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 
Malaysia 
Nigeria 
Ph 
SA 
S.Amer
Thai 
Tz 
Ug 
EU
How campaign began
HK:how
long prison for trafficking?
www.AsylumSeekerHK.com
Tues April 24
Yesterday morning I attended a case at the High Court which had the same result as a case last week and one the previous week: adjournment until ruling in Court of Appeal case concerning my campaign and related issues is handed down. From the High Court I went to a nearby location for an encouraging meeting concerning the campaign.
Last night I spent some time with a group of young Nepal men who are homeless, jobless ...and on drugs ....discussing with them the death from a drug overdose of one of their friends, aged 22, last Sunday morning. I'm hoping we can have a weekly get-together that might eventually lead to some project that might help them break free from drugs. Jesus, please bless last night's group!
Pope's new letter -
"Rejoice and Be Glad":
10. All this is important. Yet with this Exhortation I would like to insist
primarily on the call to holiness that the Lord addresses to each of us, the
call that he also addresses, personally, to you: "Be holy, for I am
holy" (Lev 11:44; cf. 1 Pet 1:16). The Second
Vatican Council stated this clearly: "Strengthened by so many and such
great means of salvation, all the faithful, whatever their condition or state,
are called by the Lord - each in his or her own way - to that perfect holiness
by which the Father himself is perfect".[10]
--------------------------------------------------------
The
Book Blog:
4 readings + recordings
Comments welcome here
Readings are from
Simple Bible
Jeremiah 2:
This is what God told Jeremiah to shout out
loud in Jerusalem: "The Lord says:
I remember the love you used to have for me.
But now you have forgotten me. Priests and prophets have no knowledge of me.
King and princes have rebelled against me. Not only have you abandoned me,
you now follow false gods. You have abandoned the fountain of living
water
in exchange for muddy pools."
Lord, please don't let
anyone else or anything else ever replace you as number one in my life
My
recording of this reading
Psalm
1: Happy the person who
avoids evil and evil entertainment.
Happy the person who reads and meditates on God's words. Such a
person is like a tree planted beside a river, getting plenty of
nourishment, bearing plenty of fruit. Such a
person is on the Way of Life.
People who do evil are on the Way of Death.
Dear
Lord, please help me do good and avoid evil
Listen
Acts
18.5-11:
In Corinth, Paul was rejected by the Jews, so
he spent his time preaching to non-Jewish people. Many Corinthians became
believers and were baptized. One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision:
"Do not be afraid to speak out, nor allow yourself to be silenced. I
am with you". So Paul stayed in Corinth for 18 months preaching the word
of God.
Jesus, give Christians more courage to
speak your message
Listen
Luke
11.9-13:
Jesus said to his disciples "Ask, and it will
be given to you. Search, and you will find. Knock, and the door will open.
If children ask their parents for something
good, their parents will always give it to them. Even more so will the heavenly Father
give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him"
Heavenly Father, please give me your Holy
Spirit!
Listen
Reflection
on the above readings: Our world today sure needs
the message of Jeremiah ...which is the message of Psalm 1....
--------------------------------------------------------
10 years ago today: Marco Polo- members of Zhaoqing
Cishanui Charitable Society; new water boots for children; Zhaoqing University volunteers
------------------------------------------
Yesterday morning as I got off the MTR (Metro) at Admiralty
station to go to a case in the High Court, I thought of something to put in this
space last night. And I said to myself "No need to write it down....train
your memory to remember"....but ....last night ....I couldn't remember what
it was! At times like this I remember Saint Augustine's words: we never
completely forget something we know we've forgotten!!!
--------------------------------------
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 24th
of
the month, Jesus please bless the prisoners of Inner
Mongolia
And praying for one of
the world's poorest countries
each day of the month:
On this 24th of the month, Jesus
please bless the people of Zambia
And praying for one
Islam-related intention each day of the week:
Jesus, today, Tuesday,
please pacify Boko
Haram
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Mon April 23
Photo: After 8.30am Mass yesterday - Yum Cha with Wong Family: Claire, Bosco, Leo
After the above Yum Cha, as I walked home through nearby Temple Street Park, I
learned that about two hours earlier two young Nepal men had bought heroin in
the park, then gone to inject at public toilet opposite the park, where one of
them, aged 22, died. The other is seriously ill in a local hospital. Jesus,
please give eternal life to the 22 year old, consolation to his family, healing
to the other, stop the evil Drug Lords who are importing and selling drugs
...and help Nepalese parents and leaders to face up to the drug problem in their
community ...not to taboo the subject - as in
this letter (2nd letter of April 24...From a young Nepal man ..."15 of my friends have died")
Also at the park I saw two other young Nepal men urgently trying to sell items they had stolen from shops overnight (drinks, cans of meat etc) ...to get money...to buy drugs. Other people have set up support groups for the young Nepal men....but obviously more needs to be done. One or more young Nepal men die from drugs each month (often in above toilet). I will try (again) to set up such a group (have tried several times, unsuccessfully).
Pope's new letter -
"Rejoice and Be Glad":
9. Holiness is the most attractive face of the Church. But even outside the
Catholic Church and in very different contexts, the Holy Spirit raises up "signs
of his presence which help Christ's followers".[7]
Saint John Paul II
reminded us that "the witness to Christ borne even to the shedding of blood
has become a common inheritance of Catholics, Orthodox, Anglicans and
Protestants".[8]
In the moving ecumenical commemoration held in the Colosseum during the Great
Jubilee of the Year 2000, he stated that the martyrs are "a heritage which
speaks more powerfully than all the causes of division".[9]
--------------------------------------------------------
The
Book Blog:
4 readings + recordings
Comments welcome here
Readings are from
Simple Bible
Jeremiah
1:
Jeremiah lived in a
village not far from Jerusalem.
Jeremiah's father was a priest. God said to Jeremiah:
"Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you.
I have appointed you as prophet to the nations." Jeremiah said to God:
"Lord, I do not know how to speak.
I am so young." God then touched
Jeremiah's mouth and said:
"I now put my words into your mouth.
Go and tell the people everything I ask you to speak. Do not be dismayed by
anyone.
I am making you strong. You must confront
Judah's kings, priests and people.
They will oppose you, but will not overcome you,
for I am with you."
Lord, please give special
courage to people who speak your message for the world
My
recording of this reading
Psalm
149-150: Sing a new song to the Lord.
Let the praise of God be always on our lips. Praise God in his holy temple.
Praise him in the heavens. O praise him with sound of
trumpet.
Praise him with lute and harp.
Praise him with drums and dancing.
Praise him with strings and pipes. Let everything that lives and
breathes,
give praise to the Lord our Creator. Alleluia!
Lord, to you we say every day
"Allelu-ia" ("praise God")
Listen
Acts
18.1-4: Paul left Athens and went to the city of
Corinth. He met a Jewish couple who had recently left Italy when the
Emperor Claudius expelled all Jews from Rome. The couple were tentmakers, like Paul himself.
Paul stayed with them and they worked together. Each Sabbath Paul preached in the prayer
halls,
trying to convert Jews as well as non-Jewish people
Jesus, thank you for the example of Paul who
worked to support himself and didn't live off others
Listen
Luke
10.38-42: Jesus one day visited the home of Martha and her sister Mary. Mary sat and
listened to Jesus. Martha complained that Mary was not helping her with
the serving. Jesus said "Martha, Martha, you worry and fret about so
many things. Mary has chosen the one thing that matters".
Jesus, please help
me listen like Mary
Listen
Reflection on the above readings: May we modern people who fret and worry so much about so many things become a little bit more like Mary in today's Gospel .... and give a little bit more time to listening to the words of Jesus
--------------------------------------------------------
10
years ago: Thank you Number Four Hospital and Nurse Chow for arranging medical tests for
all our children - & - welcome Mr Lam and Mr Lu
------------------------------------------
New
public signs have just gone up in HK ....announcing June 2018 Belt
and Road summit in Hong Kong. As an English teacher I can't get my mind
around the name "Belt and Road". It sounds like the name of a car
dealer...or a highway hotel!
--------------------------------------
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 23rd of
the month, Jesus please bless the prisoners of Guangxi
And
praying for one of the
world's poorest countries each day of the month:
On this 23rd
of the month, Jesus please bless the people of Djibouti
And praying for one Islam-related intention
each day of the week:
Jesus, today, Monday,
please pacify I.S.
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April 22
Good Shepherd Sunday (see
below!)
I've been invited to give a 30 minutes talk about my work for the poor to a secondary school assembly on Friday April 27, so yesterday morning was spent getting that talk ready ...mainly in the form of photos and videos. Many thanks to kind people at Diocesan Media Centre for lesson last Thursday afternoon showing me how to edit a video. Old dog still learning new tricks. Hope the talk will encourage students to increase their care for the poor.
Pope's new letter -
"Rejoice and Be Glad":
8. Let us be spurred on by the signs of holiness that the Lord shows us through
the humblest members of that people which "shares also in Christ's
prophetic office, spreading abroad a living witness to him, especially by means
of a life of faith and charity".[5]
We should consider the fact that, as Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross
suggests, real history is made by so many of them. As she writes: "The
greatest figures of prophecy and sanctity step forth out of the darkest night.
But for the most part, the formative stream of the mystical life remains
invisible. Certainly the most decisive turning points in world history are
substantially co-determined by souls whom no history book ever mentions. And we
will only find out about those souls to whom we owe the decisive turning points
in our personal lives on the day when all that is hidden is revealed".[6]
-----------------------------------
The
Book Blog:
4 readings + recordings
Comments welcome here
Readings are from
Simple Bible
c.f. readings for Easter 4
Acts 4.1-12: While Peter was talking to the crowd, some
religious leaders and soldiers came and arrested Peter and John. The next day the leaders held a meeting and
asked the prisoners: "By what power and by whose name did you
heal the crippled beggar?" Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, replied
"The cripple is able to stand up perfectly healthy because he was
healed by Jesus the Nazarene, the one you crucified, whom God raised from
the dead. Salvation comes no other way. Only by the name
of Jesus can we be saved".
Jesus, your name means "God saves", you are indeed the Saviour
of the world
My
recording of this reading
Psalm
118: Give thanks to the Lord for he is good.
His love has no end. Let the sons of Israel say:
"His love has no end." Let those who honor the Lord say:
"His love has no end." It is better to take refuge in the Lord than
to trust in humans.
It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in princes. I was falling, falling, falling,
but the Lord was my helper. The Lord is my strength and my song.
He is my saviour. The Lord's right hand has triumphed.
His right hand has raised me up. I shall not die, I shall live
and recount all his deeds. The stone which the builders rejected
has become the corner stone. This is the work of the Lord,
a marvel in our eyes. This day was made by the Lord.
We rejoice and are glad.
Lord, we give thanks to you,
for you are good.
Your love has no end
Listen
1
John 3.1-3: Think of the love that the Father has lavished
on us
by letting us be called God's children.
And God's love has even more in store for us in the future:
we shall be like him because we shall see him as he really is. This is why we must try to live good lives.
We must try to be as good as Christ
Jesus, please help me be more like you
Listen
John
10.11-14: Jesus said to the religious leaders "I am
the Good Shepherd.
The Good Shepherd is one who lays down his life for his sheep. A hired man, since he has no real concern for
the sheep,
abandons them and runs away if he sees a wolf coming. I am the Good Shepherd.
I know my own sheep, and my own sheep know me".
Jesus, Good Shepherd, please help me to be a
good sheep, and a good shepherd
Listen
Reflection on the above readings:
For parents, teachers, pastors, older brothers/sisters: The sheep dogs
Video
commentary on today's readings - in Italian with English, Chinese and
Spanish subtitles
Daniel Daring: Good Shepherd Sunday (Chinese text)
--------------------------------------------------------
Hour
of Love HK radio program 8.30
pm HK time tonight
- with items about HK prison inmates
-------------------------------------------
To go with today's Gospel:
A
shepherd was herding his flock in a remote pasture when suddenly a brand-new BMW
advanced out of a dust cloud towards him. The driver, a young man in a Broni
suit, Gucci shoes, Ray Ban sunglasses and YSL tie, leans out the window and asks
the shepherd, "If I tell you exactly how many sheep you have in your flock,
will you give me one?" The shepherd looks at the man, obviously a yuppie,
then looks at his peacefully grazing flock and calmly answers, "Sure, Why
not?"
The
yuppie parks his car, whips out his Dell notebook computer, connects it to his
AT&T cell phone. He surfs to a NASA page on the internet, where he calls up
a GPS satellite navigation system to get an exact fix on his location which he
then feeds to another NASA satellite that scans the area in an
ultra-high-resolution photo. The young man then opens the digital photo in Adobe
Photoshop and exports it to an image processing facility in Hamburg, Germany.
Within seconds, he receives an email on his Palm Pilot that the image has been
processed and the data stored. He then accesses an MS-SQL database through an
ODBC connected Excel spreadsheet with hundreds of complex formulas.
He
uploads all of this data via an email on his Blackberry and, after a few
minutes, receives a response. Finally, he prints out a full-color, 150-page
report on his hi- tech, miniaturized HP LaserJet printer and finally turns to
the shepherd and says, "You have exactly 1,586 sheep."
"That's
right. Well, I guess you can take one of my sheep," says the honest
shepherd. He watches the young man select one of the animals and looks on amused
as the young man stuffs it into the trunk of his car. Then the shepherd says to
the young man, "Hey, if I can tell you exactly what your business is, will
you give me back my sheep?"
The
young man thinks about it for a second and then says, "Okay, Why not?"
"You're
a consultant." says the shepherd. "Wow! That's correct," says the
yuppie, "but how did you guess that?"
"No
guessing required." answered the savvy shepherd, "You showed up here
even though nobody called you; you want to get paid for an answer I already
knew; to a question I never asked; and you don't know anything about my
business.......now give me back my dog."
--------------------------------------
Please join me in praying for one part of the world each day:
Sun: Africa
Mon: Europe,
Russia
Tues: South
Asia
Wed: East
Asia
Thurs: S.E. Asia,
Pacific
Fri: South America
Sat: Cent., N America
Jesus,
today, Sunday,
please bless the people of
Africa
And praying for
prisoners in one part
of China each day of the month:
On this 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, Sunday,
please bless all Muslims in my country
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Sat April 21
When police and Drug Lords are partners, the only weapon in the quiver of
inmates who have been set up is to name and shame. So, instead of going to visit
a prison yesterday, I stayed home and made this
name and shame file about a Bengali Drug Lord not far from my home who has
sent many people to prison for drug trafficking and who has put a huge quantity
of drugs into circulation on the streets of HK. Inmates are hoping their info
will help police arrest their former Boss.
Check the powerful video at this link:
Why
proceed to gag charities?
Pope's new letter -
"Rejoice and Be Glad":
7. I like to contemplate the holiness
present in the patience of God's people: in those parents who raise their
children with immense love, in those men and women who work hard to support
their families, in the sick, in elderly religious who never lose their smile. In
their daily perseverance I see the holiness of the Church militant. Very often
it is a holiness found in our next-door neighbours, those who, living in our
midst, reflect God's presence. We might call them "the middle class of
holiness".[4]
--------------------------------------------------------
The
Book Blog:
4 readings + recordings
Comments welcome here
Readings are from
Simple Bible
Isaiah
62-66: The Lord says:
"My eyes are drawn to the humble and contrite person
who lovingly meditates on my word. Towards Jerusalem I will send peace,
flowing like a river. I am going to gather the nations of every language.
All peoples will know and love me
Lord, please give me more love
for the Bible. Please give the world more peace. Please help all peoples know and love youMy
recording of this reading
Psalm
148: Praise the Lord from the heavens,
praise him in the heights. Praise him all his angels,
praise him all his spirits. Praise him, sun and moon,
praise him, shining stars. Let them praise the name of the Lord.
His word gave life to all of them. Praise the Lord from the earth,
sea creatures and all oceans. Praise him fire and hail, snow and mist,
stormy winds that obey his word. Praise him all mountains and hills,
all fruit trees and cedars.
Praise him all animals, wild and tame,
reptiles and birds in the air. Praise him all earth's kings and peoples,
earth's princes and rulers. Praise him young men and maidens,
old people together with children. Let them praise the name of the Lord.
He is the praise of all who love him.
Lord our God and Creator, you
are worthy of all praise
Listen
Acts
17.29-34:
Paul continued speaking to the intellectuals:
"We have no excuse for thinking that the Creator looks like something
carved in gold, silver or stone. God overlooked that sort of thing when we were
ignorant. But now he is telling everyone to repent and believe in Jesus raised from the dead".
Some intellectuals laughed at Paul. A few
became believers
Jesus, please give intellectuals the humility
to believe in you
Listen
Luke
11.1-4: Once when Jesus had finished praying in
private, one of his disciples asked him "Lord, teach us to
pray". Jesus replied "Pray like this: Father, may everyone love and honor you.
Your kingdom come.
Thank you for enough food for today.
Forgive us as we forgive others.
Save us in time of trial".
Jesus, please teach me how to pray
Listen
Reflection on the above readings: Peace is Flowing Like a River
-------------------------------------
When Matteo Ricci and the first missionaries went to China
they had great trouble renting accommodation ....until they used this principle:
rent something that no one else wants (e.g. a building where someone has died; a
building near a cemetery etc). Yesterday I thought of this principle as a way of
finding a place in Yau Ma Tei for the large group of people now staying at
McDonald's each night....and I noticed a building next to a very smelly rubbish
collection centre. ....and I'm now praying for that building!
--------------------------------------
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 21st
of the month, Jesus please bless the prisoners of Yunan
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, Saturday,
please pacify the
Taliban
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Fri April 20
Yesterday morning after a case at the High Court in Admiralty, I had a lunch meeting with a journalist who is doing a story on social issues, then I went to a bookstore in Central to collect items for prison inmates, then attended an in-service session at the Diocesan Media Centre ....finishing the day with the usual Thursday night meal with homeless people. No trouble sleeping last night ....except for the disturbing thought: what can be done to provide accommodation for the growing number of homeless people? How can I sleep in a nice bed while dozens of people in the local area have nowhere to sleep except a park bench or McDonald's (God bless McDonald's for their compassion!)
Pope's new letter -
"Rejoice and Be Glad":
6. Nor need we think only of those already beatified and
canonized. The Holy Spirit bestows holiness in abundance among God's holy and
faithful people, for "it has pleased God to make men and women holy and to
save them, not as individuals without any bond between them, but rather as a
people who might acknowledge him in truth and serve him in holiness".[3]
In salvation history, the Lord saved one people. We are never completely
ourselves unless we belong to a people. That is why no one is saved alone, as an
isolated individual. Rather, God draws us to himself, taking into account the
complex fabric of interpersonal relationships present in a human community. God
wanted to enter into the life and history of a people.
-------------------------------------------
The
Book Blog:
4 readings + recordings
Comments welcome here
Readings are from Simple
Bible
Isaiah 61: The spirit of the Lord has been given to me,
for the Lord has anointed me. He has sent me to bring good news
to the poor,
to bind up broken hearts, to proclaim liberty to captives,
freedom to those in prison, to comfort people who mourn,
to replace their sadness with praise. I exult for joy in the Lord,
my soul rejoices in my God, for as the earth makes plants to
grow,
and as a garden makes seeds spring up, so the Lord will make integrity
and praise
spring up in the sight of the nations.
Lord, please give comfort and courage to people
who are sad
My
recording of this reading
Psalm
147: Praise the Lord for he is good.
Sing to our God for he is loving. To him our praise is due. The Lord builds up Jerusalem
and brings back Israel's exiles. He heals the broken-hearted
and binds up all their wounds. The Lord raises the lowly
and humbles the wicked. He fixes the number of the stars.
He calls each one by name. Our Lord is great and almighty.
His wisdom can never be measured. He covers the heavens with clouds.
He prepares rain for the earth, making mountains sprout with grass
and with plants to serve our needs. His delight is not in horses
nor his pleasure in warriors' strength. The Lord delights in those who love and honor
him,
in those who wait for his love.
It is right and fitting to
praise and love you, Lord our Creator
Listen
Acts
17.16-28:
In Athens, Paul was sad see so much idol worship.
Each day he talked to as many people as he could about Jesus. He was invited to a meeting of intellectuals. He said to them
"The Creator of the world does not make his home in shrines made by
human hands. He wants everyone to know him as the living God.
It is in him that we live and move and have life".
In its mother's womb, a baby lives and moves
and has life. The universe is like a giant womb, God's womb, in which we
live and move and have life. Jesus, please help me understand Paul's words
Listen
Luke
10.29-37: The religious leader then asked another
question: "Who is my neighbor?" Jesus replied "A man on a journey was
attacked by robbers. They beat him, took all he had, and left him
seriously injured. A priest came by and saw the man, but did not help
him. A temple worker also saw him, but did not help. But a lowly foreigner
who saw him was moved with pity. The foreigner bandaged his wounds, and used
his own donkey to take the man to an inn. He paid the innkeeper to look
after the man. Which of the three was a neighbor to the
injured man?" The leader replied "The one who
helped him". Jesus then said "Go, and do the same"
Jesus, please don't let me ignore people who
need help
Listen
Reflection on the above Bible readings: The Universe - God's Womb
----------------------------------------------
At the High Court yesterday morning, during the few
seconds when my lift door opened at the 2nd floor for passengers to exit/enter,
a new security guard on the 2nd floor quickly called out hello to me with a big
smile on his face. As the lift door shut I realised who he was: a retired
Correctional Services Department officer who used to be at Lai Chi Kok men's
prison!
--------------------------------------
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 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, Friday,
please bless all Muslims
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Thu April 19
Almost 20 homeless humans are now sleeping at Jordan McDonald's
each night. About half a dozen of them are women. God bless the manager of
McDonald's for his/her compassion. God move the HK government, which has one
trillion HK dollars in the bank, to care about McSleepers!
Last year, not one person from South Africa arrested at HK
airport for drug trafficking. But this year, sadly, already two. Letter in
English from one of them, a 23 year old man - here
- describing how he was deceived by a Nigerian Drug Lord in Johannesburg
The
sad results of gender transitioning
Pope's new letter -
"Rejoice and Be Glad":
5.
The processes of beatification and
canonization recognize the signs of heroic virtue, the sacrifice of one's life
in martyrdom, and certain cases where a life is constantly offered for others,
even until death. This shows an exemplary imitation of Christ, one worthy of the
admiration of the faithful.[2]
We can think, for example, of Blessed
Maria Gabriella Sagheddu, who offered her life for the unity of Christians.
Easter letter from Sr. Anastasia M.M. (黄修女）
--------------------------------------------------------
The
Book Blog:
4 readings + recordings
Comments welcome here
Readings are from Simple
Bible
Isaiah
60: Arise, shine out, for your light has come.
The glory of the Lord is rising on you,
though the rest of the world is still in darkness. The nations come to your light
and kings to your dawning brightness. People from other lands are
coming to you,
bringing gold and incense
and singing the praise of the Lord. No more will the sun give you
daylight,
nor moonlight shine on you, for the Lord himself will be your
everlasting light.
Then your days of mourning will be ended.
Lord Jesus, you are the light
of the world.
Please give more light to my life.
Recording
Psalm
146: My soul, give
praise to the Lord.
I will praise the Lord all my days. Put no trust in
princes,
in mortal men in whom there is no help. Take their breath, they
return to clay
and their plans that day come to nothing. They are happy who are
helped by Jacob's God,
whose hope is in the Lord our God, who alone made heaven
and earth,
the seas and all they contain. It is he who gives
bread to the hungry,
the Lord, who sets prisoners free. It is the Lord who
gives sight to the blind,
who raises up those who are bowed down. It is the Lord who
protects the stranger
and upholds the widow and orphan. It is the Lord who
loves the just
but thwarts the path of the wicked. The Lord will reign for
ever,
Zion's God, from age to age.
Lord, please increase my trust
and faith in you
Recording
Acts 17.10-12: That night Paul and Silas left for the town
of Beroea. At the local prayer hall, the Jews were very open-minded and
they warmly welcomed the word of the Lord. Every day they studied the Scriptures to check
that Paul's words were true. Many Jews and many non-Jewish people became
believers.
Jesus, please help people be open-minded when
hearing your message
Listen
Luke
10.25-28: To test Jesus, a religious leader asked him
in public "Master, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" Jesus replied "What does the Law
say?" He replied "You must love the Lord your
God with all your heart, and you must care for others as much as you care about yourself".
"You are correct", said
Jesus, "do this and life is yours".
Jesus, help me to love you with all my
heart....and to care for others as much as I care about myself
Listen
Reflection on the above Bible readings: Increasing rejection of God is usually accompanied by increasing selfishness. Increasing love for God is usually accompanied by increasing compassion.
-----------------------------
10 years ago today: Two groups of Hong Kong visitors - Cosmas & Damian
Tsuen Wan Group & Xavier Fellowship Group
------------------------------------------
The Mercy Centre on Cheung Chau Island now has its third
under-three years old ex-inmate. Two previous toddlers have graduated. I hope
the time will soon come when putting mothers and babies behind bars will be
regarded as ... criminal
--------------------------------------
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 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, Thursday,
please pacify Al-Qaeda
--------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Wed April 18
Yesterday afternoon I attended a most encouraging meeting at the
Consulate General of Peru concerning my anti-drug campaign. Three consulates now
visited: Colombia, Venezuela and Peru. But yesterday I forgot to take a photo of
the occasion! Will try to remember photo next time ...at Consulate of Brazil
During breakfast over the past week I watched
this inspiring video by a
former policeman
O.M.I. international website has report on my anti-drug campaign - here
Letter in Spanish from an
Argentinian man in prison in HK for
drug trafficking - here
(April 11)
Pope's new letter -
"Rejoice and Be Glad":
4. The saints now in God's presence preserve
their bonds of love and communion with us. The Book of Revelation attests to
this when it speaks of the intercession of the martyrs: "I saw under the
altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the
witness they had borne; they cried out with a loud voice, 'O sovereign Lord,
holy and true, how long will it be before you judge?'" (6:9-10). Each of us
can say: "Surrounded, led and guided by the friends of God I do not have to
carry alone what, in truth, I could never carry alone. All the saints of God are
there to protect me, to sustain me and to carry me".[1]
--------------------------------------------------------
Chris McDonnell
A
question of doubt
Once we have accepted that doubt is part of faith,
our expectation of an easy ride is reduced and trust is maintained in times of
difficulty
-------------------------------------------------------
The
Book Blog:
4 readings + recordings
Comments welcome here
Readings are from
Simple Bible
Isaiah 57-58: Tell my people their faults,
tell the House of Jacob its sins. Tell them that their fasting is a
sham.
Fasting and injustice cannot go together. This is the sort of fast that
pleases the Lord:
breaking unjust fetters,
sharing your bread with the hungry, sheltering and clothing the homeless poor.
Do this and you will find healing
and peace.
Do this and the Lord will give strength to your bones.
Lord, please help me do more to
help poor people
My
recording of this reading
Psalm
145: I will give you glory, O God my king.
I will bless your name day after day. The Lord is great, worthy of all praise.
His greatness cannot be measured. Age to age shall proclaim your works,
shall speak of your splendor and glory. The Lord is kind and full of compassion,
slow to anger, abounding in love. How good is the Lord to all,
compassionate to all his creatures. All your creatures shall thank you, O Lord,
and tell all the world of your love. The Lord is faithful in all his words
and loving in all his deeds. The Lord supports all who fall
and raises all who are bowed down. The eyes of all creatures look to you
and you give them their food each day. The Lord is close to all who call him,
who call on him from their hearts. Let the whole world bless the Lord's holy
name,
for ever, for ages unending.
Thank you, Lord, for your love.
Thank you for your love
Listen
Acts
17.1-9: Paul and his friends next went to the town of
Thessalonika. On three Sabbaths, Paul spoke at the local prayer hall,
explaining how Jesus is the Anointed One. Some Jewish listeners and many non-Jewish people
became believers.
But the religious leaders, out of jealousy, stirred up a gang from the
market place. The gang dragged some believers to the city
council. The leaders shouted "The people who have been turning
the whole world upside down, have come to our town. They claim there is
another emperor, Jesus". The believers were eventually allowed to go on
bail
Jesus, please don't let jealous people stop
anyone from becoming a Christian
Listen
Luke
10.17-24: The 72 came back rejoicing. "Lord",
they said, "even the devils submit to us when we use your name".
Jesus replied "Yes, I have given
you power to tread underfoot the whole strength of the enemy. Yet do not rejoice that the spirits submit to
you. Rejoice rather that your names are written in heaven. Blessed are the eyes that see what you see.
For I tell you that many prophets and kings wanted to see what you see,
and never saw it; to hear what you hear, and never heard it"
Jesus, thank you for the gift of faith
Listen
Reflection on the above readings: The job of a Christian is pretty straight forward: to turn ....the whole world...upside down!
-------------------------------------------------------
10 years ago today: Happy Birthday Mazenod Center teacher May + Wendy happy to make friends with
Marco Polo children
------------------------------------------
One very dangerous and most sensitive topic was kept till
last at the Consulate General of Peru yesterday: the fact the Peru is in the
same World Cup group as Australia!
--------------------------------------
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 18th
of
the month, Jesus please bless the prisoners of Shandong
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, 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)
2018:
My trip to Latin America
March 18, 2018: South China Morning Post report on my work
--------------------
Australian Chinese for
Families Association
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
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Fr John Wotherspoon O.M.I. 胡
頌 恆 神 父
jdwomi@gmail.com
HK
mobile +852- 67095674
China
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