Computer Cud    Vatican II asks us to read the Bible every day,   'to have a burning love'   for the Word of God      Resolution

This plan follows the Sunday liturgy:  reading + psalm + reading + gospel       From  www.simplebible.info         Previous R-R-P 

O Holy Spirit, please guide me as I read these passages for today.                     
May these passages give me hope, strength, wisdom, compassion, courage and peace for my daily life     Chinese text

Reading:  Proverbs 16

Kindness and loyalty make up for sin.
Love of the Lord brings avoidance of evil.

If the Lord is pleased with your way of life,
he will cause your enemies to become your friends.

Pride goes before destruction,
a haughty spirit before a fall.

A troublemaker sows strife.
A talebearer separates friends.

Better to be a peaceful person than a hero.
Better to be master of yourself than the conqueror of a city.

Reflection:
Once again, every line full of good advice, full of wisdom for our daily lives.
Some of these lines are famous in English: "Man proposes, God disposes", "Pride goes before a fall" etc.

Prayer: Lord, please give me a humble, peaceful spirit

O Praise the Lord, all you nations.
Acclaim him, all you peoples!

Strong is his love for us.
He is faithful for ever.

Reflection: 
One of my favourite psalms.....on the cover of Old Testament Simple Bible in English and in Chinese.  Also on my anniversary card of 1998

Prayer: May all the nations love and praise you, Lord

Then war broke out in heaven. 
Michael and his angels fought the dragon and his angels

Michael won.
Satan and his followers were driven out of heaven

The great dragon, the serpent, known as the Devil or Satan,
was hurled down to earth. His angels were hurled down with him

The dragon began to make war on the children of the Woman
 - those who obey God and bear witness to Jesus

Reflection:
At a talk in 1972 Pope Paul VI said:
Evil is not merely an absence of something but an active force, a living, spiritual being that is perverted and that perverts others. It is a terrible reality, mysterious and frightening.
Many passages in the Gospel show us that we are dealing not just with one Devil, but with many.
But the principal one is Satan, which means the adversary, the enemy; and along with him are many others, all of them creatures of God, but fallen because they rebelled and were damned—a whole mysterious world, convulsed by a most unfortunate drama about which we know very little.

Prayer: Jesus, may your holy angels, especially Michael,  protect us from Satan

Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene

Seeing his mother and John the apostle standing near her, Jesus said to his mother "He is your son". Then to John he said "She is your mother".  From that moment, John regarded Mary as his own mother

Jesus said "My work is finished".
Then he bowed his head and died

Reflection:
Jesus and John the apostle were first cousins. Their mothers were sisters. In front of John's mother, Jesus says that Mary is John's mother, and John is Mary's son. Bible scholars point out that John here is representing the whole world, especially all believers. Jesus is saying that his mother, Mary, is the spiritual mother of all peoples, especially all believers. Jesus is saying "He is your spiritual son" and  "she is your spiritual mother"

Prayer: Mary, heavenly mother, spiritual mother of all peoples, help us understand how your son Jesus by his Cross redeemed the whole world