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:  Lamentations

The roads to Zion are in mourning.
No one comes to her festivals now.

Jerusalem is a captured city,
a city of ruins.

All you who pass this way, look and see.
Is there any sorrow like mine?

My eyes are wasted away from crying
as I see children dying of starvation.

Yet deep in my heart there is hope that the Lord will rescue us
from this calamity which our sins have caused.

The favors of the Lord are not just something of the past.
His kindness is for the present, even in times of despair.

Every morning there are signs of his kindness,
and so I will continue to hope in him for help.

Lord, forgive us for abandoning you.
Do not abandon us.

Reflection: 
At a time of great personal and national tragedy and sorrow,
a powerful prayer of hope and faith was produced (= the above words),
which are here sung in this really beautiful YouTube video The steadfast love of the Lord 

Prayer: Lord, especially when I'm in trouble, please help me to keep trusting in you for help

   Reading:  Psalm 102

O Lord, listen to my prayer in my distress.
Do not hide your face from me.

For my days are vanishing like smoke,
my bones burn away like a fire.

I forget to eat my bread.
My skin clings to my bones.

All day long my foes revile me.
Those who hate me use my name as a curse.

But you, O Lord, will endure for ever.
You will arise and have mercy on Sion.

You will hear the groans of the prisoners
and free those condemned to die.

I pray to you: "Do not take me away before my time has come,
you whose days last from age to age.

Reflection: 
This is a special prayer for people experiencing great distress, physical or mental.
Very often all they can do is "hang in there", like Jesus on the Cross.
Like Jesus on the Cross, all they can do is try to think of the day of resurrection following the day of crucifixion

Prayer:  Lord, please help people who are in great distress. Help them "hang in there"

Reading:  Romans 3

Only by faith in Jesus can we really become holy in God's sight.
This faith is a free gift of God's grace to us

Only when Jesus is in our hearts, can our hearts become holy in God's sight

Reflection: Our most important card:

Prayer: A simple song, very popular with Hong Kong inmates: Jesus, live in my heart

Reading: Mark 3     

Jesus again went to a prayer hall on the Sabbath.
In the hall was a man with a withered hand.

The religious leaders were watching Jesus to see if he would heal on the Sabbath,
hoping for something to use against him.

Jesus said to the man with the withered hand "Stand in the middle of the hall".
Then he said to the religious leaders "Is it against the law on the Sabbath to do good?"

They remained silent. Grieved that they were so obstinate, 
Jesus looked angrily round at them, and said to the man "Stretch out your hand".

He stretched it out and it was healed.
The leaders left and began to plot how to get rid of Jesus.

Reflection:
The Greek text has μετ’ ὀργῆς, "with anger, angrily".
Sometimes, in a controlled way (?), not too often (!) ....it's ok...maybe even good/necessary...to get angry,
like Jesus in the above story (and when he drove sellers out of the Temple)

Prayer: Jesus, don't let me get angry too often!