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
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Tues Aug 22
Many thanks to kind team at HK Cable TV
for producing this
video report about my anti-drug campaign (has
had 38,000 views in less than 24 hours!). For non-Chinese readers, click
"translation" to check some of the flattering comments! God
bless all at Cable TV! I hope the report will do much good ...e.g.
persuading authorities to take more action, make that action, against the Drug
Lords!
Making human trafficking a crime in HK
There were up to 2,000 human trafficking cases in HK
last year, including Filipina job seekers who ended up as sex workers in Wanchai
and Mongkok
Letter
in Swahili and English from a Tanzanian
woman in prison in HK for drug
trafficking, describing how people are tricked at airports to carry luggage
for someone else - here (July 10)
To reinforce the tremendous family foundation of Confucian HK
society, and to protect HK from following the mess that is Massachusetts,
a chapter of Mass Resistance is
being set up in HK
--------------------------------------------------------
The
Book Blog:
4 readings + recordings
Comments welcome here
Readings are from
Simple Bible
Ezra 5-6: The prophets Haggai and Zechariah encouraged the people in the rebuilding of the temple.
Despite opposition, the Jews kept on rebuilding the temple. The prophets Haggai and Zechariah encouraged the people in the rebuilding of the temple.
Despite opposition, the Jews kept on rebuilding the temple.
Dear God, when anyone tries to
stop us from doing good, please give us courage to keep going
My
recording of this reading
Psalm
100: Cry out with joy to the Lord, all the earth.
Serve the Lord with gladness.
Come before him, singing for joy. Know that he, the Lord, is God. He made us, we
belong to him.
We are his people, the sheep of his flock. Go within his gates, giving thanks.
Enter his temple with songs of praise.
Give thanks to him and bless his name. Indeed, how good is the Lord,
eternal his merciful love.
He is faithful from age to age.
Dear Lord, please help us to
serve you with gladness
Recording
1
Timothy 6.3-10: Some people, because of ignorance and pride,
have a craze for questioning and arguing about everything. Such a craze breeds jealousy and mistrust and
unending disputes. People who have a craving to be wealthy are a
prey to temptation.
They get trapped into all sorts of foolish and dangerous schemes which
ruin their lives. The love of money is the root of all evils. It
can cause people to leave the faith.
Jesus, help me be content with a simple
lifestyle
Recording
Matthew
12.9-14: On another Sabbath Jesus visited a
prayer hall.
A man with a withered hand was in the hall. Some religious leaders asked Jesus, to trap
him,
"Is it lawful to heal a man on the Sabbath day?"
(The leaders taught that no "work" could be done on the
Sabbath). Jesus replied:
"If one of your sheep fell down a hole on the Sabbath,
wouldn't you lift it out?
A man is more important than a sheep.
Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath." Then Jesus said to the man with the withered
hand
"Stretch out your hand".
He stretched it out. It was healed. The religious leaders left the prayer hall
and began plotting how to get rid of Jesus.
Jesus, please stop bad
religious leaders from misleading people
Recording
Reflection
on the above readings:
Despite opposition, the
Jews kept rebuilding the wall (first reading). Despite questioning opposition,
Paul kept on spreading the Gospel (1 Timothy). Despite opposition Jesus kept
doing good. So we ....despite opposition...must try to keep on trying to do
the right thing.
--------------------------------------------------------
Pope's
letter on climate change: Laudato Si 我主應受讚美
Full
English text
Full Chinese text
154: Recording: Respect for our dignity as human beings often jars with the chaotic realities that people have to endure in city life.
Yet this should not make us overlook the abandonment and neglect also experienced by some rural populations which lack access to essential services and where some workers are reduced to conditions of servitude, without rights or even the hope of a more dignified life.
------------------------------------
Pope Francis: The
Joy of the Gospel
Full
English text
Full
Chinese text
150: Recording
Jesus was angered by those
supposed teachers who demanded much of others, teaching God’s word but without
being enlightened by it: "They bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and
lay them on the shoulders of others; but they themselves will not lift a finger
to move them"
The apostle James exhorted: "Not many of you should become teachers, my brethren, for you know that we who teach shall be judged with greater strictness".
Whoever wants to preach must be the first to let the word of God move him deeply and become incarnate in his daily life. In this way preaching will consist in that activity, so intense and fruitful, which is "communicating to others what one has contemplated".
For all these reasons, before preparing what we will actually say when preaching, we need to let ourselves be (seasoned) by that word which will also (season) others, for it is a living and active word, like a sword "which pierces to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow, and discerns the thoughts and intentions of the heart".
This has great pastoral importance. Today too, people
prefer to listen to witnesses: they "thirst for authenticity"
and "call for evangelizers to speak of a God whom they themselves know and
are familiar with, as if they were seeing him".
-------------------------------------
Interactive
Bible Quiz - Deuteronomy
Based on the actual
words of the Bible.
How many times can you get 3/3 ?!
----------------------------------
10
years ago today:
------------------------------------------
Many happy moments were shared with the friendly Cable TV
team in producing their report on my anti-drug campaign. Not least were the
times we shared meals - in Guangzhou and in HK - for which the team,
representing Cable owner Mr Peter Wu, kindly picked up the bill!
--------------------------------------
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 22nd
of
the month, Jesus please bless the prisoners of Zhejiang
And praying for one of
the world's poorest countries
each day of the month:
On this 22nd of the month, Jesus
please bless the people of Rwanda
And praying for one
Islam-related intention each day of the week:
Jesus, today, Tuesday,
please pacify Boko
Haram
--------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Mon Aug 21
/2017-08-19-Sat.jpg)
If you click the above picture at this link (might be on page 2 or 3 or 4), you'll see what I saw live on Sat afternoon a few doors from my front entrance in Temple Street. And here's another video - with direct link here. Notice the cool and patient professionalism of the HK police (who rarely use their guns) ....how they kept talking until the man was overcome....unlike police in US who shoot first at the slightest provocation. If this had been the US, the man probably would have been shot dead, or at least wounded, by the police. God bless the HK police! English report by SCMP (and see my comment - "M. Ricci")
---------------------------
Bait and Switch
- What We're Really Voting For
Terms like 'Husband' and 'Wife' are now 'Hate Speech' and you can forget forget
terms like 'Mother' and 'Father'
Australian Prayer Network - continuous prayer while gay marriage postal vote being held
----------------------
Today is the feast day of St Pius X whose
teaching on who may
receive Holy Communion and what
age for First Communion is well worth reading
--------------------------
Chris McDonnell - two items:
Charlottesville & That voice in me that weeps for us
--------------------------------------------------------
The
Book Blog:
4 readings + recordings
Comments welcome here
Readings are from
Simple Bible
Ezra
4: Having returned from exile, the Jews started to rebuild their temple in Jerusalem.
But some enemies of Israel
tried to frighten and dishearten the Jews
from rebuilding the temple.
Dear God, when anyone tries to
stop us from doing good, please give us courage to keep going
My
recording of this reading
Psalm
99: The Lord is king. He is great in
Sion.
His power is seen throughout the world. Among his priests were Aaron, Moses and
Samuel.
They prayed to the Lord and he answered their call. Let peoples everywhere praise his name.
He is holy, full of power.
Lord, may all peoples
know and love you
Recording
1
Timothy 5.19-23:
Never accept an accusation brought against a
church elder unless it is supported by two or three witnesses. If an elder
is at fault, reprimand him publicly as a warning to others. Be fair to everyone and never be influenced by
favoritism. As regards your frequent illnesses, I suggest
you give up drinking only water, and have a little wine for the sake of
your digestion.
Jesus, help church
workers to be fair
and impartial
Recording
Matthew
12.1-8: One Sabbath day Jesus and his disciples were walking through a
cornfield. The disciples were hungry.
They picked some ears of corn and ate them. Picking corn on the Sabbath was regarded as unlawful by the
Pharisees. So the Pharisees said to Jesus
"Your disciples are breaking the Sabbath law". Jesus replied
"Don't you remember what David and his followers once did when
they were hungry? They ate the Temple bread which only the priests were
allowed to eat. Go and learn the meaning of these words
'What I want is mercy, not superficial external offerings'. I am Master of the Sabbath."
Jesus,
Master of the Sabbath, please help
me understand
that love is more important than law.
Recording
Reflection
on the above readings:
Even though Jesus drank wine, even though a Psalm praises God for giving us
"wine to cheer our hearts", even though St Paul (in above reading)
tells Timothy to have some wine for his illness.....yet ...some pastors in some
churches tell their people "it's a sin to drink wine". Drinking wine
is a sin only when drunkenness etc is involved. In moderation it is something
good. Just like driving a car is something good. Only "bad" when
reckless driving (or a stolen car, or underage driving etc) involved.
--------------------------------------------------------
Pope's
letter on climate change: Laudato Si 我主應受讚美
Full
English text Full
Chinese text
153: Recording
The quality of life in cities
has much to do with systems of transport, which are often a source of much
suffering for those who use them.
Many cars, used by one or more people, circulate in cities, causing traffic congestion, raising the level of pollution, and consuming enormous quantities of non-renewable energy.
This makes it necessary to build more roads and parking areas which spoil the urban landscape.
Many specialists agree on the need to give priority to public transportation.
Yet some measures needed will not prove easily acceptable to society unless substantial improvements are made in the systems themselves, which in many cities force people to put up with undignified conditions due to crowding, inconvenience, infrequent service and lack of safety.
------------------------------------
Pope Francis: The
Joy of the Gospel
Full
English text Full
Chinese text
149b: Recording
Nor should we forget that "the
greater or lesser degree of the holiness of the minister has a real effect on
the proclamation of the word". As Saint Paul says, "we
speak, not to please men, but to please God who tests our hearts".
If we have a lively desire to be the first to hear the word
which we must preach, this will surely be communicated to God's faithful people,
for "out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks". The
Sunday readings will resonate in all their brilliance in the hearts of the
faithful if they have first done so in the heart of their pastor.
-------------------------------------
I
used this
classic video at my Sat night and two Sunday morning Masses ...it put
a smile on many faces, not least my own.
--------------------------------------
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 21st of
the month, Jesus please bless the prisoners of Benin
And
praying for one of the
world's poorest countries each day of the month:
On this 21st
of the month, Jesus please bless the people of Benin
And praying for one Islam-related intention
each day of the week:
Jesus, today, Monday,
please pacify I.S.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Sun Aug 20
As I walked back to my home from Jordan MTR yesterday afternoon, a police van with siren on full pulled up not far from me and several policemen with riot gear ran towards Temple Street....then they stopped a few doors past the entrance to my home ....one used a baton to hit an African man in a fight with a local man ...then I saw one officer hold his gun in the air ....that sure quietened things down. I didn't stick around ...had many office jobs to do. Locals later told me the fight was over "non-payment to a chicken" (let the reader understand). Some people also said there have been reports on TV but I can't find any. Anyhow I'll see the offending person(s) in prison next week!
The reason why I had gone out for a while was to see someone who is helping research the drug world in Hong Kong ...such information will help people facing court cases ....and expose some of the big fish.
No sooner did I arrive in my home than there was a call from the local Salvation Army office, asking urgent help to provide accommodation for a homeless man. Now that the Mercy Centre is open on Cheung Chau Island I was able to ring Lucia (in charge of Mercy Centre) and she arranged for the man to go to Cheung Chau.
When I was a young boy in Australia I used to go to the movies on Saturday afternoon to see a bit of action ("Cowboys and Indians"). Now that I'm old I don't need to go anywhere for action....it's all around me!
-----------------------------------
The
Book Blog:
4 readings + recordings
Comments welcome here
Readings are from
Simple Bible
c.f. readings for Sunday 20
Isaiah 56: Foreigners who love and serve the Lord
- these I will bring to my holy mountain, says the Lord. I will make them joyful in my
house of prayer,
for my house will be called a house of prayer for all the nations.
Lord, please help all peoples
of the world
know that you are their loving Creator
Psalms
66-68: O God, be gracious and bless us
and let your face shine its light upon us. Let all the peoples praise you, O God.
Let all the peoples praise you. O sing to the Lord, make music to his name.
Rejoice in the Lord, exult at his presence. Father of the orphan, defender of the widow,
God provides a shelter for the homeless. God gives his people strength.
May all the peoples of the
earth know you and praise you, O God
Romans
10.1-4: I have a really great love for the Jews. I
pray to God for them to be saved.
They have a strong belief in God, but their zeal is misguided.
They can't see that friendship with God is a gift from God,
not just a matter of external practices.
Jesus, some people have mixed up ideas about
religion
(.. Mormons, Jehovah Witnesses).
Help them know the truth as you revealed it
Recording
Matthew
15.21-28: Jesus went to the coastal district near Tyre
and Sidon.
A foreign woman followed him and shouted
"Sir, Son of David, have pity on me.
My daughter is tormented by an evil spirit." At first Jesus did not answer her, so his
disciples said to him.
"Help her, because she keeps shouting after us." Jesus replied "I was sent only to the
people of Israel".
The foreign woman by now was kneeling at Jesus' feet.
"Lord, help me" she pleaded. Jesus said to her "Woman, you have great
faith. Your wish is granted". At that very moment, her daughter
was healed.
Jesus, please give sick people
great faith in you
Recording
Reflection on the above readings:
The Catholic Church is so called because the word "catholic" means "all-embracing"/"including everyone"/"for everyone"/"international"....which is what today's first reading is about: any genuine church/house of God should be open to and include people of all nations. c.f. website of Union Church in Jordan Road, not far from my home, and St Andrew's Anglican Church in nearby Nathan Road.
Video
commentary on today's readings - in Italian with English, Chinese and
Spanish subtitles
--------------------------------------------------------
Pope's
letter on climate change: Laudato Si 我主應受讚美
Full
English text Full
Chinese text
152: Recording
Lack of housing is a grave problem in many parts of
the world, both in rural areas and in large cities, since state budgets usually
cover only a small portion of the demand.
Not only the poor, but many other members of society as well, find it difficult to own a home.
Having a home has much to do with a sense of personal dignity and the growth of families.
This is a major issue for human ecology.
In some places, where makeshift shanty towns have sprung up, this will mean developing those neighbourhoods rather than razing or displacing them.
When the poor live in unsanitary slums or in dangerous tenements, "in cases where it is necessary to relocate them, in order not to heap suffering upon suffering, adequate information needs to be given beforehand, with choices of decent housing offered, and the people directly involved must be part of the process".
At the same time, creativity should be shown in integrating rundown neighbourhoods into a welcoming city: "How beautiful those cities which overcome paralyzing mistrust, integrate those who are different and make this very integration a new factor of development! How attractive are those cities which, even in their architectural design, are full of spaces which connect, relate and favour the recognition of others!"
------------------------------------
Pope Francis: The
Joy of the Gospel
Full
English text Full
Chinese text
149a: Recording
The preacher "ought first of all to develop a
great personal familiarity with the word of God.
Knowledge of its linguistic or exegetical aspects, though certainly necessary, is not enough. He needs to approach the word with a docile and prayerful heart so that it may deeply penetrate his thoughts and feelings and bring about a new outlook in him”.
It is good for us to renew our fervour
each day and every Sunday as we prepare the homily, examining ourselves
to see if we have grown in love for the word which we preach.
-------------------------------------
Hour
of Love HK radio program 8.30
pm HK time tonight
- with items about HK prison inmates
-------------------------------------------
On
MTR (Metro) yesterday, a woman had a tee shirt with the words "CATS MAKE MY
HAPPY, NOT SO YOU"
--------------------------------------
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 20th
of the month, Jesus please bless the prisoners of Sichuan
And praying for one of the
world's poorest countries each day of the month:
On this 20th of the month, Jesus
please bless the people of Gambia
And praying for one Islam-related
intention each day of the week:
Jesus, today, Sunday,
please bless all Muslims in my country
--------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Sat Aug 19
Is not this "perverting the course of justice"?
Rimsky Yuen
overruled DOJ prosecutors
(remember also the timing of the DOJ's announcement to have lawmakers tried
and expelled...the day after the last election..."I don't interfere with
the timing of the DOJ" he claimed
Chinese
community in Australia worried about same-sex marriage
c.f. this excellent site: Australian Chinese for Families Association
Since The Australian is one of the few media outlets in Australia which is publishing pro-family reports ...unlike the ABC, Fairfax etc....therefore I have taken out a subscription to The Australian ....and I've stopped my usual habit of checking the heavily pro-same-sex marriage ABC website
--------------------------------------------------------
The
Book Blog:
4 readings + recordings
Comments welcome here
Readings are from
Simple Bible
Ezra
2-3:
About 50,000 Jews returned to Israel
after 70 years of exile in Babylon. The returnees gathered in Jerusalem for
worship.
They were overcome with joy.
Dear God, please help all
exiles return to their homeland
Psalm
98: Sing a new song to the Lord for he has worked
wonders.
His right hand has brought salvation. The Lord has made known his salvation.
He has shown his justice to the nations.
He has remembered his truth and love for the house of Israel. All the ends of the earth have seen the
salvation of our God.
Shout to the Lord all the earth, ring out your joy. Sing psalms to the Lord with the harp,
with the sound of music. Let the sea, the world and all peoples
acclaim the King, the Lord. Let the rivers clap their hands
and the hills ring out their joy at the presence of the Lord, for he comes to rule the earth.
He will rule the world with justice
and the peoples with fairness.
Lord,
may all peoples in all countries know your love and goodness
1
Timothy 5.1-14: Do not speak harshly to a man older than
yourself, but advise him as you would your own father. Treat younger men
as brothers.
Treat older women as you would your mother. Treat younger women with
propriety, as if they were your sisters. Be considerate to widows. If a widow wishes to
be enrolled as a church worker, she must be at least 60 years old, the
wife of one husband. As regards young widows, it's best if
they re-marry.
Jesus, help church workers to be
kind and caring
Recording
Matthew
11.25-30: One day Jesus prayed: Father, Lord of heaven and earth,
I am joyfully amazed at the way simple people
understand and accept what I'm saying,
while proud and clever people miss the plot. And he said to the ordinary people:
Come to me,
all you who are treated unfairly by unjust religious laws.
I will give you peace and justice. Learn from me, and you will know peace,
for I am gentle and humble of heart.
Jesus, please help people who
are suffering from unjust religious laws
Recording
Reflection on the above readings:
Why are so many people rejecting Jesus' teaching about family life? Maybe today's Gospel gives one common reason: ..."simple people understand and accept ....proud people reject".
----------------------------------------------------
Pope's
letter on climate change: Laudato Si 我主應受讚美
Full
English text Full
Chinese text
151: Recording There
is also a need to protect those common areas, visual landmarks and urban
landscapes which increase our sense of belonging, of rootedness, of "feeling
at home" within a city which includes us and brings us together.
It is important that the different parts of a city be well integrated and that those who live there have a sense of the whole, rather than being confined to one neighbourhood and failing to see the larger city as space which they share with others.
Interventions which affect the urban or rural landscape should take into account how various elements combine to form a whole which is perceived by its inhabitants as a coherent and meaningful framework for their lives.
Others will then no longer be seen as strangers, but as part of a "we" which all of us are working to create.
For this same reason, in both urban and rural settings, it is helpful to set aside some places which can be preserved and protected from constant changes brought by human intervention.
------------------------------------
Pope Francis: The
Joy of the Gospel
Full
English text Full
Chinese text
148: Recording
Certainly, to
understand properly the meaning of the central message of a text we need to
relate it to the teaching of the entire Bible as handed on by the Church.
This is an important principle of biblical interpretation which recognizes that the Holy Spirit has inspired not just a part of the Bible, but the Bible as a whole, and that in some areas people have grown in their understanding of God's will on the basis of their personal experience.
It also prevents erroneous or partial interpretations which would contradict other teachings of the same Scriptures.
But it does not mean that we can weaken the distinct and specific emphasis of a text which we are called to preach.
One of the defects of a tedious and
ineffectual preaching is precisely its inability to transmit the intrinsic power
of the text which has been proclaimed.
-------------------------------------
--------------------------------------
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 19th
of the month, Jesus please bless the prisoners of Shanxi
And praying for one of the
world's poorest countries each day of the
month:
On this 19th
of the month, Jesus please bless the people of Sudan
And
praying for one Islam-related intention
each day of the week:
Jesus, today, Saturday,
please pacify the
Taliban
--------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Fri Aug 18
The fledgling NGO which I have helped set up - MercyHK
- now has a centre on Cheung Chau Island for homeless men ... providing them
with employment as well as accommodation. English name of the centre - Mercy
Centre. Chinese name - 善樂舍. Photos here
US
doctor expelled from 4 Boston hospitals - for his comments to
colleagues that homosexuality is medically unhealthy. Statistics in video about
13+ year olds ... most disturbing. Medical facts in video ...sickening.
My new "parishioners":
HK
jailings could lend democracy cause greater legitimacy
-------------------------------------------
The
Book Blog:
4 readings + recordings
Comments welcome here
Readings are from Simple
Bible
Ezra-Nehemiah 1:
After the Jewish
people had been in Babylon about 70 years,
the Lord moved the heart of the king of Persia
to free the Jews. The king also told the
Jews to re-build their temple in Jerusalem.
Dear Lord, please give freedom to all the peoples of the world
My
recording of this reading
Psalm
97: The Lord is king, let earth rejoice,
the many coastlands be glad.
Cloud and darkness are his robes.
His throne is justice and goodness. The skies proclaim his goodness.
All peoples see his glory. Let those who serve idols be ashamed.
Let all creation worship the Creator. Light shines forth for good people
and joy for the upright of heart. Rejoice in the Lord, all good people.
Give glory to his holy name.
Lord, you indeed are God of the
universe
Recording
1
Timothy 4.12-16:
Do not let people disregard you because you
are young.
Be an example to all the believers in the way you speak and act. You have in you a spiritual gift which was
given you when the church elders prayed over you with the laying on
of hands.
Do not let this gift go unused. Take great care about what you do and what you
teach.
In this way you will save both yourself and those who listen to you.
Jesus, help me be a good example to
other people
Recording
Matthew
11.1-19: John the Baptist sent some of his friends to
ask Jesus
"Are you the promised Anointed One?"
Jesus replied
"Tell John what you hear and see:
blind people see, lame people walk, lepers are healed". Jesus also said to the people around him
how neither John nor himself could please the religious leaders. "For John
always fasted and
never drank wine,
and people said he was possessed. I eat well and I drink wine
and people call me a glutton and a drunkard."
Jesus, please help me be
someone who is easy to live with,
someone who is not hard to please
Recording
Reflection on the above Bible readings:
For Jesus the "opposition" was not the Roman rulers or media or athiests ... but ... the Jewish religious leaders. The very people who should have been in his "cabinet" were in fact on the front bench of the opposition. The religious leadership had "lost the plot"....as has happened at times in the history of the Church ...and in the history of other religions. Being religious leader can be a health hazard!
----------------------------------------------
Pope's
letter on climate change: Laudato Si 我主應受讚美
Full
English text Full
Chinese text
150: Recording
Given the interrelationship between living space and
human behaviour, those who design buildings, neighbourhoods, public spaces and
cities, ought to draw on the various disciplines which help us to understand
people's thought processes, symbolic language and ways of acting.
It is not enough to seek the beauty of design.
More precious still is the service we offer to another kind of beauty: people's quality of life, their adaptation to the environment, encounter and mutual assistance.
Here too, we see how important it is that urban planning always take into consideration the views of those who will live in these areas.
------------------------------------
Pope Francis: The
Joy of the Gospel
Full
English text Full
Chinese text
147b: Recording
But our own aim is not to understand every little
detail of a text; our most important goal is to discover
its principal message, the message which gives structure and unity to the
text.
If the preacher does not make this effort, his preaching will quite likely have neither unity nor order; what he has to say will be a mere accumulation of various disjointed ideas incapable of inspiring others.
The central message is what the author primarily wanted to communicate; this calls for recognizing not only the author's ideas but the effect which he wanted to produce.
If a text was written to console, it should not be used to
correct errors; if it was written as an exhortation, it should not be employed
to teach doctrine; if it was written to teach something about God, it should not
be used to expound various theological opinions; if it was
written as a summons to praise or missionary outreach, let us not use it to talk
about the latest news.
-------------------------------------
10
years ago today:
CT of sick baby in Area C.....kind Macau/HK doctor please check for advice (advice received...thank you Macau Hope Clinic!)
Visit to all five centers in poor areas by UK Dave Clark
------------------------------------------
Almost every week somewhere in HK I have the happy
experience of meeting former inmates. e.g. a few mornings ago when I went to
McDonald's for morning green tea ... as I sat down a young guy at the next table
said "Hello Fr John ...I knew you when I was at Wing Chor Primary School
(at Tai O on Lantau Island) 1996-97 ...and at Lai Chi Kok men's prison about 5
years ago"!
--------------------------------------
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 18th
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 18th of the month, Jesus please bless the
people of Ivory Coast
And praying for one Islam-related
intention each day of the week:
Jesus, today, Friday,
please bless all Muslims
--------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Thu Aug 17
Yesterday I
spent a large part of the day getting to, at, and coming back from Hei Ling Chau
Island addiction treatment centre ("18A") where I mixed with several
hundred drug addicts ...including one man who thanked me for a support letter I
wrote for him a few months ago....letter helped him receive a conviction for
"possession" instead of "trafficking" ...so he is serving 6
months instead of 3 years. When I see the physical, mental and spiritual damage
done to people by drug addiction I become even more motivated to keep up my
anti-drug campaign to stop drug mules coming to HK.
Most of the 45 minute ferry trip from Central to HLC was taken up with a phone interview by a representative of a US media company (..a local call from rep's office in HK). And on arrival back at Central I took part in a radio interview for a local program. Meanwhile yet another dedicated local media team spent yesterday morning working on a report due to go to air next Monday. God bless the media for taking increasing interest in the anti-drug campaign (which is more than can be said for our beloved HK government).
Same-sex marriage ballot next month: yesterday I tried to post a
comment on an article at Eureka Street, a Catholic (?) production in
Australia. But my comment was not allowed. I've sent a message asking the reason
for such censorship. My offending (?) 15-word comment: "Re the same-sex
marriage debate, please see this video: What
gay marriage did to Massachusetts". Maybe
I'm jumping to conclusions....maybe a technical issue ...like "no links
allowed". If I receive a reply, I will post it here on v2catholic.com
Being an American Christian after Charlottesville
--------------------------------------------------------
The
Book Blog:
4 readings + recordings
Comments welcome here
Readings are from Simple
Bible
2
Kings 21-25: Josiah king of Judah was a good leader who
loved the Lord
and promoted religious reform. But most other kings of Judah and Israel at
this time
were not good. The country was invaded by the king of Babylon
who deported most of the population to Babylon.
Only the poorest people in the countryside were left behind.
Dear God, please give the
world good leaders
My
recording of this reading
Psalm
96: O sing a new song to the Lord.
Sing to the Lord, all the earth.
O sing to the Lord, bless his name. Proclaim his help day by day.
Tell among the nations his glory,
and his wonders among all the peoples. It was the Lord who made the heavens.
Give the Lord, you families of peoples,
give the Lord glory and honor. Bring an offering and enter his temple.
Worship the Lord in his sacred place. Let the heavens rejoice and earth be glad.
Let the sea and all within it thunder praise. Let the land and all it bears rejoice,
all the trees of the forest shout for joy.
Everyone and everything,
give the Lord glory and honor.
Lord, you are our Creator. We
love and praise you
Recording
1
Timothy 4.8-10:
It's good to keep fit physically, and even
more important to keep fit spiritually. We have put our trust in the living God. He is
the savior of the whole human race, especially of believers.
Jesus, may I keep fit, physically and
spiritually
Recording
Matthew
10.17-42: Jesus said to his apostles
"Because you follow me and speak my message,
therefore you will be arrested and put in prison. But don't worry about what to say for your
defense.
What to say will be given you by the Holy Spirit. Boldly proclaim my message
and do not be afraid of persecution. Take up your cross and follow me.
Anyone who does not take up his cross and follow me
is not worthy of me."
Jesus, please give me more
courage
Recording
Reflection on the above Bible readings:
Being a Christian means speaking Jesus' message of truth .... which some people don't want to hear ....so they will put Christians in prison. But no need for a legal team to prepare our defence ....what to say will be given us by the Holy Barrister...the Holy Spirit...the Spirit of Truth!
-------------------------------------------------------
Pope's
letter on climate change: Laudato Si 我主應受讚美
Full
English text Full
Chinese text
149: Recording The
extreme poverty experienced in areas lacking harmony, open spaces or potential
for integration, can lead to incidents of brutality and to exploitation by
criminal organizations.
In the unstable neighbourhoods of mega-cities, the daily experience of overcrowding and social anonymity can create a sense of uprootedness which spawns antisocial behaviour and violence.
Nonetheless, I wish to insist that love always proves more powerful.
Many people in these conditions are able to weave bonds of belonging and togetherness which convert overcrowding into an experience of community in which the walls of the ego are torn down and the barriers of selfishness overcome.
This experience of a communitarian salvation often generates creative ideas for the improvement of a building or a neighbourhood.------------------------------------
Pope Francis: The
Joy of the Gospel
Full
English text Full
Chinese text
147a: Recording
First of all, we need to be sure that we
understand the meaning of the words we read.
I want to insist here on something which may seem obvious, but which is not always taken into account: the biblical text which we study is two or three thousand years old; its language is very different from that which we speak today. Even if we think we understand the words translated into our own language, this does not mean that we correctly understand what the sacred author wished to say.
The different tools provided by literary analysis are well known: attention to words which are repeated or emphasized, recognition of the structure and specific movement of a text, consideration of the role played by the different characters, and so forth.
-------------------------------------
Usually with a heavy trolley of books for a prison I get
the (sardine) lift at Jordan MTR station. But at this time of the year when so
many tourists are in HK, one has to join a queue that can can last a long time
....so...even though the trolley was very heavy yesterday I took the stairs at
Jordan MTR....but as I took the first few steps I heard a kind man ask "Can
I help you?" ....and the two of us carried Brother Trolley to the station
platform. Point of story? Such offers are very, very rare in HK. I make such
offers to others more than they are made to me! And, like a similar trolley
story last week, I took it as a blessing on my trip from Someone Upstairs.
--------------------------------------
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 17th
of the month, Jesus please bless the prisoners of Shaanxi
And
praying for one of the
world's poorest countries each day of the month:
On this 17th of the month, Jesus
please bless the people of Malawi
And
praying for one Islam-related intention
each day of the week:
Jesus, today, Thursday,
please pacify Al-Qaeda
--------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Wed Aug 16
Yesterday I spent much time at the office of a legal firm
....checking and then signing an affadavit for a coming Court of Appeal
case....and I became more aware of the immense amount of work that good legal
teams do in preparation for court cases. Barristers for this particular case
worked late last night ..... in the cause of helping an African man win his
appeal.
Dubai Customs on the ball (2016 report):
Dubai
Arrest Nigerian Man After Discovering Cocaine In His Stomach
As Venezuela implodes, so do the dreams of Chinese migrants
During my lifetime I have had some very good
dentists ...in Australia and in HK. But my present dentist, whom I saw again
yesterday for an annual check up, is the best of all. I highly recommend him to
HK readers: Dr Charles Li, G/F, 26 D, Parkes St.,
Jordan - Jordan MTR/C2 - Phone: 2781 0008. A
reflection I made yesterday in the dentist's chair!: We humans ...and so many
other creatures....need to chew
our food....so we "just happen" to have teeth. "Only a fool says
there is no God"
Same-sex marriage postal vote:
Let
truth be spoken in love
--------------------------------------------------------
Chris McDonnell
But
what is prayer?
My Godmother often took me to Mass on a Sunday. She taught me so
much about prayer, not by telling me the words to use but by showing me how she
prayed
-------------------------------------------------------
The
Book Blog:
4 readings + recordings
Comments welcome here
Readings are from
Simple Bible
2 Kings 20:
King Hezekiah became ill and was dying.
Hezekiah begged the Lord to cure him. The Lord told Isaiah the prophet to tell
Hezekiah:
"I will add 15 years to your life." The king recovered and lived for another 15
years.
Dear God, please cure (..a sick
person..)
the way you cured Hezekiah
My
recording of this reading
Psalm
95: Come ring out our joy to the Lord.
Hail the rock who saves us. Let us come before him giving thanks.
With songs let us praise the Lord.
A mighty God is the Lord,
a great king above all gods. In his hand are the depths of the earth.
The heights of the mountains are his. To him belongs the sea, for he made it,
and the dry land shaped by his hands. Come in, let us bow and bend low.
Let us kneel before the God who made us.
For he is our God
and we are the people who belong to his pasture.
Lord, you are our Creator. Our
life comes from you. We praise and love you, Lord
Recording
1
Timothy 4.1-7: Don't be surprised if some people come up with
strange ideas about how to live life. Satan and his friends are always
trying to sow lies and deception in the Lord's field of truth. Have nothing to do with strange ideas like
"marriage is forbidden" or "you are not allowed to eat
certain foods". Everything God made is good, and no food is to
be rejected, provided grace is said for it. The word of God and prayer
make food holy.
Jesus, please help me remember to say a little
prayer before I eat
Recording
Matthew
10.1-16: Many men followed Jesus as "fishers of
men", as "disciples".
Jesus chose 12 of them and called them "apostles": Peter and his
brother Andrew; Zebedees' sons James
and John;
Philip and Bartholomew;
Thomas and Matthew;
James son of
Alphaeus; Thaddaeus,
Simon and Judas.
Jesus sent them to prepare his way by visiting
the places he would go.
He gave them power to cast out evil spirits and to heal all kinds of
sicknesses.
He said to them:
Proclaim that the kingdom of heaven is near.
Cure the sick.
Raise the dead. Cleanse lepers. Cast out devils.
Jesus, please help all
Christians to be apostles and fishers of people
Recording
Reflection on the above readings:
Stop and give thanks to God before and after meals. I ask all believers to return to this beautiful and meaningful custom. That moment of blessing, however brief, reminds us of our dependence on God for life; it strengthens our feeling of gratitude for the gifts of creation; it acknowledges those who by their labours provide us with these goods; and it reaffirms our solidarity with those in greatest need. Laudato Si, 227
-------------------------------------------------------
Pope's
letter on climate change: Laudato Si 我主應受讚美
Full
English text Full
Chinese text
148: Recording An
admirable creativity and generosity is shown by persons and groups who respond
to environmental limitations by alleviating the adverse effects of their
surroundings and learning to orient their lives amid disorder and uncertainty.
For example, in some places, where the facades of buildings are derelict, people show great care for the interior of their homes, or find contentment in the kindness and friendliness of others.
A wholesome social life can light up a seemingly undesirable environment.
At times a commendable human ecology is practised by the poor despite numerous hardships.
The feeling of asphyxiation brought on by densely populated residential areas is countered if close and warm relationships develop, if communities are created, if the limitations of the environment are compensated for in the interior of each person who feels held within a network of solidarity and belonging.
In this way, any place can turn from being a hell on earth into the setting for a dignified life.
------------------------------------
Pope Francis: The
Joy of the Gospel
Full
English text Full
Chinese text
144: Recording
To speak from the heart means
that our hearts must not just be on fire, but also enlightened by the fullness
of revelation and by the path travelled by God's word in the heart of the Church
and our faithful people throughout history.
This Christian identity, as the baptismal embrace which the Father gave us when we were little ones, makes us desire, as prodigal children - and favourite children in Mary - yet another embrace, that of the merciful Father who awaits us in glory.
Helping our people to feel that they
live in the midst of these two embraces is the difficult but beautiful task of
one who preaches the Gospel.
-------------------------------------
To go with today's reading from St Paul about praying
before meals: pastor visited family for meal ....asked little girl to say the
prayer ....she wasn't sure what to say so she whispered to her mother "what
will I say?". Mother replied "just say what I usually say". So little
girl prayed like this: "O God, why did I invite so many people?"
--------------------------------------
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 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, 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 (
The
Last Run)
--------------------
Gay marriage: an elephant in the room (by John W)
Video:
What "gay
marriage" did to Massachusetts
同志婚姻自2004年立法後，美國麻省的改變
（ 廣東話附字幕版）
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,
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Fr John Wotherspoon O.M.I. 胡
頌 恆 神 父
jdwomi@gmail.com
HK
mobile +852- 67095674
China
mobile +86-13828421861 - (only
when in China)
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