Monday 30 March - Bishop John Daily Reflection

Saturday 28 March. Bishop John’s Daily Reflection. Today’s reflection takes a break from the Lent readings to give a Reflection based on Pope Francis’ moving Holy Hour and unprecedented Urbe Et Orbe from St. Peter’s, Rome yesterday evening.

Bishop John’s Daily Reflection for Friday 27 March.

Standing Together, Standing Stronger... Parish and a Diocesan Standing Order Forms Some parishioners have inquired if they could set up Standing Orders for their Parishes or the Diocese in the light of the loss of our public Sunday Masses and Collections. 

Bishops of Scotland, agree that our churches should be closed during this period of national emergency for the common good.

Join me each day at 4pm for a scriptural reflection as we gather in prayer around our home altars.

Join me each day at 4pm for a scriptural reflection as we gather in prayer around our home altars.

Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament at St Mirin's Cathedral. It will take place Monday to Friday from 1:00 pm to 7:00 pm - we are hoping to have this streamed via the website shortly.

For those who are unable to get to mass due to the current CV-19, here are links for you to access Holy Mass live - please share this with those who are in isolation as it will being them great comfort during these difficult times. Let Christ's light shine in their places of isolation and confinement. 

Scottish Catholic Observer free copies - This week’s paper is free and they are asking parish priests to leave copies at the back of your churches marked free.

When Mass cannot be celebrated publicly  “Let my prayer come before you like incense.”  In this disturbing time for the world and for the Church, we feel the need more than ever to “lift up our hands in prayer.” Even when the Mass is not available or we are confined to home or hospital, we can still bring ourselves, and our hopes and fears, before the Lord, asking for his strength and consolation. We can remain part of the worldwide prayer of the Church, asking the Father to deliver us from our current evils, and through the practice of spiritual communion unite ourselves to the Eucharistic Sacrifice our priests will be offering privately. We can still keep the Lord’s Day holy.  The prayers in this booklet are offered to help us do this.  Surely our voice will be heard.  With every blessing,  + Hugh Gilbert OSB, Bishop of Aberdeen, President of the Bishops’ Conference of Scotland

This Sunday, 22nd March, has been dedicated as a National Day of Prayer. Please join with me tomorrow Sunday 22nd March, online at 12 noon, where I will be hosting a live Facebook stream of the Holy Rosary, asking for God’s deliverance from the Corona-virus, for healing for the sick, for carers and for all who are working for a cure. I will also bestow a blessing on your home prayer altars.

#STRAIGHTOUTTAGALILEE  Monday 23rd March will provide regular, simple, creative ideas and activities for children to do at home to keep Religious Education and prayer a focus during this challenging time.

Bishop John Keenan has invited us to pray a Novena invoking St. Joseph - Here is the youtube link to the video of this rallying call. https://youtu.be/9XaYwYOYjuc We suggest you continue to pray the Prayer of Protection each day, the Holy Rosary and Psalm 91. Add the Memorare to St. Joseph and the Act of Consecration to St. Joseph. 

Dear Fathers, brothers and sisters, Pastoral Letter and Statement from the Bishops of Scotland Regarding the Covid-19 Virus I am attaching our Bishops’ Letter on what we have judged best for the Church and nation amid the coronavirus pandemic. We have tried to follow our responsibilities as members of Scottish society with the concerns of our clergy, religious and lay leaders, as well as attending as generously as we can to the pastoral and spiritual needs of our people. I would be grateful if you could make widely known our National Day of Prayer this Sunday 22nd March and encourage as many as possible to pray to the Rosary for Our Lady’s intercession and God’s providence over our nation and our world. As you can see there are still many details for each bishop to work out with his clergy and people, whom we will consult with to come up with good decisions going forward. I am grateful to so many of you who have contacted me assuring me of your prayers and support in these days. Do be sure of my prayers and closeness to all of you who are facing similarly difficult decisions amid anxious and developing circumstances. Thank God we all have the consolation of our faith in God’s providence and the assurance that, in turning to Him, all manner of things shall be well. Please stay safe and God bless always. + John

Update - 40 Days for Life Notice Glasgow   It was with a very heavy heart that the decision was taken to stand down the 40 Days for Life Prayer & Fasting Vigil at the QEUH during Lent following the Public Health Guidance issued on Monday evening concerning the Coronavirus.

National Programme of Prayer for Protection   Dear Friends,   I want to invite you to join our Rosary on the Coast community in a great effort of prayer to the Lord to protect our world from the global threat of coronavirus.   In the few short months since we first heard of coronavirus as a far-off news item from China its has grown rapidly into a world pandemic which has stretched the health services of many countries and is destabilising the social and economic fabric of our society.