My mobile
number in South Africa: +27 (0)788228537 (South Africa is six hours behind
HK)
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Tuesday
January 10 |
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Pope (276, below): In the family, we learn
closeness, care and respect for others. |
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Yesterday
in Johannesburg I spent much time with three families
meeting a media team - preparing a report on the situation
of drug trafficking to Hong Kong by South Africans. The
program will be available on YouTube after it goes to air
and I am sure it will do a lot of good in many ways
...encouraging people to name and shame Drug Lords
....stopping people being recruited by the Drug Lords
....and encouraging the authorities to take more action
against the Drug Lords (e.g. by tightening security at
South Africa's three international airports).
Thank
you Jesus for Day 13!
My article in today's Ming Pao
newspaper with the topic: Hello
....from Southern Africa! is on Ming
Pao website - click "Australian in HK".
Free access to article with recording today from about
noon to 8pm HK time. Text
without recording
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 The
Book Blog
4 readings +
recordings
Comments welcome here
Readings are from
Simple Bible
Exodus
12-13 (a): God said to Moses and Aaron
"From now on, this month is to be the first month of your year.
On the evening of the 14th day of this month
each family must kill and eat a one year old male sheep or goat.
Some of its blood must be put on your front door.
You must eat it in a hurry,
with a belt round your waist, sandals on your feet
and a staff in your hand.
This night I will go through the
land
of
Egypt
and strike every first-born Egyptian.
But when I see the blood on your doors
I shall PASS OVER your homes
and you shall be unharmed.
Each year you must remember this night.
Each year you must observe this feast of the Passover.
You also must consecrate all first-born to me."
My
recording of this reading
Exodus
12-13 (b):
That night God indeed struck dead the first-born
of all the Egyptians,
including the son of Pharaoh.
There was great mourning in Egypt
and Pharaoh finally agreed to let the Israelites go.
The Israelites now numbered about 600,000 men,
having been in Egypt
exactly 430 years.
As the people travelled, God went before them
in the form of a pillar of cloud during the day
and a pillar of fire at night. Dear
God, please help me understand
the full meaning of the Passover story
Recording
Acts
16.1-10: In the town of
Lystra, Paul recruited
Timothy, whose mother was a Jewish Christian and whose father was Greek. As they visited one town after another, they
announced the decisions taken in Jerusalem about what Jewish practices to
follow. The local churches continued to grow strong in
faith as well as grow in numbers. One night Paul had a vision: a Macedonian
appeared and said "Come across to Macedonia and help us". We
immediately crossed the sea to Macedonia (Luke was now with Paul)
Jesus, if someone asks me for help, may I
say yes
Recording
Luke
3.1-6: In the 15th year of the Roman Emperor
Tiberius Caesar, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judaea, Herod was
ruler of Galilee and during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas,
God's message entered the heart of John son of Zechariah in the wilderness.
John went through the whole Jordan River area
proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. This had been foretold by the prophet Isaiah
when he said
"A voice cries in the wilderness:
Prepare a way for the Lord" Jesus, help us prepare your way, like
John
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
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The
Joy of Love - Pope
Francis' letter - on
love in the family
Full
English text
Full
Chinese text
276: Recording
The
family is the primary setting for socialization, since it
is where we first learn to relate to others, to listen and
share, to be patient and show respect, to help one another
and live as one.
The
task of education is to make us sense that the world and
society are also our home; it trains us how to live
together in this greater home.
In
the family, we learn closeness, care and respect for
others.
We
break out of our fatal self-absorption and come to realize
that we are living with and alongside others who are
worthy of our concern, our kindness and our
affection.
There
is no social bond without this primary, everyday, almost
microscopic aspect of living side by side, crossing paths
at different times of the day, being concerned about
everything that affects us, helping one another with
ordinary little things.
Every
day the family has to come up with new ways of
appreciating and acknowledging its members.
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Today
I am reading Day 15 to this excellent little book 40
Days of Pilgrimage with Pope Francis: Care for Our Common
Home" (used with permission ...tomorrow: Day
1...)
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Pope
Francis: The
Joy of the Gospel
Full
English text Full
Chinese text
250: Recording
An
attitude of openness in truth and in love
must characterize the dialogue with the followers of
non-Christian religions, in spite of various obstacles and
difficulties, especially forms of
fundamentalism on both sides.
Interreligious
dialogue is a necessary condition for peace in the world,
and so it is a duty for Christians
as well as other religious communities.
This
dialogue is in first place a conversation about human
existence or simply, as the bishops of
India
have put it, a matter of “being
open to them, sharing their joys and sorrows”.
In
this way we learn to accept others
and their different ways of living, thinking and speaking.
We
can then join one another in taking
up the duty of serving justice and peace, which
should become a basic principle of
all our exchanges.
A
dialogue which seeks social peace and justice is in itself,
beyond all merely practical considerations, an
ethical commitment which brings about a new social
situation.
Efforts
made in dealing with a specific theme can become a process
in which, by mutual listening, both
parts can be purified and enriched. These efforts,
therefore, can also express love for truth.
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10 years
ago today |
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2007-01-10
Visit to centers in poor areas by CAS students and staff
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The
school year in South Africa begins tomorrow....Come Holy
Spirit and bless all students/teachers. Yesterday I
noticed not a few Mums and Dads with a shopping basket
doing some last minute buying at a book store near where
I'm staying. |
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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
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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 Hubei
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,
today, Tuesday,
please pacify Boko
Haram |
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Monday
January 9 |
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Pope
(275, below): The
vice of “wanting it all now”
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Yesterday
I went 90 minutes by taxi to the small town of
.....well...maybe I should not put it's name, because that
might identify people. Anyhow the drive was through
beautiful countryside. South Africa really is a lovely
country.
At
the town I met two more families of inmates in prison in
HK for drug trafficking. Members of the family said how
Nigerians "dominate drugs in every small
town".
Today
I'm due to spend time on a media report which hopefully
will help stop people, especially poor people, doubly
especially poor women, from being recruited by the
Nigerian Drug Lords to go to HK as drug mules. I also hope
the report will encourage the authorities to take action
against the Drug Lords.
Thank
you Jesus for Day 12!
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This has to be
one of the Pope's best ever sermons:
Pope's
homily for Epiphany
The Magi did not set out because
they had seen the star; they saw the star because they
had already set out
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The
Book Blog
4 readings +
recordings |
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Readings
are from Simple
Bible
(which has Chinese translation
available) |
Exodus
11
One last time God sent Moses to Pharaoh,
with this message:
"Tonight at midnight, God's angel will pass through Egypt.
All the first-born in the
land
of
Egypt
will die,
except the first-born of the Israelites."
Dear
God, please bless everyone in Egypt
!
My recording of this
reading |
Psalm
146 (a)
My soul, give
praise to the Lord.
I will praise the Lord all my days.
Put no trust in
princes,
in mortal men in whom there is no help.
Take their breath, they
return to clay
and their plans that day come to nothing.
They are happy who are
helped by Jacob's God,
whose hope is in the Lord our God, who alone made heaven
and earth,
the seas and all they contain.
It is he who gives
bread to the hungry,
the Lord, who sets prisoners free.
Recording
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Psalm
146 (b)
It is the Lord who
gives sight to the blind,
who raises up those who are bowed down.
It is the Lord who
protects the stranger
and upholds the widow and orphan.
It is the Lord who
loves the just
but thwarts the path of the wicked.
The Lord will reign for
ever,
Zion's God, from age to age.
Lord, please increase my trust
and faith in you
Recording
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Matthew
2.13-23
After the wise men left Bethlehem,
an angel appeared to Joseph in a dream and said
"Go quickly to Egypt,
because Herod wants to kill the child".
That same night, Joseph got up
and set out for Egypt with Mary and Jesus.
Herod was angry after being tricked by the wise men.
He got his soldiers to kill all baby boys two years old or younger in
Bethlehem.
After Herod died some months later,
an angel appeared to Joseph in a dream
and told him to return to Israel.
Joseph, Mary and Jesus moved to the town of
Nazareth,
thus fulfilling the prophecy about the Saviour:
"He will be called a Nazarene". Recording
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Yesterday we had the Feast of the Epiphany. Today let's
remember that the Wise Men weren't the only ones who beat
a hasty exit from Bethlehem. See this
moving picture
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Ivorian
woman arrested with Sh10 million worth of heroin at
Mombasa airport |
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The
Joy of Love - Pope
Francis' letter - on
love in the family Full
English text Full
Chinese text
275:
Recording
In
our own day, dominated by stress and rapid technological
advances, one of the most important tasks of families is
to provide an education in hope.
This
does not mean preventing children from playing with
electronic devices, but rather finding ways to help them
develop their critical abilities and not to think that
digital speed can apply to everything in life.
Postponing
desires does not mean denying them but simply deferring
their fulfilment.
When
children or adolescents are not helped to realize that
some things have to be waited for, they can become
obsessed with satisfying their immediate needs and develop
the vice of “wanting it all now”.
This
is a grand illusion which does not favour freedom but
weakens it.
On
the other hand, when we are taught to postpone some things
until the right moment, we learn self-mastery and
detachment from our impulses.
When
children realize that they have to be responsible for
themselves, their self-esteem is enriched.
This
in turn teaches them to respect the freedom of
others.
Obviously
this does not mean expecting children to act like adults,
but neither does it mean underestimating their ability to
grow in responsible freedom.
In
a healthy family, this learning process usually takes
place through the demands made by life in common.
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Today
I am reading Day 14 of this excellent little book 40
Days of Pilgrimage with Pope Francis: Care for Our Common
Home" (used with permission)
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249:
Recording
God
continues to work among the people of the Old Covenant and
to bring forth treasures of wisdom which flow from their
encounter with his word.
For
this reason, the Church also is
enriched when she receives the values of Judaism.
While
it is true that certain Christian beliefs are unacceptable
to Judaism, and that the Church cannot refrain from
proclaiming Jesus as Lord and Messiah, there exists as
well a rich complementarity which
allows us to read the texts of the Hebrew Scriptures
together and to help one another to mine the riches of
God’s word.
We
can also share many ethical convictions and a common
concern for justice and the development of peoples.
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Yesterday on
the 90 minute road trip to visit two families of inmates
in prison in HK, I saw a road sign I'd never seen before: "Owls
- next 5 km" ...very
appropriate for yesterday's Epiphany story about the 3
Wise Men! |
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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
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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 the
Central Africa Republic
And
praying for one Islam-related
intention each day
of the week:
Jesus,
today, Monday,
please pacify IS |
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Sunday
January 8 Feast
of the Epiphany |
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Day
13, below: Lord,
bless our ears that they may listen to your voice in the
cry of the suffering, and remain deaf to useless noise and
empty talk. |
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In
Hong Kong prisons, most prisoners have a radio. One of the
English-speaking prisoners' most popular programs is "The
Hour of Love", heard each Sunday night at 9.05 HK time on Metro
Radio. Tonight's program will feature recordings from some of
the families I have met with over the past week here in
Johannesburg. Messages are partly in English, partly in other
languages.
Three
more recordings were made yesterday when I met some more families
- this time in Pretoria, about one hour's drive from Johannesburg.
The trip was made in the rain ...most welcome rain because the
dams here are dangerously low.
Thank
you Jesus for Day 11!
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YouTube:
We Three
Kings
I
wish all dear readers a Happy Epiphany!
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The
Book Blog
4 readings +
recordings |
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Readings
are from Simple
Bible
(which has Chinese translation available) |
c.f.
Readings for Epiphany Isaiah
59-60
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
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Psalm
72
O Lord, please bless the king,
that he might serve your people with justice.
May the mountains bring forth peace for the
people
and the hills, justice.
The kings of Sheba and Seba bring him gifts.
All nations will serve him.
He will save the poor when they cry for help
and the needy who are helpless.
He will have pity on the weak
and save the lives of the poor.
May every tribe be blessed in him.
May every nation bless his name.
May all the nations know and
love you, Lord
Recording
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Ephesians
3.2-6
You
have probably heard how I have been entrusted by God with the
grace he meant for you, and that it was by a revelation that I
was given the knowledge of the mystery.
This
mystery that has now been revealed through the Spirit to his
holy apostles and prophets was unknown to any men in past
generations;
it
means that pagans now share the same inheritance, that they are
parts of the same body, and that the same promise has been made
to them, in Jesus Christ, through the gospel
Recording
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Matthew
2.1-12
Jesus was born in the town of Bethlehem,
during the reign of King Herod.
Some months after Jesus' birth,
several wise men from the East came to Jerusalem.
They said "Where is the infant king
of the Jews?
We saw his star as it rose and we have come to offer him honor."
King Herod felt threatened by this news.
He knew from the Scriptures that the promised Saviour would be born
in Bethlehem.
So Herod sent the wise men to Bethlehem,
pretending that he too would like to offer honor to the child.
The wise men headed for Bethlehem, guided by
the star.
The star filled them with joy.
The star stopped over the place where the child was.
The wise men fell to their knees and honored
the child.
They offered him gifts of gold, incense and myrrh.
Then they returned to their own country by a
different way,
having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod.
Jesus, help me to honor
you like the wise men
Recording
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Today we join the Wise Men in worshipping the Bethlehem Baby. All
peoples, all nations are invited to love and honor him. The more
we do love him, the more we will know peace and joy.
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The Joy of Love - Pope
Francis' letter - on
love in the family
Full
English text
Full
Chinese text
274:
Recording
Family
life as an educational setting
The family is the first school of human values, where we learn the
wise use of freedom.
Certain
inclinations develop in childhood and become so deeply rooted that
they remain throughout life, either as attractions to a particular
value or a natural repugnance to certain ways of acting.
Many
people think and act in a certain way because they deem it to be
right on the basis of what they learned, as if by osmosis, from
their earliest years: “That’s how I was taught”. “That’s
what I learned to do”.
In
the family we can also learn to be critical about certain messages
sent by the various media. Sad to say, some television programs or
forms of advertising often negatively influence and undercut the
values inculcated in family life.
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Sr.
Anastasia, M.M.
(黄修女）
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Latest report Here
about Sister's beautiful ministry in China |
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Today
I am reading Day 13 of this excellent little book
40
Days of Pilgrimage with Pope Francis: Care for Our Common Home
(used with permission)
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January 1st in the 17th century Chinese Liturgy |
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248: Recording
Dialogue
and friendship with the children of Israel are part of the life of
Jesus’ disciples.
The
friendship which has grown between us makes us bitterly and
sincerely regret the terrible persecutions which they have
endured, and continue to endure, especially those that have
involved Christians
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Hour
of Love HK
radio program 9.05pm HK time each Sunday night
- with messages about African inmates in HK prisons (c. 9.25pm).
Tonight Bruce will play recordings from more of the
families I've visited recently in Johannesburg
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In today's Gospel story, above, how many kings
are there?
Answer is at bottom of today's menu
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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
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And
praying for prisoners in one
part of China each day of the month:
On this 8th
of the month, Jesus please bless the prisoners of Heilongjiang
And
praying for one of the
world's poorest countries each day of the month: On
this 8th of
the month, Jesus please bless the people of Sierra
Leone
And
praying for one Islam-related
intention each day of the
week:
Jesus,
today, Sunday,
please bless
all Muslims in my own country |
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How many kings? 3 (the wise men) +
Herod + Jesus = 5!
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Saturday
January 7 |
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Pope
(273, below): A
person may clearly and willingly desire something
evil, but do so as the result of an irresistible
passion or a poor upbringing. |
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Yesterday I went
to the outer Johannesburg district of Boxburg. An noon I
had a lunch meeting with the families of two inmates in
HK. The inmates are good friends, and yesterday, for the
first time, the families met up and now also are good
friends.
At
3pm I met two more families with the same result: families
now friends, just like the inmates.
And to put icing on the cake, just before 3pm all four
families met up and in future will keep in contact to
support each other.
Photos
of the gathering(s), with permission of the families, are Here
Thank
you Jesus for Day 10
Next
Tuesday a South African TV crew will be in Johannesburg to
interview some of the families I've been meeting, with a
view to getting government action about the exploitation
of vulnerable people (especially women) by Nigerian Drug
Lords operating in the city. Other hoped for positive
results of the documentary: more awareness in the
community about the danger of drug trafficking to HK
...leading to fewer mules going to HK ....and tighter
security at Johannesburg airport .....and a willingness by
the government to have a prisoner transfer agreement (like
Kenya and other countries)
UCAN
report: Missionary’s
anti-drug campaign bears fruit in Hong Kong
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The
Book Blog
4 readings +
recordings |
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Readings
are from Simple
Bible
(which has Chinese translation
available) |
Exodus
10
Pharaoh's
advisers urged him to let the Israelites go.
They said to him "How much longer is this affair going to go on?
Let the Israelites go before Egypt
is ruined."
Pharaoh agreed to let the men go, but not the rest of the people.
So God sent two more plagues on the Egyptians:
locusts which devoured all the plants and trees,
and then three days of total darkness,
except in the land where the Israelites lived.
But even after the above nine plagues,
Pharaoh still wouldn't let the Israelites go.
Dear
God, stubbornness can sometimes be a good thing, but please don't let me
be stubborn if that will hurt other people
My
recording of this reading |
Psalm
145
I will give you glory, O God my king.
I will bless your name day after day.
The Lord is great, worthy of all praise.
His greatness cannot be measured.
Age to age shall proclaim your works,
shall speak of your splendor and glory.
The Lord is kind and full of compassion,
slow to anger, abounding in love.
How good is the Lord to all,
compassionate to all his creatures.
All your creatures shall thank you, O Lord,
and tell all the world of your love.
The Lord is faithful in all his words
and loving in all his deeds.
The Lord supports all who fall
and raises all who are bowed down.
The eyes of all creatures look to you
and you give them their food each day.
The Lord is close to all who call him,
who call on him from their hearts.
Let the whole world bless the Lord's holy
name,
for ever, for ages unending.
Thank you, Lord, for your love.
Thank you for your love
Recording
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Acts
15.36-40
Some time after this, Paul said to
Barnabas
"Let's revisit the towns where we preached the word of the
Lord".
Barnabas suggested taking John Mark with them,
but Paul opposed this, since John Mark had deserted them on the previous
trip when the situation became dangerous
After a violent argument, Paul and Barnabas
split up. Barnabas went with John Mark to Cyprus. Silas joined Paul for
his next journey
Jesus,
at your Last Supper you
prayed for the unity of your followers. Help us avoid
arguments
Recording
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John
1.1-14
From all eternity the Word existed.
The Word was with God the Father.
The Word was God the Son
The Word was the source of life for all
creatures
The Word became a man, and lived among
us.
We saw his glory, full of grace and truth
Many people did not recognize and did not accept the
Word.
But to everyone who did accept him,
he gave power to become children of God
Jesus, please help me understand how you are
the Word-made-flesh
Recording
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For
the past two weeks we've been trying to think more often
about the Bethlehem Baby. Today's Gospel reminds us
....can we say it? ....he was made in Heaven!
Tomorrow we spend one final day in Bethlehem - with the
Epiphany wise men
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I hope
she will run for president: |
More than 'mom-in-chief' Michelle Obama bows out as dynamic first lady |
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The
Joy of Love - Pope
Francis' letter - on
love in the family
Full
English text
Full
Chinese text
273:
Recording
In
proposing values, we have to proceed slowly, taking into
consideration the child’s age and abilities, without
presuming to apply rigid and inflexible methods. The
valuable contributions of psychology and the educational
sciences have shown that changing a child’s behaviour
involves a gradual process, but also that freedom needs to
be channeled and stimulated, since by itself it does not
ensure growth in maturity.
Situated
freedom, real freedom, is limited and conditioned. It is
not simply the ability to choose what is good with
complete spontaneity. A distinction is not always
adequately drawn between “voluntary” and “free”
acts. A person may clearly and willingly desire something
evil, but do so as the result of an irresistible passion
or a poor upbringing.
In
such cases, while the decision is voluntary, inasmuch as
it does not run counter to the inclination of their
desire, it is not free, since it is practically impossible
for them not to choose that evil.
We
see this in the case of compulsive drug addicts. When they
want a fix, they want it completely, yet they are so
conditioned that at that moment no other decision is
possible. Their decision is voluntary but not free. It
makes no sense to “let them freely choose”, since in
fact they cannot choose, and exposing them to drugs only
increases their addiction. They need the help of others
and a process of rehabilitation.
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Today
I am reading Day Twelve
of this excellent little book 40
Days of Pilgrimage with Pope Francis: Care for Our Common
Home" (used with permission)
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247: Recording
Relations
with Judaism
We
hold the Jewish people in special regard because their
covenant with God has never been revoked, for
“the gifts and the call of God are irrevocable”.
The
Church, which shares with Jews an important part of the
sacred Scriptures, looks upon the
people of the covenant and their faith as one of the
sacred roots of her own Christian identity
As
Christians, we cannot consider
Judaism as a foreign religion; nor do we include
the Jews among those called to turn from idols and to
serve the true God. With them, we
believe in the one God who acts in history, and with them
we accept his revealed word.
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After
my experience in Kenya and Uganda last year ...mosquitoes
and mosquitoe nets ...I brought two tubes of skin
protection cream to South Africa. But up to now ....after
10 days, I have to report I have not seen even one
mosquitoe! |
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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
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And
praying for prisoners in one
part of China each day of the month:
On this 7th
of the month, Jesus please bless the prisoners of Hebei
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 Burkina
Faso
And
praying for one Islam-related
intention each day
of the week:
Jesus,
today, Saturday,
please bless
the Taliban |
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Friday
January 6 |
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Pope
(246, below): We
Catholics have the opportunity to learn
more about the meaning of episcopal
collegiality and the experience of
synodality.
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Yesterday
here in Johannesburg I met with one more family of
an inmate in prison in Hong Kong for drug
trafficking ....and again a now-familiar theme
emerged: the inmate was very likely recruited by a
Nigerian man known to the family.
To
balance the books, I must say I have met two
excellent Nigerian men over the past week ....both
trying to stop their countrymen from recruiting
vulnerable people in South Africa
Seems
that everyone knows what's happening, but
concern-fatigue has set in and no one has the
energy or whatever to do something about this sad
situation.
But
as the man in white who lives at the Vatican said
to everyone, especially priests, when he visited a
drug state of Mexico last year: "Don't give
up. You must keep fighting to stop this
madness" (or words to that effect)
Thank
you Jesus for Day 9!
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The
Book Blog
4
readings + recordings |
|
Comments/reflections
welcome here
Readings
are from Simple
Bible |
Exodus
9
Through
Moses God kept saying to
Pharaoh
"Let my people go to offer me worship."
But Pharaoh kept refusing to let the people go.
So God sent three more plagues:
all the Egyptians' animals died,
then all the Egyptians were covered with boils,
then the land was hit by a fierce hailstorm.
During the hailstorm, Pharaoh said the people could go.
But as soon as the storm stopped, he changed his mind again.
Dear
God, please help us not to ignore your voice
Recording
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Psalm 144
Blessed be the Lord, my rock,
who gives me strength for every situation.
He is my love, my fortress.
He is my stronghold, my savior.
To you, O God, will I sing a new song,
you who so often rescued David your servant.
Happy the people whose God is the Lord.
Please continue to bless your people, Lord.
Let our sons
flourish like saplings
grown tall and strong from their youth;
our daughters graceful as columns,
adorned as though for a palace.
Let our crops and stock be blessed.
May there be no sound of weeping on our streets.
Lord, please help us love and
honor you every day. Don't let us ever forget your love
Recording
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Acts 15.1-29
Some Jewish Christians came to Syrian
Antioch from Judea and said that non-Jewish Christians should be
circumcised. Paul and Barnabas argued against such an idea, and decided to
go to Jerusalem to discuss this issue with the apostles there
During a long meeting, Peter reminded everyone
how the Holy Spirit had been poured out on non-circumcised people.
James spoke
of how all peoples are meant to be consecrated to the Lord
James then issued a teaching for non-Jewish
believers:
"All we ask you to do is to abstain from food sacrificed to idols,
from blood from the meat of strangled animals and from fornication. Avoid these, and you will do what is right"
Jesus, please don't let me make unreasonable
demands on other people
Recording
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Luke
2.36-38
There
was a prophetess also, Anna the daughter of
Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was well on in
years. Her days of girlhood over, she had been
married for seven years before becoming a widow.
She was now eighty-four years old and never left
the Temple, serving God night and day with fasting
and prayer.
She
came by just at that moment and began to praise
God; and she spoke of the child to all who looked
forward to the deliverance of Jerusalem
Recording
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Maybe
if there was a bit more prayer and fasting in my
life, I might find it easier to recognize Jesus
...like Anna in today's Gospel. Problem is, our
modern life encourages feasting rather than
fasting.
What's
the difference between feasting and fasting? An
"e" ..."e" for ....
eating!
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The
Joy of Love - Pope
Francis' letter - on
love in the family
Full
English text
Full
Chinese text
272: Recording
Ethical
formation is at times frowned upon, due to
experiences of neglect, disappointment, lack of
affection or poor models of parenting.
Ethical
values are associated with negative images of
parental figures or the shortcomings of
adults.
For
this reason, adolescents should be helped to draw
analogies: to appreciate that values are best
embodied in a few exemplary persons, but also
realized imperfectly and to different degrees in
others.
At
the same time, since their hesitation can be tied
to bad experiences, they need help in the process
of inner healing and in this way to grow in the
ability to understand and live in peace with
others and the larger community.
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Today
I am reading Day
Eleven
of this excellent little book 40
Days of Pilgrimage with Pope Francis: Care for Our
Common Home" (used with permission)
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246:
Recording
Signs
of division between Christians in countries
ravaged by violence add
further causes of conflict on
the part of those who should instead be a leaven
of peace.
How
many important things unite us! If we really
believe in the abundantly free working of the Holy
Spirit, we can learn so much
from one another!
It
is not just about being better informed about
others, but rather about reaping
what the Spirit has sown in them, which is
also meant to be a gift for us.
To
give but one example, in the dialogue with our
Orthodox brothers and sisters, we
Catholics have the opportunity to learn more about
the meaning of episcopal collegiality and their
experience of synodality. Through an
exchange of gifts, the Spirit can lead us ever
more fully into truth and goodness.
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10
years ago today |
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2007-01-06,07 Saturday night English Corner - thank you Conor, Garth ....and HK visitors
Brian and Jan (who visited poor areas on Sunday) |
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Yesterday's
meeting place with the family of an inmate in HK -
Newtown - has a bad reputation for all sorts of
violence ...and the inmates had told me not to go
there. But all was well ...meeting was in a lovely
new mall which maybe the inmates don't know about.
Mind you, as I waiting for my guests, for some
reason or other Robin Hood came to mind ...with
the thought that he should have been called Robing
Hood! |
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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,
today, Friday,
please bless
all Muslims |
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Thursday
January 5 |
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See
inspiring article, below, about Canada! |
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Yesterday
with the help of a local Johannesburg taxi driver I
visited two very poor families who have members in prison
in Hong Kong. Seeing the families' situations made me
understand why two mothers of young children took the
desperate step of drug trafficking to HK.
One
family was in the town of Evaton West, about an hour South
of Johannesburg. Photos of the house and street will be on
tomorrow's menu DV. A very, very poor area. I got my
driver to go and get something to eat and bring it back to
the house, since it was not convenient for two of
the four adults in the house to go out: one totally blind,
one on crutches with a broken leg.
Then
I went to the nearby town of Orange Farm, to meet a
grandmother and two of the four grandchildren she is
struggling to look after. The mother of three of the
grandchildren is in prison in HK. The other mother is
deceased, as are the three women's husbands.
I
had taken what I thought was enough money to cover a
decent donation to both families, but once again (like Dec
31) I was overcome by the poverty of both families, and
came home with an empty wallet ...asking the taxi driver
to wait while I went inside to get some money to pay for
his services.
Thank
you Jesus for Day 8!
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The
Book Blog
4 readings +
recordings |
|
Comments/reflections
welcome here
Readings are from
Simple Bible |
Exodus
8
After seven days, God told Moses and
Aaron
to go to Pharaoh again,
this time causing a plague of frogs to cover the land
when Pharaoh again refused to let the Israelites go.
Then God got Aaron to strike the ground
and the dust turned into mosquitoes
which attacked people and animals throughout
Egypt.
But still Pharaoh would not let the Israelites go.
Next there was a plague of flies which afflicted every place except the
land
of
Goshen
where the Israelites lived.
Pharaoh then said the Israelites could go
and he asked Moses to pray for the flies to stop.
But once the flies stopped, Pharaoh changed his mind and would not let the
Israelites go.
Dear
God, please help all world leaders to listen to your voice
My
recording of this reading
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Psalms
140-143
Lord, save me from
people who do evil,
you who do justice for the needy.
I have no way out of
this situation.
And no one wants to help me.
Lord, I beg you tonight
to make haste and give me an answer,
for my spirit fails within me.
In the morning let me know your love
for I put my trust in you.
Lord, please help people who
are in big trouble
Recording
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Acts
14.19-27
Some
Jewish leaders arrived from Pisidian Antioch and Iconium. They turned the
people of Lycaonia against Paul and Barnabas
The
people stoned Paul and, thinking he was dead, dragged him outside the town
The
disciples gathered around Paul's body. As they did so, he stood up. The
next day he and Barnabas went to the town of
Derbe
After
Derbe, they went back to Pisidian
Antioch via Lystra and Iconium. n each place they encouraged the
believers to persevere in the faith, especially during difficult times in
their lives
In each place they also appointed elders to be
church leaders
Eventually Paul and Barnabas arrived back in Syrian Antioch, where they
gave an account of how God had opened the door of faith to
non-Jewish people
Jesus, please help me persevere in the faith,
like Paul and Barnabas
Recording
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Luke
2.33-35
As
the child's father and mother stood there wondering at the
things that were being said about him, Simeon
blessed them and said to Mary his mother:
'You
see this child: he is destined for the fall and for the
rising of many in Israel, destined to be a sign that is
rejected - and a sword will pierce your own soul too - so
that the secret thoughts of many may be laid bare'.
Recording
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As we try this week before Epiphany to keep thinking about
the Bethlehem Baby, we remember how an old man, Simeon
(today's Gospel) and an old lady, Anna (tomorrow's Gospel)
were aware of God's plan for the Baby. Knowledge of God's
plan came not from the religious leaders but from God
himself.
True
still today ....simple people, people close to the Lord,
are often more in touch with God's plan than learned
leaders.
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God
bless Canada!
The Canada experiment - is this the world's first 'postnational'
country? |
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The
Joy of Love - Pope
Francis' letter - on
love in the family
Full
English text
Full
Chinese text
271: Recording
Patient
realism
Moral education entails asking of a child or a young
person only those things that do not involve a
disproportionate sacrifice, and demanding only a degree of
effort that will not lead to resentment or coercion.
Ordinarily
this is done by proposing small steps that can be
understood, accepted and appreciated, while including a
proportionate sacrifice.
Otherwise,
by demanding too much, we gain nothing. Once the child is
free of our authority, he or she may possibly cease to do
good
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Pope appeals for humane prisons after Brazil riots |
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Today
I am reading Day Ten of this excellent little book 40
Days of Pilgrimage with Pope Francis: Care for Our Common
Home" (used with permission)
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245: Recording
In
this perspective, ecumenism can be
seen as a contribution to the unity of the human family.
At
the (October 2012) Synod (on the New Evangelization), the
presence of the Patriarch of Constantinople, His Holiness
Bartholomaios I, and the Archbishop of Canterbury, His
Grace Rowan Williams, was a true gift from God and a
precious Christian witness.
(YouTube:
Rowan
Williams at Synod)
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As I continue
to use Taxis here in Johannesburg to visit the families of
prisoners in HK, I feel sometimes like the taxis belong to
a Bible company ....considering the names of the drivers
....so far I've met Solomon, Titus, Elias, Emmanuel and
Jeremiah |
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Please
join me in praying for one part of the world each day of
the week:
Sun:
Africa
Mon:
Europe & Russia Tues:
South Asia Wed:
East Asia
Thurs:
S.E. Asia &
Pacific
Frid:
South America
Sat:
Central & North America
Jesus,
today, Thursday,
please bless the people of South
East Asia and the 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,
today, Thursday,
please pacify Al-Qaeda |
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Wednesday
January 4 |
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LIFE
AFTER DEATH? - SEE 
BELOW |
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Yesterday at midday in Johannesburg I met with another
family - the mother and sisters of a South African man in
prison in Hong Kong for drug trafficking, recruited by a
Nigerian man.
Then
I went to a nearby hospital to apply for the medical
record of a South African inmate in HK - he's hoping his
medical record will help his appeal against sentence.
Late
yesterday afternoon I met with one more family, that of a
South African woman in prison in HK for drug trafficking -
recruited by a local woman with ties to a Nigerian Drug
Lord.
(and
in between the 2nd & 3rd appointments I enjoyed a
refreshing swim in the pool of the motel where I am
staying ... my third such dip in four days)
Thank
you Jesus for Day 7!
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Chris
McDonnell
(UK blogger) |
Epiphany,
a time of realization
The
global reaction to the arrival of Francis in Rome is
evidence enough that others notice not just enormous
events but the small points that indicate attitude and
personal values
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The
Book Blog
4 readings +
recordings |
|
Comments/reflections
welcome here
Readings are from
Simple Bible |
Exodus
7
Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh again
and showed him Aaron's staff changing into a snake.
When Pharaoh's magicians were able to do the same thing
Aaron's staff swallowed up the magicians' staffs.
But Pharaoh's heart stayed stubborn
and he wouldn't listen to Moses and Aaron.
So God told Moses and Aaron to go to the river the next morning.
When they saw Pharaoh there
Aaron struck the river with his staff
and the river and all water throughout Egypt
turned into blood.
But Pharaoh still would not let the Israelites go.
Dear
God, please soften stubborn hearts
that make life difficult for other people
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Psalm
139
O Lord, you search me and you know me.
You know my resting and my rising.
You know exactly what's going on in my life,
all my ways are an open book to you.
Before ever a word is on my tongue,
you know, O Lord, what I'm going to say.
Your knowledge is beyond my
understanding,
too high, beyond my reach.
It was you who created my being,
knit me together in my mother's womb.
I thank you for the wonder of my life,
for the wonders of all your creation.
Lord, thank you for the gift of
life. Please help me follow the path to eternal life
Recording
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Acts
14.8-18
In
Lycaonia, there was a man who had never
walked in his life, because his feet were crippled from birth
As he listened to Paul preaching, Paul noticed
him and saw that he had the faith to be cured
Paul said in a loud voice "Get to your
feet! Stand up!"
The crippled man jumped up and began to walk
The local people thought that Paul and
Barnabas must be gods, so Paul said to them "We are only human beings
like you. We have come with Good News to help you turn from empty idols to
the living God who made heaven and earth. It is he who sends you rain and
who makes your crops grow"
Jesus, help people turn away from idol
worship
Recording
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Luke
2.21-32
When the baby was circumcised on the 8th day,
he was given the name Jesus, the name the angel had given him 9 months
before
When Jesus was 40 days old, his parents took
him to the Temple in Jerusalem to present him to the Lord, as the Law
required
In Jerusalem there was an old man named
Simeon. The Holy Spirit had revealed to him that before he died, he
would see the Christ of the Lord
Prompted by the Spirit, he came
to the Temple, took Jesus in his arms and praised God, saying
"Now, Master, you can let your servant go in peace, for my eyes have
seen the Savior. He is a light to enlighten the pagans, and he is the
glory of your people Israel"
Jesus, true Light of the world, we praise you
Lord
Recording
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Next
Sunday we celebrate the Feast of the Epiphany - when the
wise men went to Bethlehem, after which the Holy Family
had to escape to Egypt ....which means that today's Gospel
story of the Presentation must have happened before the
wise men's visit.
Today
let's think about Joseph and Mary taking the baby Jesus
from Bethlehem to Jerusalem ....a journey of 7km ... a
one-day trip....staying one or two nights?...then going
back to Bethlehem
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The
Joy of Love - Pope
Francis' letter - on
love in the family Full
English text
Full
Chinese text
270: Recording
It
is important that discipline not lead to discouragement,
but be instead a stimulus to further progress.
How
can discipline be best interiorized?
How
do we ensure that discipline is a constructive limit
placed on a child’s actions and not a barrier standing
in the way of his or her growth?
A
balance has to be found between two equally harmful
extremes.
One
would be to try to make everything revolve around the
child’s desires; such children will grow up with a sense
of their rights but not their responsibilities.
The
other would be to deprive the child of an awareness of his
or her dignity, personal identity and rights; such
children end up overwhelmed by their duties and a need to
carry out other people’s wishes.
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Today
I am reading Day Nine of
this excellent little book 40
Days of Pilgrimage with Pope Francis: Care for Our Common
Home" (used with permission)
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244: Recording
Commitment
to ecumenism responds to the prayer of the Lord Jesus that
“they may all be one”. The
credibility of the Christian message would be much greater
if Christians could overcome their divisions and
the Church could realize “the fullness of catholicity
proper to her in those of her children who, though joined
to her by baptism, are yet separated from full communion
with her”.
We
must never forget that we are pilgrims journeying
alongside one another. This means that we must have
sincere trust in our fellow pilgrims, putting
aside all suspicion or mistrust, and turn our gaze
to what we are all seeking: the radiant peace of God’s
face.
Trusting
others is an art,
and peace is an art. Jesus
told us: “Blessed are the peacemakers”. In taking up
this task, also among ourselves, we fulfil the
ancient prophecy: “They shall beat their swords into
ploughshares”.
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Sign on fence
near South Rand Hospital in Johannesburg...with photo of
ferocious dog:
LIFE AFTER DEATH? JUMP THE FENCE AND FIND OUT! |
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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,
today, Wednesday, please pacify Al-Shabaab |
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