Islam File    The New Translation

"Same-sex marriage" file

Last Saturday night's Easter Vigil - more photos here
   

Pope's prayers at Good Friday Stations of Cross - powerful!

O Cross of Christ, today too we see you raised up in our sisters and brothers killed, burned alive, throats slit and decapitated by barbarous blades amid cowardly silence.

O Cross of Christ, today too we see you in volunteers who generously assist those in need and the downtrodden.

Judith 2-4

Nebuchadnezzar summoned his top general Holofernes and gave him a huge army to punish the nations that had not joined him for the war against Arphaxad.

Nation after nation, people after people, fell to the sword of Holofernes.

Some places  made peace with Holofernes by giving him all their possessions and then becoming slaves of Nebuchadnezzar, worshipping Nebuchadnezzar as a god.

As the army of Holofernes approached Israel, the Israelites fasted and  prayed to God for help.
They also blocked the mountain passes to delay Holofernes' advance.

Dear God, please help nations
which have been invaded by other nations

Psalm 137

By the rivers of Babylon we sat and cried, remembering Zion. On the poplars that grew there we hung up our harps.

For it was there that they asked us, our captors, for songs. "Sing to us", they said, "one of Zion's songs".

O how could we sing the song of the Lord on alien soil? If I forget you, Jerusalem, let my right hand wither.

O let my tongue cleave to my mouth if I remember you not, Jerusalem, above all my joys.

Lord, please help  people who have been exiled from their homeland

Recording 

Beautiful song based on the above words: (YouTube)
By the Rivers of Babylon 

Galatians 5.13-15

Serve one another in works of love, since the whole of the Law is summed up in the command "Love your neighbor as yourself"

If you go in for non-stop criticism and personal attacks, you will destroy the church community

Jesus, help me avoid unfair/unnecessary criticism of other people

Recording 

Today's Gospel:

John 20.11-18

Peter and John went home. Mary Magdalene remained at the tomb, crying. When she looked inside the tomb, she saw two angels in white. She also saw Jesus standing there, though she did not recognize him

Jesus said "Woman, why are you crying?". Mary thought he was the gardener so she said to him "If you have taken him away, tell me where you have put him"

Jesus said "Mary" and she recognized him. Jesus then said "I will ascend to my Father"

Mary went and told the disciples all she had seen and heard

Jesus, please bless people who are crying at funerals today. May awareness of your presence bring them peace and strength for the days ahead

Recording  

“We have carried out this attack to target the Christians who were celebrating Easter"

'Hard to watch' - Afghans react to Australian film aimed at deterring asylum seekers

A grandmother with cancer

 We are an Easter people

266 (c): Unless we see Jesus present at the heart of our missionary commitment, our enthusiasm soon wanes and we are no longer sure of what it is that we are handing on; we lack vigour and passion.

A person who is not convinced, enthusiastic, certain and in love, will convince nobody

This letter is so important, I'm going to read it again, one item a day, hoping I can understand it better and put it into practice a bit more. Please join me in the re-reading

1. “LAUDATO SI’, mi’ Signore” – “Praise be to you, my Lord”. In the words of this beautiful canticle, Saint Francis of Assisi reminds us that our common home, the earth, is like a sister with whom we share our life and a beautiful mother who opens her arms to embrace us. “Praise be to you, my Lord, through our Sister, Mother Earth, who sustains and governs us, and who produces various fruit with coloured flowers and herbs”.

Last Saturday morning I joined a group of very special people at McDonald's Next in Admiralty on HK Island, to discuss the formation of a new group to help poor people. Since the group hopes to support other groups and help people make contact with other groups, one man suggested the group is sort of working underground .... supporting those above the ground....so...a good name would be "Earth Worms". Just as he said this, the McDonald's computer projected a new image to its screen in this newest McDs in HK:  a cartoon with dozens of .... worms!  God's way of saying the formation of this group is a good idea!

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 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 pacify Boko Haram 

Letters from (mainly African) inmates in Hong Kong prisons - and other drug trafficking items:   2016

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

Islam File    The New Translation

"Same-sex marriage" file

 Documentary:
 Lake Turkana in Kenya 

- where human civilization began
- where climate change and human action are destroying nature

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

Pope gives Easter message of hope after bleak week

(246) God of love, show us our place in this world as channels of your love for all the creatures of this earth, for not one of them is forgotten in your sight.

Enlighten those who possess power and money that they may avoid the sin of indifference, that they may love the common good, advance the weak, and care for this world in which we live.

 The poor and the earth are crying out. O Lord, seize us with your power and light, help us to protect all life, to prepare for a better future, for the coming of your Kingdom of justice, peace, love and beauty.
Praise be to you! Amen.     

This is the final article from Laudato Si. Now what? I think it's just like the Bible: I need to keep on reading it! So, tomorrow, let's go back to the very first article ... hoping to understand it better, and trying harder to put its ideas into practice    

Judith 1

When Nebuchadnezzar was king of the Assyrians, he fought a war with King Arphaxad and his supporting nations.

Nebuchadnezzar sent a message to the nations near Assyria to help him fight Arphaxad.

But the peoples of those places ignored Nebuchadnezzar. They thought victory was beyond him.

But Nebuchadnezzar was in fact victorious and after his victory he set out to punish the nations which had refused his call for help.

Dear God, please help all nations to live in peace with each other

My recording of this reading

Psalm 136

O give thanks to the Lord for he is good, for his great love is without end.

It was his wisdom which made the skies, for his great love is without end.

It was he who made the sun, moon and stars, for his great love is without end.

It was he who rescued and protected his people Israel, for his great love is without end.

He gives food to all living things,
for his great love is without end.

To the God of heaven give thanks, for his great love is without end.

We praise you, Lord, for your great love is without end

Recording 

Galatians 5.1-6

When Christ freed us, he meant us to remain free. Stand firm then and do not return to a life of slavery to Jewish Law

As a Christian, it doesn't matter if you are circumcised or not.
What matters is faith that is put into loving action

Jesus, help people whose lives are being damaged  by unreasonable religious laws

Recording 

Matthew 28.1-15

Jesus died on Friday afternoon.
Early on Sunday morning, two women went to Jesus' tomb.

Suddenly there was a violent earthquake, and an angel from heaven came and rolled away the big stone at the tomb's entrance. The guards at the tomb were terrified of the angel.

The angel said to the women "Do not be afraid. I know you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here. He has risen from the dead. Go and tell his disciples he has risen from the dead and will see them in Galilee".

The women were filled with joy and ran to tell this news to the disciples.

As they left the tomb area, Jesus himself appeared to them and said  "Do not be afraid. Go and tell the disciples they must go to Galilee. They will see me there".

Lord Jesus, by your Cross and Resurrection you have set us free.
You are the Savior of the world

Recording  

   Darlene Starrs (Blogger from Canada)

Recommended by a HK reader

266. It is not the same thing to try to build the world with Jesus' Gospel as to try to do so by our own lights.

 We know well that with Jesus life becomes richer and that with him it is easier to find meaning in everything.  This is why we evangelize. 

A true missionary, who never ceases to be a disciple, knows that Jesus walks with him, speaks to him, breathes with him, works with him.

 He senses Jesus alive with him in the midst of the missionary enterprise. 

10 years ago today

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 28th of the month,  Jesus please bless the prisoners of Bejing

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 ISIS 

Letters from (mainly African) inmates in Hong Kong prisons - and other drug trafficking items:   2016

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

Islam File    The New Translation

"Same-sex marriage" file   

A prayer for our earth      Listen to this prayer

All-powerful God, you are present in the whole universe and in the smallest of your creatures. You embrace with your tenderness all that exists.

Pour out upon us the power of your love, that we may protect life and beauty. Fill us with peace, that we may live as brothers and sisters, harming no one.

O God of the poor, help us to rescue the abandoned and forgotten of this earth, so precious in your eyes.

Bring healing to our lives, that we may protect the world and not prey on it, that we may sow beauty, not pollution and destruction. 

Touch the hearts of those who look only for gain at the expense of the poor and the earth. Teach us to discover the worth of each thing, to be filled with awe and contemplation, to recognize that we are profoundly united with every creature as we journey towards your infinite light.

We thank you for being with us each day. Encourage us, we pray, in our struggle for justice, love and peace.

Brendan Hoban:

The pull of Good Friday

For anyone who believes in Jesus Christ, time stood still on Good Friday and, like Christmas Day, the mood of Good Friday creates in us a need to somehow affirm its importance in our lives.

This is why so many find themselves drawn towards a church on Good Friday. 

Even those whose faith may be uncertain and whose religious practice may have ceased can find themselves in reflective mood on Good Friday.

c.f. readings for Good Friday

Isaiah 52-53

See, my servant will prosper,
he shall be lifted up and exalted.

As the crowds were appalled on seeing him - so disfigured did he look - so will the crowds be astonished at him, for they will see something that has never happened before.

Without beauty, without majesty,  we saw him. He was despised and rejected, a man of sorrows and familiar with suffering. He was despised and we took no account of him.

And yet ours were the sufferings he bore, ours the sorrows he carried. He was pierced through for our faults, crushed for our sins.

On him lies a punishment that brings us peace, and through his wounds we are healed. We had all gone astray like sheep, and the Lord burdened him with our sins.

Harshly dealt with, he bore it humbly, never opening his mouth.

He let himself be taken for a sinner, and all the time he was suffering and praying for sinners.

Jesus, these words refer to you. Thank you for all you suffered to redeem the world.

My recording of this reading   

Psalm 31

Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am in distress. My eyes are full of tears, my heart full of sorrow.

Everyone makes fun of me. My friends don't want to know me.
Save me, Lord, from this mess.

I praise you Lord, for you protect those who trust you. You keep them safe from slander and lies.

Be strong, let your heart take courage, all you who  trust in the Lord

I trust in you, Lord. My life is in your hands

Recording

Hebrews 4

  During his life on earth, Jesus offered up prayer and entreaty, aloud and in silent tears, to the one who had the power to save him out of death, and he submitted so humbly that his prayer was heard.

Although he was Son, he learnt to obey through suffering; but having been made perfect, he became for all who obey him the source of eternal salvation.

Jesus, you are the source of eternal salvation

Recording   

John 19.17-24

Carrying his own crossbeam, Jesus went out of the city to the place called Golgotha, where they crucified him with two other men, one on each side of him

Pilate had the charge against Jesus written out and attached to the top of the cross. It read "Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews"

When the soldiers had finished crucifying Jesus, they divided his clothes among them

Jesus nailed to the Cross, thank you for suffering for the salvation of the world

  Recording  

Late yesterday afternoon at Lai Chi Kok Detention Centre, there was the third annual Holy Thursday Mass for the men of Dayroom 4A (older drug addicts, nearly all of them repeat offenders).
12 men - 12 apostles -  with others looking on, joined me around a table for a simple liturgy that included the washing of feet. No doubt when I next see the men, after they have seen photos of the Pope washing feet, they will again ask me "How come you didn't kiss our feet, like the Pope?" To which I'll give my standard double-meaning answer: "Next time"

????
China to train African MPs

265. Jesus’ whole life, his way of dealing with the poor, his actions, his integrity, his simple daily acts of generosity, and finally his complete self-giving, is precious and reveals the mystery of his divine life.

 Whenever we encounter this anew, we become convinced that it is exactly what others need, even though they may not recognize it: “What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you” 

 Sometimes we lose our enthusiasm for mission because we forget that the Gospel responds to our deepest needs, since we were created for what the Gospel offers us: friendship with Jesus and love of our brothers and sisters. 

10 years ago today

2006-03-25 Visit to all 6 centers by HK North Point friends + weekend meals for migrant
worker families

At yesterday's detention centre Mass (see above), to support the idea that God rescues us from drugs as he rescued the Israelite from Egypt, I used an empty carton which just before Mass had been used to supply oranges for the evening meal. Carton had big sign: Oranges from ... Egypt!

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 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, on this Muslim day of prayer, please bless all Muslims!

Letters from (mainly African) inmates in Hong Kong prisons - and other drug trafficking items:   2016

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

Islam File    The New Translation

"Same-sex marriage" file

246. At the conclusion of this lengthy reflection which has been both joyful and troubling, I propose that we offer two prayers. 

The first we can share with all who believe in a God who is the all-powerful Creator, while in the other we Christians ask for inspiration to take up the commitment to creation set before us by the Gospel of Jesus.

Documentary - “The War on Children: The Comprehensive Sexuality Education Agenda”

"Please watch either the 10-minute version or the 35-minute version of the documentary right now so you can see just how bad this really is. Even though watching the CSE material that is exposed can be disturbing, it is essential for everyone to understand what is being taught to our kids and what we are up against so we can stop it"

I watched the 10-minute version.
The word "evil" is hard to avoid

c.f. readings for Holy Thursday

Exodus 12-13

God said to Moses and Aaron "On the evening of the 14th day of this month, each family must kill and eat a one year old male sheep or goat. Some of its blood must be put on your front door.

You must eat it in a hurry, with a belt round your waist, sandals on your feet, and a staff in your hand.

This night I will go through the land of Egypt and strike every first-born Egyptian

But when I see the blood on your doors, I shall PASS OVER your homes, and you shall be unharmed.

Each year you must remember this night. Each year you must observe this feast of the Passover"

Jesus, Passover Lamb of God, we praise you Lord!

My recording of this reading

Psalm 116

I love the Lord for he has heard the cry of my appeal. He turned his ear to me in the day when I called him.

They surrounded me, sorrow, distress and the snares of death.
I was helpless, so the Lord saved me.

Calm down my soul, for the Lord has been good. I will walk in the presence of the Lord in the land of the living.

How can I repay the Lord for his goodness to me? The cup of salvation I will raise to thank the Lord.

O precious in the eyes of the Lord is the death of his faithful. Lord, you have loosened my bonds. I am your servant.

Jesus, thank you for the cup of salvation that is your Eucharistic Blood 

Recording  

From a reader in Australia:
Stunning Holy Week Processions in Spain

1 Corinthians 11.20-26

Concerning the Lord's Supper, this is what I received from the Lord and then taught you:

On the night he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took some bread, broke it and said "This is my body which will be broken for you"

After supper he took a cup and said "This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Each time you drink this cup, drink it in memory of me"

Until the Lord comes, therefore, each time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you re-enact the death of the Lord

Jesus, help me understand how bread and wine become your body and blood when Christians celebrate the Eucharist

Recording 

Pope to wash feet of refugees, 
some of them not Catholics.

John 13.1-15

While Jesus and his disciples were eating a meal just before the Passover, Jesus got up from the table, removed his outer clothing,  and wrapped a  towel around his waist as an apron

He then poured water into a basin, and like a slave, began to wash the disciples' feet, wiping them with the towel he was wearing

After washing their feet he said to them "You are right in calling me Master and Lord. If I, then, the Lord and Master, have humbly served you, you should humbly serve one another

I have given you an example, so that you may copy what I have done for you"

Jesus, please help us to serve other people humbly, just as you humbly served the disciples

Recording

The report findings have received international media coverage in outlets such as The Guardian, CNN, Wall Street Journal, Forbes and Reuters, for example, as well as regional and local coverage in English and Chinese by Channel News Asia, SCMP, Hong Kong Free Press and Apple Daily. Victoria Wisniewski Otero, our Advocacy and Campaigns Manager, also discussed the findings of the report live on BBC World News.

Over 90 media articles have been published about the findings of our report, and both the Hong Kong and Philippines governments have issued statements in response to it

264. The best incentive for sharing the Gospel comes from contemplating it with love, lingering over its pages and reading it with the heart.

 If we approach it in this way, its beauty will amaze and constantly excite us.

 But if this is to come about, we need to recover a contemplative spirit which can help us to realize ever anew that we have been entrusted with a treasure which makes us more human and helps us to lead a new life.

 (Than this treasure) There is nothing more precious which we can give to others.

- might be just as well if you're going to make mistakes like that

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 24th of the month,  Jesus please bless the prisoners of Inner Mongolia

And praying for one of the world's poorest countries each day of the month:
On this 24th of the month, Jesus please bless the people of Zambia

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

Letters from (mainly African) inmates in Hong Kong prisons - and other drug trafficking items:   2016

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

Islam File    The New Translation

"Same-sex marriage" file

245. God, who calls us to generous commitment and to give him our all, offers us the light and the strength needed to continue on our way. 

In the heart of this world, the Lord of life, who loves us so much, is always present. 

He does not abandon us, he does not leave us alone, for he has united himself definitively to our earth, and his love constantly impels us to find new ways forward.

 Praise be to him!

Record global temperatures shock scientists

Chris McDonnell   (Wed UK blogger)

When a candle is lit

A candle flame can become a still point in a turning world when prayer is difficult and sometimes impossible. 

Psalms 69-70

Save me, O God, for the waters have risen to my neck. I am sinking fast and can't keep afloat much longer.

So many people hate me without cause. I have no more strength to resist them.

May my situation not cause anyone to lose faith in you. May people realize that it is for your sake that I am taunted.

Taunts have broken my heart. No one shows me any compassion. For food they give me poison. In my thirst they give me vinegar to drink.

Lord, do not hide your face from your servant. Answer quickly for I am in distress. You are my rescuer, my help, O God. O Lord, do not delay to help me.

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

Recording   

Matthew 26.14-25 (a) 

Recording   

 Belgian killings - important YouTube background:
Showdown looms in Brussels

New low rent premises for Sham Shui Po restaurant owner who feeds the needy

263. We do well to keep in mind the early Christians and our many brothers and sisters throughout history who were filled with joy, unflagging courage and zeal in proclaiming the Gospel.

 Some people nowadays console themselves by saying that things are not as easy as they used to be, yet we know that the Roman empire was not conducive to the Gospel message, the struggle for justice, or the defence of human dignity. 

Every period of history is marked by the presence of human weakness, self-absorption, complacency and selfishness, to say nothing of the concupiscence which preys upon us all. These things are ever present under one guise or another; they are due to our human limits rather than particular situations.  Let us not say, then, that things are harder today; they are simply different. 

But let us learn also from the saints who have gone before us, who confronted the difficulties of their own day. So I propose that we pause to rediscover some of the reasons which can help us to imitate them today.

10 years ago today

Yesterday as I walked along a local street I saw a coffin being placed in a hearse. Presuming someone had died in a nearby building, I started saying a prayer for the deceased .... but stopped as I walked a little further and saw a shop selling coffins. What I saw was an empty coffin .... though mind you I can't be certain that I'm dead right.

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 23rd of the month,  Jesus please bless the prisoners of Guangxi

And praying for one of the world's poorest countries each day of the month:
On this 23rd of the month, Jesus please bless the people of Djibouti

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

Letters from (mainly African) inmates in Hong Kong prisons - and other drug trafficking items:   2016

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

Letter in Swahili from a Tanzanian inmate in a HK prison for drug trafficking.

Islam File    The New Translation

"Same-sex marriage" file 

244. In the meantime, we come together to take charge of this home which has been entrusted to us, knowing that all the good which exists here will be taken up into the heavenly feast.

 In union with all creatures, we journey through this land seeking God, for “if the world has a beginning and if it has been created, we must enquire who gave it this beginning, and who was its Creator”.[172]

 Let us sing as we go. May our struggles and our concern for this planet never take away the joy of our hope.   

Letter in English from a South African inmate in a HK prison, charged with drug trafficking. I hope letters like these letters will help stem the flow of South Africans bringing drugs to Hong Kong.

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   

'Living in hell' - Mentally ill people in Indonesia chained and confined

262  Spirit-filled evangelizers are evangelizers who pray and work.

 Mystical notions without a solid social and missionary outreach are of no help to evangelization, nor are dissertations or social or pastoral practices which lack a spirituality which can change hearts.

 These unilateral and incomplete proposals only reach a few groups and prove incapable of radiating beyond them because they curtail the Gospel. 

What is needed is the ability to cultivate an interior space which can give a Christian meaning to commitment and activity. 

Without prolonged moments of adoration, of prayerful encounter with the word, of sincere conversation with the Lord, our work easily becomes meaningless; we lose energy as a result of weariness and difficulties, and our fervour dies out.

Mr. and Mrs. Greenberg go out to see My Fair Lady on stage. This is the most sold out show of the year, and scalpers are retiring on this one.
 Somehow, they've lucked into front row seats. But they notice that in the row behind them, there's an empty seat. When intermission comes and no one has sat in that seat, Mrs. Greenberg turns to the woman sitting next to it and asks, "Pardon me, but this is such a sold out show, and in such demand. We were wondering why that seat is empty."
 The woman says, "That's my late husband's seat."
 Mrs. Greenberg is horrified and apologizes for being so insensitive.
But a few minutes later, she turns around again.
 "Without meaning to be rude or anything, this is an incredibly hard show to get into. Surely you must have a friend or a relative who would have wanted to come and see the show?"
 The woman nods, but explains, "They're all at the funeral."

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

And praying for one of the world's poorest countries each day of the month:
On this 22nd of the month, Jesus please bless the people of Rwanda

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

Letters from (mainly African) inmates in Hong Kong prisons - and other drug trafficking items:   2016

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

Islam File    The New Translation

"Same-sex marriage" file

243. At the end, we will find ourselves face to face with the infinite beauty of God (cf. 1 Cor 13:12), and be able to read with admiration and happiness the mystery of the universe, which with us will share in unending plenitude.

 Even now we are journeying towards the sabbath of eternity, the new Jerusalem, towards our common home in heaven.

 Jesus says: “I make all things new” (Rev 21:5). Eternal life will be a shared experience of awe, in which each creature, resplendently transfigured, will take its rightful place.

"Only a fool says there is no God" 
 (Psalm 14)

Last Friday as I waited for the door of Lai Chi Kok Detention Centre's Religious Room to be unlocked before the weekly prayer service, I watched some feathered jail birds, sparrows, at work - flying in and out through the cage wire, surveying the best location for their nest. 

And I thought to myself how could anyone say that the Universe "just happened" and was not programmed by a unbelievably brilliant Mind? May the tiny birds of our planet remind us of our Creator!

c.f. readings for Monday of Holy Week.
These readings apply to Jesus 

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   

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   

   Darlene Starrs (Blogger from Canada)

Worth re-reading on first anniversary of Lee Kwan Yew:
Self-reliance is possible. Tanzania can learn from Singapore
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?"

Defiant young Hong Kongers are bound to resist Beijing’s meddling and demand independence

261. Whenever we say that something is “spirited”, it usually refers to some interior impulse which encourages, motivates, nourishes and gives meaning to our individual and communal activity.

 Spirit-filled evangelization is not the same as a set of tasks dutifully carried out despite one’s own personal inclinations and wishes.

 How I long to find the right words to stir up enthusiasm for a new chapter of evangelization full of fervour, joy, generosity, courage, boundless love and attraction! 

Yet I realize that no words of encouragement will be enough unless the fire of the Holy Spirit burns in our hearts.

 A spirit-filled evangelization is one guided by the Holy Spirit, for he is the soul of the Church called to proclaim the Gospel. Before offering some spiritual motivations and suggestions, I once more invoke the Holy Spirit. I implore him to come and renew the Church, to stir and impel her to go forth boldly to evangelize all peoples.

10 years ago today

Last Friday night when I visited an African inmate in a local hospital, I saw that she had been shaved bald (for medical purposes in her fight against Stage 4 cancer). But the air conditioning in her cell was very cold ...so she faced the risk of a head cold ....and needed a beanie to protect her head. When I left her, I visited Christine (see top of today's menu) who at that stage was in an open ward of the same hospital (before returning to her nursing home). Just then visiting Christine was a local Chinese woman ...who had kindly brought Christine a present - a beanie. But Christine already had a head covering (hat) so Christine and the kind local lady agreed the beanie could be given to Dorothy. Providence faster than Amazon!

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

And praying for one of the world's poorest countries each day of the month:
On this 21st of the month, Jesus please bless the people of Benin

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

Letters from (mainly African) inmates in Hong Kong prisons - and other drug trafficking items:   2016

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