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 16
Hello from HK airport (on Monday May 15 at 6pm) where I'm waiting for flight to Melbourne to attend O.M.I. congress. Just as I was thinking I can start to take it easy for a few days, I got a call from Immigration Department asking me to help a Russian man due to be deported Wed morning (May 17) ... someone needs to collect his luggage from a guest house in Tsim Sha Tsui early Wed morning and have it at the airport by 9.30am. Thank you Lord, one of the members of the new NGO MercyHK is able to help and will do the job.
Scroll down this
O.M.I. newsletter for many items, including photos of last week's
retreat in HK!
My article in today's Ming Pao newspaper has the topic: A problem in HK: loan sharks. 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
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The
Book Blog:
4 readings + recordings
Comments welcome here
Readings are from
Simple Bible
Joshua 10:
Five kings in the
southern part of the land made war on Gibeon.
The Gibeonites appealed to Joshua for help.
Joshua and his soldiers marched through the night
and caught the armies of the 5 kings by surprise
and defeated them.
The Israelite army also attacked other southern towns
and captured them. Joshua and his army
were victorious in the south
because the Lord supported and helped them.
Dear
God, please help me in the battles of life
My
recording of this reading
Psalm
128: O blessed are those who love the Lord and
walk in his ways. By the labor of your hands you shall eat.
You will be happy and prosper: your wife like a fruitful vine in the heart of
your house;
your children like shoots of the olive, around your table. Indeed thus shall be blessed
the people who love and honor the Lord. May the Lord bless you from Zion all the days
of your life.
May you see your children's children in a happy Jerusalem!
On Israel, peace!
Dear Lord, may all married
people
live to see their children's children
Recording
12Corinthians
13.1-13:
Soon I will be with you for a third time.
What I ask is that you live the way God wants you to live. So, grow in your Christian life. Help one
another. Be united.
Live in peace, and the God of love and peace will be with you. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love
of God the Father,
and the friendship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
Father, Son and Holy Spirit, help me live the
way you want me to live
Recording
John
6.26-29: Jesus said to the people "You have come
looking for me because you had so much bread to eat. Do not give so much concern to physical
food.
Be more concerned about the spiritual food that lasts
forever.
This is the food I am offering you".
Jesus, please give us the food that lasts
forever
Recording
Reflection on the above readings
The more the Culture of Death intensifies its campaign against the Culture of Life, the more we need to commit ourselves to daily spiritual reading ....to get energy and courage and wisdom for each day
--------------------------------------------------------
Pope Francis: The
Joy of Love - on love in the family
Full
English text
Full
Chinese text
116: Recording
Love
hopes all things:
Panta elpizei. Love does not despair of the future.
Following upon what has just been said, this phrase speaks of the hope of one who knows that others can change, mature and radiate unexpected beauty and untold potential.
This does not mean that everything will change in this life.
It does involve realizing that, though things may not always turn out as we wish, God may well make crooked lines straight and draw some good from the evil we endure in this world.
---------------------------------------------
Pope's
letter on climate change: Laudato Si 我主應受讚美
Full
English text
Full Chinese text
72: Recording: The Psalms frequently exhort us to praise God the Creator, "who spread out the earth on the waters, for his steadfast love endures for ever" (Ps 136:6).
They also invite other creatures to join us in this praise: "Praise him, sun and moon, praise him, all you shining stars! Praise him, you highest heavens, and you waters above the heavens! Let them praise the name of the Lord, for he commanded and they were created" (Ps 148:3-5).
We do not only exist by God's mighty power; we also live with him and beside him. This is why we adore him.
------------------------------------
Pope Francis: The
Joy of the Gospel
Full
English text
Full
Chinese text
67: Recording
The individualism of our
postmodern and globalized era favours a
lifestyle which weakens the development and stability of personal relationships
and distorts family bonds.
Pastoral activity needs to bring out more clearly the fact that our relationship with the Father demands and encourages a communion which heals, promotes and reinforces interpersonal bonds.
In our world, especially in some countries, different forms of war and conflict are re-emerging, yet we Christians remain steadfast in our intention to respect others, to heal wounds, to build bridges, to strengthen relationships and to "bear one another’s burdens" (Gal 6:2).
Today too, various associations for
the defence of rights and the pursuit of noble goals are being
founded. This is a sign of the desire of many people to contribute to social and
cultural progress.
-------------------------------------
10
years ago:
Prayers please for lady with malignant cancer above her right eye
English word bingo at Ng Chuen Primary School
------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------
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 16th
of
the month, Jesus please bless the prisoners of Qinghai
And praying for one of
the world's poorest countries
each day of the month:
On this 16th of the month, Jesus
please bless the people of Afghanistan
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 15
In some parts of the world Mother's Day was banned, but not in
Hong Kong. Most churches had gifts for mothers ...and as I walked home after
Mass I saw a local district council member - Benny Yeung - and his team at two
locations giving out flowers to all mothers. Benny was very friendly...he even
took a selfie with me....and I praised him for supporting family life.
Letter in English by a Ukranian
woman in prison in HK for drug trafficking - Here
Letter in English by a woman from Mainland China in prison for
drug trafficking - how she was recruited/tricked by an African Drug Gang in
Guangzhou to take drugs from Malaysia to HK/China - Here
(March 27)
Articles in HK media, yesterday, in Chinese, about the case of a
South African woman sentenced in the High Court yesterday:
Oriental
Daily, Apple
Daily, Sing Tao.
Woman' name is Honey, her case described in the last five minutes of this
video.
Every few years the Oblates of Mary Immaculate have a major
gathering in Australia. Such a gathering for all Oblate priests will take place
in Melbourne from May 21 to May 24. I've been encouraged to attend ... so...I'm
due to leave from HK tonight....due back HK on the night of May 26....thank you
Qantas for top value ticket: only HK4,500 return (all inclusive).
--------------------------------------------------------
The
Book Blog:
4 readings + recordings
Comments welcome here
Readings are from
Simple Bible
Joshua
9: After hearing that the
Israelites had captured Jericho and Ai,
other peoples of the region formed an alliance to fight against the Israelites.
But the people of Gibeon used another strategy:
they tricked the Israelites into thinking
they were not locals but had come from far away. So the Israelites made
a treaty with them. When the Israelites
realized they had been tricked,
they kept their side of the bargain and did not attack Gibeon. Instead the Gibeonites
became wood-cutters and water-carriers
in the service of the Israelites.
Dear
Lord, please help nations to make treaties instead of war
My
recording of this reading
Psalm
127: If the Lord does not build the house, in vain do its builders labor.
If the Lord does not watch over the city,
in vain does the watchman keep vigil. Success comes not from earlier rising or from
going later to rest,
but from the Lord's blessing. Success is from the Lord
who blesses the womb of his beloved while she sleeps. Truly, children are a gift from the Lord,
a blessing, the fruit of the womb.
Lord, many people these days
don't want children. Please help such people understand that children are
a blessing
Recording
2
Corinthians 11.24 - 12.14: Remember how much I have suffered for the sake
of the Good News:
5 times I had the 39 lashes from the Jews; 3 times I was beaten with sticks; once I was stoned;
3 times I was shipwrecked; I have often been starving. This should prove to you that I am a
genuine apostle, not after money or fame or power. It is you I want, not
your possessions.
Jesus, help church workers want souls,
not money/fame/power
Recording
John
6.16-21: That evening, the disciples got into a boat
to cross the sea to Capernaum. The wind became strong and the sea became
rough.
They had rowed about 4km when they saw Jesus walking on the sea, coming
towards them.
They were frightened, but he said "It is I. Do not be afraid". He got into the boat, and it quickly
arrived at Capernaum.
Jesus, help me remember that you are in my
boat
Recording
Reflection
on the above readings:
When
Jesus is in our boat, we get to where we are meant to go ... despite obstacles,
storms, opposition .....sometimes even despite ourselves
--------------------------------------------------------
Pope Francis: The
Joy of Love - on love in the family
Full
English text
Full
Chinese text
115: Recording This
trust enables a relationship to be free.
It means we do not have to control the other person, to follow their every step lest they escape our grip.
Love trusts, it sets free, it does not try to control, possess and dominate everything.
This freedom, which fosters independence, an openness to the world around us and to new experiences, can only enrich and expand relationships.
The spouses then share with one another the joy of all they have received and learned outside the family circle.
At the same time, this freedom makes for sincerity and transparency, for those who know that they are trusted and appreciated can be open and hide nothing.
Those who know that their spouse is always suspicious, judgmental and lacking unconditional love, will tend to keep secrets, conceal their failings and weaknesses, and pretend to be someone other than who they are.
On the other hand, a family marked by loving trust, come what may, helps its members to be themselves and spontaneously to reject deceit, falsehood, and lies.
---------------------------------------------
Pope's
letter on climate change: Laudato Si 我主應受讚美
Full
English text Full
Chinese text
71b: Recording
Aafter seven weeks of years, which is to say forty-nine
years, the Jubilee was celebrated as a year of general forgiveness and
"liberty throughout the land for all its inhabitants" (cf. Lev 25:10).
This law came about as an attempt to ensure balance and fairness in their relationships with others and with the land on which they lived and worked.
At the same time, it was an acknowledgment that the gift of the earth with its fruits belongs to everyone.
Those who tilled and kept the land were obliged to share its fruits, especially with the poor, with widows, orphans and foreigners in their midst: "When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap your field to its very border, neither shall you gather the gleanings after the harvest. And you shall not strip your vineyard bare, neither shall you gather the fallen grapes of your vineyard; you shall leave them for the poor and for the sojourner" (Lev 19:9-10).
------------------------------------
Pope Francis: The
Joy of the Gospel
Full
English text Full
Chinese text
66: Recording
The family
is experiencing a profound cultural crisis, as are all communities and social
bonds.
In the case of the family, the weakening of these bonds is particularly serious because the family is the fundamental cell of society, where we learn to live with others despite our differences and to belong to one another; it is also the place where parents pass on the faith to their children.
Marriage now tends to be viewed as a form of mere emotional satisfaction that can be constructed in any way or modified at will.
But the indispensable contribution of
marriage to society transcends the feelings and momentary needs of the couple.
As the French bishops have taught, it is not born "of loving sentiment,
ephemeral by definition, but from the depth of the obligation assumed by the
spouses who accept to enter a total communion of life"
-------------------------------------
--------------------------------------
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 15th of
the month, Jesus please bless the prisoners of Liaoning
And
praying for one of the
world's poorest countries each day of the month:
On this 15th of
the month, Jesus please bless the people of Zimbabwe
And
praying for one Islam-related intention
each day of the week:
Jesus, today, Monday,
please pacify I.S.
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Sun May 14
Happy
Mother's Day! A
Mother's Day reflection (2013)
A woman from Uganda in prison
in HK has been most anxious about her children not being at school ... family
has no money to pay fees. Last night, thanks to the kindness of a HK friend, I
was able to send a very, very special Mother's Day present to the family, via
Western Union. God bless the kind donor, and the family, and all mothers
everywhere ...especially mothers in prison!
Pope in Fatima - many reports
Here
Long letter in Spanish by a woman from Paraguay
in a HK prison for drug trafficking - detailing how she was recruited and co-erced
by a Nigerian Drug Gang operating in Sao Paulo to bring drugs from Brazil to HK
- Here
(April 2)
-------------------------------------------------------
The
Book Blog:
4 readings + recordings
Comments welcome here
Readings are from
Simple Bible
c.f. Easter 5
Acts 6.1-7: About this time as the number of disciples
kept growing, the twelve apostles decided to give other men the job of
daily food distribution. The apostles said to the whole group of
believers "It is not right for us to neglect the service of the
word. Therefore you should choose seven men of good reputation, filled
with the Holy Spirit and with wisdom. We give them the food
distribution job, so that we can devote ourselves to prayer
and the service of the word". The whole assembly approved of this idea. They
chose seven men and presented them to the apostles who prayed over them
with the laying on of hands. The word of the Lord continued to spread. Even
a large number of priests became believers.
Jesus, please bless all deacons. Fill them
with the courage and wisdom of the first seven deacons
My
recording of this reading
Psalm 33: Ring out your joy to the Lord, all good
people,
for praise is fitting for loyal hearts. For the Lord loves justice and right;
he fills the earth with his love. By his word the heavens were made,
he spoke and the universe came into being. They are happy, whose God is the Lord,
he is the source of all true joy. May your love be upon us, O Lord,
since we place all our trust in you.
Lord, we trust in your precious
love
Recording
1
Peter 2.4-9: Jesus is Mr Livingstone, the living stone
rejected by men, but chosen by God. Stay close to him, so that you
too may be living stones in the spiritual house of God's church. You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a
consecrated nation, a people set apart to sing the praises of God who
called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.
Jesus, you are the foundation stone of my
life.
May I build my life on your teaching, your values, your example
Recording
John
13.37 - 14.6: At the meal, Peter said to Jesus "I will
lay down my life for you". Jesus
replied "Before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times. To all of you I say, there are many rooms in
my Father's house.
I am going now to prepare a place for you. I am the Way, the Truth and the Life.
No one comes to the Father except through me".
Jesus, you are the Way, the Truth and the
Life.
Please help more and more people follow you to find truth and life
Recording
Reflection on the above readings:
Jesus is the
Way: following him is the best way to travel on our journey in this
world.
Jesus is the Truth: if we want to know if
something or someone is true/truthful, we just need to remember Jesus' words
and behaviour about the issue involved.
Jesus is the Life: if we follow him, we will
follow the Culture of Life, not the culture of death
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
114: Recording Panta
pisteuei - Love believes all things.
Here "belief" is not to be taken in its strict theological meaning, but more in the sense of what we mean by "trust".
This goes beyond simply presuming that the other is not lying or cheating.
Such basic trust recognizes God's light shining beyond the darkness, like an ember glowing beneath the ash
---------------------------------------------
Pope's
letter on climate change: Laudato Si 我主應受讚美
Full
English text Full
Chinese text
71a: Recording
Although "the wickedness of man was great in
the earth" (Gen 6:5) and the Lord "was sorry that he had made
man on the earth" (Gen 6:6), nonetheless, through Noah, who remained
innocent and just, God decided to open a path of salvation.
In this way he gave humanity the chance of a new beginning.
All it takes is one good person to restore hope!
The biblical tradition clearly shows that this renewal entails recovering and respecting the rhythms inscribed in nature by the hand of the Creator.
We see this, for example, in the law of the Sabbath.
On the seventh day, God rested from all his work.
He commanded Israel to set aside each seventh day as a day of rest, a Sabbath, (cf. Gen 2:2-3; Ex 16:23; 20:10).
Similarly, every seven years, a sabbatical year was set aside for Israel, a complete rest for the land (cf. Lev 25:1-4), when sowing was forbidden and one reaped only what was necessary to live on and to feed one's household (cf. Lev 25:4-6).
------------------------------------
Pope Francis: The
Joy of the Gospel
Full
English text Full
Chinese text
65: Recording
Despite the tide of secularism which has swept our
societies, in many countries - even those where Christians are a minority - the
Catholic Church is considered a credible institution by public opinion, and trusted
for her solidarity and concern for those in greatest need.
Again and again, the Church has acted as a mediator in finding solutions to problems affecting peace, social harmony, the land, the defence of life, human and civil rights, and so forth. And how much good has been done by Catholic schools and universities around the world! This is a good thing.
Yet, we find it difficult to make people see that when we
raise other questions less palatable to public opinion,
we are doing so out of fidelity to precisely the same
convictions about human dignity and the common good.
-------------------------------------
Hour
of Love HK radio program 8.30
pm HK time tonight
- with items about HK prison inmates
-------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------
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 14th
of the month, Jesus please bless the prisoners of Jilin
And praying for one of the
world's poorest countries each day of the month:
On this 14th of the month, Jesus
please bless the people of Mali
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 13
Another disappointing day in High Court yesterday. I wasn't
present (...annual retreat..) but got results last night from legal teams. I was
hoping for bigger discount for an inmate who had provided much info to
authorities. This makes me determined to give more energy/time/importance into
stopping people coming....Customs/judges can make it hard for my campaign to get
discounts from sentences, but they can't stop us stopping people!
Today the 100th anniversary of the first appearance of Mary at Fatima.
Jesus please protect Pope Francis in Fatima today!
May Fatima be a special place of friendship between Muslims and Christians,
"Fatima" being the name of a daughter of Muhammad.
Pope
to canonise children who 'saw' Virgin Mary. And
see: Pope
in Fatima - what the papers are (not) saying
Melbourne
school cancels Mother's Day (radical
LGBT agenda doesn't like the word "mother")
Four
Oblates Praised; Vital Statement Examined at Ecumenical Meeting (by Fr
Harry Winter O.M.I.)
Fr. Ron Rolheiser OMI:
The
Regrets We Can Live With
Is it AFL or
rugby? Chinese none the wiser ahead of Shanghai showdown
--------------------------------------------------------
The
Book Blog:
4 readings + recordings
Comments welcome here
Readings are from
Simple Bible
Joshua
8: Once again the
Israelites attacked the town of Ai,
this time with a special strategy: 5,000 men
went by night to the back of the town and hid themselves in the nearby hills.
In the morning Joshua and the rest of the people
marched towards the front of Ai. When the
king of Ai saw them coming, he led his people out for battle. In chasing
the Israelites,
the king of Ai left his town undefended. Then the
5,000 Israelites attacked
Ai from the rear and set it on fire.
When the men of Ai looked back and saw their town on fire,
they realized they were caught in a trap. The
Israelites easily won the battle
and captured Ai.
Dear Lord, please
give leaders the courage of Joshua
My
recording of this reading
Psalm
126: When the Lord delivered Zion from bondage,
it seemed like a dream.
Then was our mouth filled with laughter,
on our lips there were songs. What marvels the Lord worked for us.
Indeed we were glad. Those who are sowing in tears
will sing when they reap. They go out, full of tears, carrying seed for
the sowing.
They come back, full of song, carrying their sheaves.
Dear God, please bless all
people who are sorrowful as they work
Recording
2
Corinthians 8.9 - 9.7:
Remember how generous the Lord Jesus was.
He was rich, but he became poor for our sake, to make us rich. So we also should help people who are poor. If
we have extra
we should help people who don't have enough. Maybe some day, the same poor people will be
rich,
and we will be poor, and they will help us. And don't forget, God loves a cheerful giver.
Jesus, help me do more to help poor
people
Recording
/2017-05-14-Sing-Tao-Memory.jpg){kind=link}
John
6.1-15: Near the Sea of Galilee, a large crowd
followed Jesus, attracted by the way he healed so many sick people. Jesus climbed a hillside and
sat there with his disciples. Seeing the huge crowd, Jesus said to one of
his disciples. "How can we feed so many people?" The disciple Andrew said "There's a young boy here with 5
loaves and 2 fish. But what good is that for such a huge crowd?"
Jesus said "Make the people sit down". The crowd of about
20,000 sat down on the grass. Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks, and gave them out to all
the people. He did the same with the fish. Everyone ate as much as they
wanted to. The people, seeing this miracle, said "He really is God's great
prophet". Jesus, aware that they wanted to make him
king, slipped away and went up the hill by himself.
Jesus, please bless my prayers and actions to
help others,
just as you blessed the loaves and fish
Recording
01
02
Reflection on the above readings:
Numbers, quantity - not a problem for Jesus. He
just needs a few loaves and A couple of fish. I try to remember this when I use my Visa card
to buy items for prisoners. What can you see?!
----------------------------------------------------
Pope Francis: The
Joy of Love - on love in the family
Full
English text
Full
Chinese text
113: Recording Married
couples joined by love speak well of each other; they try to show their spouse's
good side, not their weakness and faults.
In any event, they keep silent rather than speak ill of them.
This is not merely a way of acting in front of others; it springs from an interior attitude.
Far from ingenuously claiming not to see the problems and weaknesses of others, it sees those weaknesses and faults in a wider context.
It recognizes that these failings are a part of a bigger picture.
We have to realize that all of us are a complex mixture of light and shadows.
The other person is much more than the sum of the little things that annoy me.
Love does not have to be perfect for us to value it.
The other person loves me as best they can, with all their limits, but the fact that love is imperfect does not mean that it is untrue or unreal.
It is real, albeit limited and earthly.
If I expect too much, the other person will let me know, for he or she can neither play God nor serve all my needs.
Love coexists with imperfection. It "bears all things" and can hold its peace before the limitations of the loved one
---------------------------------------------
Pope's
letter on climate change: Laudato Si 我主應受讚美
Full
English text Full
Chinese text
70: Recording In
the story of Cain and Abel, we see how envy led Cain to commit the ultimate
injustice against his brother, which in turn ruptured the relationship between
Cain and God, and between Cain and the earth from which he was banished.
This is seen clearly in the dramatic exchange between God and Cain.
God asks: "Where is Abel your brother?"
Cain answers that he does not know, and God persists: "What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood is crying to me from the ground. And now you are cursed from the ground" (Gen 4:9-11).
Disregard for the duty to cultivate and maintain a proper relationship with my neighbour, for whose care and custody I am responsible, ruins my relationship with my own self, with others, with God and with the earth.
When all these relationships are neglected, when justice no longer dwells in the land, the Bible tells us that life itself is endangered.
We see this in the story of Noah, where God threatens to do away with humanity because of its constant failure to fulfil the requirements of justice and peace: "I have determined to make an end of all flesh; for the earth is filled with violence through them" (Gen 6:13).
These ancient stories, full of symbolism, bear witness to a conviction which we today share, that everything is interconnected, and that genuine care for our own lives and our relationships with nature is inseparable from fraternity, justice and faithfulness to others.
------------------------------------
Pope Francis: The
Joy of the Gospel
Full
English text Full
Chinese text
64: Recording
The process of
secularization tends to reduce the faith and the Church to the sphere of
the private and personal. Furthermore, by completely rejecting the transcendent,
it has produced a growing deterioration of ethics, a weakening of the sense of
personal and collective sin, and a steady increase in relativism.
These have led to a general sense of disorientation, especially in the periods of adolescence and young adulthood which are so vulnerable to change.
As the bishops of the United States of America have rightly pointed out, while the Church insists on the existence of objective moral norms which are valid for everyone, "there are those in our culture who portray this teaching as unjust, that is, as opposed to basic human rights. Such claims usually follow from a form of moral relativism that is joined, not without inconsistency, to a belief in the absolute rights of individuals. In this view, the Church is perceived as promoting a particular prejudice and as interfering with individual freedom".
We are living in an information-driven society which bombards
us indiscriminately with data - all treated as being of equal importance - and
which leads to remarkable superficiality in the area of
moral discernment. In response, we need to provide
an education which teaches critical thinking and encourages the development of
mature moral values.
-------------------------------------
To go with Pope's visit to Fatima:
Q: What's the "third secret" of
Fatima?
A: Close Lourdes!
--------------------------------------
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 13th
of the month, Jesus please bless the prisoners of Jiangxi
And praying for one of the
world's poorest countries each day of the
month:
On this 13th
of the month, Jesus please bless the people of Mali
And
praying for one Islam-related intention
each day of the week:
Jesus, today, Saturday,
please pacify the
Taliban
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Frid May 12
Three
weeks ago I went bail for a Kenyan
woman facing a small drug charge that seemed to be a set-up. In granting bail, a
High Court judge expressed the view that the case did not make sense and that
the woman should not have been in detention. Yesterday at her trial in a lower
court (..High Court only for bail appeal..) the woman was acquitted, and today
she will return the bail money by depositing it in my bank account. Helping her
with bail was a bit of a risk, but she seemed to be innocent and also seemed an
honourable person who would repay the bail. Without bail, she could not have
made arrangements for a legal team to represent her at her trial. Without the
legal team, she may not have won her case. So ...all ends well...God
is Good!
Today in the
High Court two other women, both from South Africa,
are due to be sentenced for drug trafficking. I can't be in court ....I'm on
final day of annual retreat for O.M.I.s of the China Delegation (...has been a
most worthwhile time) ... but I'll be praying that both women receive the lowest
possible sentences for people in their situation. Both women took part in my
anti-drug campaign ...and I've written support letters for them. Jesus,
please bless the judges!
Jesus,
please give Pope Francis a safe trip to Fatima today!
-------------------------------------------
The
Book Blog:
4 readings + recordings
Comments welcome here
Readings are from Simple
Bible
Joshua 7: The Lord had told the
Israelites not to keep anything for themselves
when they captured Jericho. But one man disobeyed
the Lord
and secretly kept some of the spoils. As a result of that
man's disobedience,
the Israelites were defeated in battle when they attacked the town of Ai.
The disobedient
man's identity was found by drawing of the lot: of the 12 tribes, one was chosen, the tribe of
Judah;
- of the tribe of Judah, one clan was chosen, that of Zerah; of the families of
Zerah, one was chosen, that of Zabdi; of the men of Zabdi, one was chosen, Achan.
Achan admitted his
guilt.
He and his whole family were then stoned to death
and a great cairn built over them.
All of Achan's possessions were burnt.
Dear
Lord, please don't let me disobey you
My
recording of this reading
Psalm
125: Those who put their trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, that cannot be shaken.
Jerusalem, the mountains surround her,
so the Lord surrounds his people, now and forever.
Lord, please help us be
more aware
of your protecting presence
Recording
2
Corinthians 5.14-19: The love of Christ is like a
tsunami.
It overwhelms
us and sweeps us away
when we remember how Jesus died for everyone.
God, through Christ, has repaired his
friendship with humanity.
We must spread the news of this reconciliation.
"And when I think, that God his Son not
sparing, sent him to die, I scarce can take it in"
- from the song "How Great Thou Art"
Recording
John
5. 36-46: Jesus said to the religious leaders "The
healing and teaching my Father has given me to do,
testify that the Father sent me. You study the Scriptures, realizing that in
them there is the message of life. Now these same Scriptures focus on me,
and yet you refuse to come to me for life. If you really believe what Moses wrote, you
would believe in me, since it was I that he was writing about".
Jesus, please help me understand how
everything in the Bible is related to you. Help me understand that
"ignorance of the Scriptures is ignorance of you"
Reflection on the above Bible readings:
Sometimes when I pray with people who are in trouble/difficulty etc - especially very sick people or people in prison - I just pray (either silently or out loud): Jesus, please tsunami him/her with your love ... may your love drive away all sickness/trouble etc ... and some day let him/her become in turn for other people a missionary of your love
--------------------------------------------
Pope Francis: The
Joy of Love - on love in the family
Full
English text
Full
Chinese text
112: Recording First,
Paul says that love "bears all things" (panta stegei).
This is about more than simply putting up with evil; it has to do with the use of the tongue.
The verb can mean "holding one's peace" about what may be wrong with another person.
It implies limiting judgment, checking the impulse to issue a firm and ruthless condemnation: "Judge not and you will not be judged" (Lk 6:37).
Although it runs contrary to the way we normally use our tongues, God's word tells us: "Do not speak evil against one another, brothers and sisters" (Jas 4:11).
Being willing to speak ill of another person is a way of asserting ourselves, venting resentment and envy without concern for the harm we may do.
We often forget that slander can be quite sinful; it is a grave offense against God when it seriously harms another person's good name and causes damage that is hard to repair.
Hence God's word forthrightly states that the tongue "is a world of iniquity" that "stains the whole body" (Jas 3:6); it is a "restless evil, full of deadly poison" (3:8).
Whereas the tongue can be used to "curse those who are made in the likeness of God" (3:9), love cherishes the good name of others, even one's enemies.
In seeking to uphold God's law we must never forget this specific requirement of love.
---------------------------------------------
Pope's
letter on climate change: Laudato Si 我主應受讚美
Full
English text Full
Chinese text
69: Recording
Together with our obligation to use the earth's
goods responsibly, we are called to recognize that other living beings have a
value of their own in God's eyes: "by their mere existence they bless him
and give him glory", and indeed, "the Lord rejoices in all his
works" (Ps 104:31).
By virtue of our unique dignity and our gift of intelligence, we are called to respect creation and its inherent laws, for "the Lord by wisdom founded the earth" (Prov 3:19).
In our time, the Church does not simply state that other creatures are completely subordinated to the good of human beings, as if they have no worth in themselves and can be treated as we wish.
The German bishops have taught that, where other creatures are concerned, "we can speak of the priority of being over that of being useful".
The Catechism clearly and forcefully criticizes a distorted anthropocentrism: "Each creature possesses its own particular goodness and perfection. Each of the various creatures, willed in its own being, reflects in its own way a ray of God's infinite wisdom and goodness. Man must therefore respect the particular goodness of every creature, to avoid any disordered use of things"
------------------------------------
Pope Francis: The
Joy of the Gospel
Full
English text Full
Chinese text
63: Recording
The Catholic faith of many peoples is nowadays being
challenged by the proliferation of new religious movements, some of which tend
to fundamentalism while others seem to propose a spirituality without God.
This is, on the one hand, a human reaction to a materialistic, consumerist and individualistic society, but it is also a means of exploiting the weaknesses of people living in poverty and on the fringes of society, people who make ends meet amid great human suffering and are looking for immediate solutions to their needs.
These religious movements, not without a certain shrewdness, come to fill, within a predominantly individualistic culture, a vacuum left by secularist rationalism.
We must recognize that if part of our baptized people lack a sense of belonging to the Church, this is also due to certain structures and the occasionally unwelcoming atmosphere of some of our parishes and communities, or to a bureaucratic way of dealing with problems, be they simple or complex, in the lives of our people.
In many places an administrative approach
prevails over a pastoral approach, as does a concentration on administering the
sacraments apart from other forms of evangelization.
-------------------------------------
--------------------------------------
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 12th
of the month, Jesus please bless the prisoners of Jiangsu
And praying for one of the
world's poorest countries each day of the
month:
On this 12h of the month, Jesus please bless the
people of Guinea-Bissau
And praying for one Islam-related
intention each day of the week:
Jesus, today, Friday,
please bless all Muslims
--------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Thur May 11
On
this day in 1610, Matteo
Ricci died in Beijing, after 27 years of pioneering missionary work
in China. No foreigner has ever had such a deep love for and knowledge of
Chinese culture. Please God he will soon be beatified by his fellow Jesuit, Pope
Francis! Is it too much to dream that the ceremony might be held in Beijing? If
that was possible, maybe Francis would delete "beatification" and
replace it with "canonisation". At the same time maybe he would issue
some sort of statement to the effect that the choice of bishops (a sticking
point in Vatican-Beijing relations) - for the whole Church - will in future be a
matter for each country's bishops' conference .... rather than a matter strictly
controlled by the Vatican as now happens. No harm in dreaming, make that
praying!
--------------------------------------------------------
The
Book Blog:
4 readings + recordings
Comments welcome here
Readings are from Simple
Bible
Joshua
6: The Lord said to
Joshua:
"I am delivering Jericho and its king into your hands. Get your soldiers to
march around Jericho.
Do this for 6 days,
marching with the Sacred Chest with 7 trumpets in front of it. On the 7th day, march
around the city 7 times,
and then let the whole people give a mighty war cry." The soldiers and people
did this,
and when the war cry was made,
the walls of Jericho fell down. The Israelites then
entered the town and captured it.
They spared the lives of Rahab the prostitute and her family
Dear
Lord, long ago you caused the walls of Jericho to fall.
Please in our day cause walls of prejudice and corruption to fall
Psalm
124:
"If the Lord had not been on our
side",
this is Israel's song. If the Lord had not been on our side
when people rose against us, then would they have swallowed us alive
when they were angry with us. Blessed be the Lord who did not let us become
a prey for their teeth. Our life, like a bird, has escaped
from the snare of the hunter. Indeed the snare has been broken
and we have escaped. Our help is in the name of the Lord
who made heaven and earth.
Thank you, Lord,
for all the times you have rescued me from trouble
Recording
2
Corinthians 4.8 - 5.1:
We are in difficulties on all sides, but never
cornered.
We see no answer to our problems, but never despair.
Even though our bodies are aging and decaying,
our hearts are renewed day by day. Our troubles seem great now, but they don't
stand comparison with the eternal glory coming soon. When the temporary tent that we live in here on
earth is folded up,
we will move to an everlasting house built by God for us in heaven.
Jesus, help me remember Heaven - especially
when life gets tough
Recording
John
5. 17-30: Jesus said to the religious leaders "My
Father goes on working, and so do I. Whoever
refuses honor to the Son, refuses honor to the Father who sent him. The Father judges no one. He has entrusted all
judgement to the Son. A time will come when the dead will
leave their graves at the sound of the Son's voice. Those who did good,
will rise again to life. Those who did evil, will face condemnation".
Jesus, some day you are going to be my judge.
On that day may I hear you say "I was hungry, and you gave me food
etc" (Matthew 25. 31 - 46)
Recording
Reflection on the above Bible readings:
A theme which is especially emphasized in John's Gospel is Jesus' continual awareness of and dialogue with his Father in Heaven. May we grow in our awareness of and dialogue with Jesus. Would that some of our self-consciousness could become Jesus-consciousness
------------------------------------------------------
Pope Francis: The
Joy of Love - on love in the family
Full
English text
Full
Chinese text
111: Recording Paul's
list ends with four phrases containing the words "all things".
Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
Here we see clearly the countercultural power of a love that is able to face whatever might threaten it.
---------------------------------------------
Pope's
letter on climate change: Laudato Si 我主應受讚美
Full
English text Full
Chinese text
68: Recording This
responsibility for God's earth means that human beings, endowed with
intelligence, must respect the laws of nature and the delicate equilibria
existing between the creatures of this world, for "he commanded and they
were created; and he established them for ever and ever; he fixed their bounds
and he set a law which cannot pass away" (Ps 148:5b-6).
The laws found in the Bible dwell on relationships, not only among individuals but also with other living beings.
"You shall not see your brother's donkey or his ox fallen down by the way and withhold your help. If you chance to come upon a bird's nest in any tree or on the ground, with young ones or eggs and the mother sitting upon the young or upon the eggs; you shall not take the mother with the young" (Dt 22:4, 6).
Along these same lines, rest on the seventh day is meant not only for human beings, but also so "that your ox and your donkey may have rest" (Ex 23:12).
Clearly, the Bible has no place for a tyrannical anthropocentrism unconcerned for other creatures.
------------------------------------
Pope Francis: The
Joy of the Gospel
Full
English text Full
Chinese text
62: Recording
In the prevailing culture, priority
is given to the outward, the immediate, the visible, the quick, the superficial
and the provisional. What is real gives way to appearances.
In many countries globalization has meant a hastened deterioration of their own cultural roots and the invasion of ways of thinking and acting proper to other cultures which are economically advanced but ethically debilitated.
This fact has been brought up by bishops from various continents in different Synods. The African bishops, for example, taking up the Encyclical Sollicitudo Rei Socialis, pointed out years ago that there have been frequent attempts to make the African countries "parts of a machine, cogs on a gigantic wheel. This is often true also in the field of social communications which, being run by centres mostly in the northern hemisphere, do not always give due consideration to the priorities and problems of such countries or respect their cultural make-up".
By the same token, the bishops of
Asia "underlined the external influences being brought to bear
on Asian cultures. New patterns of behaviour are emerging as a result of
over-exposure to the mass media. As a result, the negative aspects of the media
and entertainment industries are threatening traditional values, and in
particular the sacredness of marriage and the stability of the family"
-------------------------------------
10 years ago today:
------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------
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 11th
of the month, Jesus please bless the prisoners of Hunan
And
praying for one of the
world's poorest countries each day of the month:
On this 11th of the month, Jesus
please bless the people of Eritrea
And
praying for one Islam-related intention
each day of the week:
Jesus, today, Thursday,
please pacify Al-Qaeda
--------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Wed May 10
Stories about China, like the two below, make it difficult not to be pessimistic about the immediate future. Mainland China is becoming ever more a police state. ...with Hong Kong feeling the effects as its freedoms continue to be strangled. I once met a man who had a dream that on May 10 big changes will happen in China. Well, today is May 10. Would be nice if some peaceful and good changes happened today!
Xie Yang's wife tells of harrowing escape to US
...while her husband goes to court: Human rights lawyer Xie Yang goes on trial
--------------------------------------------------------
Chris McDonnell
Sometimes
people you have never met face to face have an influence in your life that
is hard to measure.
-------------------------------------------------------
The
Book Blog:
4 readings + recordings
Comments welcome here
Readings are from
Simple Bible
Joshua 5: The kings of the
Jordan area
heard that the Lord had
dried up the Jordan's waters
to let the Israelites cross over.
The kings became very afraid of the Israelites. At Gilgal near the
Jordan
the Lord instructed Joshua
that all un-circumcised men should be circumcised. It was at Gilgal that
the Israelites kept the Passover Feast
and tasted the produce of the land.
As soon as the Israelites tasted the produce of the land,
the manna stopped falling.
Dear
God, thank you for all you did for the Israelites
My
recording of this reading
Psalm
123: To you have I lifted up my eyes,
you who dwell in the heavens. My eyes, like the eyes of slaves
on the hand of their lords. Like the eyes of a servant on the hand of her
mistress,
so our eyes are on the Lord our God till he show us mercy. Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy.
We are filled with contempt. Indeed all too full is our soul with the scorn
of the rich,
with the proud man's disdain.
Lord, please protect poor
people from being exploited by rich people
2
Corinthians 1.9-20: The Son of God, Christ Jesus, was not
sometimes "Yes" and sometimes "No" in his words and
actions. He was always crystal clear "Yes" - you knew exactly
where he stood on every issue. That is why it is "through him" that
we pray and then answer "Amen" (= "yes").
Jesus, help me be a committed "Yes"
person - not someone
who "sits on the fence" about the important issues of life
Recording
John
5.1-14:
Jesus again went up to Jerusalem for a Jewish
festival. In a building near the Sheep Gate, he saw many sick people.
One paralyzed man had been ill for 38 years. Jesus
said to him "Do you want to be well again?
Get up, pick up your bed and walk".
The man was healed at once. He picked up his bed and walked away.
After a while Jesus met him in the Temple and said to him "Now that
you are well, do not sin any more".
Jesus, if my sickness is due to some sin,
please forgive me and heal me
Recording
Reflection
on the above readings:
Today's
Gospel is one of the few times Jesus' words link sickness with sin. In fact on
one occasion - that of a blind man - when asked "who sinned ...he or his
parents?" Jesus' reply was "neither". Interesting (I speak as an
English teacher) how the word "sickness" contains the word
"sin".
-------------------------------------------------------
Pope Francis: The
Joy of Love - on love in the family
Full
English text
Full
Chinese text
110: Recording When
a loving person can do good for others, or sees that others are happy, they
themselves live happily and in this way give glory to God, for "God loves a
cheerful giver" (2 Cor 9:7).
Our Lord especially appreciates those who find joy in the happiness of others.
If we fail to learn how to rejoice in the well-being of others, and focus primarily on our own needs, we condemn ourselves to a joyless existence, for, as Jesus said, "it is more blessed to give than to receive" (Acts 20:35).
The family must always be a place where, when something good happens to one of its members, they know that others will be there to celebrate it with them.
---------------------------------------------
Pope's
letter on climate change: Laudato Si 我主應受讚美
Full
English text Full
Chinese text
67: Recording We
are not God.
The earth was here before us and it has been given to us.
This allows us to respond to the charge that Judaeo-Christian thinking, on the basis of the Genesis account which grants man "dominion" over the earth (cf. Gen 1:28), has encouraged the unbridled exploitation of nature by painting him as domineering and destructive by nature.
This is not a correct interpretation of the Bible as understood by the Church.
Although it is true that we Christians have at times incorrectly interpreted the Scriptures, nowadays we must forcefully reject the notion that our being created in God's image and given dominion over the earth justifies absolute domination over other creatures.
The biblical texts are to be read in their context, with an appropriate hermeneutic, recognizing that they tell us to "till and keep" the garden of the world (cf. Gen 2:15).
"Tilling" refers to cultivating, ploughing or working, while "keeping" means caring, protecting, overseeing and preserving.
This implies a relationship of mutual responsibility between human beings and nature.
Each community can take from the bounty of the earth whatever it needs for subsistence, but it also has the duty to protect the earth and to ensure its fruitfulness for coming generations.
"The earth is the Lord's" (Ps 24:1); to him belongs "the earth with all that is within it" (Dt 10:14).
Thus God rejects every claim to absolute ownership: "The land shall not be sold in perpetuity, for the land is mine; for you are strangers and sojourners with me" (Lev 25:23).
------------------------------------
Pope Francis: The
Joy of the Gospel
Full
English text Full
Chinese text
61: Recording
We also evangelize when we
attempt to confront the various challenges which can arise. On
occasion these may take the form of veritable attacks on religious freedom or
new persecutions directed against Christians; in some countries these have
reached alarming levels of hatred and violence.
In many places, the problem is more that of widespread indifference and relativism, linked to disillusionment and the crisis of ideologies which has come about as a reaction to anything which might appear totalitarian. This not only harms the Church but the fabric of society as a whole.
We should recognize how in a culture where each person wants
to be bearer of his or her own subjective truth, it becomes difficult for
citizens to devise a common plan which transcends
individual gain and personal ambitions.
-------------------------------------
10
years ago today:
Primary English Classes at CAS (..thank you Garth for taking my place on secondary Shenzhen trip...)
------------------------------------------
Sign at front of church:
MORNING SERVICE: JESUS WALKS ON THE WATER
EVENING SERVICE: SEARCHING FOR JESUS
--------------------------------------
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 10th
of
the month, Jesus please bless the prisoners of Hubei
And praying for one of
the world's poorest
countries each day of the month:
On this 10th of the month, Jesus please
bless the people of Guinea
And praying for one
Islam-related intention each day of the week:
Jesus, today, 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
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the King.
The official launching
was
held on the Gold Coast, Australia, on January 20,
2012.
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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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