My Islam File        Muslim map of world

Photo (at top right) of Pope Francis washing prison inmates' feet has inspired many people. Before Easter two years ago I imitated the Pope by washing the feet of HK inmates. But when one inmate asked "after washing our feet, why don't you kiss our feet, like the Pope?", I replied "next time". 
Well, on Thursday of this week, while the Pope is washing and kissing more inmates' feet in Rome, I hope to wash some feet at Lai Chi Kok Detention Centre ...hoping no one remembers what I said last time about "next time"!

May I invite you to read this beautiful article by the late Brian Lewis:

The Ten Commandments
It can never be morally good to be unloving or dishonest or unjust or disrespectful of others in their persons or in their possessions. These formal laws are therefore absolutes. So we can and should use them in our teaching and preaching and discussions about morality without fear of contradiction, in order to motivate one another and our children to be morally good in so many different ways

From a reader in Canada: "Please watch this video about Brussels soon to be a Muslim city with Sharia Law": 
Showdown looms in Brussels
- report from US CBN News

Now there is a group of ex-Muslims in Belgium who are trying to stop the Islamisation of Belgium:

Who are we & what do we believe?

Testimony of a former Muslim

Background 

c.f. readings for Tues of Holy Week

Isaiah 46-49

The Lord called me before I was born. From my mother's womb he knew my name.

While I was thinking that I had toiled in vain, all the while my cause was with the Lord.

The Lord who formed me in the womb and assigned me to rescue his people, that same Lord  said to me:

'I will make you the light of the nations, so that my salvation will reach to the ends of the earth"

Jesus, please help me understand how these words refer to you

Psalm 71

In you, O Lord, I take refuge. Please hear me and help me.

Be a rock where I can take refuge.
Rescue me from people who want to hurt me.

It is you, O Lord, who are my hope. In you I have trusted since I was young.

From my mother's womb you have been my help. My hope has always been in you.

Now that I am old, please do not forget me. Now that my strength fails, do not abandon me.

To you I will sing with the harp.
All day long my tongue will tell of your goodness to me.

Jesus, please help me understand how these words refer to you

Recording

Acclamation

Recording

Recommended: check these readings early morning, think about them during the day, check them again at night. This habit gives us extra energy, courage, motivation, peace and compassion for each day

 John 13.21-30

Jesus became visibly upset and said to his disciples at the meal
"One of you is going to betray me. It is the one to whom I give a piece of bread  that I have dipped in the dish"

He dipped the piece of bread and gave it to Judas Iscariot. Immediately, Satan entered Judas

Jesus said to Judas "What you are going to do, do quickly". Judas left the meal. Night had fallen

Jesus, please don't let me ever be disloyal to you

Recording

 Full-page petition calls for academic freedom in HK

Burundi’s Catholic Archbishop steps in as leader attempts an unconstitutional third five-year term.

China losing battle against extremist Islamic teachings

China outsmarts US on Asia bank

My weekly article in today's Ming Pao newspaper
with the topic: Easter and Ching Ming ... just a holiday?
is on Ming Pao website - click "Australian in HK".
Free access to article with recording today from about noon to 8pm HK time. Text without recording 

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 South Asia

And praying for prisoners in one part of China each day of the month:
On this 31st of the month,  Jesus please bless the prisoners of Tianjin

And praying for one of the world's poorest countries each day of the month:
On this 31st of the month, Jesus please bless the people of Nepal

And praying for one Islam-related intention each day of the week:
Jesus, please pacify Boko Haram 

Police arrest 44 in Kowloon West triad bust

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 HK Asylum Seekers' File
(stopping South Asians from being "people smuggled" to HK)

March 30
Monday of Holy Week

Not by design, three items on today's menu just happen to have the same theme:
male religious leaders have got it wrong about the role of women!
- Women in Islam (at right)
- The reform of Francis (below)
- The Vatican acts .... (below)

YouTube:  Women in Islam

* "women are more disobedient and less intelligent that men"

* a man may have 4 wives

* a man may beat his wife

 * a woman's inheritance & witness are half that of a man

* a wife is like a field, to be ploughed whenever a man wants 

* a man may divorce his wife at any time and without any reason by just saying 3 times "I divorce you"

* most Muslim women have no idea that the above ideas are in the Quran

c.f. readings for Monday of Holy Week

Isaiah 42

Here is my servant whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom my soul delights.

I have endowed him with my spirit
that he may bring true justice to the nations.

He does not cry out or shout aloud. He does not extinguish the wavering flame.

I have called him to serve the cause of right, to open the eyes of the blind, to free captives from prison.

Jesus, Servant of the Father, you are the Saviour of the world

My recording of this reading

Psalm 27

The Lord is my light and my help, whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life, before whom shall I shrink? Though an army encamp against me, even then would I trust.

There is one thing I ask of the Lord, for this I long: to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life.

It is your face, O Lord, that I seek. Hide not your face. I am sure I will see your goodness in the land of the living.

Hope in the Lord, hold firm and take heart. Hope in the Lord!

Jesus, may we pray this psalm in time of trial, just as you did

Recording

Acclamation

Recording

Today's Gospel:

John 12.1-8

Six days before the Passover, Jesus went to Bethany, for a dinner at the home of Lazarus, Mary and Martha

Mary put expensive ointment on Jesus' feet. Then she wiped his feet with her hair

Judas Iscariot, the disciple who was going to betray Jesus, said "Why wasn't this ointment sold and the money given to the poor?"

He said this not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief. He was in charge of the moneybag and would steal from it

Jesus replied "Leave her alone. She is anticipating and honoring my burial. Besides, the poor will always be with you. But I will soon be gone"

Jesus, may we "anoint your feet" by serving the poor

Recording

The reform of Pope Francis
It’s this lack of his understanding and vision for the Women, this vacancy, that prevents Pope Francis from being the ultimate reformer of the Universal Roman Catholic Church and it is because of this vacancy, that the R.C. Church will struggle and continue to struggle to be created anew!

 Middle East Time Bomb:  The Real Aim of ISIS Is to Replace the Saud Family as the New Emirs of Arabia   (what an important article!)

Tim Winton's Palm Sunday plea: Start the soul-searching Australia
To those in power who say they're exiling and caging children for their own good, I say we've heard that nonsense before. So, don't do it in my name

Lee Kwan Yew will be remembered as the man who transformed the tiny Asian country into one of the wealthiest and least corrupt nations

"Let’s face it: It is not lack of knowledge that drags us down but lack of commitment. It is our greed that holds us back when we should be flying high. As things stand, it is a case of everyone is for themselves and no one for us all. This is more so for those who hold privileged positions in government, public and private institutions and even in non-governmental organisations and community-based organisations. Had the Singaporean leader been greedy, his country would not have achieved the level of development it enjoys today. Singapore has been independent for just about the same time as Tanzania, so how come they are developed and we are not?"

Concluding pages (532 - 539) of a powerful book: 
atomic bombs were not necessary and did not cause Japan to surrender early

              

An excellent book to read as the 70th anniversaries come closer (Aug 6 and Aug 9)

 I hope Paul Ham will write future books with the titles "Iraq", "Afghanistan" etc - to show how the US military has continued since 1945 to have an excessive and disastrous influence on US foreign policy

Smile (if you are a woman) - from "Women in Islam" video at top of today's menu:

- in the UK ((and in many other places!)), girls/women outperform boys/men academically
- 70% of all university graduates in the UK are women

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 Europe & Russia

And praying for prisoners in one part of China each day of the month:
On this 30th of the month,  Jesus please bless the prisoners of Shanghai

And praying for one of the world's poorest countries each day of the month:
On this 30th of the month, Jesus please bless the people of Haiti

And praying for one Islam-related intention each day of the week:
Jesus, please pacify ISIS 

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 HK Asylum Seekers' File
(stopping South Asians from being "people smuggled" to HK)

My Islam File     Muslim map of world

A V.I.P. article - everyone needs to know the information contained in this article:
Wahhabism in Southeast Asia

Wahhabi ideology aggressively exported by Saudi Arabia is the single biggest cause of extremism in the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand 

c.f. Readings for Palm Sunday

Isaiah 50

The Lord has opened my ear to hear his message. The Lord has given me words to proclaim his message.

For my part, I made no resistance,
neither did I turn away.

I offered my back to those who struck me, my cheeks to those who tore at my beard.

I did not protect my face from insult and spittle.

I set my face like flint.
The Lord will help me.

Jesus, please help me understand how these words refer to you

My recording of this reading

Psalm 22
(Many things in this psalm happened to Jesus when he was put to death.  This psalm prophesizes Jesus' death)

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Everyone who sees me makes fun of me.

They taunt  me: "He trusted in the Lord, why doesn't the Lord help him?"

Many evil people attack me. They make holes in my hands and my feet. They await my death.

They divide my clothing among them, they throw a dice for my robe.

Yet I know Lord, that  you are good and holy. I know how you heard the cries of our ancestors and you helped them.

Even now I praise you as my Creator. May all the nations know and worship you.

Jesus, please help me understand how these words refer to you

Recording

Philippians 2.6-11

O Lord, unite us in your love
and keep our minds in you

Though you were God in state divine, you did not cling to what you were. No, you shed your glory's shine, so as to live just like a slave

O Lord, unite us in your love
and keep our minds in you

You came on earth in human form
and you shared our troubled life.
A humbler man there never was,
even in death obedient

Yes, Lord, death upon a cross,
yes, upon a cross

Therefore are you raised on high
and you have the name of names.
At that name should bend the knee
and tongue confess:  Jesus Christ is LORD. And tongue confess that Jesus Christ is LORD. And tongue confess that Jesus Christ is LORD.
To the glory of God the Father

Recording:
The Philippians Hymn

Mark 11.1-11

Jesus sat on a donkey colt for the trip down the hill from the Mount of Olives into the city of Jerusalem

Big crowds accompanied Jesus down the hill. People spread their clothes on the road as a sign of honor.

People cut branches from the trees and waved them singing "Hosanna to the Son of David. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.  Hosanna in the highest!"

Jesus, Son of David, blessed are you who come in the name of the Lord!

Recording

 Raif Badawi tells of flogging ordeal in letter from Saudi prison

You Can't Understand ISIS If You Don't Know the History of Wahhabism in Saudi Arabia

Al-Shabaab trying to establish a stronghold in Tanzania and Ethiopia

What started as a civil war has become internationalized with the presence of the so-called Islamic State group and its opponents joining the fray

10 years ago
 today

2005-03-29 HK PIME friends Bruna, Sandra, Teresa, Mrs Au - at CAS & Ricci. Also at Ricci - "A-Kau" and friends + "A-Fat" + Joe & Nancy &
Mr Chu

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 praying for prisoners in one part of China each day of the month:
On this 29th of the month,  Jesus please bless the prisoners of Chongqing

And praying for one of the world's poorest countries each day of the month:
On this 29th of the month, Jesus please bless the people of Mauritania

And praying for one Islam-related intention each day of the week:
Jesus, please bless all Muslims in my own country 

HK police find drugs hidden in plastic toys

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 HK Asylum Seekers' File
(stopping South Asians from being "people smuggled" to HK)

My Islam File      Muslim map of world

Pope greets homeless in Sistine Chapel- "this is your home"

Pope Francis made a surprise visit to greet 150 homeless people who were given a special tour of the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican Museums Thursday by the papal charitable office. It was a brief, affectionate and emotional encounter     

YouTube with Jay Smith:
 - many important facts 
 - well worthy watching 

1: Textual Integrity of Bible and Quran

2: Examining Manuscript Evidence of Quran and Bible 

Yesterday a refugee Muslim inmate asked me to find info for him about Tipu Sultan. I'd never heard of TS but as I printed out this article from Wikipedia I was sad to read how how TS slaughtered Hindus and Christians

Lamentations 1-5

The roads to Zion are in mourning. No one comes to her festivals now. Jerusalem is a captured city, a city of ruins.

All you who pass this way, look and see. Is there any sorrow like mine?

My eyes are wasted away from crying as I see children dying of starvation.

Yet deep in my heart there is hope that the Lord will rescue us from this calamity which our sins have caused.

The favors of the Lord are not just something of the past. His kindness is for the present, even in times of despair.

Every morning there are signs of his kindness, and so I will continue to hope in him for help.

Lord, forgive us for abandoning you. Do not abandon us.

Lord, especially when I'm in trouble, please help me to keep trusting in you for help

My recording of this reading

Psalm 90

O Lord you have been our refuge 
from one generation to the next.

Before the earth or the world existed, you are God, without beginning or end.

For you, a thousand years are like yesterday, come and gone so quickly.

We humans have a short life, our life is over like a sigh.

Our span is 70 years, or 80 for those who are strong.

Make us know the shortness of our life, that we may gain wisdom of heart.

In the morning, fill us with your love. Give success to the work of our hands.

Lord, help us realize the shortness of our life, that we may live our lives more wisely

Recording

1 Thessalonians 3.11-13

May God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ make it easy for us to visit you again

May the Lord be generous in increasing your love, and make you love one another and the whole human race as much as we love you

May the Lord so confirm your hearts in holiness, that you may be blameless in the sight of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus Christ comes with all his saints

Jesus, please increase my love for the whole human race

Recording

Luke 22.47-53

While Jesus was  speaking, a group of men arrived, led by Judas.

One of Jesus' apostles used his sword to cut off the right ear of one of the men sent to arrest Jesus

Jesus told his apostles not to use their swords. Then touching the man's ear, he healed him

Jesus said to the men arresting him "This is your hour. This is the reign of darkness"

Jesus, you gave up your freedom for our salvation. 

Recording

Click to enlarge

Jewish-Chinese joke:
These two Jewish men are sitting in a wonderful deli frequented almost exclusively by Jews in the Jewish section of town. They are talking among themselves in Yiddish. A Chinese waiter comes up and in fluent and impeccable Yiddish asks them if everything is okay, can he get them anything, and so forth. The Jewish men are dumbfounded. "Where did he learn such perfect Yiddish?" they both think. After they pay the bill they ask the manager of the store, an old friend also fluent in Yiddish, "Where did your waiter learn such fabulous Yiddish?" The owner looks around and leans in so no one will hear and says, "Shhhh. He thinks we're teaching him English."

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 Central & North America

And praying for prisoners in one part of China each day of the month:
On this 28th of the month,  Jesus please bless the prisoners of Beijing

And praying for one of the world's poorest countries each day of the month:
On this 28th of the month, Jesus please bless the people of Lesotho

And praying for one Islam-related intention each day of the week:
Jesus, please pacify the Taliban

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 HK Asylum Seekers' File
(stopping South Asians from being "people smuggled" to HK)

My Islam File     Muslim map of world

In my study of Islam, I recently learnt that not many Muslims have read the whole Quran in their own language. Most have memorised it in Arabic ...and don't understand what they have memorised. 
Most Muslims are not aware that the Quran has more than 100  references about using violence towards non-Muslims ....that Islam is far from "a religion of peace"

Malaysia’s Sultans Deny Blocking harsh Islamic law

Hudud, as the seventh-century criminal code is called, would include amputation of limbs for theft, death by stoning for adultery by married individuals, and death by crucifixion for assault and robbery, among other punishments

Fridays of Lent: 

Prayer before a Crucifix

The Jesus Stabat Mater

Jeremiah 46-52

Jeremiah predicted that the powerful nations involved in  Israel's capture would all fall:

the Egyptians, the Philistines, the Moabites, the Ammonites,
the Babylonians and others.

Jeremiah also reminded Israel to rely on the help of the Lord
more than the help of other nations:

"Our redeemer is strong. The Lord is his name. He will bring peace to the world".

Lord, help us to rely on you more than on human help

My recording of this reading

Psalm 89

I will sing for ever of your love, O Lord. Of this I am sure, that your love lasts for ever.

The heavens proclaim your wonders, O Lord. The heavens are yours, the world is yours.

Blessed the people who find joy in you, who walk, O Lord, in the light of your face.

Thank you, Lord, for our beautiful world

Recording

`

1 Thessalonians 2.13-16

As soon as you heard the Good News, you accepted it as God's message and not just some human thinking

This message is still a living power among you

For the sake of the Good News, you have been badly treated by your own countrymen, just as Christians in Judea have been badly treated by the Jews

The Jews have been persecuting us and hindering us from spreading the Good News

Jesus, please help people who are being hindered from spreading the message of your love

Recording

Luke 22.39-46

After the Passover meal, Jesus and his disciples went to the Mount of Olives. Jesus said to them "Pray for protection in time of trial"

Then he went apart by himself, about 40 meters away,  knelt down and prayed "Father, save me from this time of trial. But let your will, not mine, be done"

An angel from heaven appeared to him to give him strength. His agony was so great that his sweat became drops of blood falling to the ground

When he got up and went to the disciples, he found them sleeping - so overcome were they with sorrow 

Jesus, please help me to pray "not my will, but yours be done"

Recording

What sort of world will 
future generations inherit?

Almost all other issues are superficial by comparison to soil loss. So why don’t we talk about it?

Cardinal rebukes 500 priests for going to the press with call to resist change to church teaching

10 years ago today

2005-03-26,27  Easter activities at Zhaoqing Ricci Centre. Thank you HK Caritas team & local university students

Jewish joke:
A good, old American Jew felt the death is close and asked his sons to take him to the Holy Land, to die there and be buried in Jerusalem.
 The loving sons did as he asked, brought him to Jerusalem, put him in a hospital and waited for death to come. However, once in Jerusalem the old man felt better and better and in some weeks was again strong, healthy and full of life. He called upon his sons and told them: " Take me quickly back to the United States."
 The sons were somehow disappointed and asked: "Father how come? You said you want to die in the Holy Land and be buried in Jerusalem!'
 "Yes," answered the father, to die it's OK but to live here....!?"

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 praying for prisoners in one part of China each day of the month:
On this 27th of the month,  Jesus please bless the prisoners of Tibet

And praying for one of the world's poorest countries each day of the month:
On this 27th of the month, Jesus please bless the people of Uganda

And praying for one Islam-related intention each day of the week:
Jesus, on this Muslim day of prayer, please bless all Muslims!

New letter in Swahili from a Tanzanian inmate in a HK prison:
- a drug trafficker names and shames his Drug Lord, Kiboko, and asks the authorities to arrest Kiboko in Tanzania

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 HK Asylum Seekers' File
(stopping South Asians from being "people smuggled" to HK)

My Islam File     Muslim map of world

John Allen:
The ‘African moment’ in global Catholicism gathers steam

The Catholic Church in Africa aspires to a leadership role across the continent, in politics, in conflict resolution, in environmental protection -- basically in everything     

The failure of the New Missal

When Pope Francis celebrates the  Eucharist, he prays at the words of institution that “the Blood of the new and eternal covenant – will be poured out for you and for all.” So do all the bishops and priests of Italy; so do all the bishops and priests in Germany. And yet in the English-speaking world, we pray “for many”. 
(I have always used "for all", not "for many" -  see my file:
 The New Translation)

Recommended by a reader:
A Game as Old as Empire: The Secret World of Economic Hit Men and the Web of Global Corruption

They funnel money from the World Bank, USAID, and other foreign aid organizations into the coffers of huge corporations and  a few wealthy families who control the planet's natural resources. Their tools include fraudulent financial reports, rigged elections, payoffs, extortion, sex, and murder

Jeremiah 37-45

Jeremiah was arrested and put into a muddy well to die. But a good official persuaded the king to free Jeremiah.

When the Chaldaeans captured Jerusalem, they sent many people to Babylon as exiles.

Jeremiah was spared from exile and he kept trying to get the people to accept defeat as God had told them.

But most of the people would not listen to Jeremiah, even though all his prophecies about defeat had come true.

God protected the good officials who had helped Jeremiah.

Lord, please help government leaders be good, like the good officials who helped Jeremiah.

My recording of this reading

Psalm 88

Lord my God, day and night I call to you for help. Please turn your ear to my cry.

For my soul is filled with evils.
My life is on the brink of the grave.

I am reckoned as one in the tomb.
I have reached the end of my strength.

Will your love be told in the grave? Will your wonders be known in the dark? 

Fear surrounds  me like a flood.

All my friends have deserted me.
My only companion is darkness.

Lord, please help people who are in despair

Recording

1 Thessalonians 1.7 - 2.12

You are a great example to other believers, since it was from you that the word of the Lord spread to many places

Everyone knows how we planted the Good News in your hearts, and
how you broke with idolatry and became servants of the living God

Let me remind you how we loved and served you, like loving parents caring for their dear children

Jesus, thank you for the people who nurtured me as a Christian

Recording

Luke 22.31-34

Jesus said to the apostle Peter "Satan has got his wish to attack you. But I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail. Once you have recovered from Satan's attack, you in your turn must give strength to others"

Peter said "Lord, I am ready to go to prison with you and to die with you"

Jesus replied "Peter, before the rooster crows,  you will  deny three times that you know me"

Jesus, please strengthen my faith. Please strengthen my faith

Recording

Today at the Vatican!

Pope Francis last Sunday commissioned 400 of Rome’s homeless residents to assist him in distributing a pocket-sized book of the Gospels to faithful who had gathered for his weekly Angelus prayer, saying to receive the Word of God from their hands was a reminder that it is the poor who preach the Gospel to us

HK volunteer Janny Law is trying to help one area's schools - see her photos in this file (Jan 5-7)

The Story of Janny Law

High school dropout rate hits Mulanje
 ...early pregnancies a main reason ..see comments

Nsanje registers 3000 primary school dropouts
Main contributing factors are general poverty, early or prearranged marriages and high HIV and AIDS prevalence rate in the district that is forcing children especially the girl child to attend to sick parents

c.f. Malawi education plan backfires

China has been sending dedicated medical teams to Africa since the 1960s and was one of the first countries to send hundreds of medical workers in response to the current Ebola crisis. It has trained tens of thousands of Africans in all things from agricultural science to economics, and it has built countless miles of roads, pipelines and railways on the continent. 

10 years ago today

2005-03-26,27 Easter activities at Zhaqoing Ricci Centre. Thank you HK Caritas team & local university students

A group of secondary school children were at their Graduation Assembly. Their principal gave a speech about how wonderful it is to read books, since there are many hidden treasures in books. The principal then invited some students to share which book has been the most useful to them.
Anita: the most useful book to me has been my dictionary.
Ben: the most useful book has been my maths textbook.
Johnny: the most useful book has been my dad's chequebook      

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 S.E. Asia & Pacific

And praying for prisoners in one part of China each day of the month:
On this 26th of the month,  Jesus please bless the prisoners of Xinjiang

And praying for one of the world's poorest countries each day of the month:
On this 26th of the month, Jesus please bless the people of Togo

And praying for one Islam-related intention each day of the week:
Jesus, please pacify Al-Qaeda 

Tanzania MPs want life imprisonment for drug kingpins (... at least one of whom is an MP!)

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 HK Asylum Seekers' File
(stopping South Asians from being "people smuggled" to HK)

My Islam File      Muslim map of world

Homily of Pope John Paul on March 25, 2000
in the Basilica of the Annunciation in Nazareth

Video: Egyptian Muslim boy, blind for two years,  healed through prayer of Coptic priest 
 - notice the reaction of the boy's mother!

c.f. readings for Annunciation

Isaiah 7

A foreign king and his army attacked  Jerusalem. The king of Judah and his people were full of fear.

God told Isaiah to say to the king of Judah: "Keep calm, have no fear.  You will not be defeated.

The Lord himself  gives you a sign of his protection: a maiden is with child and will give birth to a son
whom she will call God-with-us."

Lord,  please help me understand how you are God-with-me every day

Psalm 40

Recording

Luke 1.26-38 (a)

In the sixth month of Elizabeth's pregnancy, God sent the angel
Gabriel to the town of Nazareth in Galilee, to a virgin named Mary who was betrothed to a man named Joseph

The angel said to her "Mary, Rejoice! You have been greatly blessed by God.  You are to conceive and have a son whom you must name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of God"

Mary said to the angel, "How can this happen since I am a virgin?"

Recording

 YouTube: Gentle Woman

Luke 1.26-38 (b)

The angel replied "The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most High will specially bless you. Know this too: your cousin Elizabeth has, in her old age, conceived a son, and is now in her sixth  month"

"I am the handmaid of the Lord", said Mary, "let what you have said, be done for me". And the angel left her

God the Son, thank you for becoming a baby in Mary's womb

Recording

Chris McDonnell (Wed UK blogger) 

The Beach
Across the Middle East is a continuing story of Christian people whose homes, churches and their very selves are under threat for no other reason than they are Christian

Pope finally gets his pizza – hand-delivered
Pope Francis, who recently lamented he can’t slip out and get a pizza like he used to, finally got a pie, albeit one hand-delivered to his popemobile

The story of Caroline Chisholm who died on this day in Highgate in 1877
- an inspiration for people involved in humanitarian work

Q: What did Mary say to the Holy Spirit on Pentecost Sunday?
A: Not you again?!

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, Wednesday,  please bless the people of East Asia

And praying for prisoners in one part of China each day of the month:
On this 25th of the month,  Jesus please bless the prisoners of Ningxia

And praying for one of the world's poorest countries each day of the month:
On this 25th of the month, Jesus please bless the people of Comoros

And praying for one Islam-related intention each day of the week:
Jesus, please pacify Al Shabaab 

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 HK Asylum Seekers' File
(stopping South Asians from being "people smuggled" to HK)

Pope Francis:
Thank you Holy Spirit

Inspiring photos:

Link
Link		Links 01  02	Link
Link	Link		Link
Link	Link		Link
Link	Link

Newness, harmony, mission

Engagements of Pope Francis

Zenit.org - reports from Rome

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

This website tries to stop "tanks"
(war, global warming, exploitation of the poor, globalisation of indifference, liturgical "reform of the reform" & other anti-Vatican II forces etc)

  Weekly Archive  of main page menus

Previous archives 
2013  2012  2011 2010  2009  2008

Previous Bible Blogs of this website

Previous Smiles file

John W: Previous Daily Blogs

The unjust treatment
 of Bishop Bill Morris

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

Why are women not being
 ordained to priesthood?   (updated)

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

Imposter Priests
- refusing to pass on the teaching of Francis' The Joy of the Gospel

My Islam File

Political leaders who live(d) a simple life style and care(d) for the poor

HK Democracy File - essential reading

HK Asylum Seekers File

IS (ISIS) File - Essential Reading

Gaza File - essential reading

----------------------------

1998 ICEL Sacramentary

Misguided Missal 

The new translation
Ghastly process/result

Ron Schmit:
 1962 Mass a condemnation of Vat II

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 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

The Last Supper -  Bohdan Piasecki 
(click to enlarge)

Bob Welsh - My Christmas Eve

 A Tale of Two Brains

The Story of Jonah 
as Told by The Cutest Little Girl
(gets even better as it goes along)

YouTube from KLM!

North Africa refugee boat - Link

Abortion Survivor’s Letter
 to the Abortionist

Tribalism lives on, 
for better and for worse

Video: Sydney Peace Prize Lecture by Julian Burnside  

16 Documents of Vatican II

This website's 
Reflections on the 16 documents
 of Vatican II

Be careful of junk reading re Pope:
Chancery report in English
Chancery report in Chinese

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

The evil of compulsory celibacy

Link between compulsory celibacy
 and sexual abuse

"Same-sex marriage": 
two elephants in the men's room     

     Near Death Experiences

Globalisation of Indifference

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John W'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