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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:  Jonah 1 

God said to Jonah: "Go to the city of Nineveh and preach repentance." 
Jonah was afraid to go to Nineveh.  He ran away.

He boarded a ship  for Tarshish.
When the ship was at sea, a great storm hit the ship.

The sailors drew lots to see who was responsible for this bad luck.
The lot chose Jonah who admitted his guilt in disobeying God .

The sailors then threw Jonah overboard.
The sea immediately became calm again.

Reflection:
Whether the story of Jonah is literally true or is just a teaching story,
one thing is for sure: running away from God's will (like Jonah) brings "bad luck"/unhappiness.
I once heard a priest say that before he entered the seminary he had a feeling in his heart
that he'd never be happy in life unless he at least tried to become a priest (by going to the seminary) i.e. if he "ran away" from the idea of a vocation (that seemed to be coming from God) he'd never be happy

Prayer: Lord, please don't let me "run away from" anything you are asking me to do

Reading: Psalm 127

If the Lord does not build the house, 
in vain do its builders labor.

If the Lord does not watch over the city,
in vain does the watchman keep vigil.

Success comes not from earlier rising or from going later to rest,
but from the Lord's blessing.

Success is from the Lord
who blesses the womb of his beloved while she sleeps.

Truly, children are a gift from the Lord,
a blessing, the fruit of the womb.

Reflection:
I once heard a young lady say "I'm not going to be a baby factory".
Now she's a devoted and most loving mother of two beautiful children

Prayer: Lord, many people these days don't want children. 
Please help such people understand that children are a blessing

Reading:  Romans 15

The reason I have written to you is to encourage you in your faith.
This is my job from God

He has appointed me as a priest of Jesus Christ.
I must do all I can to spread the Good News

I hope to see you on my way to Spain

Please pray for me that I may be protected from people who want to eliminate me

Reflection:  
Some people say there's no mention of Christian priests in the New Testament.
But the above line says Paul was a priest.
Many articles have been written about this one line (Romans 15.16)
and most authors say Paul understood himself to be a priest in the liturgical sense.
40 years ago I put Paul's words on my ordination card

Prayer: Jesus, help me do all I can to spread your Good News

Reading: Mark 9    

Jesus' apostle  John, said "Master, we saw a man who is not one of our group casting out devils in your name. Because he was not one of us, we tried to stop him"

Jesus said "You must not stop him. No one who works a miracle in my name is going to speak evil of me. Anyone who is not against us is for us

In fact, even someone who gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to me,  will be rewarded"

Reflection: 
John thought Jesus was the exclusive property of the apostles.
Catholics used to think Jesus was the exclusive property of Catholics.
Other denominations used to think Jesus was the exclusive property of their denomination.
Today, as 2,000 years ago, Jesus says "you must not stop them using my name"

Prayer 
Jesus, please help me stop dividing people into "us and them"