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 May 9
This
week (May 7-12) I'm attending the annual O.M.I. retreat for Oblates of the China
Delegation. The retreat, held in Sheung Shui, HK, is being led by Brother
Loughlin Sofield who is a member of another congregation, the Missionary
Servants of the Most Holy Trinity. Here is a YouTube sample of his teaching, on
one of his favourite topics:A
Spirituality for Everyday Life - Compassion and Forgiveness,
a talk which begins with a great joke!
Fatima and the Atheists
- what really happened 100 years ago in Portugal?
--------------------------------------------------------
The
Book Blog:
4 readings + recordings
Comments welcome here
Readings are from
Simple Bible
Joshua 4: After the Israelites
crossed the Jordan River,
Joshua selected 12 men, one from each tribe,
and told them to get 12 stones from the middle of the Jordan. The 12 stones
were set up at Gilgal, east of Jericho, as a reminder of how God had helped the Israelites
cross the river. When children in the
future asked "What do these stones mean?"
parents were to answer:
"The waters of the Jordan separated and stopped flowing
when the Lord's Sacred Chest entered the river.
These 12 stones are a permanent reminder of this." As soon as
the
Israelites had finished crossing the Jordan,
its waters immediately started flowing again.
Dear
Lord, please don't let me ever forget
the many times you have helped me cross "Jordan" rivers
My
recording of this reading
Psalm
122: I rejoiced when I heard them say
"Let us go to God's house." And now our feet are standing within your gates, O Jerusalem.
For the peace of Jerusalem pray
"Peace be to your homes." For love of the house of the Lord
I will ask for your good.
Lord, may your peace be in our
hearts and homes
Recording
2
Corinthians 1.1-10: From Paul, appointed by God to be an apostle
of Christ Jesus, and from Timothy, one of the brothers, to the church of
God at Corinth. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord
Jesus Christ,
a gentle Father and the God of all consolation. He comforts us in all our
sorrows so that we can comfort others in their sorrows. The recent persecutions I experienced made me
think I would not survive. This has taught me to rely not on myself but
only on God for help. God saved me from being killed. My hope is he
will continue to save me
Jesus, please help people who are in danger of
being killed today
Recording
John
4.46-53: Jesus went again to Cana in Galilee, where he
had changed water into wine. In Cana there was a royal official
whose son was dying in his home in the town of Capernaum.
The official asked Jesus to go to his home and cure his son.
"Sir", he said to Jesus, "come to my house before my child
dies". Jesus replied "Go
home. Your son will live". The official believed Jesus and started his
journey home. While on the journey, he was met by his servants who told him
the boy was alive and well. "The fever left him yesterday, they
said, "at 1pm". The father realized that this was the exact
time when Jesus had said "Your son will live". The
official and all his household then believed in Jesus.
Jesus, (..name..) is sick.
Please heal him/her
Recording
Reflection on the above readings:
This is good - showing how the royal official was Jewish ... not to be confused with the centurion who made a similar request: Jesus heals the royal official's son
--------------------------------------------------------
Pope Francis: The
Joy of Love - on love in the family
Full
English text
Full
Chinese text
109: Recording
The
expression chairei epi te adikia has
to do with a negativity lurking deep within a person's heart.
It is the toxic attitude of those who rejoice at seeing an injustice done to others.
The following phrase expresses its opposite: sygchairei te aletheia: "it rejoices in the right".
In other words, we rejoice at the good of others when we see their dignity and value their abilities and good works.
This is impossible for those who must always be comparing and competing, even with their spouse, so that they secretly rejoice in their failures.
---------------------------------------------
Pope's
letter on climate change: Laudato Si 我主應受讚美
Full
English text
Full
Chinese text
66: Recording: The creation accounts in the book of Genesis contain, in their own symbolic and narrative language, profound teachings about human existence and its historical reality.
They suggest that human life is grounded in three fundamental and closely intertwined relationships: with God, with our neighbour and with the earth itself.
According to the Bible, these three vital relationships have been broken, both outwardly and within us.
This rupture is sin.
The harmony between the Creator, humanity and creation as a whole was disrupted by our presuming to take the place of God and refusing to acknowledge our creaturely limitations.
This in turn distorted our mandate to "have dominion" over the earth (cf. Gen 1:28), to "till it and keep it" (Gen 2:15).
As a result, the originally harmonious relationship between human beings and nature became conflictual (cf. Gen 3:17-19).
It is significant that the harmony which Saint Francis of Assisi experienced with all creatures was seen as a healing of that rupture.
Saint Bonaventure held that, through universal reconciliation with every creature, Saint Francis in some way returned to the state of original innocence.
This is a far cry from our situation today, where sin is manifest in all its destructive power in wars, the various forms of violence and abuse, the abandonment of the most vulnerable, and attacks on nature.
------------------------------------
Pope Francis: The
Joy of the Gospel
Full
English text
Full
Chinese text
60: Recording
Today's economic mechanisms promote inordinate
consumption, yet it is evident that unbridled
consumerism combined with inequality proves
doubly damaging to the social fabric.
Inequality eventually engenders a violence which recourse to arms cannot and never will be able to resolve. It serves only to offer false hopes to those clamouring for heightened security, even though nowadays we know that weapons and violence, rather than providing solutions, create new and more serious conflicts.
Some simply content themselves with blaming the poor and the
poorer countries themselves for their troubles; indulging in unwarranted
generalizations, they claim that the solution is an "education" that
would tranquilize them, making them tame and harmless. All this becomes even
more exasperating for the marginalized in the light of the
widespread and deeply rooted corruption found in many countries - in
their governments, businesses and institutions - whatever the political ideology
of their leaders.
-------------------------------------
Daniel Daring - Year with Matthew - 20
--------------------
--------------------------------------
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: Cent, N 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 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 Sierra Leone
And praying for one
Islam-related intention each day of the week:
Jesus, today, Tuesday,
please pacify Boko
Haram
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Mon May 8
Letters from Sub Continent
man in prison in HK on drug charge - naming and shaming the Indian men in China
who recruited him: Mahfooz Quraishi
("Sunny") and Ashfaque Hussain
("Tony") - Here
(April 24)
When the Oblates served Lantau Island in the period from 1995, I
lived in Mui Wo for a number of years ...which is why this article - showing how
the developers and the government are in bed together - makes me very
sad:
Mui Wo
- where a mammoth development plan gets only a small-circle "public
consultation"
(...watch those rural committee members quickly buy up property in Mui Wo!?)
Asylum seekers who sheltered Snowden fear their fate could soon be sealed
--------------------------------------------------------
The
Book Blog:
4 readings + recordings
Comments welcome here
Readings are from
Simple Bible
Joshua
3: Instructed by the Lord,
Joshua told the people to go to the bank of the Jordan River.
He told the priests carrying the Sacred Chest
to stand in the river on the edge of the water.
As soon as the feet of the priests touched the water,
the river stopped flowing.
The people then went across the dry river bed towards Jericho.
Dear God,
please help me to cross rivers of difficulty, doubt, conflict etc
My
recording of this reading
Psalm
120-121: I call to the Lord in the hour of my
distress:
"Lord save me from people who speak with lying lips". Long enough have I been dwelling with those
who hate peace.
I am for peace, but they are for fighting. I lift up my eyes to the mountains.
From where shall come my help? My help shall come from the Lord
who made heaven and earth. The Lord is our guard and our shade.
Day and night we shall not be afraid. The Lord will guard our going and coming
both now and forever.
Lord, please protect us from
danger, day and night
Recording
1
Corinthians 16.5-24: I hope to visit you after I have been to
Macedonia.
I will stay at Ephesus until Pentecost,
because an important door
has opened for my work, despite
opposition. Be brave and strong. Let everything be done in
love. The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you,
Jesus, help me be brave and strong, like Paul
Recording
John
4.34-36: Jesus said to his disciples "My food is
to do the will of the one who sent me, and to complete his work. Look around, look at the fields. They are ready for harvest".
Jesus, please encourage more people to be
Gospel workers, harvesting souls for eternal life
Recording
Reflection
on the above readings:
In today's reading from I Corinthians, Paul has the same concern as Jesus in the Gospel: the harvest ... a door to enable harvesting. How much concern do I have for the harvest? Can I do a bit more to help the spreading of the Good News? In my family ... in my local area ... in my city .... in my country ....in the world...
--------------------------------------------------------
Pope Francis: The
Joy of Love - on love in the family
Full
English text
Full
Chinese text
108: Recording All
this assumes that we ourselves have had the experience of being forgiven by God,
justified by his grace and not by our own merits.
We have known a love that is prior to any of our own efforts, a love that constantly opens doors, promotes and encourages.
If we accept that God's love is unconditional, that the Father's love cannot be bought or sold, then we will become capable of showing boundless love and forgiving others even if they have wronged us.
Otherwise, our family life will no longer be a place of understanding, support and encouragement, but rather one of constant tension and mutual criticism.
---------------------------------------------
Pope's
letter on climate change: Laudato Si 我主應受讚美
Full
English text Full
Chinese text
65b: Recording
Saint John Paul II stated
that the special love of the Creator for each human being "confers upon him
or her an infinite dignity".
Those who are committed to defending human dignity can find in the Christian faith the deepest reasons for this commitment.
How wonderful is the certainty that each human life is not adrift in the midst of hopeless chaos, in a world ruled by pure chance or endlessly recurring cycles!
The Creator can say to each one of us: "Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you"� (Jer 1:5).
We were conceived in the heart of God, and for this reason "each of us is the result of a thought of God. Each of us is willed, each of us is loved, each of us is necessary"
------------------------------------
Pope Francis: The
Joy of the Gospel
Full
English text Full
Chinese text
59: Recording
Today in many places we hear a call for
greater security. But until exclusion and inequality in
society and between peoples are reversed, it will be impossible to eliminate
violence.
The poor and the poorer peoples are accused of violence, yet without equal opportunities the different forms of aggression and conflict will find a fertile terrain for growth and eventually explode.
When a society - whether local, national or global - is willing to leave a part of itself on the fringes, no political programs or resources spent on law enforcement or surveillance systems can indefinitely guarantee tranquility.
This is not the case simply because inequality provokes a violent reaction from those excluded from the system, but because the socioeconomic system is unjust at its root.
Just as goodness tends to spread, (so) the toleration of evil, which is injustice, tends to expand its baneful influence and quietly to undermine any political and social system, no matter how solid it may appear.
If every action has its consequences, an
evil embedded in the structures of a society has a constant potential for
disintegration and death.
-------------------------------------
10
years ago today:
Urgent prayers please for A-Pui, cancer on neck (updated file)
------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------
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: Cent, N. 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 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 Central
African Republic
And
praying for one Islam-related intention
each day of the week:
Jesus, today, Monday,
please pacify I.S.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Sun May 7
Over the past few days, thanks to the help of many kind friends,
I've signed rental contracts for four rooms in the Jordan area near my home - to
be used by homeless people .... like two older men who from tonight will be
sleeping in a room, instead of at McDonald's where they have been sleeping for
the past year. The group of friends leadership group is applying to become an
NGO, to be called MercyHK. They already have bought the website mercyhk.org
(under construction). Another group of kind friends is also setting up an NGO,
to be called VoiceForPrisoners. They have bought the website www.voiceforprisoners.org
(under construction). God bless both NGOs!
To go with today's Gospel:
For parents, teachers, pastors, older brothers/sisters: The
sheep dogs. And
see, ,
below for classic sheep joke.
-------------------------------------------------------
The
Book Blog:
4 readings + recordings
Comments welcome here
Readings are from
Simple Bible
c.f. Easter 4
Acts 2.37-47: The crowd was deeply moved by Peter's words,
and asked "What should we do?" Peter replied
"You must repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then
you too will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit". That day about
3,000 people were baptized. These remained faithful to the teaching of the
apostles, to a life of sharing and caring, to the Breaking of Bread, and to
prayer. Many miracles were worked by the apostles, and
this made a deep impression on everyone. Each day the Lord added new
members to their group.
Jesus, please help me remain faithful to the
Christian way of life
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
Recording
1
Peter 2.19-25: If you are treated unfairly, put up with it
for the sake of God. Christ suffered for you and left an example
for you to follow.
He had done nothing wrong. He was insulted and tortured,
but did not retaliate. He bore our sins in his own body on the Cross,
so that we might die to sin and live for holiness. Through his wounds you have been healed.
You were like straying sheep,
but now have come back to the shepherd and guardian of your souls.
Jesus, please help me put up with difficulties
for your sake
Recording
John
10.1-10: Jesus said to the religious leaders "I
am the gate of the sheepfold. If anyone enters the sheepfold by some other
means than the gate, that person is a thief. The person who enters by the gate is the
shepherd of the flock. The sheep hear his voice as he calls each one by
name and leads them out of the sheepfold. When he has brought them out, he goes ahead of
them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. The thief comes only to steal and kill and
destroy. I have come so that people may have life, not just now but for
ever".
Jesus, Good Shepherd, please help more and
more people hear your voice and follow you
Recording
Reflection
on the above readings:
Video
commentary on today's readings - in Spanish with English subtitles
--------------------------------------------------------
Pope Francis: The
Joy of Love - on love in the family
Full
English text
Full
Chinese text
107: Recording Today
we recognize that being able to forgive others implies the liberating experience
of understanding and forgiving ourselves.
Often our mistakes, or criticism we have received from loved ones, can lead to a loss of self-esteem.
We become distant from others, avoiding affection and fearful in our interpersonal relationships.
Blaming others becomes falsely reassuring.
We need to learn to pray over our past history, to accept ourselves, to learn how to live with our limitations, and even to forgive ourselves, in order to have this same attitude towards others.
---------------------------------------------
Pope's
letter on climate change: Laudato Si 我主應受讚美
Full
English text Full
Chinese text
65a: Recording
Without repeating the entire theology of creation,
we can ask what the great biblical narratives say about the relationship of
human beings with the world.
In the first creation account in the Book of Genesis, God's plan includes creating humanity.
After the creation of man and woman, "God saw everything that he had made, and behold it was very good" (Gen 1:31).
The Bible teaches that every man and woman is created out of love and made in God's image and likeness (cf. Gen 1:26).
This shows us the immense dignity of each person, "who is not just something, but someone. He is capable of self-knowledge, of self-possession and of freely giving himself and entering into communion with other persons"
------------------------------------
Pope Francis: The
Joy of the Gospel
Full
English text Full
Chinese text
58: Recording
A financial reform open to such ethical
considerations would require a vigorous change of approach on the part of
political leaders.
I urge them to face this challenge with determination and an eye to the future, while not ignoring, of course, the specifics of each case. Money must serve, not rule!
The Pope loves everyone, rich and poor
alike, but he is obliged in the name of Christ to remind all that the rich must
help, respect and promote the poor. I exhort you to
generous solidarity and to the return of economics and finance to an ethical
approach which favours human beings.
-------------------------------------
Hour
of Love HK radio program 8.30
pm HK time tonight
- with items about HK prison inmates
-------------------------------------------
To
go with today's Gospel:
A
shepherd was herding his flock in a remote pasture when suddenly a brand-new BMW
advanced out of a dust cloud towards him. The driver, a young man in a Broni
suit, Gucci shoes, Ray Ban sunglasses and YSL tie, leans out the window and asks
the shepherd, "If I tell you exactly how many sheep you have in your flock,
will you give me one?" The shepherd looks at the man, obviously a yuppie,
then looks at his peacefully grazing flock and calmly answers, "Sure, Why
not?"
The
yuppie parks his car, whips out his Dell notebook computer, connects it to his
AT&T cell phone. He surfs to a NASA page on the internet, where he calls up
a GPS satellite navigation system to get an exact fix on his location which he
then feeds to another NASA satellite that scans the area in an
ultra-high-resolution photo. The young man then opens the digital photo in Adobe
Photoshop and exports it to an image processing facility in Hamburg, Germany.
Within seconds, he receives an email on his Palm Pilot that the image has been
processed and the data stored. He then accesses an MS-SQL database through an
ODBC connected Excel spreadsheet with hundreds of complex formulas.
He
uploads all of this data via an email on his Blackberry and, after a few
minutes, receives a response. Finally, he prints out a full-color, 150-page
report on his hi- tech, miniaturized HP LaserJet printer and finally turns to
the shepherd and says, "You have exactly 1,586 sheep."
"That's
right. Well, I guess you can take one of my sheep," says the honest
shepherd. He watches the young man select one of the animals and looks on amused
as the young man stuffs it into the trunk of his car. Then the shepherd says to
the young man, "Hey, if I can tell you exactly what your business is, will
you give me back my sheep?"
The
young man thinks about it for a second and then says, "Okay, Why not?"
"You're
a consultant." says the shepherd. "Wow! That's correct," says the
yuppie, "but how did you guess that?"
"No
guessing required." answered the savvy shepherd, "You showed up here
even though nobody called you; you want to get paid for an answer I already
knew; to a question I never asked; and you don't know anything about my
business.......now give me back my dog."
--------------------------------------
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: Cent., N 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 7th
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 7th 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, Sunday,
please bless all Muslims in my country
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Sat May 6
Two days ago I came away from the High Court building with a
heavy heart - when no criticism of Customs was allowed in the case of a Kenyan
woman whose information Customs did not act on. But yesterday "the sun
shone" .... the Court of Appeal spent two hours discussing the
effectiveness of my anti-drug campaign in relation to a Tanzanian man appealing
for a reduction in his sentence .... after which I spent a couple of interesting
hours on the lodging of an appeal by an Indonesian woman to the Court of Final
Appeal - a useful learning experience. But to be honest, after three mornings at
the High Court this week I hope I can get back to my routine of more time
visiting prisons as time goes on.
"What goes around, comes around":
Two centuries ago, Britain introduced opium to China ... causing
widespread sickness and havoc. Now China is exporting Ice to countries like
Australia, causing great suffering: Ice
stronger than a mother's love
--------------------------------------------------------
The
Book Blog:
4 readings + recordings
Comments welcome here
Readings are from
Simple Bible
Joshua
2: Joshua sent two men as
spies to explore the Jericho area.
In Jericho they went to the house of Rahab the prostitute.
The king of Jericho was told about this and he sent men to capture the two Israelites.
But Rahab hid the men
and told the king that they had already gone.
Rahab said to the men in their hiding place on her roof:
"I know that the Lord has given you this land.
My people are afraid of you. We have heard how the
Lord dried up the sea for your crossing
out of Egypt. We have heard how you defeated the two kings Sihon and Og. Since I have shown you
kindness
I now ask you to show kindness to my family
and spare their lives when you attack this city." The men agreed and told Rahab
to tie a scarlet cord to her window
so the Israelites would know her family were inside. Rahab helped the men go down from the
window by a rope.
The men stayed in the nearby hills for three days until it was safe to leave.
The men returned to Joshua and told how the people of Jericho
were already trembling at the thought of an Israelite attack.
Lord,
please bless all women and girls caught up in prostitution
My
recording of this reading 01
02
Psalm
119: They are happy who follow God's word,
those who seek God with all their hearts. How can young people avoid evil?
By seeking you and obeying you, Lord. Open my eyes, Lord, that I may understand the beauty of your word.
Lord, when I'm worried or in trouble,
your word revives me and gives me strength. Lord, keep my eyes from what is false.
Bend my heart to your word and not to love of gain. The word from your mouth means more to me
than silver and gold. The unfolding of your word gives light
and teaches simple people.
Lord, thank you for your word
which gives peace to our hearts
Recording
1
Corinthians 15.54-58:
When this mortal nature has put on immortality, then
the words of Scripture will come true: "Death has been defeated.
Death, where is your victory? Death, where is your sting?" Never give up, dear friends, never admit
defeat. Keep on working at the Lord's work always. Know that, in the Lord,
no work is in vain.
Jesus, please give me more faith to "keep going"
Recording
Where is, O death, your sting?
John
4.1-14: Jesus visited a Samaritan town. Near a well
there, Jesus said to a Samaritan woman "Give me a drink".
He also said to her "If you drink water from this well, you
will get thirsty again. But if you drink the water that I shall give, you
will never be thirsty again.
The water that I shall give will turn into a spring of eternal life inside
you"
Jesus, please give me a drink of your eternal
life water
- which is your Holy Spirit
Recording
Reflection on the above readings:
Rahab (Judges) and the Samaritan woman (John) were disreputable ladies. But their reputation was not a problem for Joshua or Jesus.
----------------------------------------------------
Pope Francis: The
Joy of Love - on love in the family
Full
English text
Full
Chinese text
106: Recording When
we have been offended or let down, forgiveness is possible and desirable, but no
one can say that it is easy.
The truth is that "family communion can only be preserved and perfected through a great spirit of sacrifice.
It requires, in fact, a ready and generous openness of each and all to understanding, to forbearance, to pardon, to reconciliation.
There is no family that does not know how selfishness, discord, tension and conflict violently attack and at times mortally wound its own communion: hence there arise the many and varied forms of division in family life"
---------------------------------------------
Pope's
letter on climate change: Laudato Si 我主應受讚美
Full
English text Full
Chinese text
64: Recording .
Furthermore, although this
Encyclical welcomes dialogue with everyone so that together we can seek paths of
liberation, I would like from the outset to show how faith convictions can offer
Christians, and some other believers as well, ample motivation to care for
nature and for the most vulnerable of their brothers and sisters.
If the simple fact of being human moves people to care for the environment of which they are a part, Christians in their turn "realize that their responsibility within creation, and their duty towards nature and the Creator, are an essential part of their faith".
It is good for humanity and the world at large when we believers better recognize the ecological commitments which stem from our convictions.
------------------------------------
Pope Francis: The
Joy of the Gospel
Full
English text Full
Chinese text
57: Recording
No
to a financial system which rules rather than serves:
Behind this attitude lurks a rejection of ethics and a rejection of God.
Ethics has come to be viewed with a certain scornful derision. It is seen as counterproductive, too human, because it makes money and power relative. It is felt to be a threat, since it condemns the manipulation and debasement of the person. In effect, ethics leads to a God who calls for a committed response which is outside the categories of the marketplace.
When these latter are absolutized, God can only be seen as uncontrollable, unmanageable, even dangerous, since he calls human beings to their full realization and to freedom from all forms of enslavement.
Ethics - a non-ideological ethics - would make it possible to bring about balance and a more humane social order.
With this in mind, I encourage financial experts and political
leaders to ponder the words of one of the sages of antiquity: "Not
to share one's wealth with the poor is to steal from them and to take away their
livelihood. It is not our own goods which we hold, but theirs"
-------------------------------------
(Me too, I'm way behind...)
--------------------------------------
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: Cent. & N
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 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 Liberea
And
praying for one Islam-related intention
each day of the week:
Jesus, today, Saturday,
please pacify the
Taliban
--------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Frid May 5
Yesterday I came away from the High Court almost in tears ....
flabbergasted that the courts and legal teams seem to follow a commandment which
says "Thou shalt not criticise Customs" ... Customs as in this
story
Report
about conditions in a Colombian prison
Two Australian football teams to play match in Shanghai on May 14
Jesus,
please move the hearts of Yemen's leaders to stop the famine!
Yemen hunger crisis leaves refugee chief 'shocked to the bones'
-------------------------------------------
The
Book Blog:
4 readings + recordings
Comments welcome here
Readings are from Simple
Bible
Joshua 1: God said to Joshua:
"I will be with you, as I was with Moses.
I will not leave you or abandon you. Be strong and stand
firm
and be careful to keep all the Law which my servant Moses laid on you.
Never swerve from this
to right or left,
and then you will be happy in all you do.
Have the book of this Law always on your lips.
Meditate on it day and night,
so that you may carefully keep everything that is written in it. Be fearless, be
confident,
for wherever you go
I the Lord your God am with you." Then Joshua said to the
people:
"Get ready, for in 3 days you will cross the Jordan River
and take possession of the land
which God is giving to you."
Dear God, thank you for the courage and confidence
that you give us
My
recording of this reading
Psalm
118: Give thanks to the Lord for he is good.
His love has no end. Let the sons of Israel say:
"His love has no end." Let those who honor the Lord say:
"His love has no end." It is better to take refuge in the Lord than
to trust in humans.
It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in princes. I was falling, falling, falling,
but the Lord was my helper. The Lord is my strength and my song.
He is my saviour. The Lord's right hand has triumphed.
His right hand has raised me up. I shall not die, I shall live
and recount all his deeds. The stone which the builders rejected
has become the corner stone. This is the work of the Lord,
a marvel in our eyes. This day was made by the Lord.
We rejoice and are glad.
Lord, we give thanks to you,
for you are good.
Your love has no end
Recording
1
Corinthians 15.20-22:
Christ has been raised from the dead, the
first to rise of all who have died. Death came through one man, Adam, and rising
from the dead has come through one man, Jesus. Just as all people die because of Adam, so all
people can live because of Christ.
Jesus, may all people have
eternal life
Recording
John
3.25-36: Some of John the Baptist's disciples told
John that many of his disciples were leaving him and following Jesus. John replied "I am not the Christ. I am
the one who was sent to prepare his way. The bride is only for the
bridegroom. But the bridegroom's friend is happy when he hears the
bridegroom's voice. This is the happiness I now feel. He must become more and more important.
I must become less and less important. Anyone who believes in the Son has eternal
life. But anyone who refuses to believe in the Son will not have eternal
life".
Jesus, be more and more important
in my life
Recording
Reflection on the above Bible readings:
How important is Jesus in my life? Is he the most important person in my life? If he is No 1, other numbers are more likely to be in place. But if he is not No. 1, other numbers are more likely to be out of place. If he is No. 1, family will be more important than job. But if he is not No. 1, there's a higher chance job will be more important than family.
-----------------------------------------
Pope Francis: The
Joy of Love - on love in the family
Full
English text
Full
Chinese text
105: Recording Once
we allow ill will to take root in our hearts, it leads to deep resentment.
The phrase ou logizetai to kakon means that love "takes no account of evil"; "it is not resentful".
The opposite of resentment is forgiveness, which is rooted in a positive attitude that seeks to understand other people's weaknesses and to excuse them.
As Jesus said, "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do" (Lk 23:34).
Yet we keep looking for more and more faults, imagining greater evils, presuming all kinds of bad intentions, and so resentment grows and deepens.
Thus, every mistake or lapse on the part of a spouse can harm the bond of love and the stability of the family.
Something is wrong when we see every problem as equally serious; in this way, we risk being unduly harsh with the failings of others.
The just desire to see our rights respected turns into a thirst for vengeance rather than a reasoned defence of our dignity.
---------------------------------------------
Pope's
letter on climate change: Laudato Si 我主應受讚美
Full
English text Full
Chinese text
63: Recording
Given the complexity of the ecological crisis and
its multiple causes, we need to realize that the solutions will not emerge from
just one way of interpreting and transforming reality.
Respect must also be shown for the various cultural riches of different peoples, their art and poetry, their interior life and spirituality.
If we are truly concerned to develop an ecology capable of remedying the damage we have done, no branch of the sciences and no form of wisdom can be left out, and that includes religion and the language particular to it.
The Catholic Church is open to dialogue with philosophical thought; this has enabled her to produce various syntheses between faith and reason.
The development of the Church's social teaching represents such a synthesis with regard to social issues; this teaching is called to be enriched by taking up new challenges.
------------------------------------
Pope Francis: The
Joy of the Gospel
Full
English text Full
Chinese text
56: Recording
While the earnings of a minority are growing
exponentially, so too is the gap separating the majority from the prosperity
enjoyed by those happy few.
This imbalance is the result of ideologies which defend the absolute autonomy of the marketplace and financial speculation.
Consequently, they reject the right of states, charged with vigilance for the common good, to exercise any form of control.
A new tyranny is thus born, invisible and often virtual, which unilaterally and relentlessly imposes its own laws and rules.
Debt and the accumulation of interest also make it difficult for countries to realize the potential of their own economies and keep citizens from enjoying their real purchasing power.
To all this we can add widespread corruption and self-serving tax evasion, which have taken on worldwide dimensions. The thirst for power and possessions knows no limits.
In this system, which tends to devour everything which stands
in the way of increased profits, whatever is fragile, like the environment, is
defenseless before the interests of a deified market, which become the only
rule.
-------------------------------------
--------------------------------------
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: S.
America
Sat: Cent, N. 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 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, Friday,
please bless all Muslims
--------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Thur May 4
Tanzanian
Drug Lord Shkuba flown to the US
- this is the man exposed by early
letters in the anti-drug campaign of v2catholic. Many of his drug mules are in
prison in HK .... including a number of women at Lo Wu Women's Correctional
Institution which I visited yesterday
Today is an important day in China's
history: The
May 4 Movement.
Just
as the invasion of Iraq, and Israel's injustice to Palestinians, have "radicalised"
many young Muslims, so, in a similar way, injustice to China at the Treaty of
Versailles "radicalised" many young Chinese, causing them to turn
their backs on democracy and look to Communism for help. If
China had not been unjustly treated at Versailles, it probably would not have a
Communist government today
--------------------------------------------------------
The
Book Blog:
4 readings + recordings
Comments welcome here
Readings are from Simple
Bible
Deuteronomy
33-34:
Before Moses died, he
blessed the twelve tribes of Israel.
Moses then went up Mount Nebo, opposite Jericho,
where the Lord showed him the whole land
that the Israelites would possess.
Moses was buried in the land of Moab.
After the people mourned Moses for 30 days,
Joshua son of Nun was filled with the spirit of wisdom,
since Moses had laid his hands on him.
From that time there has never been a prophet like Moses,
the man who knew the Lord face to face.
Dear
God, thank you for the life of Moses. May civic and church
leaders be more like him, filled with love for you and for the people
My
recording of this reading
Psalm
117: O Praise the Lord, all you nations.
Acclaim him, all you peoples! Strong is his love for us.
He is faithful for ever.
May all the nations love and
praise you, Lord
Recording
1
Corinthians 15.9-11:
I am the least of the apostles. In fact, since
I persecuted the Church of God, I hardly deserve the name apostle. But by God's grace I am what I am, and the
grace that he gave me has not been fruitless. On the contrary, I, or rather the grace of God
in my heart, have worked harder than any of the others, preaching the
same message that they preach.
Jesus, may your grace in me be more fruitful
Recording
John
3.13-17: Jesus said to the religious leader:
"The Son of Man must be lifted up on a cross, as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so that everyone who
believes may have eternal life in him". God loved the world so much, that he gave his
only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not be lost, but may
have eternal life. For God sent his Son into the world, not to
condemn the world,
but so that through him the world might be saved.
Jesus, only Son of God the Father, thank you
for coming into this world. Please help more and more people believe in
you
Recording
Reflection on the above Bible readings:
The Bible has many famous verses, one of the most famous being contained in today's Gospel: "God so loved the world ..." which is why people like St Francis of Assisi see signs of God's love everywhere ... in the flowers, the birds, the moon, the sun, the wind, the rain.
-------------------------------------------------------
Pope Francis: The
Joy of Love - on love in the family
Full
English text
Full
Chinese text
104: Recording The
Gospel tells us to look to the log in our own eye (cf. Mt 7:5).
Christians cannot ignore the persistent admonition of God's word not to nurture anger: "Do not be overcome by evil" (Rm 12:21).
"Let us not grow weary in doing good" (Gal 6:9).
It is one thing to sense a sudden surge of hostility and another to give into it, letting it take root in our hearts: "Be angry but do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger" (Eph 4:26).
My advice is never to let the day end without making peace in the family.
"And how am I going to make peace? By getting down on my knees? No! Just by a small gesture, a little something, and harmony within your family will be restored. Just a little caress, no words are necessary. But do not let the day end without making peace in your family".
Our first reaction when we are annoyed should be one of heartfelt blessing, asking God to bless, free and heal that person.
"On the contrary bless, for to this you have been called, that you may obtain a blessing" (1 Pet 3:9).
If we must fight evil, so be it; but we must always say "no" to violence in the home.
---------------------------------------------
Pope's
letter on climate change: Laudato Si 我主應受讚美
Full
English text Full
Chinese text
62: Recording Why
should this document, addressed to all people of good will, include a chapter
dealing with the convictions of believers?
I am well aware that in the areas of politics and philosophy there are those who firmly reject the idea of a Creator, or consider it irrelevant, and consequently dismiss as irrational the rich contribution which religions can make towards an integral ecology and the full development of humanity.
Others view religions simply as a subculture to be tolerated.
Nonetheless, science and religion, with their distinctive approaches to understanding reality, can enter into an intense dialogue fruitful for both.
------------------------------------
Pope Francis: The
Joy of the Gospel
Full
English text Full
Chinese text
55: Recording
One cause of this situation is found in our
relationship with money, since we calmly accept its
dominion over ourselves and our societies.
The current financial crisis can make us overlook the fact that it originated in a profound human crisis: the denial of the primacy of the human person!
We have created new idols. The worship of the ancient golden calf has returned in a new and ruthless guise in the idolatry of money and the dictatorship of an impersonal economy lacking a truly human purpose.
The worldwide crisis affecting finance and the economy lays
bare their imbalances and, above all, their lack of real concern for human
beings; people are reduced to one of their needs alone:
consumption.
-------------------------------------
Yesterday at Lo Wu women's prison I tried speaking Spanish
with some of the South American inmates. Five lessons not enough! I need to keep
studying! (Using this
excellent course which I have downloaded)
--------------------------------------
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: Cent, N 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 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, Thursday,
please pacify Al-Qaeda
--------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Wed May 3
Only yesterday did I see this
excellent 6-min video in English from Singapore
- about how African men trick vulnerable Singapore women into being drug mules.
Here
(scroll down to video). As far as I know, the HK govt has never made such a video
... in fact it has done virtually nothing by way of publicity to stop drug mules
coming to HK.
Chinese teen
jailed over record
ice haul - recruited while working on Hong Kong gambling boats
My
article in yesterday's Ming Pao
newspaper had the topic: Two
entrapment stories. Text Here
Melbourne
parish responds to Pope's call to help refugees
--------------------------------------------------------
Chris McDonnell
You
have an opinion?
When the first post-apartheid election took place in South Africa, people queued
for many hours to register the first vote of their life time, it mattered that
much
-------------------------------------------------------
The
Book Blog:
4 readings + recordings
Comments welcome here
Readings are from
Simple Bible
Deuteronomy 32:
For Israel was the Lord's possession,
Jacob the one he had chosen. God found him in a
wilderness,
in fearful, desolate wastes;
he surrounded him, he lifted him up,
he kept him as the apple of his eye. Like an eagle that
watches its nest,
that hovers over its young,
so he spread his wings; he took him,
placed him on his outstretched wings.
The Lord alone was his guide
and no other god was with him.
Dear
Lord, thank you for life and all your love and care
My
recording of this reading
Psalm
116: I love the Lord for he has heard the cry of
my appeal.
He turned his ear to me in the day when I called him. They surrounded me, sorrow, distress and the
snares of death.
I was helpless, so the Lord saved me. Calm down my soul, for the Lord has been good.
I will walk in the presence of the Lord in the land of the living. How can I repay the Lord for his goodness to
me?
The cup of salvation I will raise to thank the Lord. O precious in the eyes of the Lord is the
death of his faithful.
Lord, you have loosened my bonds. I am your servant.
Thank you, Lord, for all your
goodness to me
Recording
1
Corinthians 15.1-8: Let me remind you of the basic facts of the
Good News:
Christ died for our sins. He was buried.
He was raised to life on the third day. He appeared to Peter, then to the other
apostles, then to more than 500 of the believers - most of whom are still
alive. Then he appeared to James and the other disciples. Last of all he appeared to me. I was like an
un-expected child.
Jesus, I have not yet seen you, but I believe
in you and I love you
Recording
John
1.35-51(for Feast of Sts
Philip & James, apostles):
John the Baptist told his disciples Andrew
and John that Jesus was the Chosen One of God. Andrew and John then
followed Jesus. Andrew took his brother Simon to Jesus. Jesus
changed Simon's name to Peter, and Peter followed Jesus. Jesus met Philip and said to him
"Follow me". Philip called one more man, Nathanael
(Bartholomew) and said to him "we have found the one Moses and the
prophets wrote about. He is Jesus, son of Joseph, from Nazareth".
Jesus, please help me introduce more people to
know and love you
Recording
Reflection
on the above readings:
Introducing
people and helping them to become friends is a happy experience. And the
happiest of all such experiences is when we help someone to know our Best Friend
-------------------------------------------------------
Pope Francis: The
Joy of Love - on love in the family
Full
English text
Full
Chinese text
103: Recording If
the first word of Paul's hymn spoke of the need for a patience that does not
immediately react harshly to the weaknesses and faults of others, the word he
uses next - paroxynetai - has to do more with an interior indignation provoked
by something from without.
It refers to a violent reaction within, a hidden irritation that sets us on edge where others are concerned, as if they were troublesome or threatening and thus to be avoided.
To nurture such interior hostility helps no one.
It only causes hurt and alienation.
Indignation is only healthy when it makes us react to a grave injustice; when it permeates our attitude towards others it is harmful
---------------------------------------------
Pope's
letter on climate change: Laudato Si 我主應受讚美
Full
English text Full
Chinese text
61: Recording On
many concrete questions, the Church has no reason to offer a definitive opinion;
she knows that honest debate must be encouraged among experts, while respecting
divergent views.
But we need only take a frank look at the facts to see that our common home is falling into serious disrepair.
Hope would have us recognize that there is always a way out, that we can always redirect our steps, that we can always do something to solve our problems.
Still, we can see signs that things are now reaching a breaking point, due to the rapid pace of change and degradation; these are evident in large-scale natural disasters as well as social and even financial crises, for the world's problems cannot be analyzed or explained in isolation.
There are regions now at high risk and, aside from all doomsday predictions, the present world system is certainly unsustainable from a number of points of view, for we have stopped thinking about the goals of human activity.
"If we scan the regions of our planet, we immediately see that humanity has disappointed God's expectations"
------------------------------------
Pope Francis: The
Joy of the Gospel
Full
English text Full
Chinese text
54: Recording
In this context, some
people continue to defend trickle-down theories which assume that
economic growth, encouraged by a free market, will inevitably succeed in
bringing about greater justice and inclusiveness in the world.
This opinion, which has never been confirmed by the facts, expresses a crude and naive trust in the goodness of those wielding economic power and in the sacralized workings of the prevailing economic system. Meanwhile, the excluded are still waiting.
To sustain a lifestyle which excludes others, or to sustain enthusiasm for that selfish ideal, a globalization of indifference has developed. Almost without being aware of it, we end up being incapable of feeling compassion at the outcry of the poor, weeping for other people's pain, and feeling a need to help them, as though all this were someone else's responsibility and not our own.
The culture of prosperity deadens us;
we are thrilled if the market offers us something new to purchase. On the other
hand, lives stunted for lack of opportunity seem a mere spectacle; they
fail to move us.
-------------------------------------
Daniel Daring - Year with Matthew - 19
-------------------------------------
--------------------------------------
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: Cent, N 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 3rd
of
the month, Jesus please bless the prisoners of Gansu
And praying for one of
the
world's poorest countries each day of the month:
On this 3rd of the month, Jesus please
bless the people of Burundi
And praying for one
Islam-related intention each day of the week:
Jesus, 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
2017:
Southern Africa, Dubai
--------------------
Video: What "gay marriage" did to Massachusetts
Frightening
YouTube reports:
LGBT radical impact
on educational institutions (No.
5); LGBT
infiltrating churches
(No. 6); US corporations massively
supporting LGBT agenda (No. 7). What
has happened in the US is now starting to happen in other places. Some
day our children will ask "why didn't you do more to stop this evil?"
--------------------------------------------
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
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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.
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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
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