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 May 29
Yesterday I again spent much of the day with a media team from
Malaysia. Please God their report will help stop the flow of young drug mules
coming to HK from Malaysia....and lead to a tightening up of security at Kuala
Lumpur airport
"Ireland
overwhelmingly voted for abortion"??? Voter turnout was 64.1%. Yes vote was 66.4%.That means about 42% - less than half the population - voted for change.
What a great video: France lauds immigrant hero
Elderly
cardboard collecters don't deserve harassment
Today
is the feast day of Blessed
Joseph Gerard O.M.I. who died in Southern Africa on this day in 1914. In
January 2017 I had the privilege of visiting his
grave in Lesotho.
A video life of Blessed
Joseph
My article in today's Ming Pao newspaper has the topic: Land shortage in HK....fake news?. It is on Ming Pao website - click "Australian in HK". Text without recording
Pope's new letter -
"Rejoice and Be Glad":
44. In effect, doctrine, or better, our understanding and expression of it,
"is not a closed system, devoid of the dynamic capacity to pose questions,
doubts, inquiries. The questions of our people, their suffering, their
struggles, their dreams, their trials and their worries, all possess an
interpretational value that we cannot ignore if we want to take the principle of
the incarnation seriously. Their wondering helps us to wonder, their questions
question us".[40]
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The
Book Blog:
4 readings + recordings
Comments welcome here
Readings are from
Simple Bible
Ezekiel 33-34: God told Ezekiel to say this to Israel's leaders:
"Punishment is coming for you shepherds who have fed yourselves
but not looked after the sheep. You have failed to make the weak sheep strong,
or to care for the sick ones. You have failed to bring back stray sheep
or look for lost sheep. On the contrary, you have been cruel to the sheep
and treated them badly. Therefore I will look after my flock myself.
I will rescue them from where they have been scattered. I will look for the lost one, bring back the stray,
bandage the injured, and make the weak strong. I will also judge the sheep themselves.
I will judge the fat sheep which have bullied the weak sheep. I will raise up a special shepherd
and put him in charge of all my sheep."
Lord, please help all leaders care for their
people,
like Jesus the Good Shepherd
My
recording of this reading
Psalms
35-37: O Lord, please save me from people who slander
me,
you who rescue the weak from the strong, you whose love is so precious,
you in whose light we see light. We believe that if we find our delight in you,
you will grant our heart's desire. And so we commit our lives to you,
confident you will help us in time of trouble.
Lord, please deepen our trust
in you,
especially in time of trouble
Listen
Romans
1.1-7:
From Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, who has
been called to be an apostle,
and specially chosen to preach the Good News. This news is about the Son of God who,
according to the human nature he took, was a descendant of David. This news is about Jesus Christ our Lord who,
by his resurrection from the dead, proved he was the Son of God. From him I received my mission to preach the
obedience of faith to non-Jewish nations. You are one of these nations. You belong to
Jesus Christ. To you who are God's beloved friends in Rome,
may
God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give grace and peace.
Jesus, Son of God, may all nations know
and love you
Listen
Luke
22.1-6: Big crowds were in Jerusalem for the feast of
the Passover which was only a few days away. The
religious leaders were afraid that the crowds would prevent them
from killing Jesus. But then Satan entered into Judas Iscariot who
was one of the 12 apostles. Judas went to the leaders to plan how to
capture Jesus. The leaders agreed to give Judas some money for his
help. Judas then began looking for an opportunity to
betray Jesus at a time when there were no crowds around
Jesus, please protect me from Satan's
influence, and from any sort of pride that might make me want to abandon
your friendship
Listen
Reflection on the above readings: Ezekiel today ...about bad and good leaders; Gospel today...bad leaders scheming against a good leader. God, please give the world good leaders!
--------------------------------------------------------
Last night as I was waiting at the Nathan Road entrance of
Chung King Mansion for the Malaysian media team to come for a meal, a man came
up to me and asked what (drug) I'd like to buy....just as the team arrived....so
I introduced him to the team
--------------------------------------
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 29th
of
the month, Jesus please bless the prisoners of Chongqing
And praying for one of
the world's poorest countries
each day of the month:
On this 29th of the month, Jesus
please bless the people of Mauritania
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 28
Some new photos have been added to this file of last Saturday's blessing by Cardinal Joseph Zen of the MercyHK canteen on Cheung Chau Island
Yesterday after 8.30am Mass at Yau Ma Tei, I spent the rest of the day with a media team from Malaysia, visiting Lai Chi Kok and Lai King prisons....before a visit to my home....then taking part in the usual Sunday night gathering for the poor at YMT, following by a canteen meal with the gathering volunteers. A long but happy day!
I am very sad seeing photos of people in Ireland rejoicing that
they are now allowed by human law to kill unborn babies. Unwanted pregnancies is
the problem, but killing babies is not the solution. There has to be another
way. Would the people rejoice if a human law was passed saying that all
handicapped people may be killed?
Pope's new letter -
"Rejoice and Be Glad":
43. It is not easy to grasp the truth that
we have received from the Lord. And it is even more difficult to express it. So
we cannot claim that our way of understanding this truth authorizes us to
exercise a strict supervision over others' lives. Here I would note that in the
Church there legitimately coexist different ways of interpreting many aspects of
doctrine and Christian life; in their variety, they "help to express more
clearly the immense riches of God's word". It is true that "for those
who long for a monolithic body of doctrine guarded by all and leaving no room
for nuance, this might appear as undesirable and leading to confusion".[39]
Indeed, some currents of gnosticism scorned the concrete simplicity of the
Gospel and attempted to replace the trinitarian and incarnate God with a
superior Unity, wherein the rich diversity of our history disappeared.
--------------------------------------------------------
The
Book Blog:
4 readings + recordings
Comments welcome here
Readings are from
Simple Bible
Ezekiel
19-32:
Ezekiel continued to speak God's message: "Since my people have forgotten me and
followed false ways,
therefore they will be scattered around the world. But eventually my people and peoples of all
nations
will learn that I alone am their Creator, their God.
Lord, please help all peoples
know and love you
My
recording of this reading
Psalm
34:
I will bless the Lord at all times,
his praise always on my lips.
In the Lord my soul shall make its boast,
the humble shall hear and be glad. Glorify the Lord with me, together let us
praise his name.
I sought the Lord and he answered me.
From all my terrors he set me free. The angel of the Lord is encamped around those
who revere the Lord, to rescue them. Taste and see that the Lord is good.
They are happy who seek refuge in him. The Lord is close to the broken-hearted.
Those whose spirits are crushed he will save.
Lord, by our Bible reading and
prayer, may we taste and see your goodness each day
Listen
Acts
28.17-31: Not long after his arrival in Rome, Paul had a
meeting with a large number of Jews. The meeting went from early morning
until evening. Paul talked to them about the kingdom of God.
He tried to help them believe in Jesus. Some accepted Jesus. Paul was in detention for two years, in his
own rented house. He welcomed everyone who came to visit him. With
boldness and without hindrance, he taught people about the Lord Jesus
Christ.
Jesus, thank you for the Acts of the Apostles.
May I help more people know and love you, like Paul
Listen
Luke
21.3-38: Jesus said to his disciples that Jerusalem
would be destroyed and its people scattered throughout the world. He also spoke of how his followers would be
persecuted, and of the end of the world: "The planets will be
shaken, nations will be in agony, bewildered by the force of the oceans.
Then they will see me coming in a cloud with great power and
glory. To prepare for your own end of earthly life,
stay faithful to prayer and goodness. Don't let your heart be coarsened by
debauchery, drunkenness and material cares". In this his final week on earth, Jesus spent
the daytime in the Temple, teaching. From early morning the people would
gather round him to listen to him. Then he would spend the night on the
Mount of Olives.
Jesus, help me be faithful to prayer
and goodness
Listen
Reflection on the above readings: Jesus knew he had only a few days to live, but he didn't go into his shell ...he kept on showing up for work each day in the Temple. Saint Paul likewise....he kept on working even when under house arrest. May we also keep showing up for work each day, even if life is tough. Like Leigh Matthews, the famous Australian footballer, who once said he tried to do his best each game, no matter how he felt.
--------------------------------------------------------
10
years ago: Marco Polo Wednesday lunchbox meal for handicapped and homeless +
volunteers from Ke Ji College with activities for World Children's Day
------------------------------------------
HK's record hot weather for May was too much for the
air-conditioning system in the visitors' registration room at Lai Chi Kok prison
yesterday. The system broke down early morning and the room became a sauna!
--------------------------------------
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 28th of
the month, Jesus please bless the prisoners of Beijing
And
praying for one of the
world's poorest countries each day of the month:
On this 28th
of the month, Jesus please bless the people of Lesotho
And praying for one Islam-related intention
each day of the week:
Jesus, today, Monday,
please pacify I.S.
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May 27
Trinity
Sunday
Yesterday - photos: Blessing by Cardinal Joseph Zen S.D.B. of MercyHK canteen on Cheung Chau Island. Alleluia!
Pope's new letter -
"Rejoice and Be Glad":
42. Nor can we claim to say where God is
not, because God is mysteriously present in the life of every person, in a way
that he himself chooses, and we cannot exclude this by our presumed certainties.
Even when someone's life appears
completely wrecked, even when we see it devastated by vices or addictions, God
is present there. If we let ourselves be guided by the Spirit rather than
our own preconceptions, we can and must try to find the Lord in every human
life. This is part of the mystery that a gnostic mentality cannot accept, since
it is beyond its control.
-----------------------------------
The
Book Blog:
4 readings + recordings
Comments welcome here
Readings are from
Simple Bible
c.f. readings for Trinity Sunday
Deuteronomy 2-4: Moses continued his
talk to the Israelites:
"God has been with us these 40 years,
watching over us and providing for us.
God gave us many victories
and continually told us not to be afraid of any enemies.
So now, Israel, do not forget God's goodness and help and laws.
Do not forget the things your eyes have seen.
Make sure to tell these things to your children's children.
God has brought you out of Egypt to be his special people.
If you seek God with all your heart and soul
you will find him.
Understand this today, therefore, and take it to heart:
The Lord is God indeed, in heaven above as on earth below,
he and no other.
Keep his laws and commandments as I give them to you today,
so that you and your children may prosper and live long
in the land that the Lord your God gives you forever."
Lord,
please help me to seek you with all my heart
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
Listen
Romans
8.14-21:
Everyone moved by the Spirit is a child of
God.
The Spirit lets us use children's language to speak to God tenderly as "Abba, Father".
Since we are God's children, we are also his
heirs, coheirs with Jesus,
sharing his suffering so as to share his glory. What we suffer in this life can never be
compared with the glorious life we will have in heaven. The whole of creation looks forward to sharing
the same glory, to sharing immortality.
Abba, Father, may everyone love and honor you.
Help everyone get to heaven
Listen
Matthew
28.16-20: The 11 apostles went to Galilee,
to the mountain where Jesus had arranged to meet them. When they saw him they fell down
before him in worship.
Jesus said to them
"All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations. Baptize them in the
name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Teach them to understand and live according to my words.
And know that I am with you always, yes, to the end of time".
Jesus, "God-with-us",
please help us live our lives according to your teaching
....and thank you, Matthew, for this beautiful Gospel Report
Listen
Reflection
on the above readings:
Video
commentary on today's readings - in Italian with English, Chinese and
Spanish subtitles
Daniel Daring: Was it ever heard of? (In Chinese)
--------------------------------------------------------
10 years ago today: Visit to (in Cantonese) Sa Bo, Or Tung Chyun, Sa Jau and Wan Low -
thank you Gabriel and A-Fan
------------------------------------------
Hour
of Love HK radio program 8.30
pm HK time tonight
- with items about HK prison inmates
-------------------------------------------
Vicar
General Dominic Chan blessed the Mercy Centre on Cheung Chau Island last August;
yesterday Cardinal Joseph Zen blessed the Mercy Canteen on Cheung Chau; if we
have a third centre who do we invite...the Pope?!
--------------------------------------
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 27th
of the month, Jesus please bless the prisoners of Tibet
And praying for one of the
world's poorest countries each day of the month:
On this 27th of the month, Jesus
please bless the people of Uganda
And praying for one Islam-related
intention each day of the week:
Jesus, today, Sunday,
please bless all Muslims in my country
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Sat May 26
Yesterday at Lai Chi Kok men's prison I spent extra time with
young Chinese inmates from Malaysia who are charged with drug trafficking. I'm
hoping that publicity about their situation will help stop others from joining
them.
A few doors from my home!
Thriving Nepalese culture of Yau Ma Tei down to Gurkha soldiers
Two new powerful media reports in Spanish about South American drug mules - one
in HK:
First report Second
report
Pope's
May 24 message to Catholics in China
Pope's new letter -
"Rejoice and Be Glad":
41. When somebody has an answer for every
question, it is a sign that they are not on the right road. They may well be
false prophets, who use religion for their own purposes, to promote their own
psychological or intellectual theories. God infinitely transcends us; he is full
of surprises. We are not the ones to determine when and how we will encounter
him; the exact times and places of that encounter are not up to us. Someone who
wants everything to be clear and sure presumes to control God's transcendence.
--------------------------------------------------------
The
Book Blog:
4 readings + recordings
Comments welcome here
Readings are from
Simple Bible
Ezekiel
12-18:
Ezekiel
spoke God's message for the false
prophets:
"You have misled my people.
You have not bothered to protect my people".
Ezekiel
also called on the people to stop
their idolatry.
He reminded them how to follow the Lord: a good person is law-abiding and
honest; a good person oppresses no one, never steals; a good person gives food and clothing to the poor.
"God takes no delight in the death
of a sinner.
God hopes the sinner will renounce wickedness and live."
Lord, please help me to avoid evil .....
and do
more good
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
Listen
Acts
28.11-16:
After three months we set sail in a ship going
to Italy. Our trip took us to Syracuse, Rhegium and Puteoli before we
arrived in Rome. Believers in Rome heard of Paul's arrival
and came to meet us. When Paul saw them, he thanked God with all his heart.
Paul was allowed to stay in lodgings of his
own, with a soldier to guard him.
Jesus, thank you helping Paul reach
Rome
safely. Thank you for protecting me on all my journeys
Listen
Luke
20.45-47: After some leaders had asked him
some trick questions,
Jesus said to his disciples "Beware of the religious leaders who like
to walk about in special clothes and love to be greeted obsequiously in
the market places.
They like the front seats in prayer halls and the places of honor at
banquets. They like making a show of lengthy prayers.
But at the same time they steal the property of widows. They will
receive a severe sentence from God at the end of their lives.
Jesus, please help religious leaders be good
people
Listen
Reflection on the above readings: Psalm 33 reminds us that blessings come on a nation which loves God. This makes me worry about nations which reject God and God's values and the Culture of Life ....and follow the Culture of Death (..yesterday's abortion vote in Ireland....)
-------------------------------------
10
years ago today: Thank you, HK "Wo Jai" & group
for visiting Bahkita, Mazenod, poor homes, Marco Polo, & Ricci School. And welcome HK Maria!
------------------------------------------
At one stage yesterday I needed to use my ID card and
Octopus card together. Not long afterwards I couldn't find the ID card...and I
began thinking of the complicated process of applying for a new ID card. But
then the ID card turned up in the zipped up section of my wallet where the
Octopus usually lives alone. Senior's moment....
--------------------------------------
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 26th
of the month, Jesus please bless the prisoners of Xinjiang
And praying for one of the
world's poorest countries each day of the
month:
On this 26th
of the month, Jesus please bless the people of Togo
And
praying for one Islam-related intention
each day of the week:
Jesus, today, Saturday,
please pacify the
Taliban
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Fri May 25
Teenage drug mules: In recent
times I've learnt much about teenagers as young as 15 being recruited in other
countries as well as locally in HK to be drug mules. Yes, that's right: 15 year
olds are being put on planes to bring drugs to HK from overseas .... and local
HK 15 year olds are being recruited to bring drugs to HK from the Mainland - as
in this
story from 2017
At 11am tomorrow morning (Sat May 26) Cardinal Joseph Zen is due
to bless the new canteen operated by MercyHK on Cheung Chau Island. HK readers
most welcome to attend. I'm due to take the 9.45am ferry from Central.
Today, May 25, the people of Ireland will vote in a referendum about
the legalisation of abortion. "Holy
Spirit, please don't let Ireland legalise the killing of unborn babies"
Pope's new letter -
"Rejoice and Be Glad":
40. Gnosticism is one of the most sinister
ideologies because, while unduly exalting knowledge or a specific experience, it
considers its own vision of reality to be perfect. Thus, perhaps without even
realizing it, this ideology feeds on itself and becomes even more myopic. It can
become all the more illusory when it masks itself as a disembodied spirituality.
For gnosticism "by its very nature seeks to domesticate the mystery",[38]
whether the mystery of God and his grace, or the mystery of others' lives.
-------------------------------------------
The
Book Blog:
4 readings + recordings
Comments welcome here
Readings are from Simple
Bible
Ezekiel 4-11:
Ezekiel used many images to describe the fall of Jerusalem.
But the people and their leaders would not believe him. God used
Ezekiel to say to the exiles: "I will bring you back to your homeland of Israel.
I will give you a new heart and a new spirit.
Then you will keep my commandments.
Then you will know that I am the Lord."
Grant to us, O Lord, a
heart renewed
My
recording of this reading
Psalm
32: Happy is the person whose sin is forgiven.
For a while I refused to ask for forgiveness,
and my body paid the penalty. But then I said "Lord, forgive me"
and my spirit and body revived.
Lord, when I do wrong, please give me the grace to say sorry and ask forgiveness
Listen
Acts
28.1-10: We were on the island of Malta. The local
people were really kind to us. They made us welcome. They lit a huge fire
because the weather was cold and rain was falling. Paul collected a bundle of sticks and was
putting them on the fire, when a snake bit his hand and held on. The locals
expected him to die. But he just shook the snake into the fire. He was ok.
The local Roman governor kindly gave us
hospitality for three days. The governor's father was very sick in bed
with fever and dysentery. He was healed when Paul prayed for him with the
laying on of hands.
Word of the healing got around fast, and soon everyone on the island who
was sick, came and got healed
Jesus, please bless the people of Malta
Listen
Luke
19.41-48: As Jesus caught sight of Jerusalem, he shed
tears over it and said "How I wish you had accepted my message of
peace. You will be totally destroyed, because you rejected God's offer of
grace". Jesus then went into the Temple and drove out
the sellers. According to the Scripture", he said, "my house
will be a house of prayer. But you have turned it into a robbers'
den". Each day Jesus taught in the Temple. The leaders wanted to
do away with him, but they didn't know how to, since most of the
ordinary people had great respect for Jesus
Jesus, please don't let me ever reject your
friendship
Listen
Reflection on the above Bible readings: A lovely song based on today's reading from Ezekiel: Grant to us O Lord a heart renewed
----------------------------------------------
Over the past few days (following the Feast of Pentecost)
when people have mentioned problems of one kind or another to me, the main
advice I've been giving is to just say out loud "Come Holy Spirit"
(...since Pope Francis several times written how the Holy Spirit can fix
problems/issues which we can't fix).
--------------------------------------
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 25th
of the month, Jesus please bless the prisoners of Ningxia
And praying for one of the
world's poorest countries each day of the
month:
On this 25th of the month, Jesus please bless the
people of Comoros
And praying for one Islam-related
intention each day of the week:
Jesus, today, Friday,
please bless all Muslims
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--------------------------------------------------------------------
Thu May 24
On May 25 the people of Ireland will vote in a referendum about
the legalisation of abortion. Over the next couple of days let's often pray: "Holy
Spirit, please don't let Ireland legalise the killing of unborn babies".
Last night I sent a letter to the editor of The
Guardian (of which I've been a loyal reader for decades) expressing
disappointment at its one-sided pro-abortion coverage of the Irish referendum
65
years ago today. Thank you Jesus!
Pope's new letter -
"Rejoice and Be Glad":
39. Here we have to be careful.
I am not referring to a rationalism inimical to Christian faith. It can be
present within the Church, both among the laity in parishes and teachers of
philosophy and theology in centres of formation. Gnostics think that their
explanations can make the entirety of the faith and the Gospel perfectly
comprehensible. They absolutize their own theories and force others to submit to
their way of thinking. A healthy and humble use of reason in order to reflect on
the theological and moral teaching of the Gospel is one thing. It is another to
reduce Jesus' teaching to a cold and harsh logic that seeks to dominate
everything.[37]
Chris McDonnell
It
will always be Pentecost
Pentecost was not a "one-off" event
--------------------------------------------------------
The
Book Blog:
4 readings + recordings
Comments welcome here
Readings are from Simple
Bible
Ezekiel
1-3:
About 5 years after
the first group of Jews were exiled to Babylon,
Ezekiel received a vision while he was with the exiles in Babylon. Ezekiel saw the glory
of the Lord and he heard a voice saying:
"I am choosing you to speak my message to the people. Whether the people
listen to you or not,
you must keep on proclaiming my message. You are to be a sentry
to the House of Israel,
a lookout who warns them of danger coming."
Lord,
please help people listen to your message and obey it
Recording
Psalm
31: Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am in
distress.
My eyes are full of tears, my heart full of sorrow. Everyone makes fun of me. My friends don't want to know me.
Save me, Lord, from this mess. I praise you Lord, for you protect those who trust you.
You keep them safe from slander and lies. Be strong, let your heart take courage,
all you who trust in the Lord
I trust in you, Lord. My life
is in your hands
Recording
Acts 27.39-44: The
next day they could see land: a bay with a beach. They tried to reach the beach,
but the ship ran aground on a reef and began to break up. The
soldiers wanted to kill the prisoners to stop them from escaping, but Julius
would not allow this. Some people swam. Some used pieces of wreckage. All of
them got to shore safely
Jesus, help people in danger of shipwreck today
Listen
Luke
19.28-40: When Jesus came near to Jerusalem, he
sent two disciples to a nearby village to get a donkey colt which no one
had ever ridden. Jesus sat on the colt and began the descent
from the Mount of Olives down the hill to Jerusalem. The disciples spread their clothes on
the road,
and joyfully praised God for all the miracles they had seen. They cried
out "Blessings on the King who comes in
the name of the Lord!" Some religious leaders told Jesus to stop the
disciples from calling out. Jesus replied "If these keep silence, the
stones will cry out".
Jesus, you who came in the name of the Lord,
we praise and love you
Listen
Reflection on the above Bible readings: The place where St Paul and friends landed in Malta is called St Paul's Bay. I had the privilege of visiting there in 1982.
-----------------------------
As I continue to try to learn a little Spanish (for the
sake of the many Spanish-speaking prisoners in HK) this report is a worry: Learning
Spanish can be dangerous!
--------------------------------------
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 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, Thursday,
please pacify Al-Qaeda
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Wed May 23
Yesterday morning I spent time with a family who have one member in detention
...and last night I spent time with a family mourning one member who died
recently in detention. God bless both families
Venezuela's woes deepen after Maduro election win
Human
race just 0.01% of all life, but has eradicated most other living things
Pope's new letter -
"Rejoice and Be Glad":
38. Certainly this is a superficial conceit:
there is much movement on the surface, but the mind is neither deeply moved nor
affected. Still, gnosticism exercises a deceptive attraction for some people,
since the gnostic approach is strict and allegedly pure, and can appear to
possess a certain harmony or order that encompasses everything.
--------------------------------------------------------
Chris McDonnell
Time
to talk to someone...
It is the spoken word that is our basic currency of exchange
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The
Book Blog:
4 readings + recordings
Comments welcome here
Readings are from
Simple Bible
Baruch 6: Because of your sins, you will be exiles in
Babylon
for 7 generations. In Babylon when you see all
sorts of idols being worshipped by the local people, say in your hearts:
"Master, it is you we must worship."
Lord, when we are in places where
people are worshipping idols,
please help us remember to pray in our hearts:
"Master, it is you we worship"
My
recording of this reading
Psalms
29-30: The Lord gives us strength, the Lord blesses
us with peace.
Thank you, Lord, for so often helping and healing me.
I cried to you when sickness surrounded me, and you healed me. You changed my mourning into dancing.
So I will thank you always.
Thank you, Lord, for all the
times you have healed me
Listen
Acts
27.21-37: Paul then spoke to everyone: Don't despair.
There will be no loss of life. Last night an angel of God said to me:
"Do not be afraid, Paul. You are destined to go to Rome. Therefore
God grants you the safety of all who are sailing with you". On the 14th day, Paul took some bread, gave
thanks to God in front of them all, broke it and gave it to everyone
to eat. This gave them courage. There were 276 of them on the ship.
Jesus, thank you for the courage that
Communion gives us
Listen
Luke
19.1-9: In Jericho there was a wealthy man named
Zacchaeus, a senior tax collector. He wanted to see what kind of person
Jesus was. But because of his
short stature he couldn't see over the crowd.
So he climbed a tree. Jesus saw him up the
tree and said "Zacchaeus, come down, because I will stay at your
house today". Zacchaeus hurried down
and welcomed Jesus warmly. People complained "He's gone to stay at
the house of an outcast". Zacchaeus replied
"Sir, I am going to give half of my property to the poor. And if I
have cheated anyone, I'll pay them back fourfold". Jesus said to him
"Today salvation has come to this house"
Jesus, please help more
people to want to know and love you
Listen
Reflection on the above readings: In places like Hong Kong where Christians sometimes need to visit temples for family or other reasons, the words of Baruch can be used in our hearts: "Master, it is you we must worship"
-------------------------------------------------------
10 years ago today: 2008-05-23 Happy Birthday Ricci School teacher Nicole and Marco Polo "right hand"
Jenny
------------------------------------------
Yesterday I bought a mango drink from a canteen in Chung
King Mansion. Better name for the drink: boygo,
wasn't an adult mango....just a watered-down mango
drink
--------------------------------------
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 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, Wednesday,
please pacify Al-Shabaab
---------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------
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 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
mobile +86-13828421861 - (only
when in China)
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