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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:  Jeremiah 18-20

Some officials decided to get rid of Jeremiah.
They did not want to listen to his message any more.
"Come on,", they said, "let us make a case against him."

Jeremiah prayed to God:
"Lord, you know that people are plotting against me.
Please help me and keep me safe."

One of the Temple priests had Jeremiah beaten
and put in stocks for a day near the Temple.

Again Jeremiah prayed to God:
"You have seduced me, Lord.
You have told me to proclaim a harsh message for the people.

This has made me a laughing-stock.
Being your messenger has caused me insult  all the day long.

At one stage I even thought of not speaking your message any more.
But then I felt a fire burning in my heart. 

I could not stop thinking of you. 
I just had to speak your message."

Reflection: 
The term "laughing stock" in English began about the 16th century.
Poor Jeremiah was a laughing stock 2,000 years before that.
Jesus was a laughing stock, mocked even on the Cross.
Christians can expect sometimes to be a laughing stock.

Prayer: Lord,  please increase my love for you. Please give me more courage to speak your message to my family, friends and people I meet
...even if at times such witnessing causes me to be a laughing stock

Reading:   Psalm 92

It is good to give thanks to the Lord,
to make music to your name, O Most High,

to proclaim your love in the morning,
and your truth right through the night.

Your deeds, O Lord, have made me glad.
For the work of your hands, I shout with joy.

To me you give the wild ox's strength.
You anoint me with the purest oil.

May we love and praise you right through our lives,
right till the end of our days.

May we keep on proclaiming your goodness,
proclaiming that in you, our rock, there is only goodness.

Reflection: 
How readily and rightly we praise people who have done something special, like winning an Olympic medal.
How readily and rightly we should praise our Creator who made the universe and gave us life

Prayer: Lord, it is right and fitting to love and praise you

Reading:  Acts 27

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

Reflection: 
Apart from Paul and Luke, were there any other Christians among the 276?
Yet Paul gave Communion to all of them.
c.f. final chapter of The Homeless Bishop by Joseph Girzone for a similar Communion service.
c.f. last Sunday's Gospel of the loaves and fishes ...Jesus fed the whole crowd, not just "the good ones"

Prayer: Jesus, thank you for the courage that Communion gives us

Reading: Mark 1

This is the story of the Good News about Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

Long ago God said through  the prophet Isaiah
"I am going to send my messenger before you. He will prepare your way. 
A voice cries out in the wilderness: prepare a way for the Lord".

And so it was that John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness,
proclaiming a baptism for the forgiveness of sins.

As the people were baptized by John in the river Jordan,
they confessed their sins.

John wore a garment of camel skin.
Locusts and wild honey were his food.

He said to the people "Someone is coming who is more important than I am. 
I am not worthy to kneel down and undo his sandal straps.

I baptize you with water. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit".

Reflection:
YouTube: Prepare ye the way of the Lord

Prayer: Jesus, please help us prepare a way for you like John the Baptist