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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:  Sirach 10-11

What has dust and ashes to pride itself on?
A king today is a corpse tomorrow.

Do not praise a person for good looks,
nor dislike anyone for appearance.

Small among winged creatures is the bee,
but nothing is sweeter than her honey.

Reflection:
Best reflection on above words is from Confucius who has the same idea

Prayer: Lord, please give our world good leaders, at all levels of government....and in the Church, too

When people make fun of me for believing in you, Lord,
I deeply remember how you are my help and my shield.

Even when the whole world seems against me,
I can go to bed and sleep easy, knowing that you protect me.

O Lord, please rescue me from people who plot against me.
Lord our savior, please bless everyone who needs help

Reflection:
When people made fun of Jesus, even mocked him.... under his breath (& then out loud on the Cross) he prayed for them.
Not easy to do....not easy to remember: at the very moment someone is making fun of us...silently in the heart to pray for them

Prayer: Jesus, when I am made fun of, please help me pray for the people ridiculing me

When the leaders had their big meeting later that same morning,
they sent for the apostles to be brought from prison

The police went to the prison, then came back and reported to the leaders
"We found that the prison was properly locked, and the guards were on duty.
But when we unlocked the door, there was no one inside"

Then a man arrived at the meeting with the news
"At this very moment, the men you imprisoned are now in the Temple preaching to the people"

The police again arrested the apostles and brought them to the meeting

When the main religious leader reminded them of his previous warning not to preach,
Peter and the apostles replied "Obedience to God comes before obedience to men.
God  raised Jesus up to be the Savior. We are witnesses to this,
we and the Holy Spirit whom God gives to those who obey him"

This made the leaders so angry that they wanted to kill the apostles

Reflection:
Obedience to God comes before obedience to people....that's why, when Pope Peter compromised his principles (about eating with pagans), bishop Paul stood up to him and opposed him. If a pope or bishop or priest or teacher or spouse or parent or child or government official or friend wants me to do something that compromises my loyalty to God, I have to say "sorry...can't do"

Prayer: Jesus, please help me put obedience to you before all other obediences

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 our devils.

Reflection:  
In his book The Healing Reawakening  Francis MacNutt says that every Christian is invited by Jesus to pray for the healing  of "all kinds of sicknesses".
MacNutt says such a role should be part of the normal role of every priest and pastor
Prayer: Jesus, please help all Christians, especially all ministers, rediscover the healing ministry