V2Catholic.com A voice for the
poor Edited
by HK prison chaplain
Fr John Wotherspoon
O.M.I . 胡頌恆神父
jdwomi@gmail.com
Links, Search
& Archives Imitating
Pope
Francis
This
website's anti-drug campaign saves people from going to prison in HK
See & share inmates'
letters!
HK
Indon
Kenya
Nigeria
Phil
S.A.
S.Amer
Thail
Tanz
Ug
EU
How
campaign began
HK:how
long prison for trafficking?
www.AsylumSeekerHK.com
Tues March 28
$100m ice
seized from container bound for Sydney
After the undemocratic election of unpopular Carrie Lam as the next Chief
Executive, followed immediately by the news that Occupy leaders face arrest, HK
now enters a period of ever greater uncertainty.... just like the USA, UK and
other places where politics has become a mess.
How to explain the HK mess? For me the basic cause is the increasingly overt interference in HK affairs by Beijing. This has caused the radicalisation of HK society - especially its young people.
For those of us who are Christians ... called to be good citizens (see below, reading from Romans!) ... it's now more important than ever before to be faithful to Bible reading and prayer .... so that we can have the wisdom and courage to do whatever we can to help HK to ... clean up the mess.
--------------------------------------------------------
The
Book Blog:
4 readings + recordings
Comments welcome here
Readings are from
Simple Bible
Deuteronomy 1:
After wandering in the desert for 40 years,
the Israelites reached the land of Canaan.
Moses then assembled the people
and recalled all that had happened over the past 40 years:
"When God first told us to take this land,
I said to you: Do not be afraid. God goes ahead of you
and will be fighting on your side, as he did in Egypt. I also said how God carried you, as a man carries his child,
all along the road you travelled to this place.
But you did not trust God
and God closed the door to Canaan for 40 years,
causing us to wander in the desert until now."
Dear God, please help me to
trust you a bit more
My
recording of this reading
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
Romans
13.1-7: Be a good citizen. Respect all civil
authorities.
Authority comes from God and is answerable to God. Don't break laws. Live honestly.
Fulfill your obligations as a citizen. Pay your taxes.
Jesus, please help me be a good citizen
Recording
Luke
18:15-17: People brought little children to Jesus, for
him to bless them. The disciples told the people to go away and not bother
Jesus. But Jesus called the children to him and said
"Let the children come to me, and do not stop them, for it is to such
as these that the kingdom of God belongs. I tell you, anyone who does not welcome the
kingdom of God like a little child, will never enter it".
Jesus, please give all children the chance to
know and love you
Reflection
on the above readings:
Parents who teach their children
about Jesus are producing .... good citizens!
--------------------------------------------------------
My article in today's Ming Pao newspaper has the topic: Memo to Legco: Info from Australia, USA. It 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
-------------------------------
Pope Francis: The
Joy of Love - on love in the family
Full
English text
Full
Chinese text
46a: Recording
"Migration
is another sign of the times to be faced and understood in terms of its negative
effects on family life".
The recent Synod drew attention to this issue, noting that "in various ways, migration affects whole populations in different parts of the world.
The Church has exercised a major role in this area.
Maintaining and expanding this witness to the Gospel (cf. Mt 25:35) is urgently needed today more than ever ...
Human mobility, which corresponds to the natural historical movement of peoples, can prove to be a genuine enrichment for both families that migrate and countries that welcome them.
Furthermore, forced migration of families, resulting from situations of war, persecution, poverty and injustice, and marked by the vicissitudes of a journey that often puts lives at risk, traumatizes people and destabilizes families.
In accompanying migrants, the Church needs a specific pastoral program addressed not only to families that migrate but also to those family members who remain behind.
This pastoral activity must be implemented with due respect for their cultures, for the human and religious formation from which they come and for the spiritual richness of their rites and traditions, even by means of a specific pastoral care
---------------------------------------------
Pope's
letter on climate change: Laudato Si 我主應受讚美
Full
English text
Full Chinese text
42: Recording Greater investment needs to be made in research aimed at understanding more fully the functioning of ecosystems and adequately analyzing the different variables associated with any significant modification of the environment.
Because all creatures are connected, each must be cherished with love and respect, for all of us as living creatures are dependent on one another.
Each area is responsible for the care of this family.
This will require undertaking a careful inventory of the species which it hosts, with a view to developing programmes and strategies of protection with particular care for safeguarding species heading towards extinction.
------------------------------------
Daniel Daring Year with Matthew - 13
Matthew explains in concrete terms what kind of good works the Father wants from us and how Jesus fulfils the Law and the Prophets
----------------------------------
Pope Francis: The
Joy of the Gospel
Full
English text
Full
Chinese text
19: Recording
Evangelization takes place in
obedience to the missionary mandate of Jesus: "Go
therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the
Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that
I have commanded you".
In these verses we see how the risen Christ sent
his followers to preach the Gospel in every time and place, so that faith in him
might spread to every corner of the earth
-------------------------------------
--------------------------------------
Please join me in praying for one part of the world each day:
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 28th
of
the month, Jesus please bless the prisoners of Beijing
And praying for one of
the world's poorest countries
each day of the month:
On this 28th of the month, Jesus
please bless the people of Lesotho
And praying for one
Islam-related intention each day of the week:
Jesus, today, Tuesday,
please pacify Boko
Haram
--------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Mon March 27
Last night's gathering for the poor (about 300 of them) was entertained and served by a large group of students from a Caritas College - including a group of girls forming "The St Francis Choir". Inspiring - just like the previous Sunday night when a group of boys came from Newman College.
It's now the case (I'm beginning to sound like a lawyer or judge ... spending too much time in court) that on Sunday mornings the hall of St Paul's at Yau Ma Tei is a "church" used for Masses at 8.30 and 10. But then 5-7pm it becomes a City Hall where free concerts are given for the poor! Hopefully some photos of last night will be here in the next few days.
--------------------------------------------------------
The
Book Blog:
4 readings + recordings
Comments welcome here
Readings are from
Simple Bible
Numbers
34-35: God gave the land of
Canaan to the Israelites
and Moses allocated a section of the land to the eleven tribes.
The tribe of Levi received some towns and pasture land from each of
the eleven tribes.
Cities of refuge were established, where people could find safety
if they had accidentally caused someone's death
and the dead person's relatives wanted to take revenge.
In cases of homicide, more than one witness was required to convict
someone of murder.
A final law: the inheritance of each tribe was not to be transferred to
another tribe.
Dear God, please bless my
family
with a sense of history and togetherness
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
Romans
12.14-21: Pray for people who are unkind to you. Be
kind to them.
Rejoice with those who are happy. Console people who are sad. Treat everyone with kindness. Never be
condescending.
Make real friends with the poor. Do all you can to live at peace with everyone.
Resist evil and conquer it with good.
Jesus, I pray for
(.. name ...) who was unkind
to me
Recording
Luke
18.9-14: Some people prided themselves on being
virtuous, and despised others. Jesus told them this story: Two men went to the Temple to pray, one a
religious leader, the other a social outcast. The leader stood there and said "I thank
you, God, that I am not greedy, unjust and adulterous like other people
such as this outcast here". The outcast did not even raise his eyes, but
beat his breast and said "God, be merciful to me, a sinner". The outcast, I tell you, went home a friend of
God. The leader did not. People who exalt themselves will be humbled.
People who humble themselves will be exalted.
Jesus, be merciful to me, a sinner
Recording
Reflection
on the above readings:
People like me who work with "social outcasts" need
constantly to say "but for the grace of God, there go I"
--------------------------------------------------------
Pope Francis: The
Joy of Love - on love in the family
Full
English text
Full
Chinese text
45: Recording "A
great number of children are born outside of wedlock, many of whom subsequently
grow up with just one of their parents or in a blended or reconstituted family
...
The sexual exploitation of children is yet another scandalous and perverse reality in present-day society.
Societies experiencing violence due to war, terrorism or the presence of organized crime are witnessing the deterioration of the family, above all in large cities, where, on their outskirts, the so-called phenomenon of 'street-children' is on the rise".
The sexual abuse of children is all the more scandalous when it occurs in places where they ought to be most safe, particularly in families, schools, communities and Christian institutions
---------------------------------------------
Pope's
letter on climate change: Laudato Si 我主應受讚美
Full
English text Full
Chinese text
41: Recording
In tropical and subtropical seas, we find coral reefs comparable to the
great forests on dry land, for they shelter approximately a million species,
including fish, crabs, molluscs, sponges and algae.
Many of the world's coral reefs are already barren or in a state of constant decline.
"Who turned the wonderworld of the seas into underwater cemeteries bereft of colour and life?"
This phenomenon is due largely to pollution which reaches the sea as the result of deforestation, agricultural monocultures, industrial waste and destructive fishing methods, especially those using cyanide and dynamite.
It is aggravated by the rise in temperature of the oceans.
All of this helps us to see that every intervention in nature can have consequences which are not immediately evident, and that certain ways of exploiting resources prove costly in terms of degradation which ultimately reaches the ocean bed itself.
------------------------------------
Pope Francis: The
Joy of the Gospel
Full
English text Full
Chinese text
17: Recording
I have chosen to present some guidelines which can
encourage and guide the whole Church in a new phase of evangelization, one
marked by enthusiasm and vitality.
-------------------------------------
--------------------------------------
Please join me in praying for one part of the world each day:
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 27th of
the month, Jesus please bless the prisoners of Tibet
And
praying for one of the
world's poorest countries each day of the month:
On this 27th of
the month, Jesus please bless the people of Uganda
And
praying for one Islam-related intention
each day of the week:
Jesus, today, Monday,
please pacify I.S.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Sun March 26
Yesterday's Oriental Daily newspaper had a report (in Chinese) on my day in
court last Friday supporting a young mother from South Africa. Online copy Here.
Hardcopy Here
Tonight will see a new Chief Executive elected (by a non-democratic group of
1,200 people) for HK. My choice is former judge Woo Kwok Hing, a Buddhist with a
Christian heart. The two other candidates are Catholics. Here the more popular
of the two, John Tsang, shares about his faith:
Front-runner
in Hong Kong chief executive election talks faith. Come Holy Spirit and fall
afresh on this whole election process!
-------------------------------------------------------
The
Book Blog:
4 readings + recordings
Comments welcome here
Readings are from
Simple Bible
c.f. readings for Lent 4
1 Samuel 16:
The Lord told Samuel to go to Bethlehem
and anoint one of Jesse's sons as king. Samuel anointed Jesse's son David as king.
The spirit of the Lord came down on David
and stayed with him from that day on.
Dear God, may your Holy Spirit
come down on more and more people
My
recording of this reading
Psalm
23: The Lord is my shepherd, there is nothing I
shall want.
Fresh and green are the pastures where he gives me repose.
Near restful waters he leads me, to revive my drooping spirit. He guides me along the right path. He is true
to his name.
If I should walk in the valley of darkness no evil would I fear.
You are there with your crook and your staff; with these you give me
comfort. You have prepared a banquet for me in the
sight of my foes.
My head you have anointed with oil. My cup is overflowing. Surely goodness and kindness shall follow me
all the days of my life. In the Lord's own house shall I dwell for ever
and ever.
Thank you, Lord, for being my
good shepherd
Ephesians
5.10-20: Try to discover what the Lord wants of you.
Have nothing to do with the futile works of darkness. Wake up from your sleep, rise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you. Be very careful about the sort of life you
live.
Follow your enlightened mind, not your unruly passions. Avoid drunkenness. Instead, be filled with the
Spirit.
Sing prayer songs when you are together, and when you're by yourself, keep
on singing to the Lord in your heart, always giving thanks to God.
Jesus, make my heart sing right through the
day
Recording
John
9.1-33: Once when Jesus was walking along the road,
he saw a man who had been blind from birth. Jesus spat on the ground and made some mud
with the spittle. He put the mud on the man's eyes, and said
"Go and wash in the Siloam Pool". The blind man went and washed, and came away
able to see. When the blind man heard people criticize
Jesus, he said "Ever since the world began, it has never been
recorded that someone opened the eyes of a man born blind. This man must be from God".
Jesus, please heal my blind friend ....(name)
Recording
Reflection
on the above readings:
Today
in my sermon I'll be using the story of John Newton, former slave ship captain
who in 1829 composed the words of Amazing Grace (with the lines "I was blind,
but now I
see"). Yesterday as I checked some info about Newton I was deeply saddened
when I Googled "slave trade" and found items like this
--------------------------------------------------------
Pope Francis: The
Joy of Love - on love in the family
Full
English text
Full
Chinese text
44: Recording The
lack of dignified or affordable housing often leads to the postponement of
formal relationships.
It should be kept in mind that "the family has the right to decent housing, fitting for family life and commensurate to the number of the members, in a physical environment that provides the basic services for the life of the family and the community".
Families and homes go together.
This makes us see how important it is to insist on the rights of the family and not only those of individuals.
The family is a good which society cannot do without, and it ought to be protected.
"The Church has always held it part of her mission to promote marriage and the family and to defend them against those who attack them", especially today, when they are given scarce attention in political agendas.
Families have the right to "to be able to count on an adequate family policy on the part of public authorities in the juridical, economic, social and fiscal domains".
At times families suffer terribly when, faced with the illness of a loved one, they lack access to adequate health care, or struggle to find dignified employment.
"Economic constraints prohibit a family's access to education, cultural activities and involvement in the life of society.
In many ways, the present-day economic situation is keeping people from participating in society.
Families, in particular, suffer from problems related to work, where young people have few possibilities and job offers are very selective and insecure.
Workdays are long and oftentimes made more burdensome by extended periods away from home.
This situation does not help family members to gather together or parents to be with their children in such a way as to nurture their relationships each day"
---------------------------------------------
Pope's
letter on climate change: Laudato Si 我主應受讚美
Full
English text Full
Chinese text
40: Recording
Oceans not only contain the bulk of our planet's
water supply, but also most of the immense variety of living creatures, many of
them still unknown to us and threatened for various reasons.
What is more, marine life in rivers, lakes, seas and oceans, which feeds a great part of the world's population, is affected by uncontrolled fishing, leading to a drastic depletion of certain species.
Selective forms of fishing which discard much of what they collect continue unabated.
Particularly threatened are marine organisms which we tend to overlook, like some forms of plankton; they represent a significant element in the ocean food chain, and species used for our food ultimately depend on them.
------------------------------------
Pope Francis: The
Joy of the Gospel
Full
English text Full
Chinese text
16: Recording
I do not believe that the Pope should
be expected to offer a definitive or complete word on every question which
affects the Church and the world.
It is not advisable for the Pope to take the place of local Bishops in the discernment of every issue which arises in their territory.
I am conscious
of the need to promote a sound decentralization.
-------------------------------------
Hour
of Love HK radio program 8.30
pm HK time tonight - with
messages about African inmates in HK prisons
-------------------------------------------
To
go with today's Gospel:
--------------------------------------
Please join me in praying for one part of the world each day:
Sun: Africa
Mon: Europe,
Russia
Tues: South
Asia
Wed: East
Asia
Thurs: S.E. Asia,
Pacific
Fri: South America
Sat: Central & Nth
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 26th
of the month, Jesus please bless the prisoners of Xinjiang
And praying for one of the
world's poorest countries each day of the month:
On this 26th of the month, Jesus
please bless the people of Togo
And praying for one Islam-related
intention each day of the week:
Jesus, today, Sunday,
please bless all Muslims in my country
--------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Sat
March 25
Feast of the
Annunciation
Yesterday
morning at the High Court a case was again adjourned while waiting for more
information. The kind judge then ordered that the defendant, a young mother from
South Africa, be allowed to remain behind after the legal teams and the judge
had left the room, to view in the court 8 videos made in connection with her
case by the South African Broadcasting Corporation. So I had the most unusual
but very happy experience of using my faithful Toshiba laptop to play the 8
videos for the defendant. We were only four people left in the court room: the
defendant, two CSD guards and I. The 8 videos were the Special
Assignment
program The
Last Run and
the 7 short videos linked here
Reminder for HK readers: everyone most welcome to attend monthly prayer meeting for healing - 3pm tomorrow, Sunday, at St Paul's Catholic Primary School, Yau Ma Tei
-------------------------------------------------------
The
Book Blog:
4 readings + recordings
Comments welcome here
Readings are from
Simple Bible
c.f. readings for Feast of Annunciation
Isaiah
7: A foreign king and his army attacked
Jerusalem. The king of Judah and his people were full of fear. God told
Isaiah to say to the king of Judah: "Keep calm, have no fear. You will not
be defeated. The Lord himself gives you a sign of his protection: a maiden is
with child and will give birth to a son whom she will call God-with-us."
Lord, please help me understand how you are God-with-me every day
Psalm
40: You do not ask for sacrifice and
offerings, but an open ear. You do not ask for holocaust and victim. Instead,
here am I. In the scroll of the book it stands written that I should do your
will. My God, I delight in your law in the depth of my heart. Your justice I
have proclaimed in the great assembly. My lips I have not sealed, you know it,
O Lord. I have not hidden your justice in my heart, but declared your faithful
help. I have not hidden your love and your truth from the great assembly.
Here I am, Lord. I come to do your will
/slave_trade_1650-1860_b_-_www.slaveryinamerica.org_large.jpg){kind=link}
Luke 1.26-38 (a) In the sixth month of Elizabeth's pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to the town of Nazareth in Galilee, to a virgin named Mary who was betrothed to a man named Joseph. The angel said to her "Mary, Rejoice! You have been greatly blessed by God. You are to conceive and have a son whom you must name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of God". Mary said to the angel, "How can this happen since I am a virgin?"
Recording
Luke 1.26-38 (b) The
angel replied "The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most
High will specially bless you. Know this too: your cousin Elizabeth has, in her
old age, conceived a son, and is now in her sixth month". "I
am the handmaid of the Lord", said Mary, "let what you have said, be
done for me". And the angel left her.
God the Son, thank you for becoming a baby in Mary's womb
Reflection on the above readings:
YouTube:
Gentle
Woman
Homily
of Pope John Paul on March 25, 2000 in
the Basilica of the Annunciation in Nazareth
--------------------------------------------------------
Pope Francis: The
Joy of Love - on love in the family
Full
English text
Full
Chinese text
43: Recording The
weakening of faith and religious practice in some societies has an effect on
families, leaving them more isolated amid their difficulties.
The Synod Fathers noted that "one symptom of the great poverty of contemporary culture is loneliness, arising from the absence of God in a person's life and the fragility of relationships.
There is also a general feeling of powerlessness in the face of socio-cultural realities that often-times end up crushing families ... Families often feel abandoned due to a lack of interest and attention on the part of institutions.
The negative impact on the social order is clear, as seen in the demographic crisis, in the difficulty of raising children, in a hesitancy to welcome new life, in a tendency to see older persons as a burden, and in an increase of emotional problems and outbreaks of violence.
The State has the responsibility to pass laws and create work to ensure the future of young people and help them realize their plan of forming a family”.
---------------------------------------------
Pope's
letter on climate change: Laudato Si 我主應受讚美
Full
English text Full
Chinese text
39: Recording The
replacement of virgin forest with plantations of trees, usually monocultures, is
rarely adequately analyzed.
Yet this can seriously compromise a biodiversity which the new species being introduced does not accommodate.
Similarly, wetlands converted into cultivated land lose the enormous biodiversity which they formerly hosted. In some coastal areas the disappearance of ecosystems sustained by mangrove swamps is a source of serious concern.
------------------------------------
Pope Francis: The
Joy of the Gospel
Full
English text Full
Chinese text
15d: Recording
John
Paul II asked us to
recognize that "there must be no lessening of the
impetus to preach the Gospel" to those who are far from Christ,
"because this is the first task of the Church".
Indeed, "today missionary activity still represents the greatest challenge for the Church" and "the missionary task must remain foremost".
What would happen if we were to take these words seriously? We would realize that missionary outreach is paradigmatic for all the Church's activity.
Along these lines the Latin American bishops stated that we "cannot passively and calmly wait in our church buildings"; we need to move "from a pastoral ministry of mere conservation to a decidedly missionary pastoral ministry".
This task continues to be a source of immense joy for the Church: "Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance" (Lk 15:7).
-------------------------------------
Two nights ago when trying to add a
new member to my WhatsApp group which posts reflections on this website's
readings from the Bible and the Pope, I accidentally deleted my own name ....
and couldn't get back into the group until one kind member became administrator
and let me back in. I learnt the hard way that "do you want to exit this
group?" does not mean "do you want to leave this page?"!
--------------------------------------
Please join me in praying for one part of the world each day:
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 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, today, Saturday,
please pacify the
Taliban
--------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Frid March 24
Like many other people I've often wished that mainstream media
would give more importance to good news. Most news is usually bad news. Some
years ago I even thought about trying to start a good news website. Yesterday I
discovered that someone has already done this, and done it so well. In future
I'll often try to incorporate some items from www.goodnewsnetwork.org
. Items like this one:
See video at this report:
Utah
Reduces Homeless Population by 91% & saves money
-------------------------------------------
Fridays
of Lent:
--------------------------------------------------------
The
Book Blog:
4 readings + recordings
Comments welcome here
Readings are from Simple
Bible
Numbers 30-33: The
Israelites waged war against the Midianites and claimed their land and the land of Canaan.
To the sons of Gad, Reuben and Manasseh
were given the land of Sihon, king of the Amorites
and the kingdom of Og, king of Bashan.
The land of Canaan was divided by lot among the Israelite clans.
Dear God, please give
peace to the people of the Middle East
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
Romans
12.9-13:
Do not let your love be superficial, but
sincerely prefer good to evil.
Have a family love for each other, and a profound respect for each
other. Persevere in your love for the Lord and your
service of the Lord.
Hope will make you cheerful. Do not give up when trials come. Keep on
praying.
Help people who are in need. Make hospitality your special care.
Jesus, please help me grow in love. Help me
love you and other people a bit better
Luke
18.1-7: Jesus told his disciples a story about the
need to pray continually and never lose heart:
There was a judge who had neither fear of God nor respect for people. In
the same town there was a widow who kept asking the judge for justice
against someone who had wronged her. For a long time the judge refused to help her,
but at last he said to himself "I must give this widow her rights or
she will pester me to death". Even more so God will see that justice
is done for those who cry out to him for help day and night, even if he
delays to help them.
Jesus, please give me the perseverance to pray
each day
Recording
Reflection
on the above Bible readings:
God's
help is sometimes delayed ... for our own good. Like a few weeks ago when I
prayed really hard to be able to rent a place for street sleepers. But the owner
declined to give it to our group. We were so disappointed. Until last week when
a much better, bigger and cheaper place became available. Thank you Jesus for
your delayed help!
--------------------------------------------------------
Pope Francis: The
Joy of Love - on love in the family
Full
English text
Full
Chinese text
42: Recording Furthermore,
"the decline in population, due to a mentality against having children and
promoted by the world politics of reproductive health, creates not only a
situation in which the relationship between generations is no longer ensured but
also the danger that, over time, this decline will lead to economic
impoverishment and a loss of hope in the future.
The development of bio-technology has also had a major impact on the birth rate".
Added to this are other factors such as "industrialization, the sexual revolution, the fear of overpopulation and economic problems ... Consumerism may also deter people from having children, simply so they can maintain a certain freedom and life-style".
The upright consciences of spouses who have been generous in transmitting life may lead them, for sufficiently serious reasons, to limit the number of their children, yet precisely "for the sake of this dignity of conscience, the Church strongly rejects the forced State intervention in favour of contraception, sterilization and even abortion".
Such measures are unacceptable even in places with high birth rates, yet also in countries with disturbingly low birth rates we see politicians encouraging them. As the bishops of Korea have said, this is "to act in a way that is self-contradictory and to neglect one's duty".
---------------------------------------------
Pope's
letter on climate change: Laudato Si 我主應受讚美
Full
English text Full
Chinese text
38b: Recording
A delicate balance has to be maintained when
speaking about these places, for we cannot overlook the huge global economic
interests which, under the guise of protecting them, can undermine the
sovereignty of individual nations.
In fact, there are "proposals to internationalize the Amazon, which only serve the economic interests of transnational corporations".
We cannot fail to praise the commitment of international agencies and civil society organizations which draw public attention to these issues and offer critical cooperation, employing legitimate means of pressure, to ensure that each government carries out its proper and inalienable responsibility to preserve its country's environment and natural resources, without capitulating to spurious local or international interests.
------------------------------------
Pope Francis: The
Joy of the Gospel
Full
English text Full
Chinese text
15c: Recording
We
cannot forget that evangelization is first and foremost about preaching the
Gospel to those who do not know Jesus Christ or who have always rejected him.
Many of them are quietly seeking God, led by a yearning to see his face, even in countries of ancient Christian tradition.
All of them have a right to receive the Gospel.
Christians have the duty to proclaim the Gospel without excluding anyone.
Instead of seeming to impose new obligations, they should appear as people who wish to share their joy, who point to a horizon of beauty and who invite others to a delicious banquet.
It
is not by proselytizing that the Church grows, but "by attraction"
-------------------------------------
Happy
video of kind US judge dismissing parking fine charge
--------------------------------------
Please join me in praying for one part of the world each day:
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 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, today, Friday,
please bless all Muslims
--------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Thur March 23
Yesterday morning I attended court in the
case of a Gambian asylum seeker charged with trafficking 0.26 grams of cocaine.
He is one of 29 arrested last August, all on the basis of testimony by one lone
undercover policeman .... no fingerprints, no DNA, no CCTV, no evidence of any
sort except the word of one policeman. Group was arrested some 4 months after
alleged offences said to have taken place. .. a mass round-up under the
supervision of a senior superintendent himself
arrested in January on corruption charges!
But unlike most of the 29, this man is not agreeing to plead guilty (to help police get promotions) .... and he has a most dedicated lawyer .... so the case is continuing over a series of days. Yesterday I watched as the undercover man gave evidence. In a movie he would be ideally cast as a loan shark or second hand car dealer ...given his physical appearance and body language. He claimed to have met the defendant 15 times. Defendant says the first time they met was in court a few days ago. Policeman listed the 15 dates and when asked about the weather on those 15 dates he replied "fine" every time. So I Googled "HK weather" on some of those dates ....and saw that the weather on those days was wet and stormy. Lawyer is following up.
/2017-03-22-Wed-01.jpg)
This photo from last night is of a wonderful group, led by an ex-inmate,
together with a local deacon (an engineer) planning the renovation of a former
night club in Temple Street (near my home) to become a home for homeless men,
especially recently-released inmates. An exciting project - thank you Jesus!
Will Please God house 16 men, giving them a family-like support structure. And
see below!
Beijing
using CCTV in churches to spy on Christians
--------------------------------------------------------
The
Book Blog:
4 readings + recordings
Comments welcome here
Readings are from Simple
Bible
Numbers
28-29: Times for the Israelites
to offer sacrifices to God: daily; the Sabbath; the feast of the New Moon of each month;
the feast of Unleavened Bread (14th day of 1st month); the feast of Weeks; the feast of Acclamations (1st day of 7th month);
the day of Atonement (10th day of 7th month); the feast of Tabernacles (15th day of 7th month).
Dear God, thank you for
special days and seasons to honor 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
Romans
12.1-2:
I beg you, trust in God's mercy, and worship
him in a spiritual way, not just in an external way. Offer your whole life to him as a holy
sacrifice. Do not blindly follow the fashions of the
world. Instead, let your behavior change, fashioned by your enlightened
mind. This is the way to discover the will of God,
the way to know what God wants us to do.
Jesus, help me give more time to things
that are important, less time to things not so important
Luke 17.11-19: On the way to Jerusalem, Jesus entered a village where 10 lepers came
to meet him.
They stood at a distance and called out "Jesus, Master, take pity on us!"
Jesus said to them "Go and show yourselves to the priests".
As they went away, their leprosy disappeared.
Seeing that he was healed, one of them turned back praising God at the
top of his voice. He threw himself at Jesus' feet and thanked him.
This made Jesus say "Were not all 10 healed? Where are the 9 others?"
Jesus, please don't let me forget to say "thank you" when someone helps me
Recording
Reflection
on the above Bible readings:
Jesus
can transform us .... from sickness to health (Luke),
from despair to hope (Psalm), from bad to
good behaviour (Romans) .... especially by
his Annual Transformation Program (Numbers
... our yearly cycle of worship)
--------------------------------------------------------
Jesus's tomb unveiled after $4m restoration
------------------------------------------------------
Pope Francis: The
Joy of Love - on love in the family
Full
English text
Full
Chinese text
41: Recording The
Synod Fathers noted that "cultural tendencies in today's world seem to set
no limits on a person's affectivity"; indeed, "a narcissistic,
unstable or changeable affectivity does not always allow a person to grow to
maturity".
They also expressed concern about the current "spread of pornography and the commercialization of the body, fostered also by a misuse of the internet, and about those reprehensible situations where people are forced into prostitution".
In this context, "couples are often uncertain, hesitant and struggling to find ways to grow.
Many tend to remain in the early stages of their affective and sexual life.
A crisis in a couple's relationship destabilizes the family and may lead, through separation and divorce, to serious consequences for adults, children and society as a whole, weakening its individual and social bonds".
Marital problems are "often confronted in haste and without the courage to have patience and reflect, to make sacrifices and to forgive one another.
Failures give rise to new relationships, new couples, new civil unions, and new marriages, creating family situations which are complex and problematic for the Christian life".
---------------------------------------------
Pope's
letter on climate change: Laudato Si 我主應受讚美
Full
English text Full
Chinese text
38a: Recording Let
us mention, for example, those richly biodiverse lungs of our planet which are the
Amazon and the Congo basins, or
the great aquifers and glaciers.
We know how important these are for the entire earth and for the future of humanity.
The ecosystems of tropical forests possess an enormously complex biodiversity which is almost impossible to appreciate fully, yet when these forests are burned down or levelled for purposes of cultivation, within the space of a few years countless species are lost and the areas frequently become arid wastelands.
------------------------------------
Pope Francis: The
Joy of the Gospel
Full
English text Full
Chinese text
15b: Recording
A
second area is that of "the baptized whose lives do not reflect the
demands of Baptism", who lack a meaningful relationship to the Church
and no longer experience the consolation born of faith.
The Church, in her maternal concern, tries to help them experience a conversion
which will restore the joy of faith to their hearts and inspire a commitment to
the Gospel.
-------------------------------------
10
years ago today:
------------------------------------------
Last night as I joined an enthusiastic group planning the
renovation of a former night club - to become a shelter for homeless men (see
photo, above) - I thought to myself, as I watched the group go about their job
in such a professional way, that my job is to stay in the background like lay
people in the Church, in the old joke: "to pray and pay"!
--------------------------------------
Please join me in praying for one part of the world each day:
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
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, today, Thursday,
please pacify Al-Qaeda
--------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Wed March 22
Yesterday I spent 7 hours at Tai Lam Women's prison .... where
the biggest number of recently-arrived drug mules are from Venezuela. Why
Venezuela? This article explains: A
nation on the brink
Why an 'African moment' is unfolding in Catholicism
--------------------------------------------------------
Chris McDonnell Read
any good books recently?
As we are now in the season of Lent, it has often been the practice to read a
book or two that makes us pause and reflect a while
-------------------------------------------------------
The
Book Blog:
4 readings + recordings
Comments welcome here
Readings are from
Simple Bible
Numbers 26-27:
Moses made
a census of all the men in the community.
The total number was 624,730.
Moses also gave a ruling concerning inheritance:
"If a man dies without sons,
his inheritance is to pass to his daughters.
If he has no daughter, the inheritance is to go to his brothers.
If he has no brother, it is to go to his father's brothers.
If his father has no brothers,
it is to go to the member of his clan who is his closest relative".
As Moses neared the end of his life, he asked God for someone to succeed him as leader.
God answered:
"Take Joshua son of Nun, a man in whom the spirit dwells.
Lay your hands on him, then bring him before Eleazar the priest
and the whole community so that everyone will obey him".
Dear God, please
bless all my relatives...and people in authority
My
recording of this reading: 01
02
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
Romans
10.9 & 11.33-36: If your lips confess that Jesus is Lord, and
if you believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, then you
will be saved. How wonderful is God! How great his
wisdom and knowledge.
What finite creature could ever understand the mind of our infinite
Creator? All that exists comes from him. To him be
glory for ever!
Jesus, Father, Spirit - three persons, one God
- to you be glory for ever!
Recording
Luke
16.19-26:
Jesus told this story to the people: There was a rich man who used to
dress in expensive clothes and feast magnificently every day.
At his gate there was a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores,
who longed to eat scraps that fell from the rich man's table. Dogs
even came and licked his sores.
The poor man died and was carried away by the angels to be with Abraham.
The rich man also died and was buried. In his torment in Hell, the
rich man looked up and saw Abraham a long way off with Lazarus at his
side.
So the rich man cried out "Father Abraham, pity me and send Lazarus to
dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in
agony in these flames".
"My son", replied Abraham, "remember that during your life, good
things came your way, just as bad things came the way of Lazarus. Now
he is being comforted here, while you are in agony".
Jesus, please help me understand how I should do more to help poor people
Recording 01
02
Reflection on the above readings:
Lazarus at our gate (Australian bishops)
--------------------------------------------------------
Pope Francis: The
Joy of Love - on love in the family
Full
English text
Full
Chinese text
40: Recording "At
the risk of oversimplifying, we might say that we live in a culture which
pressures young people not to start a family, because they lack possibilities
for the future.
Yet this same culture presents others with so many options that they too are dissuaded from starting a family". In some countries, many young persons postpone a wedding for economic reasons, work or study.
Some do so for other reasons, such as the influence of ideologies which devalue marriage and family, the desire to avoid the failures of other couples, the fear of something they consider too important and sacred, the social opportunities and economic benefits associated with simply living together, a purely emotional and romantic conception of love, the fear of losing their freedom and independence, and the rejection of something conceived as purely institutional and bureaucratic.
We need to find the right language, arguments and forms of witness that can help us reach the hearts of young people, appealing to their capacity for generosity, commitment, love and even heroism, and in this way inviting them to take up the challenge of marriage with enthusiasm and courage.
---------------------------------------------
Why do young adults leave the church? Let's
be honest; it's a lack of faith
-------------------------------------------
Pope's
letter on climate change: Laudato Si 我主應受讚美
Full
English text Full
Chinese text
37: Recording Some
countries have made significant progress in establishing sanctuaries on land and
in the oceans where any human intervention is prohibited which might modify
their features or alter their original structures.
In the protection of biodiversity, specialists insist on the need for particular attention to be shown to areas richer both in the number of species and in endemic, rare or less protected species.
Certain places need greater protection because of their immense importance for the global ecosystem, or because they represent important water reserves and thus safeguard other forms of life.
------------------------------------
Pope Francis: The
Joy of the Gospel
Full
English text Full
Chinese text
15a: Recording
In first place, we can mention the
area of ordinary pastoral ministry, which is "animated by the fire
of the Spirit, so as to inflame the hearts of the faithful who regularly take
part in community worship and gather on the Lord's day to be nourished by his
word and by the bread of eternal life.
In this category we can also include those members of the faithful who preserve a deep and sincere faith, expressing it in different ways, but seldom taking part in worship.
Ordinary
pastoral ministry seeks to help believers to grow spiritually so that they can
respond to God's love ever more fully in their lives.
-------------------------------------
10
years ago today:
------------------------------------------
Yesterday at Tai Lam Women's prison, an inmate proudly
showed me something inmates in all HK prisons have been trying to find out: the
prison number of former HK Chief Executive Donald Tsang who is currently
enjoying the hospitality of Stanley Prison!
--------------------------------------
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 10th
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 10th of the month, Jesus please
bless the people of Rwanda
And praying for one
Islam-related intention each day of the week:
Jesus, today, Wednesday,
please pacify Al-Shabaab
---------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------
------------------------------
Please also join me in praying for the very many deformed and handicapped people from China who are on the streets of HK as beggars...as well as deformed people in China itself ...like Hung Chun Cai
My Africa trips:
2015 - Tanzania, Malawi
2016 - Kenya, Uganda
--------------------
Video: What "gay marriage" did to Massachusetts
--------------------------------------------
Pope's surprise visit to drug treatment centre
Pope is practising what he preaches: "get out and mix with the poor"
HK
readers might like to join me in praying each day for one group of HK
prison inmates: Sun:
Lo Wu; Mon: C.I.C., Siu Lam, Tai Lam; Tue: Stanley
Wed: Hei Ling Chau Thu: Lantau
Fri: Lai Chi Kok
Sat: Hospitals, Pik Uk & other centres
|
On revolving map: Left click bottom right silver button Left click country Left click state/province ....till you find your city/town ! |
|
Left click this table of flags for details of hits on this main page
|
This website was launched in construction
mode in Hong Kong on November 20, 2011 - the Feast of Christ
the King.
The official launching
was
held on the Gold Coast, Australia, on January 20,
2012.
Map and Flag Counter began Feb 11, 2012. Previous visits 4,932.
Note: counter on this page + Map & Flag Counter record visits only to this
main/index page.
Visits to other pages are not
recorded.
This site's 2016
statistics.
Thank you for checking this website each day. God bless all readers and bloggers!
Fr John Wotherspoon O.M.I. 胡
頌 恆 神 父
jdwomi@gmail.com
HK
mobile (852) 6709 5674
China
mobile 13030213703 - out of
action for the time being
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++