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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 35-37

The humble person's prayer pierces the clouds,
so love the Lord with a humble heart.

If a property has no fence, it will be plundered.
If a man has no wife, he is like a boat without an anchor.

Be careful when you consult other people.
After all consultation, follow the advice of your own heart.

Reflection: 
- c.f. St Paul: "God loves a cheerful giver"  (...now we know where he got those words from)
- c.f. Pharisee and publican in Temple: prayer of humble publican was accepted by God
- c.f. compulsory celibacy for priests?!
- c.f. the primacy of conscience

Prayer: Lord, please give me a cheerful and humble heart

Please protect me, Lord, I take refuge in you.
You are the only source of all true happiness.

I bless you, Lord, who guide and lead me.
Even at night you direct my heart.

And so my heart rejoices, my soul is glad.
My body shall rest in safety now and always.

You will show me the path of life,
the fullness of joy in your presence,
at your right hand, happiness for ever.

Reflection:
The Near Death Experience books all try to describe, emphasis on "try", 
the indescribable joy of Heaven..."the fullness of joy in your presence'

Prayer: Thank you, Lord, for the little joys you give us each day
....and the big joy you've prepared for us in Heaven.

Saul kept up his campaign against the Lord's disciples.
He got the ok to arrest followers of the Way in Damascus

But on his way to Damascus, a light from heaven surrounded him.
He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?"

He said "Who are you, Lord?"
The voice replied "I am Jesus, and you are persecuting me.
Go into Damascus and you will be told what to do"

Saul's eyes were open, but for more than a day he was without his sight, and he ate and drank nothing

The Lord got Ananias, a disciple in Damascus, to visit Saul and pray for him.
The Lord said to Ananias "Saul  is my chosen instrument to bring my name to non-Jews and Jews.
He will suffer much for me"

Ananias went to Saul and prayed for him with the laying on of hands.
Straight away, Saul could see again. Then Ananias baptized him

Reflection:
How old was the "young man" Saul?  Early twenties?
He'd had at least one good teacher: Gamaliel.
But Gamaliel was a minority voice among the religious leaders of the time.
Sometimes it's best to follow the minority voice... 

Prayer: Jesus, please help young people find and follow good religious teachers

Jesus told the people another story:

The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field.
An enemy came and sowed weeds in the same field.

When the good seed sprouted, so did the weeds.
The man's servants asked if they should get rid of the weeds.

"No", said the man, "you might damage the good seed if you do that.
Let them both grow till harvest time. Then burn the weeds."

Then Jesus explained his story:

"I am the sower. The field is the world.
The good seed stands for people of good will.
The bad seed stands for people of bad will. The enemy is Satan.

At the end of the world, the Son of Man will send his angels
to sort out the good and the bad people.
Bad people will go to hell.  Good people will go to heaven".

Reflection: 
People of "bad will" are fewer than we think.
People of "bad will" are often just people of "weak will"

Prayer: Jesus, please protect good people from bad people