 |
Blood
Brothers
“Two years ago, if I’d met Jimmy on the street I
would have killed him,” declared Liam as he looked at Jimmy.
“But today I’d give my life for him because we are brothers.”
“I’d have done the same” responded Jimmy. The two men,
terrorists from opposing sides, stood before us with their arms around
each others shoulders and said, “Jesus loves us, and gave his life for
us.” “He has forgiven us and we can no longer fight each other
because we’re brothers now.”
|
Vatican II & Renewal
(1)
16
Documents of Vatican II
A
Call to Action
Assn Catholic Priests Ireland
Bp Pat Power
Bp Geoff Robinson
Bruce Duncan
Catalyst for Renewal
Catholica
Catholics for Ministry
Catholics for Renewal
STANDUP4VATICAN2
The Swag
VII - Voice of the Church
We Are Church
Excellent
articles on Mission
Hugh McMahon SSC
|
|
 |
Bishop
Joseph Fan Zhongliang of Shanghai dies at 96 |
|
| MH370
|
The search for the missing Malaysia Airlines flight has raised many questions about how aircraft are tracked. ABC Science investigates |
|
|
|
105. Youth
ministry, as traditionally organized, has also suffered the impact
of social changes. Young people often fail to
find responses to their concerns, needs, problems and hurts in the usual
structures.
As adults, we find it hard to listen patiently to them,
to appreciate their concerns and demands, and to speak to them in a
language they can understand. For the same reason, our
efforts in the field of education do not produce the results expected.
The rise and growth of
associations and movements mostly made up of young people can be seen as
the work of the Holy Spirit, who blazes new trails to meet
their expectations and their search for a deep spirituality and a more
real sense of belonging.
There remains a need, however, to
ensure that these associations actively participate in the Church’s
overall pastoral efforts.
|
|
 |
One more from Cardinal Orly (above):
Text from Cardinal Tagle on day of announcement: - "I look forward to
roasting you, make that toasting you" |
|
 |
 |
This website's Tanzania
File
(stopping Africans from being tricked into
bringing drugs to HK)
- with links to all letters
from Tanzanian inmates in Hong Kong prisons
South
America file
(stopping
South Americans from being tricked into bringing drugs to HK)
- letters from South American inmates in HK prisons
|
 |
|
| Francis
wishes to release Vatican II's bold vision from captivity |
 |
Vatican
II Reflection - 390
Joseph Ratzinger once
suggested patriarchates
|
|
John W
mini-Blog |
My
weekly article for today's HK Ming Pao newspaper
(On
MP website)
Today's
topic: Hong Kong's "dirty
secret" (...asylum seekers...) |
|
|
Sun:
Africa
Mon:
Europe & Russia Tues:
South Asia Wed:
East Asia
Thurs:
S.E. Asia & Pacific Frid:
South America Sat:
Central & North America
Please join me in
praying for one part of the world each day of the week:
Jesus, today, Tuesday,
please bless the people of South
Asia
On this 18th
of the month, Jesus
please bless the
prisoners of Shandong
Please join me in praying for
prisoners in one part of China each day of the month
|
Darlene Starrs
(Canada) |
Happy Saint Patrick's Day!
This 6th century saint
might well be doing the very same ministry today in Ireland and around the
world. There are still human
beings who hunger and thirst for the living Word of God.
Perhaps, there is a lot of Patrick in Francis! I pray that there is
a lot of Patrick in us all!
|
This website's kind
bloggers
(past and present)
with archives of articles:
Bakhita
Hazel
C
Daniel
Daring
Inigo Joachim
Brian
Lewis
Judith
Lynch
Martin
Mallon
Chris McDonnell
Bill
Mulcahy
Des
O'Donnell
Darlene
Starrs
TASMAD
David Timbs
Peter
Wilkinson
Harry
Winter
John
Wotherspoon
Weekly
Archive
of main page menus
Previous
archives
2013 2012
2011
2010
2009
2008
John
W:
Previous Daily Blogs |
|
|
2014-03-17
The story of Joe - in photos
- with a request for some kind
readers to contact Joe (in China) to help him practise English please |
|
 |
Church
Governance
“As pastors, bishops and priests, are we conscious and convinced of the
mission of the lay faithful and do we give them the freedom to continue
discerning, in a way benefitting their growth as disciples, the mission
which the Lord has entrusted to them?" (Pope Francis)
The
Secret Pope Francis Haters
|
|
 |
 |
Meet
the Philippine Pope Francis
John Allen's interview with Cardinal Tagle |
|
 |
The
clergy should steer clear
Political clash: cardinal vs archbishop |
|
 |
Interactive
Bible Quiz - One John
Based on the actual words of the Bible.
How
many times can you get 3/3 ?!
|
|
|
|
104.
Demands that the legitimate rights of women be respected, based on the
firm conviction that men and women are equal in dignity, present the
Church with profound and challenging questions which cannot be lightly
evaded.
The reservation of the priesthood to males, as a sign of
Christ the Spouse who gives himself in the Eucharist, is not a question
open to discussion, but it can prove especially divisive if sacramental
power is too closely identified with power in general.
It must be remembered that when we speak of
sacramental power “we are in the realm of function, not that of dignity
or holiness”. The ministerial priesthood is one means employed by Jesus
for the service of his people, yet our great dignity derives from baptism,
which is accessible to all.
The configuration of the priest to Christ the head –
namely, as the principal source of grace – does not imply an exaltation
which would set him above others. In the Church, functions “do not
favour the superiority of some vis-à-vis the others”.
Indeed, a woman, Mary, is more important than the
bishops. Even when the function of ministerial priesthood is considered
“hierarchical”, it must be remembered that “it is totally ordered to
the holiness of Christ’s members”. Its key and axis is not power
understood as domination, but the power to administer the sacrament of the
Eucharist; this is the origin of its authority, which is always a service
to God’s people
This presents a great challenge for pastors and
theologians, who are in a position to recognize more fully what this
entails with regard to the possible role of women in decision-making in
different areas of the Church’s life.
|
|
|
Nine-year-old
Joey was asked by his mother what he had learned in Sunday School.
'Well, Mom, our teacher told us how God sent Moses behind enemy lines
on a rescue mission to lead the Israelites out of Egypt .. When he got to
the Red Sea , he had his army build a pontoon bridge and all the people
walked across safely. Then he radioed headquarters for reinforcements.
They sent bombers to blow up the bridge and all the Israelites were
saved.'
'Now, Joey, is that really what your teacher taught you?' his Mother
asked.
'Well, no, Mom. But, if I told it the way the teacher did, you'd never
believe it!'
|
|
|
|
This website's Tanzania
File
(stopping Africans from being
tricked into bringing drugs to HK)
- with links to all letters
from Tanzanian inmates in Hong Kong prisons
South
America file
(stopping South Americans from
being tricked into bringing drugs to HK)
- letters
from South American inmates in HK prisons
|
|
|
| Francis
wishes to release Vatican II's bold vision from captivity |
 |
Vatican
II Reflection - 389
Would
that the Vatican respected the right of local bishops' conferences in the
Western Church to have the same freedom as the Eastern Churches
|
|
John W
mini-Blog |
As I get a feel for Pope
Francis' way of thinking and speaking, I have a hopeful suspicion that he
is leaving hints to suggest he is open to more change than he can publicly
express at the moment. It's as if he is being careful not to do too much
too quickly.
As I think about his words in No. 103 of The Joy of the Gospel -
"we need to create still
broader opportunities for a more incisive female presence in the Church"
- I have a feeling he is open to having women deacons ...but he can't say
that too openly just yet |
|
|
Sun:
Africa
Mon:
Europe & Russia Tues:
South Asia Wed:
East Asia
Thurs:
S.E. Asia & Pacific Frid:
South America Sat:
Central & North America
Please join me in
praying for one part of the world each day of the week:
Jesus, today, Monday,
please bless the people of Europe
& North Asia
On this 17th
of the month, Jesus
please bless the
prisoners of Shaanxi
Please join me in praying for
prisoners in one part of China each day of the month |
Reflection
on today's Mass readings by
Daniel
Daring |
Called
to renew the world
The
solution to our problems lies not in “know thyself,” but in “know
thy God”.
By standing for Christ and boldly testifying to the power of the Gospel,
we are taking part in God's work of renewing the world.
|
Pope
Francis:
Thank
you Holy Spirit
Inspiring photos:
Newness,
harmony, mission
Engagements
of Pope Francis
Many
thanks for checking
this website each day
St Paul on Metro/Tube/MTR!
Little
girl telling the story of Jonah - brilliant!
|
|
|
Jerry Novotny O.M.I.
|
In
the US there are 2.6 abortions every minute
(c.f. China ...25
every minute ....) |
|
 |
Do
‘pre-nups’ produce invalid marriages? (Brendan
Hoban)
The point here is that in Christian marriage if a
pre-nuptial agreement is
part of the package, a strong argument can be made for suggesting that
it’s
not a Christian marriage at all
|
|
 |
Boehner
invites Pope Francis to speak to Congress |
|
|
Many
points of praise for Pope's first year (John
Allen)
Vatican mandarins, Dolan recalled, swarmed
around the new pontiff and began issuing instructions about the ceremony.
Francis gently, but firmly, swatted them away. “ ‘That’s
okay,’ Dolan quoted the new pope saying, ‘I’ve been saying Mass for
fifty years. We’ll be fine.’ The clear message was, ‘I know what
I’m doing.’ ”
Market
Reformer (Jeffrey D. Sachs)
An economist considers Pope Francis’ critique of
capitalism:
Pope Francis carries Jesus’ message into the heart of today’s
capitalism. He reminds us that we need a moral framework for our
21st-century economy. That message is fundamentally subversive of
prevailing attitudes in the corridors of American power, whether on Wall
Street or in Washington.Pope
Francis has opened a door – let us enter (Gerry
O'Hanlon)
|
|
|
 |
President
Aquino attended reception Mass in Cotabato for Cardinal Orly Quevedo O.M.I.
“One who cannot pray as a leader, will fail as a
leader” |
|
|
Hunger Drives Sectarian Conflict in Africa
Hunger, not religion, is the root cause of conflict in
sub-Saharan Africa |
|
 |
Primates
of world's Orthodox Churches agree to first historic council in 1,200
years
(after attending a Greek
Orthodox Mass in 1995 ...where the men in vestments at the front did
everything in private while people stood around the back of the church
having a chat...I remember thinking to myself:
boy, these guys need a Vatican Council!)
This
is a big deal
|
|
 |
A
Genius for Friendship
The gentle, grace-filled life of Peter Faber
"He has a genius for friendship. He has such charm
and grace in dealing with people as I have not seen in anyone else"
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
103. The Church
acknowledges the indispensable contribution which
women make to society through the sensitivity, intuition and other
distinctive skill sets which they, more than men, tend to possess.
I think, for example, of the special concern which
women show to others, which finds a particular, even if not exclusive,
expression in motherhood. I readily acknowledge that many women share
pastoral responsibilities with priests, helping to guide people, families
and groups and offering new contributions to theological reflection.
But we need to create still
broader opportunities for a more incisive female presence in the Church.
Because “the feminine genius is needed in all expressions in the life of
society, the presence of women must also be
guaranteed in the workplace” and in the various other settings where
important decisions are made, both in the Church and in social structures.
|
|
|
Reuters reported that military radar data
suggested that the aircraft was deliberately flown hundreds of miles off
course, heightening suspicions of
foul play among
investigators
- from this
report
(should be: "heightening suspicions among
investigators of foul play" ...otherwise it implies the investigators
might be guilty for the disappearance of MH370) |
|
|
|
This website's Tanzania
File
(stopping Africans from being tricked into
bringing drugs to HK)
- letters
from Tanzanian inmates in Hong Kong prisons
South
America file
(stopping South Americans from
being tricked into bringing drugs to HK)
- letters
from South American inmates in HK prisons |
|
|
| Francis
wishes to release Vatican II's bold vision from captivity |
|
Vatican
II Reflection - 388
Each
nation or region's bishops' conference should have the responsibility of running
its own show
|
|
John W
mini-Blog |
Last Friday at a prayer service with inmates,
we dared to hope and pray that flight MH370 might be safe and sound
somewhere, even if high jacked. Last night's news gives grounds for
this hope, and re-enforces the theory put forth on this website on March 9
that there might be a connection between the plane's disappearance and the
current big meeting in Beijing and the current campaign of violence
stemming from Xinjiang (...a violence partly at least linked to great
injustice in Xinjiang). Maybe a hostage deal is on the horizon ....plane
passengers for Xinjiang prisoners. Plane is safely on ground in one of the
Muslim countries bordering China? - DV! |
|
Sun:
Africa
Mon:
Europe & Russia Tues:
South Asia Wed:
East Asia
Thurs:
S.E. Asia & Pacific Frid:
South America Sat:
Central & North America
Please join me in
praying for one part of the world each day of the week:
Jesus, today, Sunday,
please bless the people of Africa
On this 16th
of the month, Jesus
please bless the
prisoners of Qinghai
Please join me in praying for
prisoners in one part of China each day of the month
|
 |
 |
Prison
walls will not lock out daughter’s love for father |
The
unjust treatment
of Bishop Bill Morris
Tribalism
lives on, for better and for worse
|
|
 |
Pope
Francis' Reforms For The Catholic Church May Be Bigger Than Anyone Dreamed
A
New Way of Being Church
|
|
 |
Myanmar's
Christian minority clings on despite severe persecution |
|
 |
Should
animals be stunned before being killed for meat? |
|
|
 |
Waterless
World: China's ever-expanding desert wasteland
Millions of trees planted by the government as a “Green Belt” to
protect Beijing from sandstorms have died
Desert
greening
|
|
|
Philippine
president's Typhoon Haiyan apology falls flat |
|
|
|
Other
ecclesial challenges
102. Lay people are,
put simply, the vast majority of the people of God. The minority –
ordained ministers – are at their service.
There has been a growing awareness of the identity and mission of the
laity in the Church. We can count on many lay persons, although still not
nearly enough, who have a deeply-rooted sense of community and great
fidelity to the tasks of charity, catechesis and the celebration of the
faith.
At the same time, a clear awareness of this
responsibility of the laity, grounded in their baptism and confirmation,
does not appear in the same way in all places. In some cases, it is
because lay persons have not been given the formation needed to take on
important responsibilities. In others, it is because in
their particular Churches room has not been made for them to speak and to
act, due to an excessive clericalism which keeps them away from
decision-making.
Even if many are now involved in the lay
ministries, this involvement is not reflected in
a greater penetration of Christian values in the social, political and
economic sectors. It often remains tied to tasks within the
Church, without a real commitment to applying the
Gospel to the transformation of society. The formation of the
laity and the evangelization of professional and
intellectual life represent a significant pastoral challenge. |
|
|
A
Sunday
school teacher asked, 'Johnny, do you think Noah did a lot of fishing when
he was on the Ark ?'
'No,'
replied Johnny. 'How could he, with just two worms?' |
|
|
|
This website's Tanzania
File
(stopping Africans from being tricked into bringing
drugs to HK)
- letters
from Tanzanian inmates in Hong Kong prisons
South
America file
(stopping
South Americans from being tricked into bringing drugs to HK)
- letters
from South American inmates in Hong Kong prisons |
|
|
| Francis
wishes to release Vatican II's bold vision from captivity |
|
Vatican
II Reflection - 387
"Variety is the spice of life", love is a
many-splendid thing"
or "wherever you are, do as
is done in Rome" ?
|
|
John W
mini-Blog |
One of the many intriguing things about
flight MH370 is the way strange bits of info are
being released ...e.g. "we might raid the pilots' homes
to check on their background". Surely, if you were going to search
someone's home, you wouldn't (literally) tell the world of your
plans. And surely pilot family checks would have been done in the
first few days when pilot responsibility was a distinct possibility.
May the uncertainty which is compounding the grief of the missing people's
families soon come to an end |
|
Sun:
Africa
Mon:
Europe & Russia Tues:
South Asia Wed:
East Asia
Thurs:
S.E. Asia & Pacific Frid:
South America Sat:
Central & North America
Please join me in
praying for one part of the world each day of the week:
Jesus, today, Saturday,
please bless the people of Central
& North America
On this 15th
of the month, Jesus
please bless the
prisoners of Liaoning
Please join me in praying for
prisoners in one part of China each day of the month
|
Fr Harry Winter O.M.I. (USA)
|
Priority
of the Parish and Basic Ecclesial Community,
from Vatican II to Pope Francis
Do pastors really believe that the
Christian faithful of their parish have the infallible instinct for the
faith? Do bishops and staff at the diocesan office really show that they
are the servants of the parishes, and the parishes not servants of the
diocese? |
Liturgy
- New Translation
1998
ICEL Sacramentary
Misguided Missal
The new translation
Ghastly process/result
Ron
Schmit:
1962
Mass a condemnation of Vatican II
PrayTell
------------------------------------------
Spirituality
Sacred
Space
Daily prayer online.
Available in 19 languages
Jackie
Evancho - To
Believe
Pray-as-you-go.org
Daily prayer with
beautiful music
Whole
text of 1966 Jerusalem Bible
Previous Smiles
file |
|
 |
Kevin
Lau bewildered by police statement ....not many reports giving
the reason he was attacked: his reporters were investigating the wealth of
officials (leaders?) in China
c.f.
Assailants
arrested (...this will cause great nervousness in the Mainland) |
|
|
Collegiality
Re-emerges?
Jury
still out on Francis the game-changer
|
|
|
|
 |
101. Let
us ask the Lord to help us understand the law of love. How good it is to
have this law! How much good it does us to love
one another, in spite of everything. Yes, in spite of
everything!
Saint Paul’s exhortation is directed to each of us:
“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil
with good” (Rom 12:21). And again: “Let
us not grow weary in doing what is right” (Gal 6:9).
We all have our likes and dislikes, and perhaps at
this very moment we are angry with someone. At least let us say to the
Lord: “Lord, I am angry with this person, with that person. I
pray to you for him and for her”.
To pray for a person with whom
I am irritated is a beautiful step forward in love, and an act of
evangelization. Let us do it today! Let us not allow ourselves
to be robbed of the ideal of fraternal love!
|
|
|
This website's Tanzania
File
(stopping Africans from being
tricked into bringing drugs to HK)
- letters
from Tanzanian inmates in Hong Kong prisons
South
America file
(stopping
South Americans from being tricked into bringing drugs to HK)
- letters
from S. American inmates in HK prisons
|
|
|
|
|
The
Sunday
School teacher was describing how Lot's wife looked back and turned into a
pillar of salt, when little Jason interrupted, 'My Mommy looked back once
while she was driving,' he announced triumphantly, 'and she turned into a
telephone pole!' |
|
| Francis
wishes to release Vatican II's bold vision from captivity |
|
Vatican
II Reflection - 386
We now have an Anglican "Ordinariate"....not
unlike the arrangement for the Eastern Churches. May there someday
soon be Baptist/Presbyterian/Uniting Church etc Ordinariates in the
Church
|
|
John W
mini-Blog |
Yesterday at a detention centre I visited a
72 year old man just arrested for drug possession. He's been arrested more
than 40 times, as has a friend of his I visited the day before at a
correctional center. The two of them are the two men closest to the camera
in this
photo (taken in my home a few years ago). Jesus, who said "ask
and you'll receive" (in yesterday's Gospel) please help these men
finally come off drugs. Thank you. |
|
|
Sun: Africa
Mon:
Europe & Russia Tues:
South Asia Wed:
East Asia
Thurs:
S.E. Asia & Pacific Frid:
South America Sat:
Central & North America
Please join me in
praying for one part of the world each day of the week:
Jesus, today, Friday,
please bless the people of South
America
On this 14th
of the month, Jesus
please bless the
prisoners of Jilin
Please join me in praying for
prisoners in one part of China each day of the month |
 |
Refugee
occupation near Social Welfare Department Office in Wanchai. I
visited this site yesterday and was moved by the plight of the asylum
seekers and refugees who are seeking justice and help from the HK
government ....and from the world |
This
site's full statistics
for February 2014
To publish an
article on this site please contact Fr John Wotherspoon omi:
jdwomi@gmail.com
If you find a broken link in this website,
please contact: jdwomi@gmail.com
Why
I collect rubbish for Pope
Taking
a stand
Navigation
Aids
Standing
up to bullies
"Reform
of reform" agenda
Too
Western/European
Abortion
- a true story
"Same-sex
marriage": two elephants
in the men's room
Near
Death Experiences
Globalisation
of Indifference
Tale
of Two Brains
John's other sites:
www.doctorjesus.org
www.riccicenter.com
www.simplebible.info
www.china8.org
www.jesustower.com
www.oneminuteenglish.com
China
Library
- essential reading for anyone interested in China's Christian
history
|
|
 |
 |
Australia
pledges $9 million to aid AMISOM, Somalia |
|
|
Ricky Wong might speak out against Beijing,
so every effort is being made to stop him getting a TV licence. See this
editorial in today's Ming Pao newspaper |
|
 |
Why
Pope Francis is going to South Korea
(Seoul is just across the water from
Beijing ....please Francis, go also to Beijing
and canonise (not beatify) Matteo Ricci!)
|
|
|
|
100. Those
wounded by historical divisions find it difficult to accept our
invitation to forgiveness and reconciliation, since they think that we are
ignoring their pain or are asking them to give up their memory and ideals.
But if they see the witness of
authentically fraternal and reconciled communities, they will
find that witness luminous and attractive.
It always pains me greatly to discover how some
Christian communities, and even consecrated persons, can tolerate
different forms of enmity, division, calumny, defamation, vendetta,
jealousy and the desire to impose certain ideas at all costs, even to
persecutions which appear as veritable witch hunts. Whom
are we going to evangelize if this is the way we act?
|
|
|
God doesn't call the qualified. He qualifies the called.
God promises a safe landing, not a calm passage.
If God is your Co-pilot .. swap seats.
|
|
|
|
This website's Tanzania
File
(stopping Africans from being tricked into
bringing drugs to HK)
- letters from
Tanzanian inmates in Hong Kong prisons
South
America file
(stopping
S. Americans from being tricked into bringing drugs to HK)
- letters
from South American inmates in Hong Kong prisons |
|
|
| Francis
wishes to release Vatican II's bold vision from captivity |
|
Vatican
II Reflection - 385
"Let no preconceived judgments
impair the future inspirations of the Holy Spirit"
|
|
John W
mini-Blog |
When I met with a refugee
advocate in Brisbane last January, about the possibility of helping some
of HK's asylum seekers go to Australia, I was advised that the best way
was for such people to be recognised officially as refugees. Well,
many of the group I met yesterday (see story at top of this menu: Refugee
Occupation) are officially- recognised refugees ...so ...I'm going to try
to help a few of them apply for Australia (as I was able to help a
few HK Vietnamese refugee families go to Australia about 20 years
ago). DV! |
|
|
Sun:
Africa
Mon:
Europe & Russia Tues:
South Asia Wed:
East Asia
Thurs:
S.E. Asia & Pacific Frid:
South America Sat:
Central & North America
Please join me in
praying for one part of the world each day of the week:
Jesus, today, Thursday,
please bless the people of South
East Asia
On this 13th
of the month, Jesus
please bless the prisoners of Jiangxi
Please join me in praying for
prisoners in one part of China each day of the month
|
Chris McDonnell
(Wed UK blogger) |
A
thoughtful few days
There
is a strong argument therefore for Lent to be the ‘pause time’ for
reflection, for thoughtfulness, for personal care and renewal. That time
has to be created, carefully set aside and protected from intrusion
|
atican II - Renewal (2)
Hans
Küng:
Letter
to bishops
Revolution
to stop authoritarianism
Fr Joseph Ratzinger:
Writings
on Vat II
Robert
Mickens:
Vatican Implosion
Nicholas Lash:
Vatican II:
Of Happy Memory - and Hope?
Robert
McNally:
Crisis & Criticism in the Church
Priests
9 Masses a day
- need to ordain married men
The
evil of compulsory celibacy
Link
between compulsory celibacy and sexual abuse
Why
are women not being
ordained to priesthood?
|
|
|
Stabbed Hong Kong ex-editor says attacker set out to kill him |
|
|
Pope Francis to beatify martyrs
during South Korean trip |
|
 |
Christian militias take bloody revenge on Muslims in Central African Republic |
|
|
|
Hunger
strike at private for-profit prison in Washington DC
(I tried to sign petition but it
doesn't allow people outside US to sign) |
|
 |
Ugandan
moralism damages struggle to end HIV
Uganda's anti-homosexuality laws could have far-reaching health
implications of grave concern for the world |
|
|
What Minister Morrison is giving up for Lent
The Immigration Minister announced he would be
effectively giving up granting protection visas for refugees until 1
July
|
|
 |
Vatican
office calls religious sisters, priests to live poorly, reject capitalism |
|
 |
National
churches should stand up to almighty Vatican, says cardinal |
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|
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99. Our
world is being torn apart by wars and violence, and wounded by a
widespread individualism which divides human beings, setting
them against one another as they pursue their own well-being. In various
countries, conflicts and old divisions from the past are re-emerging.
I especially ask
Christians in communities throughout the world to offer a radiant and
attractive witness of fraternal communion. Let everyone admire
how you care for one another, and how you encourage and accompany one
another: “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you
have love for one another” (Jn 13:35).
This was Jesus’ heartfelt prayer to the Father:
“That they may all be one... in us... so that the world may believe” (Jn
17:21). Beware of the temptation of jealousy!
We are all in the same boat and headed to the same port! Let us ask for
the grace to rejoice in the gifts of each, which belong to all.
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The first Bible reading of today's Mass,
about Jonah, reminds me of a terrible mistake I once made. A lady doing
this reading at an English Mass pronounced "Ninevites" as "9-vites"
and I light-heartedly remarked on this during my homily. As a result the
woman didn't come to Mass for several months. We eventually made peace,
the woman returned to Mass ...and since then I have never publicly
commented on a reader's pronunciations! |
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At this
link, put "wotherspoon" into search.
My top post - "Son of Tanzanian President named
as Drug Lord by HK inmates" has had more than 3,000 hits and
some 60 comments since last Saturday.
Article has sure touched a nerve. Seems to be a campaign to discredit the
article (...so many negative comments appearing so suddenly...)
This website's Tanzania
File
(stopping Africans from being tricked into bringing drugs
to HK)
- letters
from Tanzanian inmates in Hong Kong prisons
This
website's South
America file
(stopping
South Americans from being tricked into bringing drugs to HK)
- letters
from South American inmates in Hong Kong prisons |
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| Francis
wishes to release Vatican II's bold vision from captivity |
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Vatican II
Reflection - 384
These
two articles describe many good things in Protestant/Evangelical churches,
starting with their firm belief in baptism, and finishing with these words of
praise:
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John W
mini-Blog |
Jesus, please bless the families of the
Malaysian Airline passengers and crew
...and bless China and Taiwan on this anniversary of Dr
Sun Yat-sen
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Sun:
Africa
Mon:
Europe & Russia Tues:
South Asia Wed:
East Asia
Thurs:
S.E. Asia & Pacific Frid:
South America Sat:
Central & North America
Please join me in
praying for one part of the world each day of the week:
Jesus, today, Wednesday,
please bless the people of East Asia
On this 12th
of the month, Jesus
please bless the
prisoners of Jiangsu
Please join me in praying for
prisoners in one part of China each day of the month |
