Come Holy Spirit,
 fall afresh on our world!
Set your seal on my heart!

 To prepare for Pentecost (May 15) 
 let's reflect on the Holy Spirit each day this week: 

^{The seal is a symbol close to that of anointing. "The Father has set his seal" on Christ and also seals us in him. Because this seal indicates the indelible effect of the anointing with the Holy Spirit in the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy Orders, the image of the seal (sphragis) has been used in some theological traditions to express the indelible "character" imprinted by these three unrepeatable sacraments. - CCC 698}

Happy visit to my home yesterday morning by dear Brisbane friends Jan and Kerry - Photos

Yesterday afternoon was spent at a local hospital - visiting inmates and also assisting former inmate Christine (for whom I've been asking prayers as she bravely battles cancer stage 4). Nurses pleased at Christine's surprising progress!

Job 15-17

Eliphaz then said that Job's own words condemned him since he was in fact challenging God.

Job replied that he was sick and tired of listening to his friends' speeches.  He also said he felt death was not far away:

"My breath grows weak, I am ridiculed by everyone, every fiber of my heart is broken.  I have no hope."

Lord, help of the helpless,please help people who feel their situation is hopeless

Psalm 41

Blessed the person who helps the poor and the weak. He himself will be helped by the Lord when he is sick and in trouble.

The Lord will help him on his bed of pain. The Lord will bring him back from sickness to health.

Lord, please help me to do more for the poor

Recording 

Colossians 1.9-14

I pray that you will continue to grow in your Christian life, a life full of good deeds

Never give in when trials come, but bravely, even joyfully, carry your cross each day

Keep on thanking the Father who has rescued us from the power of darkness, and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we gain our freedom, the forgiveness of our sins

Father, thank you for letting me be a Christian. Help me be a good Christian

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 10.11-14

Jesus said to the religious leaders "I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd is one who lays down his life for his sheep

A hired man, since he has no real concern for the sheep, abandons them and runs away if he sees a wolf coming

I am the Good Shepherd. I know my own sheep, and my own sheep know me"

Jesus, Good Shepherd, please help me to be a good sheep, and a good shepherd

Recording 

The Joy of Love - Pope Francis' letter - on love in the family      Full English text

31:   (Recording of 31:) 

The welfare of the family is decisive for the future of the world and that of the Church.

Countless studies have been made of marriage and the family, their current problems and challenges. We do well to focus on concrete realities, since “the call and the demands of the Spirit resound in the events of history”, and through these “the Church can also be guided to a more profound understanding of the inexhaustible mystery of marriage and the family”.⁸

I will not attempt here to present all that might be said about the family today. Nonetheless, because the Synod Fathers examined the situation of families worldwide, I consider it fitting to take up some of their pastoral insights, along with concerns derived from my own experience.

41:   (Recording of 41:) 

In tropical and subtropical seas, we find coral reefs comparable to the great forests on dry land, for they shelter approximately a million species, including fish, crabs, molluscs, sponges and algae. 

Many of the world’s coral reefs are already barren or in a state of constant decline. “Who turned the wonderworld of the seas into underwater cemeteries bereft of colour and life?”[25]

This phenomenon is due largely to pollution which reaches the sea as the result of deforestation, agricultural monocultures, industrial waste and destructive fishing methods, especially those using cyanide and dynamite. It is aggravated by the rise in temperature of the oceans.

All of this helps us to see that every intervention in nature can have consequences which are not immediately evident, and that certain ways of exploiting resources prove costly in terms of degradation which ultimately reaches the ocean bed itself.

009:   (Recording of 009:) 

Goodness always tends to spread. Every authentic experience of truth and goodness seeks by its very nature to grow within us, and any person who has experienced a profound liberation becomes more sensitive to the needs of others. 

As it expands, goodness takes root and develops. If we wish to lead a dignified and fulfilling life, we have to reach out to others and seek their good. “The love of Christ urges us on” (2 Cor 5:14); “Woe to me if I do not proclaim the Gospel” (1 Cor 9:16).

I learned that starting a few weeks ago, prisoners in HK are no longer to be called "inmates" but "persons in custody" - "PICS" - but there's concern in some quarters, because it's hard to pronounce "PICS" without making it sound like "Pigs"!

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 10th of the month, Jesus please bless the prisoners of Hunan

And praying for one of the world's poorest countries each day of the month:
On this 10th of the month, Jesus please bless the people of Guinea

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

To prepare for Pentecost, let's reflect on the Holy Spirit each day this week

Cloud and light. These two images occur together in the manifestations of the Holy Spirit. In the theophanies of the Old Testament, the cloud, now obscure, now luminous, reveals the living and saving God, while veiling the transcendence of his glory - with Moses on Mount Sinai, at the tent of meeting, and during the wandering in the desert, and with Solomon at the dedication of the Temple.

In the Holy Spirit, Christ fulfills these figures. The Spirit comes upon the Virgin Mary and "overshadows" her, so that she might conceive and give birth to Jesus. On the mountain of Transfiguration, the Spirit in the "cloud came and overshadowed" Jesus, Moses and Elijah, Peter, James and John, and "a voice came out of the cloud, saying, 'This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!'"
Finally, the cloud took Jesus out of the sight of the disciples on the day of his ascension and will reveal him as Son of man in glory on the day of his final coming.     - CCC 697

Job 11-14

Zophar then said that Job must still have some secret sins of which he had not repented.

Job sarcastically replied: "No doubt you are the voice of the people and when you die, wisdom will die with you.

I am only too aware that God knows everything. How could I hide anything from him?

God, why do you hide your face?
Why do you look on me as an enemy?"

Dear God,  please give us trust and courage in time of trial

My recording of this reading

Psalm 40

I waited, I waited for the Lord and he stooped down to me. He heard my cry.

He saved me from distress. He put fresh hope into my heart.

How many, O Lord my God, are the times you have helped me.
They are too many for me to describe.

My God, in the depth of my heart I delight in your law. You do not want external offerings. You want my heart.

Lord, I offer you my heart, my love. You deserve all my love

Recording 

Colossians 1.1-6

From Paul, appointed by God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus,  to the Christians in Colossae. Grace and peace to you from God our Father

I always pray for you and give thanks for your faith in Christ Jesus, and the love you show to others because of the hope which is stored up for you in heaven

The Good News is spreading all over the world, bringing blessings to so many people

Jesus, increase my faith, hope and love. Help me  spread the Good News in my corner of the world
Recording 

John 10.1-10

Jesus said to the religious leaders "I am the gate of the sheepfold. If anyone enters the sheepfold by some other means than the gate, that person is a thief

The person who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the flock. The sheep hear his voice as he calls each one by name and leads them out of the sheepfold

When he has brought them out, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come so that people may have life, not just now but for ever"

Jesus, Good Shepherd, please help more and more people hear your voice and follow you

Recording 

   Darlene Starrs (Blogger from Canada)

The Joy of Love - Pope Francis' letter - on love in the family     Full English text

30:  (Recording of 30:)

Every family should look to the icon of the Holy Family of Nazareth. Its daily life had its share of burdens and even nightmares, as when they met with Herod’s implacable violence. This last was an experience that, sad to say, continues to afflict the many refugee families who in our day feel rejected and helpless. 

Like the Magi, our families are invited to contemplate the Child and his Mother, to bow down and worship him (cf. Mt 2:11). Like Mary, they are asked to face their family’s challenges with courage and serenity, in good times and bad, and to keep in their heart the great things which God has done (cf. Lk 2:19, 51) .

The treasury of Mary’s heart also contains the experiences of every family, which she cherishes. For this reason, she can help us understand the meaning of these experiences and to hear the message God wishes to communicate through the life of our families.

40:   (Recording of 40:)

Oceans not only contain the bulk of our planet’s water supply, but also most of the immense variety of living creatures, many of them still unknown to us and threatened for various reasons. 

What is more, marine life in rivers, lakes, seas and oceans, which feeds a great part of the world’s population, is affected by uncontrolled fishing, leading to a drastic depletion of certain species.

Selective forms of fishing which discard much of what they collect, continue unabated. Particularly threatened are marine organisms which we tend to overlook, like some forms of plankton; they represent a significant element in the ocean food chain, and species used for our food ultimately depend on them.

8:   (Recording of 8:)

Thanks to this encounter with God’s love, which blossoms into an enriching friendship, we are liberated from our narrowness and self-absorption.

Here we find the source and inspiration of all our efforts at evangelization. 

For if we have received the love which restores meaning to our lives, how can we fail to share that love with others?

Trump victory means 'Pope Francis moment' has arrived

Birthdays are good for you. Statistics show that people who have more of them, live longer!

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 9th of the month,  Jesus please bless the prisoners of Henan

And praying for one of the world's poorest countries each day of the month:
On this 9th of the month, Jesus please bless the people of Central African Republic

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)

Job 3-7

Job broke the 7 day silence by wishing that he had never been
born. He added "For me, there is no peace, no sleep. My suffering doesn't let me rest."

Eliphaz then spoke and reminded Job that God corrects those whom he loves.

Job replied that he was innocent of any wrongdoing, so why was he being punished?  He added: "Lying in bed I wonder 'When will it be day?'  During the day I think 'How slowly night comes.'
Neither day nor night offers me any relief from my suffering."

Dear Lord, please give courage and peace to people who are suffering great pain or distress

My recording of this reading

Psalms 35-37 

O Lord, please save me from people who slander me, you who rescue the weak from the strong, you whose love is so precious,
you in whose light we see light.

We believe that if we find our delight in you, you will grant our heart's desire.

And so we commit our lives to you, confident you will help us in time of trouble.

Lord, please deepen our trust in you, especially in time of trouble

Recording    

Philippians 4.4-9

I want you to be happy, always happy in the Lord. Let your tolerance be evident to everyone

If there is anything you need, with prayer and thanksgiving ask God for it

Fill your minds with everything that is true, everything that is noble, everything that is good and pure, everything that is worthwhile. Then the God of peace will be with you

Jesus, please fill my mind with good things

Recording     

John 8.42-58

Jesus said to the people "If God were your father, you would love me, since I have come from God and I speak the truth. You avoid the truth, because your father is the father of lies, the Devil

Abraham rejoiced at the thought of my coming. He saw it in the future and was glad"

The people said "You are not yet 50 years old. How could you have seen Abraham?" Jesus replied "I tell you, before Abraham ever was, I Am"

The people then picked up stones to throw at Jesus for claiming to be God. But Jesus safely left the Temple

Jesus, you who existed as God the Son from all eternity, please increase my love for the truth, and help me avoid lies

Recording    

Vatican says ties with China in positive phase

The Joy of Love - Pope Francis' letter - on love in the family      Full English text

27:   (Recording of 27:) 
Christ proposed as the distinctive sign of his disciples the law of love and the gift of self for others (cf. Mt 22:39; Jn 13:34). He did so in stating a principle that fathers and mothers tend to embody in their own lives: “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (Jn 15:13).

 Love also bears fruit in mercy and forgiveness. We see this in a particular way in the scene of the woman caught in adultery; in front of the Temple. The woman is surrounded by her accusers, but later, alone with Jesus, she meets not condemnation but the admonition to lead a more worthy life (cf. Jn 8:1-11).

China national rail company owes more than Greece

038a:   (Recording of 038a:) 

Let us mention, for example, those richly biodiverse lungs of our planet which are the Amazon and the Congo basins, and the great aquifers and glaciers. We know how important these are for the entire earth and for the future of humanity. 

The ecosystems of tropical forests possess an enormously complex biodiversity which is almost impossible to appreciate fully, yet when these forests are burned down or levelled for purposes of cultivation, within the space of a few years countless species are lost and the areas frequently become arid wastelands.

A delicate balance has to be maintained when speaking about these places, for we cannot overlook the huge global economic interests which, under the guise of protecting them, can undermine the sovereignty of individual nations.

005:   (Recording of 005:) 

The Gospel constantly invites us to rejoice. A few examples will suffice. “Rejoice!” is the angel’s greeting to Mary (Lk 1:28). Mary’s visit to Elizabeth makes John leap for joy in his mother’s womb (cf. Lk 1:41). In her song of praise, Mary proclaims: “My spirit rejoices in God my Saviour” (Lk 1:47). 

When Jesus begins his ministry, John cries out: “For this reason, my joy has been fulfilled” (Jn 3:29). Jesus himself “rejoiced in the Holy Spirit” (Lk 10:21). His message brings us joy: “I have said these things to you, so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete” (Jn 15:11). 

Our Christian joy drinks of the wellspring of his brimming heart. He promises his disciples: “You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy” (Jn 16:20). He then goes on to say: “But I will see you again and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you” (Jn 16:22). The disciples “rejoiced” (Jn 20:20) at the sight of the risen Christ. 

In the Acts of the Apostles we read that the first Christians “ate their food with glad and generous hearts” (2:46). Wherever the disciples went, “there was great joy” (8:8); even amid persecution they continued to be “filled with joy” (13:52). The newly baptized eunuch “went on his way rejoicing” (8:39), while Paul’s jailer “and his entire household rejoiced that he had become a believer in God” (16:34). Why should we not also enter into this great stream of joy?

Last Wednesday at Hei Ling Chau Island, I visited the men's 18A drug treatment centre, then the men's 18C correctional institution, then the women's 18A correctional institution. Has been a while since this old fellow visited any two of the above on one day, let alone 3.
No trouble sleeping on Wednesday night!

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 6th of the month,  Jesus please bless the prisoners of Hainan

And praying for one of the world's poorest countries each day of the month:
On this 6th of the month, Jesus please bless the people of Liberia

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)

                                                  

Alarmed at the number of South Africans, especially women, arrested at Hong Kong airport this year, two days ago I emailed the editor of one of South Africa's most popular blogs "All4Women" to ask if she'd like an article to help warn people about the danger of drug trafficking to HK. Kind editor, Sasha, replied within 24 hours ....I saw her reply yesterday morning, just before leaving for Hei Ling Chau drug treatment centre, so I sent a quick article to her before I left home. When I came home last night, a new message from Sasha - article already published on the blog!  Here it is: SA female drug mule arrests on the increase in Hong Kong. Thank you Sasha! 

Job 2

Satan asked permission from God to test Job even further. God gave permission.

Satan struck Job with sores and ulcers from the soles of his feet
to the top of his head. Job scraped himself with a piece of pot.

His wife told him to curse God and die. But Job replied "If we take happiness from God's hand, must we not take sorrow too?"

News of Job's situation reached three of his friends: Eliphaz,
Bildad and Zophar and they decided to visit Job. When they drew near to Job, they did not recognize him.

They wept, tore their clothes and sat on the ground beside Job for 7 days without speaking, stunned and saddened by Job's appearance.

Dear God, please help me imitate Job's trust and faith

My recording of this reading

Psalm 34

I will bless the Lord at all times,
his praise always on my lips.

In the Lord my soul shall make its boast, the humble shall hear and be glad.

Glorify the Lord with me, together let us praise his name. I sought the Lord and he answered me.
From all my terrors he set me free.

The angel of the Lord is encamped around those who revere the Lord, to rescue them.

Taste and see that the Lord is good. They are happy who seek refuge in him.

The Lord is close to the broken-hearted. Those whose spirits are crushed he will save.

Lord, by our Bible reading and prayer, may we taste and see your goodness each day

Recording

Philippians 3.20 - 4.1

Our homeland is in heaven. We wait for the Savior from heaven who will transfigure these wretched bodies of ours into copies of his glorious body

He will do this by the same power he has as C.E.O. of the universe

So, do not stop running but remain faithful in the Lord

Jesus, please increase my longing for heaven

Recording

John 8: 12, 31, 32

Jesus said to the people "I am the light of the world. Those who follow me will not walk in the dark. They will have the light of life

If you take my words to heart, you will be my disciples. You will learn the truth, and the truth will set you free"

Jesus, give light to my life. Increase my love for your teaching. Help me learn more about truth

Recording

The Joy of Love - Pope Francis' letter - on love in the family      Full English text

26:   (Recording of 26:) 

Nor can we overlook the social degeneration brought about by sin, as, for example, when human beings tyrannize nature, selfishly and even brutally ravaging it.

This leads to the desertification of the earth (cf. Gen 3:17-19) and those social and economic imbalances denounced by the prophets, beginning with Elijah (cf. 1 Kg 21) and culminating in Jesus’ own words against injustice (cf. Lk 12:13; 16:1-31).

37:   (Recording of 37:)  

Some countries have made significant progress in establishing sanctuaries on land and in the oceans where any human intervention is prohibited which might modify their features or alter their original structures.

In the protection of biodiversity, specialists insist on the need for particular attention to be shown to areas richer both in the number of species and in endemic, rare or less protected species.

Certain places need greater protection because of their immense importance for the global ecosystem, or because they represent important water reserves and thus safeguard other forms of life

004:   (Recording of 004:) 

The books of the Old Testament predicted that the joy of salvation would abound in messianic times. The prophet Isaiah exultantly salutes the awaited Messiah: exhorts those who dwell on Zion to go forth to meet him with song: “Shout aloud and sing for joy!” (12:6). The prophet tells those who have already seen him from afar to bring the message to others: “Get you up to a high mountain, O herald of good tidings to Zion; lift up your voice with strength, O herald of good tidings to Jerusalem” (40:9). All creation shares in the joy of salvation: “Sing for joy, O heavens, and exult, O earth! Break forth, O mountains, into singing! For the Lord has comforted his people, and will have compassion on his suffering ones” (49:13).

Zechariah, looking to the day of the Lord, invites the people to acclaim the king who comes “humble and riding on a donkey”: “Rejoice greatly, O daughter Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter Jerusalem! Lo, your king comes to you; triumphant and victorious is he” (9:9).

Perhaps the most exciting invitation is that of the prophet Zephaniah, who presents God with his people in the midst of a celebration overflowing with the joy of salvation. I find it thrilling to reread this text: “The Lord, your God is in your midst, a warrior who gives you the victory; he will rejoice over you with gladness, he will renew you in his love; he will exult over you with loud singing, as on a day of festival” (3:17).

This is the joy which we experience daily, amid the little things of life, as a response to the loving invitation of God our Father: “My child, treat yourself well, according to your means… Do not deprive yourself of the day’s enjoyment” (Sir 14:11, 14). What tender paternal love echoes in these words!

Hong Kong's Chief Executive, C.Y. Leung, is one of the most unpopular leaders in the world (...with good reason...).
Wherever he goes, there are protests. And recently I noticed something about his initials: 
In Cantonese, the word for "protest" is pronounced "C Y"  ("C" a low sound; "Y" a high sound)!

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 5th of the month,  Jesus please bless the prisoners of Guizhou

And praying for one of the world's poorest countries each day of the month:
On this 5th of the month, Jesus please bless the people of Chad

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)

Does the Philippines really want Asia’s Trump as its next president?

Islam File    The New Translation

"Same-sex marriage" file

Today is an important day in China's history:
 The May 4 Movement

Just as the invasion of Iraq, and Israel's injustice to Palestinians, have   "radicalised" many young Muslims, so, in a similar way, injustice to China at the Treaty of Versailles "radicalised" many young Chinese, causing them to turn their backs on democracy and look to Communism for help. 

If China had not been unjustly treated at Versailles, it probably would not have a Communist government today

Chris McDonnell   (Wed UK blogger)

Staging posts on the way

Wouldn’t it be a good idea if baptism dates were part of family folklore and celebrated each year? 

Job 1

Job lived in Southern Israel. He had 7 sons and 3 daughters. He owned thousands of animals.  He loved God and was a good man.

Satan, one of the fallen angels, challenged God to let Job be put to the test. God gave permission to Satan to test Job.

On the same day, all Job's animals were captured by raiders, and all his children died in a storm.

Job tore his clothes, shaved his head, bowed to the ground and prayed: "Naked I came from my mother's womb, naked I shall return to the womb of the earth.
The Lord gave, the Lord has taken back. Blessed be the name of the Lord."

Dear God, please give us courage and faith when life is difficult

Psalm 33

Ring out your joy to the Lord, all good people, for praise is fitting for loyal hearts.

For the Lord loves justice and right; he fills the earth with his love.

By his word the heavens were made, he spoke and the universe came into being.

They are happy, whose God is the Lord, he is the source of all true joy.

May your love be upon us, O Lord, since we place all our trust in you.

Lord, we trust in your precious love

Recording 

Philippians 3.12-14

I am not yet perfect. I have not yet won the race.

But I am still running, trying to capture the prize for which Christ Jesus captured me

I forget the past, and strain ahead for what is still to come.

I am racing for the finish, for the prize to which God calls us to receive in Christ Jesus

Jesus, please help me keep running each day!

Recording 

Today's Gospel:

John 8.1-11

While Jesus was teaching in the Temple, the religious leaders brought to him a women who had been caught committing adultery

The leaders said to Jesus "According to the Law of Moses, this woman should be stoned to death. What do you say?"  They said this to test him, looking for something to use against him

Jesus bent down and started writing on the ground with his finger. Since they kept up their questioning, he looked up and said to them "If there is one of you who has not sinned, let him be the first to cast a stone". Then he kept writing on the ground

The leaders went away, beginning with the eldest, until Jesus was left alone with the woman. Jesus said to her "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?

"No one, sir", she replied. "Neither do I condemn you", said Jesus. "Go and don't sin any more"

Jesus, what did you write on the ground? The leaders' sins?  "If you, O Lord, should write a record of our sins, who could claim innocence?" (Psalm 130)

Recording 

The Joy of Love - Pope Francis' letter - on love in the family     Full English text

25:   (Recording of 25:) 

This having been said, we can appreciate the suffering created by unemployment and the lack of steady work, as reflected in the Book of Ruth, Jesus’ own parable of the labourers forced to stand idly in the town square (Mt 20:1-16), and his personal experience of meeting people suffering from poverty and hunger. 

Sadly, these realities are present in many countries today, where the lack of employment opportunities takes its toll on the serenity of family life

Talk by a grandmother of 10:
Video: Wendy Francis on the sexualisation of children

36:   (Recording of 36:) 

Caring for ecosystems demands far-sightedness, since no one looking for quick and easy profit is truly interested in their preservation. 

But the cost of the damage caused by such selfish lack of concern is much greater than the economic benefits to be obtained.

Where certain species are destroyed or seriously harmed, the values involved are incalculable. 

We can be silent witnesses to terrible injustices if we think that we can obtain significant benefits by making the rest of humanity, present and future, pay the extremely high costs of environmental deterioration

Surely not a co-incidence:
four Orthodox churches burnt

Serbian church burns in NYC; fire in 3 more Orthodox temples

003:   (Recording of 003:) 

I invite all Christians to a renewed personal encounter with Jesus Christ. I ask all of you to do this unfailingly each day.

No one should think that this invitation is not meant for him or her, since “no one is excluded from the joy brought by the Lord”. The Lord does not disappoint those who take this risk; whenever we take a step towards Jesus, we come to realize that he is already there, waiting for us with open arms

Yesterday after my monthly visit to Castle Peak Immigration Centre ("CIC), I went to nearby Cafeteria Beach for my first swim this year....and the water was so beautiful that I was in for quite a while before I realised I'd forgotten to wear my ear plugs (...on the beach in my bag ...too bad...I didn't go back for them!)

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 4th of the month,  Jesus please bless the prisoners of Guangdong

And praying for one of the world's poorest countries each day of the month:
On this 4th of the month, Jesus please bless the people of Mozambique

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)

Islam File      The New Translation

"Same-sex marriage" file

A group of Hong Kong professional people is forming a new organization to help the poor in Hong Kong - good news!

Meeting yesterday in my home - photos  

Hundreds join protest over sacking of Ming Pao editor

- see below - Ming Pao - my article in today's paper "Freedom of the Press ... and HK"

Extradition deal with China is 'a joke'

The Australian Law Council has urged the federal government not to ratify an extradition treaty with China in light of Operation Fox Hunt.

1 Maccabees 15

In 138 B.C., Antiochus son of Demetrius made war with Trypho.
This same Antiochus became hostile to Simon  after the Romans renewed their treaty with Israel.

When Antiochus sent an army to attack Israel, Simon defeated that army.

A disloyal and ambitious Jew named Ptolemy got Simon and two of his sons drunk at a banquet and killed them.

Simon was succeeded by his son John as leader of the Jews.

Dear God,  please protect good leaders from disloyalty

Psalm 32

Happy is the person whose sin is forgiven.

For a while I refused to ask for forgiveness, and my body paid the penalty.

But then I said "Lord, forgive me"
and my spirit and body revived.

Lord, when I do wrong, please give me the grace to say sorry and ask forgiveness

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

Philippians 3.7-11

Because of Christ, I have come to consider all my former advantages as a scholar as disadvantages

Nothing is more important than knowing Christ Jesus my Lord

For him I have accepted the loss of everything, and I look on everything as so much rubbish if only I can have Christ

All I want is to know Christ and the power of his resurrection. I want to share his sufferings by carrying the Cross with him

This is the way I can hope to receive eternal life

Christ Jesus my Lord, knowing you is No. 1

Recording 

 John 1.35-51 (for today's Feast of Saint Philip and Saint James, apostles)

John the Baptist told his disciples Andrew and John that Jesus was the Chosen One of God.  Andrew and John then followed Jesus

Andrew took his brother Simon to Jesus. Jesus changed Simon's name to Peter, and Peter followed Jesus

Jesus met  Philip and said to him "Follow me".  Philip called one more man, Nathanael (Bartholomew) and said to him "we have found the one Moses and the prophets wrote about. He is Jesus, son of Joseph, from Nazareth"

Jesus, please help me introduce more people to know and love you

Recording 

The Joy of Love - Pope Francis' letter - on love in the family      Full English text

24:   (Recording of 24:)

Labour also makes possible the development of society and provides for the sustenance, stability and fruitfulness of one’s family: “May you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life! May you see your children’s children!” (Ps 128:5-6). 

The Book of Proverbs also presents the labour of mothers within the family; their daily work is described in detail as winning the praise of their husbands and children (cf. 31:10-31). 

The Apostle Paul was proud not to live as a burden to others, since he worked with his own hands and assured his own livelihood (cf. Acts 18:3; 1 Cor 4:12; 9:12). Paul was so convinced of the necessity of work that he laid down a strict rule for his communities: “If anyone will not work, let him not eat” (2 Th 3:10; cf. 1 Th 4:11).

35:   (Recording of 35:) 

In assessing the environmental impact of any project, concern is usually shown for its effects on soil, water and air, yet few careful studies are made of its impact on biodiversity, as if the loss of species or animals and plant groups were of little importance.

Highways, new plantations, the fencing-off of certain areas, the damming of water sources, and similar developments, crowd out natural habitats and, at times, break them up in such a way that animal populations can no longer migrate or roam freely. As a result, some species face extinction. 

Alternatives exist which at least lessen the impact of these projects, like the creation of biological corridors, but few countries demonstrate such concern and foresight.

Frequently, when certain species are exploited commercially, little attention is paid to studying their reproductive patterns in order to prevent their depletion and the consequent imbalance of the ecosystem.

002:   (Recording of 002:) 

The great danger in today’s world, pervaded as it is by consumerism, is the desolation and anguish born of a complacent yet covetous heart, the feverish pursuit of frivolous pleasures, and a blunted conscience. 

Whenever our interior life becomes caught up in its own interests and concerns, there is no longer room for others, no place for the poor. God’s voice is no longer heard, the quiet joy of his love is no longer felt, and the desire to do good fades.

This is a very real danger for believers too. Many fall prey to it, and end up resentful, angry and listless. That is no way to live a dignified and fulfilled life; it is not God’s will for us, nor is it the life in the Spirit which has its source in the heart of the risen Christ.

Superior General in this photo at Ricci Centre is also in this photo (front row, next to two nuns) with Pope Francis!

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 3rd of the month, Jesus please bless the prisoners of Gansu

And praying for one of the world's poorest countries each day of the month:
On this 3rd of the month, Jesus please bless the people of Burundi

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)

In one week's time, on May 9, the people of the Philippines will elect a new president and a new vice-president. This article is essential reading to understand how the Philippines is in danger of becoming a failed state:
A Primer for Philippine Politics 

1 Maccabees 13-14

After Jonathan's capture, Jonathan's brother Simon became leader of the Jews.  He rallied the people to defend their land against an attack by Trypho.

Trypho was forced to abandon his attack by a heavy snowfall. As he returned to his own land, he killed Jonathan.

Trypho killed Antiochus and became king of Asia.

Simon made peace with Demetrius. He also renewed the treaties with Sparta and the Romans.

Israel had peace during the time of Simon.

Dear God, please give the world
leaders who work for peace

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 

Philippians 2.13-16

It is God who gives us the spiritual energy to be good and to do good

Don't be someone who is always complaining and arguing

Live a life of light in our dark world. May your life of light offer the world the word of life

Jesus, help me avoid complaining and arguing

Recording 

John 7.32,45,46

The religious leaders sent the Temple police to arrest Jesus

When the police returned to the leaders without Jesus, the leaders asked "Why didn't you arrest him?"

The police replied "There has never been anyone who has spoken like him"

Jesus, in the history of the world, there has never been anyone who has spoken about goodness and truth like you

Recording 

   Darlene Starrs (Blogger from Canada)

The Joy of Love - Pope Francis' letter - on love in the family     Full English text

23:  (Recording of 23:) At the beginning of Psalm 128, the father appears as a labourer who by the work of his hands sustains the physical well-being and tranquillity of his family: “You shall eat the fruit of the labour of your hands; you shall be happy, and it shall be well with you” (Ps 128:2). It is clear from the very first pages of the Bible that work is an essential part of human dignity; there we read that “the Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to till it and keep it” (Gen 2:15) . Man is presented as a labourer who works the earth, harnesses the forces of nature and produces “the bread of anxious toil” (Ps 127:2), in addition to cultivating his own gifts and talents.

Pregnant, jobless, homeless- Regulations set traps for Hong Kong’s migrant workers

34b:   (Recording of 34b:) 

Many birds and insects which disappear due to synthetic agrotoxins, are helpful for agriculture: their disappearance will have to be compensated for by yet other techniques which may well prove harmful. 

We must be grateful for the praiseworthy efforts being made by scientists and engineers dedicated to finding solutions to man-made problems. 

But a sober look at our world shows that the degree of human intervention, often in the service of business interests and consumerism, is actually making our earth less rich and beautiful, ever more limited and grey, even as technological advances and consumer goods continue to abound limitlessly. 

We seem to think that we can substitute an irreplaceable and irretrievable beauty with something which we have created ourselves

1:   (Recording of 1:)  

THE JOY OF THE GOSPEL fills the hearts and lives of all who encounter Jesus.

Those who accept his offer of salvation are set free from sin, sorrow, inner emptiness and loneliness. 

With Jesus,  joy is constantly born anew. 

In this Exhortation I wish to encourage Christians to embark upon a new chapter of evangelization marked by this joy, while pointing out new paths for the Church’s journey in years to come.

There I was sitting at the bar staring at my drink when a great huge, trouble-making bikie steps up next to me, grabs my drink and gulps it down in one swig.

"Well, whatcha' gonna do about it?" he says, menacingly, as I burst into tears.

"Come on, man," the biker says, "I didn't think you'd CRY. I can`t stand to see a man crying."

"This is the worst day of my life," I say. "I'm a complete failure. I was late to a meeting and my boss fired me. When I went to the parking lot, I found my car had been stolen and I don't have any insurance. I left my wallet in the cab I took home. I found my wife with another man and then my dog bit me."

"So I came to this bar to work up the courage to put an end to it all, I buy a drink, I drop a capsule in and sit
here watching the poison dissolve; then you show up and drink the whole thing! But enough about me, how's your day going?"

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 2ndt of the month,  Jesus please bless the prisoners of Fujian

And praying for one of the world's poorest countries each day of the month:
On this 2nd of the month, Jesus please bless the people of Niger

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)