, which will extend until January 2027, the faithful are granted the opportunity to obtain a plenary indulgence . This Franciscan Jubilee Year, considered a gift for the entire Church and an occasion for authentic spiritual renewal, was inaugurated on Jan. 10 with a decree issued by the Apostolic Penitentiary of the Holy See. Until Jan. 10 of next year, the faithful can obtain this grace under the usual conditions — sacramental confession, Communion, and prayer for the intentions of the pope — by making a pilgrimage to any Franciscan conventual church or place of worship dedicated to St. Francis anywhere in the world. Furthermore, the elderly, the sick, and those who, for serious reasons, cannot leave their homes can obtain the plenary indulgence  by spiritually joining in the jubilee celebrations and offering their prayers, pains, or sufferings to God.

Mass of the sick

By Webmaster • January 17, 2026
Mass of the Sick Saturday 14th February 10am Mass Ash Wednesday 18th February more details to follow.

Second Sunday of Ordinary Time - 18th January

By Webmaster • January 17, 2026
The Second Sunday of the Year A, falling on January 18, 2026, is known as the Second Sunday in Ordinary Time, featuring readings from Isaiah (calling the Messiah a shoot from Jesse), 1 Corinthians (emphasizing unity in Christ), and John's Gospel (John the Baptist identifying Jesus as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world). This Sunday marks a shift after Christmas and Epiphany into the regular flow of Ordinary Time, focusing on discipleship, God's calling, and Jesus's identity as revealed through the Baptist. Key Readings (Year A): ● First Reading : Isaiah 49:1-7 (The Servant Song, foretelling the Messiah's mission). ● Responsorial Psalm : Psalm 40 (A response of praise and commitment). ● Second Reading : 1 Corinthians 1:1-9 (Paul's greeting and call to unity). ● Gospel : John 1:29-42 (John the Baptist points to Jesus as the Lamb of God). Themes & Focus: ● The Calling of Disciples : The Gospel highlights Jesus's first disciples (Andrew and another) meeting and following Him. ● Identity of Jesus : The powerful declaration "Behold the Lamb of God" is central, connecting Jesus to sacrifice and redemption. ● Unity in Christ: 1 Corinthians speaks to the diverse people called to be saints, united in Christ. ● Ordinary Time : Moving from festive seasons into regular liturgical focus on Christian life and growth. Context: ● This Sunday often coincides with the start of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.
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