Yesterday I spent 8 hours at Tai Lam Women's Centre. When I left at 5.15pm I had a great feeling of sadness that so many women have been tricked/coerced into drug trafficking. Most of the women are from Africa and South America. Nearly all of them were sent with drugs to Hong Kong by Nigerian Drug Lords operating in Africa, Dubai and San Paulo.

The flow from Dubai and Africa has now stopped, but the flow from San Paulo continues ....with quite a number of victims recruited from Venezuela (a collapsing country ...great poverty ...people desperate for money..). 

This little website will continue to make efforts to expose and stop the Drug Lords. Maybe some day HK Customs and the HK Security Bureau will also join the fight. 

Philippines senator calls for Duterte to face crimes against humanity inquiry

Hosea 7-14

God's message through Hosea:

Israel has forgotten its Maker.
The people worship idols made by human hands.

It is time to seek the Lord. It is time to sow integrity and reap kindness.

Israel, come back to the Lord your God. Have no more to do with idols made by human hands.

Lord, please help us lead good lives, and thereby follow you

Psalm 91

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High says to the Lord "you are my refuge in whom I trust".

The Lord will hide you and protect you. Under his wings you will find refuge.

You will not fear any night time terror, nor any attack during the day.

Upon you no evil shall fall, no plague approach where you dwell.

For you has he commanded his angels to keep you safe in all your ways.

Dear God, thank you for your protection day and night

Recording 

Revelation 14.6-13

I saw an angel flying high in the sky,  sent to announce the Good News of eternity to every nation, race, language and tribe

He was calling: "Honor God and praise him. Worship the maker of heaven and earth and sea. The time has come for him to judge the world"

A voice from heaven said to me
"Happy are those who are the Lord's friends when they die. Now they can rejoice for ever,
since their good deeds go with them"

Jesus, may I live, grow and die in your friendship

Recording  

 Mark 4.35-41

Jesus and his disciples got into a boat to cross the lake.

Jesus was so tired that he went to sleep in the boat. A sudden storm caused big waves to lash the boat.

Jesus' friends woke him up and said "Save us, Lord, we are sinking".

Jesus stood up, and ordered the wind and sea to be calm. Straight away the wind and sea were calm.

Jesus' friends said to each other
"Who is this? Even the wind and sea obey him."

Jesus, please calm the storms in my life, my family, our world

Recording 

Psalm 91 - God protects us. Mark 4 - Jesus protects the apostles in the boat. But God does not always protect us .... Jesus himself said some of his followers would be killed for being Christians. Jesus himself asked to be spared/protected from his passion and death, but the answer was not yes. 

So how do we understand the words of Psalm 90 (which Satan quoted to Jesus on top of the Temple!) "upon you no evil shall fall"? We can remember the many times in our lives when we have experienced God's protection, we can ask for continued protection ("Save us from evil" - the Our Father; "Save us Lord, we are sinking!") but there might come a time when we can be rescued only as Jesus was - after death. This in fact is Ultimate Rescue/Protection! Resurrection Rescue!

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

199: Recording

The dialogue that took place during the Synod raised the need for new pastoral methods.

I will attempt to mention some of these in a very general way.

Different communities will have to devise more practical and effective initiatives that respect both the Church’s teaching and local problems and needs. 

Without claiming to present a pastoral plan for the family, I would now like to reflect on some more significant pastoral challenges.

189a: Recording

Politics must not be subject to the economy, nor should the economy be subject to the dictates of an efficiency-driven paradigm of technocracy.

Today, in view of the common good, there is urgent need for politics and economics to enter into a frank dialogue in the service of life, especially human life. 

Rescuing banks at any cost, making the public pay the price, foregoing a firm commitment to reviewing and reforming the entire system, only reaffirms the absolute power of a financial system, a power which has no future and will only give rise to new crises after a slow, costly and only apparent recovery

184: Recording 

This is not the time or the place to examine in detail the many grave social questions affecting today’s world, some of which I have dealt with in the second chapter. 

This Exhortation is not a social document, and for reflection on those different themes we have a most suitable tool in the Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, whose use and study I heartily recommend. 

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 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 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)

Why are Chinese Christians so concerned about new religious affairs regulations?

Pope's Mission Sunday 2016 letter

 - to my shame I remembered to check this only as I was about to leave for Mass yesterday morning ... but its inspiring ideas were used in my homily

Britain’s overseas policy ‘putting people on death row’

My proposal re Hong Kong 's asylum seeker policy

The asylum seeker situation in HK is a mess ... and is getting messier as more and more asylum seekers become involved in crime. I have put together some ideas that the government might use to stop the mess getting worse ... and then do a clean up.  Here 

Hosea 5-6

God's message through Hosea:

What am I to do with you, Ephraim? What am I to do with you, Judah?

Your love is like a morning cloud, like dew that quickly disappears.

What I want  is love, not the sacrifice of animals in the Temple. What I want is knowledge of God, not burnt offerings in the Temple.

Lord, please help us to love you as we should

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 

Mark 4.1-20 (a)

One day Jesus told the people this story:

A farmer was planting seeds in his field. Some seeds fell on the path. Birds ate them.

Some seeds fell on rocky ground.
They became sickly plants, without roots, and died.

Some seeds fell among thorns.
When they became plants, they were choked by the thorns.

Some seeds fell on good soil
and produced a rich harvest.

Recording 

Mark 4.1-20 (b)

Jesus explained the story:
People who hear God's word without good will are like the seeds on the path. They are easy prey for Satan.

People who hear God's word only superficially are like the seeds on rocky ground. As soon as difficulties come, such people easily give up.

People who hear God's word with one ear but with the other are listening to the call of greed and pleasure are like the seeds among thorns. Greed kills the word.

People who hear God's word with good will and put it into practice are like the good seeds which produced a rich harvest.

Jesus, please help me be good seed!

Recording 

I turned 70 last week, so the words of Psalm 90 are of not a little interest! -  "Our span is 70 years, or 80 for those who are strong". The purpose of our 70-80 years is to be good seed (Gospel). And the main aspect of good seed is faithful love (Hosea). Please God!

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

198: Recording

Finally, we cannot forget that this larger family includes fathers-in-law, mothers-in-law and all the relatives of the couple.

One particularly delicate aspect of love is learning not to view these relatives as somehow competitors, threats or intruders. 

The conjugal union demands respect for their traditions and customs, an effort to understand their language and to refrain from criticism, caring for them and cherishing them while maintaining the legitimate privacy and independence of the couple.

Being willing to do so is also an exquisite expression of generous love for one’s spouse.

188: Recording

There are certain environmental issues where it is not easy to achieve a broad consensus. 

Here I would state once more that the Church does not presume to settle scientific questions or to replace politics.

But I am concerned to encourage an honest and open debate so that particular interests or ideologies will not prejudice the common good.

183d: Recording

All Christians, their pastors included, are called to show concern for the building of a better world. This is essential, for the Church’s social thought is primarily positive: it offers proposals, it works for change and in this sense it constantly points to the hope born of the loving heart of Jesus Christ.

 At the same time, it unites “its own commitment to that made in the social field by other Churches and Ecclesial Communities, whether at the level of doctrinal reflection or at the practical level”.

See video at this link!

Video captures koala 'taking her baby for a stroll' in regional SA

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 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 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

This is important history I did not know: 

When the Pope’s palace became a refugee center and neonatal unit

YouTube: How good is this !

Waterfall - Jon Schmidt 

HK's No I Nigerian Drug Lord ...the Big Boss 

c.f. Readings for Mission Sunday

Isaiah 60

Arise, shine out, for your light has come. The glory of the Lord is rising on you, though the rest of the world is still in darkness.

The nations come to your light
and kings to your dawning brightness.

People from other lands are coming to you, bringing gold and incense and singing the praise of the Lord.

No more will the sun give you daylight, nor moonlight shine on you, for the Lord himself will be your everlasting light. Then your days of mourning will be ended.

Lord Jesus, you are the light of the world. Please give more light to my life.

My recording of this reading

Psalm 19

The heavens proclaim the glory of God, the starry skies are the work of his hands.

The stars can't speak, but they are God's handwriting. The sun is God's love shining on  the whole world.

The universe is a masterpiece, and so is God's law which shines in our hearts.

The precepts of the Lord enlighten our lives each day. The law of the Lord gives joy and wisdom to our hearts.

The decrees of the Lord are to be desired more than gold, they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb.

But  often we are unaware of  our errors. Lord, please protect us from making mistakes.

Lord, may the words of my mouth and the thoughts of my heart  be pleasing to you

Recording 

Revelation 1.4-8

From John, to the seven churches of Asia province: grace and peace to you from him who is, who was, and who is to come,
from the seven spirits at his throne, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the First-born from the dead, the Ruler of the kings of the earth

Recording

Jesus Christ loves us and has washed away our sins with his blood, and made us a line of kings and priests to serve his God and Father

It is he who will come on the clouds. Everyone, in every part of the world, will see him.
All hearts will be moved by his coming

"I am the beginning and the end", says the Lord God. "I am the originator and goal of all things"

Jesus, please help more and more people know who you are

Recording  

John 17.1-21

After saying many things to his disciples at the meal, Jesus looked up to heaven and prayed "Father, my time has come. Give eternal life to everyone you have entrusted to me

Eternal life is this: to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent

Recording

I have glorified you on earth, and finished the work you gave me to do. Now, Father, it is time for you to glorify me with the glory I had with you before the world existed

Protect those you have given me. Protect them from Satan. Consecrate them in the truth

As you sent me into the world, so I am sending them into the world. May all my followers be united, so that the world will believe it was you who sent me"

Jesus, please protect our world from lies and deception. Please bless people who witness to the truth in difficult situations

Recording  

Mission Sunday today (in Hong Kong). One idea from Pope Francis: one of the main reasons for evangelization is gratitude - God's been so good to us, we should pass on that goodness to others ....just like a volunteer I know in Africa ... who experienced great kindness and goodness as a child ... causing her to want to share that goodness by doing volunteer work in a poor country

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

197: Recording

This larger family should provide love and support to teenage mothers, children without parents, single mothers left to raise children, persons with disabilities needing particular affection and closeness, young people struggling with addiction, the unmarried, separated or widowed who are alone, and the elderly and infirm who lack the support of their children. 

It should also embrace “even those who have made shipwreck of their lives”.

This wider family can help make up for the shortcomings of parents, detect and report possible situations in which children suffer violence and even abuse, and provide wholesome love and family stability in cases when parents prove incapable of this.

187: Recording

This does not mean being opposed to any technological innovations which can bring about an improvement in the quality of life. 

But it does mean that profit cannot be the sole criterion to be taken into account, and that, when significant new information comes to light, a reassessment should be made, with the involvement of all interested parties.

The outcome may be a decision not to proceed with a given project, to modify it or to consider alternative proposals

183c: Recording

We love this magnificent planet on which God has put us, and we love the human family which dwells here, with all its tragedies and struggles, its hopes and aspirations, its strengths and weaknesses.

The earth is our common home and all of us are brothers and sisters. If indeed “the just ordering of society and of the state is a central responsibility of politics”, the Church “cannot and must not remain on the sidelines in the fight for justice”.

10 years ago
 today

2006-10-23  Mr On - paralyzed for two years but not giving up     
+ 3-way  dog tussle

After waiting, with an ever growing line of passengers, for a bus that didn't come yesterday afternoon - to take me to an O.M.I. meeting in Kowloon City - I tried to find a taxi, but none to be found. Then I put my local knowldege to good use: I got a mini-bus to Queen Elizabeth Hospital where I knew there would be plenty of taxis. Only one problem: my taxi driver decided to cross a double line and was stopped and fined by a policeman not long after we left the hospital!

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 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 bless all Muslims in my own country 

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)

Charity dinner reflects Church's ability to bring people together (rosy report)

Trump booed for calling Clinton 'corrupt' as bipartisan dinner soured

Same-Sex Marriage ‘Opinion Poll’ Affects Everyone

This 'opinion poll' is not just about the 1% of couples in Australia who are same-sex, but about the 99% that are opposite sex; it is not just about the 1 in a thousand children of same-sex couple-families but about the 999 in a thousand other children. It is not just about happy wedding days for our gay neighbours; it is about letting the sexual radicals send a wrecking ball through our culture.

Pope targets deal with China in year of mercy

Letter from a Tanzanian woman in prison in Hong Kong for drug trafficking. She is the only Tanzanian to have been arrested at HK airport this year. Before v2catholic's anti-drug campaign began, there was at least one Tanzanian arrested at HK airport each week! Letter is Here (Oct 16)

Another letter from the last Ugandan to be arrested at HK airport - Here (Oct 17)

Hosea 4

People of Israel, listen to the word of the Lord:

there is no fidelity, no tenderness,
no knowledge of God in the country, only perjury and lies, slaughter, theft, adultery, violence and murder.

This is why the country is in mourning. This is why you have experienced so much disaster.

My people, says the Lord,
perish for want of knowledge.

Lord, please help us lead good lives, and so help our country experience blessing

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  

Revelation 13.2-12

The dragon gave authority and power to a beast with seven heads. For a time, the beast waged war on the saints

Then I saw a second beast. It was a servant of the first beast, and made people everywhere worship the first beast

Father, Son and Holy Spirit - may people worship you,
and not worship Satan and the two beasts

Recording  

Mark 3: 20-12; 31-35

Jesus went back to Capernaum. Such a crowd gathered that he could not even have a meal 

When his family  heard about such things, they set out to take care of  him, thinking that he was crazy.

His mother and brothers arrived at the house. Standing outside, they sent in a message asking for him.

Jesus was told "Your mother and brothers and sisters are outside asking for you".  Jesus replied "Who are my mother and brothers?".

Then looking round at the people sitting in a circle about him, he said "Here are my mother and my brothers. Anyone who does the will of God, that person is my brother and sister and mother".

Jesus, please help me to do your will, even if people sometimes think I'm crazy

Recording  

People who find joy in God are blessed (Psalm 89) and for doing God's will are regarded by Jesus as his family (Mark). But people who abandon God and follow the "beasts" eventually reduce their country to ruin (Hosea). 

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

196: Recording

A big heart

In addition to the small circle of the couple and their children, there is the larger family, which cannot be overlooked.

Indeed, “the love between husband and wife and, in a derivative and broader way, the love between members of the same family - between parents and children, brothers and sisters and relatives and members of the household - is given life and sustenance by an unceasing inner dynamism leading the family to ever deeper and more intense communion, which is the foundation and soul of the community of marriage and the family”.

Friends and other families are part of this larger family, as well as communities of families who support one another in their difficulties, their social commitments and their faith.

Hongkonger could face death penalty over HK$723 million drug bust in China

186: Recording 

The Rio Declaration of 1992 states that “where there are threats of serious or irreversible damage, lack of full scientific certainty shall not be used as a pretext for postponing cost-effective measures”[132] which prevent environmental degradation. 

This precautionary principle makes it possible to protect those who are most vulnerable and whose ability to defend their interests and to assemble incontrovertible evidence is limited. If objective information suggests that serious and irreversible damage may result, a project should be halted or modified, even in the absence of indisputable proof. 

Here the burden of proof is effectively reversed, since in such cases objective and conclusive demonstrations will have to be brought forward to demonstrate that the proposed activity will not cause serious harm to the environment or to those who inhabit it.

183b: Recording

An authentic faith – which is never comfortable or completely personal – always involves a deep desire to change the world, to transmit values, to leave this earth somehow better than we found it.

After charity dinner with Hillary and Donald, Cardinal Dolan later called his seat “the iciest place on the planet.”  In this report

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 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 the Taliban

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)

How Sikhs are fighting bigotry with bread around the world

Inspiring story from Kenya, with graphic descriptions of life in prison in Kenya:

FROM AN EX-CON TO AN ENGINEER!

Typhoon due HK today!

Jesus, please protect HK from this typhoon!

A kind barrister who does pro-bono work helping asylum seekers asked me two days ago to help him locate three recently-released asylum seekers. Yesterday morning as I went for a mid-morning walk, I met one of the 3 just near my home. How do you spell "Providence"?! 

Hosea 1-3

God said to Hosea "Marry a prostitute and have children by her, for my people have abandoned me and become unfaithful".

The Lord's people are like his wife, but they have abandoned him.

Hosea's wife was unfaithful to him and left him. But the Lord told Hosea to take her back.

This was to show how God welcomes people back, even though they have been unfaithful to him.

Lord, please help us to be faithful to you

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  

Revelation 12.7-14

Then war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought the dragon and his angels

Michael won. Satan and his followers were driven out of heaven

The great dragon, the serpent, known as the Devil or Satan, was hurled down to earth. His angels were hurled down with him

The dragon began to make war on the children of the Woman
 - those who obey God and bear witness to Jesus

Jesus, may your holy angels protect us from Satan

Recording

Mark 3.13-19

Jesus went up a hill and called  his disciples. He chose 12 of them to be his special companions.

He commissioned them for preaching. He gave them power to cast out devils.

The names of the 12: Simon, to whom he gave the name Peter;
James and John the sons of Zebedee.

Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot the one who would betray him.

Jesus, please bless and protect all Gospel workers

Recording  

Why was there war in Heaven (Revelation)? Some writers say the clue is in yesterday's reading from Revelation (below): God the Father announced his plan for God the Son to take human flesh ....which meant Satan would have to worship a creature lower than himself....and Satan's pride could not accept this ...so he started a war ...although surely he must have known he couldn't defeat God?

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

195: Recording

Growing up with brothers and sisters makes for a beautiful experience of caring for and helping one another. 

For “fraternity in families is especially radiant when we see the care, the patience, the affection that surround the little brother or sister who is frail, sick or disabled”.

It must be acknowledged that “having a brother or a sister who loves you is a profound, precious and unique experience”.

Children do need to be patiently taught to treat one another as brothers and sisters. This training, at times quite demanding, is a true school of socialization.

In some countries, where it has become quite common to have only one child, the experience of being a brother or sister is less and less common. When it has been possible to have only one child, ways have to be found to ensure that he or she does not grow up alone or isolated.

185: Recording

In any discussion about a proposed venture, a number of questions need to be asked in order to discern whether or not it will contribute to genuine integral development. 

What will it accomplish? Why? Where? When? How? For whom? What are the risks? What are the costs? Who will pay those costs and how? 

In this discernment, some questions must have higher priority. For example, we know that water is a scarce and indispensable resource and a fundamental right which conditions the exercise of other human rights. This indisputable fact overrides any other assessment of environmental impact on a region.

183a: Recording

 Consequently, no one can demand that religion should be relegated to the inner sanctum of personal life, without influence on societal and national life, without concern for the soundness of civil institutions, without a right to offer an opinion on events affecting society. 

Who would claim to lock up in a church and silence the message of Saint Francis of Assisi or Blessed Teresa of Calcutta? They themselves would have found this unacceptable. 

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 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, 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

2 Nigerians arrested for drug trafficking in India

Email from Edward Snowden's HK barrister Robert Tibbo
 - about the HK asylum seekers who helped shelter Snowden in HK .... and who now need help to survive in HK

Another Drug Lord targeted by v2catholic has been arrested:
Esther

She joins a Malaysian guy two weeks ago ....and six of the 10 Tanzanian Drug Lords named in the very first letter of v2catholic's anti-drug campaign

Daniel 14

In Babylon there was a temple with an idol named Bel to which lots of food and drink were offered each day.

70 priests and their families used to eat the food each night,
having entered the temple by a secret door.

The king believed Bel ate the food. Daniel told him that an idol cannot eat anything.

The 70 priests called for Daniel to be executed if he could not prove the idol was not eating the food.

Daniel got his servants to spread ashes over the temple floor. Next morning he showed the king the footprints in the ashes.

The king had the 70 priests and their families executed. The king had Bel destroyed.

Lord, please help people turn away from lifeless idols, and serve you, the Creator of the world

My recording of this reading

Psalm 87

On the holy mountain is Jerusalem, the Lord's cherished city.

Of you are told glorious things, O city of God.

All nations are called to serve and love the Lord. And Jerusalem shall be called their spiritual mother, for all shall be her children.

In Jerusalem everyone will be welcome and find a home.

Lord, may Jerusalem be a place of peace and prayer for all peoples

Recording

Revelation 12.1-6

A great sign appeared in heaven:
a Woman, dressed in the sun, standing on the moon, crowned with 12 stars

She was giving birth to a Child,
and she cried out in the pain of childbirth

Then a second sign appeared: a huge red dragon, which wanted to eat the Child

The Woman gave birth to a Son, the ruler of all nations

The Son was taken straight up to heaven, to God on his throne.
The Woman escaped to safety in the desert, to a place prepared for her by God

Jesus, protect us from Satan who goes round like a hungry lion wanting to eat us

Recording

Mark 3.7-12

Jesus went again to the Sea of Galilee.

Great crowds of people from all over the country went to him.
They had heard what he was doing and wanted to see him.

Large crowds of  sick people pushed forward, trying to touch Jesus.

They had heard how he had healed so many sick people.

Jesus, please heal my friend (.. name ..) who is sick

Recording

Jerusalem (Psalm 87) is often used as a symbol for Mary, the mother of Jesus - the Woman dressed in the sun (Revelation) whose Son Jesus healed so many sick people (Gospel). May Mary help us to find her Son, to experience his healing and peace - especially in Jerusalem!

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

194: Recording

Being brothers and sisters

Relationships between brothers and sisters deepen with the passing of time, and “the bond of fraternity that forms in the family between children, if consolidated by an educational atmosphere of openness to others, is a great school of freedom and peace. 

In the family, we learn how to live as one. 

Perhaps we do not always think about this, but the family itself introduces fraternity into the world.

From this initial experience of fraternity, nourished by affection and education at home, the style of fraternity radiates like a promise upon the whole of society”.

184: Recording 

In the face of possible risks to the environment which may affect the common good now and in the future, decisions must be made “based on a comparison of the risks and benefits foreseen for the various possible alternatives”

This is especially the case when a project may lead to a greater use of natural resources, higher levels of emission or discharge, an increase of refuse, or significant changes to the landscape, the habitats of protected species or public spaces. 

Some projects, if insufficiently studied, can profoundly affect the quality of life of an area due to very different factors such as unforeseen noise pollution, the shrinking of visual horizons, the loss of cultural values, or the effects of nuclear energy use.

 The culture of consumerism, which prioritizes short-term gain and private interest, can make it easy to rubber-stamp authorizations or to conceal information.

182: Recording

The Church’s teachings concerning contingent situations are subject to new and further developments and can be open to discussion, yet we cannot help but be concrete – without presuming to enter into details – lest the great social principles remain mere generalities which challenge no one.

 There is a need to draw practical conclusions, so that they “will have greater impact on the complexities of current situations”.

 The Church’s pastors, taking into account the contributions of the different sciences, have the right to offer opinions on all that affects people’s lives, since the task of evangelization implies and demands the integral promotion of each human being.

 It is no longer possible to claim that religion should be restricted to the private sphere and that it exists only to prepare souls for heaven. We know that God wants his children to be happy in this world too, even though they are called to fulfilment in eternity, for he has created all things “for our enjoyment”, the enjoyment of everyone. 

It follows that Christian conversion demands reviewing especially those areas and aspects of life “related to the social order and the pursuit of the common good”.

10 years ago today

‘Starbucks uncle’ sipping coffee during flood epitomises Lion Rock spirit, sparks Photoshop battle

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

And praying for one of the world's poorest countries each day of the month:
On this 20th of the month, Jesus please bless the people of Gambia

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)

I spent yesterday morning at the High Court supporting an African inmate. In the afternoon, I went to a meeting with a barrister who is greatly concerned about the number of women being sent to HK with drugs by an African syndicate in San Paulo. 
Women like the one at right ...

Speaking of High Court, drama last night as Government tried to use HC to deal with problem in Legislature. Updates Here

Letter from a Filipina in Brazil - describing how she was coerced by her Tanzanian partner to take drugs to Hong Kong - with photo and name of the Tanzanian, and of his Filipina accomplice. Here (September 17)

TV report on Australia's "Safe Schools" program:  
"Safe Schools are saving lives"  ("Safe Schools" should be "Unsafe Schools!)

It's good that main stream TV is now covering this disturbing issue

Chris McDonnell   (UK blogger)

When the tax-man called

Our atmosphere is fragile and incredibly thin. We are careless at our peril. The phrase ‘global warming’ was unheard until recent years. Now it is with us.

Daniel 13

A beautiful woman named Susanna was condemned to death on a false charge of immorality.

God stirred Daniel's heart to help Susanna. Daniel confronted Susanna's two accusers, two elderly Jewish men.

Daniel had the two men separated. He then asked them individually where the alleged crime took place.

One of them said "under a mastic tree." The other said "under an oak tree."

The people then realized the men were lying. The people praised God for giving such wisdom to Daniel.

Susanna was freed. The two men were executed, as required by the Law.

Lord, please help people who have been falsely accused of crimes

Psalm 86

Turn your ear, O Lord, and give answer for I am poor and needy.

O Lord, you are good and forgiving, full of love to all who call to you.

All the nations shall come to adore you and glorify your name, O Lord, you who alone are God.

Show me, Lord, your way, and guide my heart so that I may walk in your truth.

I will praise you, Lord my God, with all my heart for your love to me has been great.

O give your strength to your servant and save your handmaid's son.

Dear Lord, thank you for all your love

Recording   

Revelation 8.1 - 11.18

I saw how punishment is coming for all evil doers on the earth

I heard voices shouting: "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and his Christ. He will reign for ever and ever"

The 24 elders worshipped God saying:

"We give thanks to you, Almighty Lord God. The time has come for everyone to be judged. The time has come for good people to be rewarded and bad people to be punished"

Jesus, please help bad people stop being bad

Recording 

Mark 3.1-6

Jesus again went to a prayer hall on the Sabbath. In the hall was a man with a withered hand.

The religious leaders were watching Jesus to see if he would heal on the Sabbath, hoping for something to use against him.

Jesus said to the man with the withered hand "Stand in the middle of the hall".  Then he said to the religious leaders "Is it against the law on the Sabbath to do good?"

They remained silent. Grieved that they were so obstinate, Jesus looked angrily round at them, and said to the man "Stretch out your hand".

He stretched it out and it was healed. The leaders left and began to plot how to get rid of Jesus.

Jesus, don't let my heart become obstinate

Recording 

Why had the two old leaders (Daniel) become so corrupt as to falsely condemn someone to death? Why had the religious leaders (Mark) become so "blind" as to refuse to acknowledge Jesus as a good person who did good?

How can we avoid such corruption and "spiritual blindness"? Only by taking care of our "eyes" ... our conscience ....which is also called "the voice of God inside us". Best way of taking care of our conscience: daily Bible reading and prayer = listening to God's voice in the Bible and prayer

           Australian Good Sam. in Philippines:   Supporting Filipinas in prison

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

193: Recording

The lack of historical memory is a serious shortcoming in our society.

A mentality that can only say, “Then was then, now is now”, is ultimately immature.

 Knowing and judging past events is the only way to build a meaningful future. 

Memory is necessary for growth: “Recall the former days” (Heb 10:32).

Listening to the elderly tell their stories is good for children and young people; it makes them feel connected to the living history of their families, their neighborhoods and their country. 

A family that fails to respect and cherish its grandparents, who are its living memory, is already in decline, whereas a family that remembers has a future. 

“A society that has no room for the elderly or discards them because they create problems, has a deadly virus”; “it is torn from its roots”.

Our contemporary experience of being orphans as a result of cultural discontinuity, uprootedness and the collapse of the certainties that shape our lives, challenges us to make our families places where children can sink roots in the rich soil of a collective history.

Having a city free of pornography starts with one step, Toowoomba leaders say at launch of campaign

In a connected world, where pornography is only a button click away, how realistic is a 'porn-free' city? "I take a lot of hope from the anti-smoking campaign"

183: Recording 

Environmental impact assessment should not come after the drawing up of a business proposition or the proposal of a particular policy, plan or program. It should be part of the process from the beginning, and be carried out in a way which is interdisciplinary, transparent and free of all economic or political pressure. It should be linked to a study of working conditions and possible effects on people’s physical and mental health, on the local economy and on public safety.

Economic returns can thus be forecast more realistically, taking into account potential scenarios and the eventual need for further investment to correct possible undesired effects. A consensus should always be reached between the different stakeholders, who can offer a variety of approaches, solutions and alternatives. The local population should have a special place at the table; they are concerned about their own future and that of their children, and can consider goals transcending immediate economic interest. 

We need to stop thinking in terms of “interventions” to save the environment in favour of policies developed and debated by all interested parties. The participation of the latter also entails being fully informed about such projects and their different risks and possibilities; this includes not just preliminary decisions but also various follow-up activities and continued monitoring. Honesty and truth are needed in scientific and political discussions; these should not be limited to the issue of whether or not a particular project is permitted by law.

181b: Recording

Our mandate is to “go into all the world and proclaim the good news to the whole creation”, for “the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God”. 

Here, “the creation” refers to every aspect of human life; consequently, “the mission of proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ has a universal destination. Its mandate of charity encompasses all dimensions of existence, all individuals, all areas of community life, and all peoples. Nothing human can be alien to it”. 

10 years ago today

Just a co-incidence, but as people were leaving from my birthday meal last Sunday night (with 60 very special guests) four guests using crutches or frames all came out the door together. People passing by on the footpath were wondering if there had been a fight ... or was it a gathering for some new organization?!

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

And praying for one of the world's poorest countries each day of the month:
On this 19th of the month, Jesus please bless the people of Sudan

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)