Psalm 62:

227:

When conflict arises, some people simply look at it and go their way as if nothing happened; they wash their hands of it and get on with their lives.

Others embrace it in such a way that they become its prisoners; they lose their bearings, project onto institutions their own confusion and dissatisfaction and thus make unity impossible. 

But there is also a third way, and it is the best way to deal with conflict. It is the willingness to face conflict head on, to resolve it and to make it a link in the chain of a new process. “Blessed are the peacemakers!” 

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

This website's Hong Kong file
(encouraging local drug addicts to come off drugs)

Please join me in praying for one part of the world each day of the week:

Sun: Africa        Mon: Europe & Russia     Tues: South Asia      Wed: East Asia  
Thurs: S.E. Asia & Pacific       Frid: South America       Sat: Central & North America 
  
Jesus, today, Tuesday,  please bless the people of Africa

And join me praying for prisoners in one part of China each day of the month:

On this 22nd of the month,  Jesus please bless the prisoners of Zhejiang

1 Kings 19:

Elijah once spent a night in a cave.
The Lord then told him to stand at the mouth of the cave.

Then there was a mighty wind that shattered trees and rocks.
But the Lord was not in the wind.

Then there was an earthquake.
But the Lord was not in the earthquake.

Then there was a gentle breeze.
And the Lord was in the breeze.

Lord, help us be aware of your presence in things small and great

Psalm 122:

I rejoiced when I heard them say
"Let us go to God's house."

And now our feet are standing 
within your gates, O Jerusalem.

For the peace of Jerusalem pray
"Peace be to your homes."

For love of the house of the Lord
I will ask for your good.

Lord, please give peace to all parts of the Holy Land, especially "the City of Peace", Jerusalem

Acts 2:

About ten days after Jesus' ascension to heaven was the Feast of Pentecost. Jesus' 12 apostles, his mother, several other women, and his brothers were together in one room

Suddenly they heard what sounded like a powerful wind. Tongues of fire appeared and came to rest on the head of each of them

They were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak foreign languages

Come Holy Spirit, fall afresh on us. Fall afresh on our world

Matthew 13:

Jesus said to the people:

The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed. It's the smallest of all seeds. But it becomes a big bush,  then a big tree that the birds live in.

The kingdom of heaven is like yeast which leavens flour.

The kingdom of heaven is like  treasure in a field. Someone finds it, then sells all they have to buy the field.

The kingdom of heaven is like a fishing net that catches all sorts of fish. Good fish are put in a basket. Useless fish are thrown away.
So at the end of time, bad people will be thrown into hell.

Jesus, may your kingdom come, your will be done

226:

Conflict cannot be ignored or concealed. It has to be faced. But if we remain trapped in conflict, we lose our perspective, our horizons shrink and reality itself begins to fall apart. In the midst of conflict, we lose our sense of the profound unity of reality.

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

This website's Hong Kong file
(encouraging local drug addicts to come off drugs)

Please join me in praying for one part of the world each day of the week:

Sun: Africa        Mon: Europe & Russia     Tues: South Asia      Wed: East Asia  
Thurs: S.E. Asia & Pacific       Frid: South America       Sat: Central & North America 
  
Jesus, today, Monday,  please bless the people of Africa

And join me praying for prisoners in one part of China each day of the month:

On this 21st of the month,  Jesus please bless the prisoners of Yunnan

Readings for "16th Sunday"

Wisdom 12: 

Lord, may I be as patient and forgiving towards others as you are to me

Psalm 85:

Romans 8:

The Spirit comes to help us in our weakness. For when we cannot choose words in order to pray properly, the Spirit  expresses our plea in a way that could never be put into words.

And God who knows everything in our hearts, knows perfectly well what the Spirit means, and that the pleas of the saints expressed by the Spirit are according to the mind of God.

Spirit of the Living God, 
fall afresh on us!

Matthew 13:

Jesus told the people another story:
The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. An enemy came and sowed weeds in the same field.

When the good seed sprouted, so did the weeds. The man's servants asked if they should get rid of the weeds.

"No", said the man, "you might damage the good seed if you do that. Let them both grow till harvest time. Then burn the weeds."

Then Jesus explained his story:
"I am the sower. The field is the world. The good seed stands for people of good will. The weeds stand for people of bad will. The enemy is Satan.

At the end of the world, the Son of Man will send his angels to sort out the good and the bad people.
Bad people will go to hell.  Good people will go to heaven".

Jesus, please protect good people from bad people ....and please control the weeds in my own life

24: (c.f. today's Gospel) An evangelizing community is also supportive, standing by people at every step of the way, no matter how difficult or lengthy this may prove to be...... Evangelization consists mostly of patience and disregard for constraints of time..... It cares for the grain and does not grow impatient at the weeds. 

The sower, when he sees weeds sprouting among the grain does not grumble or overreact. He or she finds a way to let the word take flesh in a particular situation and bear fruits of new life, however imperfect or incomplete these may appear.

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

This website's Hong Kong file
(encouraging local drug addicts to come off drugs)

Please join me in praying for one part of the world each day of the week:

Sun: Africa        Mon: Europe & Russia     Tues: South Asia      Wed: East Asia  
Thurs: S.E. Asia & Pacific       Frid: South America       Sat: Central & North America 
  
Jesus, today, Sunday,  please bless the people of Africa

And join me praying for prisoners in one part of China each day of the month:

On this 20th of the month,  Jesus please bless the prisoners of Sichuan

1 Kings 19:

In the 3rd year of drought, the Lord sent Elijah to speak to Ahab. Elijah got Ahab to gather all the people and all the prophets of Baal  on Mount Carmel.

Elijah challenged the prophets of Baal to produce fire to consume a sacrificed bull. Elijah mocked the false prophets as they ranted and raved and cut themselves, but produced no fire for their bull.

Then Elijah got the people to pour water on his bull and he prayed to God to hear his prayer. A fire from heaven then consumed the bull
and the people acknowledged the Lord as God.

Elijah then told Ahab there would soon be rain, and the sky grew dark and produced torrents of rain.

Dear God, please help people not to follow false gods

Psalms 120-121:

I call to the  Lord in the hour of my distress: "Lord save me from people who speak with lying lips".

Long enough have I been dwelling with those who hate peace. I am for peace, but they are for fighting.

I lift up my eyes to the mountains.
From where shall come my help?

My help shall come from the Lord
who made heaven and earth.

The Lord is our guard and our shade. Day and night we shall not be afraid. 

The Lord will guard our going and coming, both now and forever.

Lord, please protect us from danger, day and night

Acts 1:

During these days, Peter spoke to a group of about 120 disciples:

"As you know, Judas hanged himself after betraying Jesus. We must now choose someone to take Judas' place, someone who has been with us since the time when John was baptizing"

Two men were nominated, Joseph and Matthias. After prayer was offered, Matthias was chosen. He was listed as one of the 12 apostles

Jesus, please protect your church from betrayal and disloyalty

Matthew 13:

One day Jesus told the people this story: A farmer was planting seeds in his field. Some seeds fell on the path. Birds ate them. Some seeds fell on rocky ground. They became sickly plants, without roots, and died. Some seeds fell among thorns. When they became plants, they were choked by the thorns. Some seeds fell on good soil and produced a rich harvest.

People who hear God's word without good will are like the seeds on the path. They are easy prey for Satan. People who hear God's word only superficially are like the seeds on rocky ground. As soon as difficulties come, such people easily give up. People who hear God's word with one ear but with the other listen to the call of greed and pleasure are like the seeds among thorns. Greed kills the word. People who hear God's word with good will and put it into practice are like the good seeds which produced a rich harvest.

Jesus, please help me be good seed!

225: This criterion also applies to evangelization, which calls for attention to the bigger picture, openness to suitable processes and concern for the long run. 

The Lord himself, during his earthly life, often warned his disciples that there were things they could not yet understand and that they would have to await the Holy Spirit. 

The parable of the weeds among the wheat graphically illustrates an important aspect of evangelization: the enemy can intrude upon the kingdom and sow harm, but ultimately he is defeated by the goodness of the wheat

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

This website's Hong Kong file
(encouraging local drug addicts to come off drugs)

Please join me in praying for one part of the world each day of the week:

Sun: Africa        Mon: Europe & Russia     Tues: South Asia      Wed: East Asia  
Thurs: S.E. Asia & Pacific       Frid: South America       Sat: Central & North America 
  
Jesus, today, Saturday,  please bless the people of East Asia

And join me praying for prisoners in one part of China each day of the month:

On this 19th of the month,  Jesus please bless the prisoners of Shanxi

1 Kings 17:

When Ahab was king of Israel, in the 9th century B.C., Elijah was a prophet of the Lord.

Elijah told Ahab there would be no rain for a long time because the people were following the cult of Baal.

Elijah did miracles in the name of the Lord: he blessed a poor widow's food to make it increase,
and he brought back to life a young boy who had died.

Dear God, please bless our prayers
as you blessed the prayers of Elijah

Psalm 119:

They are happy who follow God's word, those who seek God with all their hearts.

How can young people avoid evil?
By seeking you and obeying you, Lord.

Open my eyes, Lord, that I may understand the beauty of your word.

Lord, when I'm worried or in trouble, your word revives me and gives me strength.

Lord, keep my eyes from what is false. Bend my heart to your word and not to love of gain.

The word from your mouth means more to me than silver and gold.

The unfolding of your word gives light and teaches simple people.

 Lord, thank you for your word which gives peace to our hearts

Acts 1:

They gathered in an upstairs room which they used as a meeting place. The 11 apostles were Peter, John, James, Andrew, Philip, Thomas, Bartholomew, Matthew, James son of Alphaeus, Simon and Jude

They spent a long time praying. With them were several women, including Mary the mother of Jesus, and also Jesus' brothers

Jesus, your apostles' group spent special time in prayer preparing for the coming of the Holy Spirit.
I now ask them in heaven to pray that the Holy Spirit will increase his influence in our lives

Matthew 12:

One day when Jesus was speaking to a crowd of people inside a house, his mother and brothers arrived at the house.rom outside the house they sent a message to say they would like to speak with him.

When Jesus heard they were there, he said "Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?"

Then holding out his hand towards his disciples he said "Here are my mother and brothers. Anyone who does the will of my Father in heaven, that person is my brother and sister and mother."

Brother Jesus,  please help me do the will of your Father in heaven

224: Sometimes I wonder if there are people in today’s world who are really concerned about generating processes of people-building, as opposed to obtaining immediate results which yield easy, quick short-term political gains, but do not enhance human fullness.

History will perhaps judge the latter with the criterion set forth by Romano Guardini: “The only measure for properly evaluating an age is to ask to what extent it fosters the development and attainment of a full and authentically meaningful human existence, in accordance with the peculiar character and the capacities of that age”.

Melbourne man, 78, on HK drug trafficking charge
(I have seen him each week for the past month or so)

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

This website's Hong Kong file
(encouraging local drug addicts to come off drugs)

Please join me in praying for one part of the world each day of the week:

Sun: Africa        Mon: Europe & Russia     Tues: South Asia      Wed: East Asia  
Thurs: S.E. Asia & Pacific       Frid: South America       Sat: Central & North America 
  
Jesus, today, Friday,  please bless the people of South America

And join me praying for prisoners in one part of China each day of the month:

On this 18th of the month,  Jesus please bless the prisoners of Shandong

1 Kings 12-16:

After Solomon died, his son Rehoboam became king. The people asked Rehoboam not to be harsh like Solomon who had imposed heavy taxes and enforced labor 

Rehoboam asked the elders for advice. They said "Treat the people kindly and they will serve you."

Rehoboam asked his peers for advice. They said "Treat the people more harshly than your father."

Rehoboam accepted the advice of his peers. Therefore the people of Israel rejected him as king.

Dear God, please help leaders have good advisers, and be kind to their people

Psalm 118:

Give thanks to the Lord for he is good. His love has no end.

Let those who honor the Lord say: "His love has no end."

The Lord is my strength and my song. He is my saviour.

The stone which the builders rejected has become the corner stone.

This is the work of the Lord,
a marvel in our eyes.

This day was made by the Lord.
We rejoice and are glad.

Reflection: 
Jesus was a "rejected stone" who became a "corner stone".
Here are 50 other people who became successful after being rejected.

Lord, thank you for the times when "failure has been the mother of success"

Acts 1:

On the day he was taken up to heaven, Jesus said to his apostles "You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you. Then you will be my witnesses in every part of the world". 

As he said this, he was lifted up while they watched. A cloud took him from their sight

Then two angels appeared to them and said "Jesus who has been taken up from you, will come back some day in the same way as you have seen him leave"

Jesus, help me be your witness by the way I think and speak and live

Matthew 12:

On another Sabbath Jesus visited a prayer hall. A man with a withered hand was in the hall. Some religious leaders asked Jesus, to trap him, "Is it lawful to heal a man on the Sabbath day?"
(The leaders taught that no "work" could be done on the Sabbath).

Jesus replied: "If one of your sheep fell down a hole on the Sabbath, wouldn't you lift it out?

A person is more important than a sheep. Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath."

Then Jesus said to the man with the withered hand "Stretch out your hand". He stretched it out. It was healed.

The religious leaders left the prayer hall and began plotting how to get rid of Jesus.

Jesus, please stop bad religious leaders from misleading people

Secret path for Chinese on property buying spree

Hamas and Israel step up cyber battle for hearts and minds

223: Time governs spaces, illumines them and makes them links in a constantly expanding chain, with no possibility of return.

 What we need, then, is to give priority to actions which generate new processes in society and engage other persons and groups who can develop them to the point where they bear fruit in significant historical events.

 Without anxiety, but with clear convictions and tenacity.

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

This website's Hong Kong file
(encouraging local drug addicts to come off drugs)

Please join me in praying for one part of the world each day of the week:

Sun: Africa        Mon: Europe & Russia     Tues: South Asia      Wed: East Asia  
Thurs: S.E. Asia & Pacific       Frid: South America       Sat: Central & North America 
  
Jesus, today, Thursday,  please bless the people of South East Asia

And in praying for prisoners in one part of China each day of the month:

On this 17th of the month,  Jesus please bless the prisoners of Shaanxi

1 Kings 11:

Solomon had 700 wives and 300 concubines. Many of these women were foreigners.

As Solomon grew old, his foreign women swayed his heart to allow the worship of foreign idols.

This displeased the Lord and led to the breakup of Solomon's kingdom.

Solomon was king for 40 years and then died.

Dear Lord, please help us reject anything contrary to your message

Psalm 117:

O Praise the Lord, all you nations.
Acclaim him, all you peoples!

Strong is his love for us.
He is faithful for ever.

Reflection: 
One of my favourite psalms - on the cover of Old Testament Simple Bible in English and in Chinese. Also on my anniversary card of 1998

Prayer: 
May all nations love and praise you, Lord

Acts 1:

Dear Friend of God, in my first book (the Gospel of Luke) I wrote about everything Jesus did until the day he was taken up to heaven

For 40 days after his death, he appeared to his apostles many times, and taught them about the kingdom of God

He told them to stay in Jerusalem and wait for what the Father had promised: "You will soon be baptized with the Holy Spirit"

Jesus, please baptize me with the Holy Spirit. Holy Spirit, please  increase your influence in my life

Matthew 12:

One Sabbath day Jesus and his disciples were walking through a cornfield.  The disciples were hungry. They picked some ears of corn and ate them.

Picking corn on the Sabbath was regarded as unlawful by the Pharisees.  So the Pharisees said to Jesus "Your disciples are breaking the Sabbath law".

Jesus replied "Don't you remember what David and his followers once did when they were hungry? They ate the Temple bread which only the priests were allowed to eat.

Go and learn the meaning  of these words 'What I want is mercy, not superficial external offerings'.

I am Master of the Sabbath."

Jesus, Master of the Sabbath, please help me understand that love is more important than law.

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

Vatican 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
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This website's 
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