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 Bible Blogs 

O Holy Spirit, may these passages give me hope, strength, wisdom, compassion, courage and peace for my daily life          Chinese text

  Reading:  Amos 1-9 

It was God who formed the mountains and created the wind.
The Lord is his name.

He says to the House of Israel:

Seek  me and you shall live.
Do not go to the places of idol worship.

Seek good and not evil, so that you may live.
Hate evil and love good.

Injustice and swindling, exploitation of the poor,
this is the reason for earthquakes and disaster.

Reflection:
This short introduction to the Book of Amos
says that Amos taught taught these two ideas: 
- Prayers and sacrifices do not make up for bad deeds
- Behaving justly is much more important than ritual

Prayer: Lord, please help me to do good and avoid evil

Reading:  Psalm 126

When the Lord delivered Zion from bondage,
it seemed like a dream.

Then was our mouth filled with laughter,
on our lips there were songs.

What marvels the Lord worked for us.
Indeed we were glad.

Those who are sowing in tears
will sing when they reap.

They go out, full of tears, carrying seed for the sowing.
They come back, full of song, carrying their sheaves.

Reflection:
Not long ago I received a phone call from a man just out of prison. 
"I'm free!  I'm free!" he kept saying.
That's how the Jewish people felt when they were allowed to leave captivity in Babylon and return to their own land.
That's how addicts feel when they succeed in breaking an addiction.
That's how we'll all feel someday when we leave our captivity here on earth and return to our home in Heaven.

Prayer: Dear God, please free us from all bondage

Reading:  Romans 15

Learn hope from the Scriptures, from the example of people who did not give up,
and were helped by God

May the God of hope bring you such joy and peace in your faith, 
that the power of the Holy Spirit will remove all bounds to hope

Reflection:  
Today is the 95th birthday of a man who never gave up hope
.... through 27 long years of mental and physical suffering in prison.
The Holy Spirit was powerful in his life

Prayer: Holy Spirit of God, help me understand that no situation in this life is ever hopeless, that you can enlighten even the darkest place

Reading: Mark 9    

One day Jesus heard his disciples arguing 
about which one of them was the most important

So he said to them "If you want to be No. 1,
you must become No. 1,000 and a servant of everyone else"

Reflection: 
Conventional wisdom: you need to be a V.I.P.  (very important person)
Jesus' wisdom: you need to be a S.O.P.   (serve others person)

Prayer 
Jesus,  give the world  leaders who care more about their people
than about themselves