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:  Jonah 2-4

God arranged for a big fish to swallow Jonah.
Jonah was in the fish for 3 days.

Inside the fish, Jonah prayed to God for help.
God heard Jonah's prayer and got the fish to vomit Jonah on the shore.

Again God told Jonah to preach repentance in Nineveh.
This time Jonah did as God requested.
"Forty days and Nineveh will be destroyed" he proclaimed.

The people of Nineveh believed God's message.
They put on sackcloth and ashes. They fasted and prayed.
They repented of their evil behavior.

God saw their change of heart and spared Nineveh.

Jonah complained to God:
"Your change of mind will cause me a big loss of face."

God said to Jonah:
"Do I not have the right to show compassion to my people?"

Reflection - the words of Jesus in Matthew 12:

12:38 Then some of the scribes and Pharisees spoke up. 'Master,' they said 'we should like to see a sign from you.'

12:39 He replied, 'It is an evil and unfaithful generation that asks for a sign! The only sign it will be given is the sign of the prophet Jonah.

12:40 For as Jonah was in the belly of the sea-monster for three days and three nights, so will the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights.

12:41 On Judgement day the men of Nineveh will stand up with this generation and condemn it, because when Jonah preached they repented; and there is something greater than Jonah here.

Prayer: Jesus, please help me repent of bad behavior

Reading: Psalm 128

O blessed are those who fear the Lord and walk in his ways.

By the labor of your hands you shall eat.
You will be happy and prosper:

your wife like a fruitful vine in the heart of your house;
your children like shoots of the olive, around your table.

Indeed thus shall be blessed
the people who love and honor the Lord.

May the Lord bless you from Zion all the days of your life.
May you see your children's children in a happy Jerusalem!

On Israel, peace!

Reflection:
Whenever I officiate at a wedding, or whenever I send good wishes to people being married, I use the beautiful blessing words of this psalm:
May you see your children's children!

Prayer: Dear Lord, may all married people  live to see their children's children

Reading:  Romans 16

Please welcome our friend Phoebe, a deaconess in the church at Cenchrea. 
She has helped many people, including myself

Greetings to all my friends in Rome, especially Prisca and Aquila,
my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, who risked death to save my life

Be careful of people whose teaching is suspect. Avoid them

Glory to him who is able to give you strength
to live according to the Good News

Reflection:  
"A deaconess":  c.f. the strong movement today for the Church to have deaconesses

Prayer: Jesus, help me live according to your Good News.
Thank you for the beautiful letter to the Romans
p.s.  Please let there be deaconesses again soon!

Reading: Mark 10    

One day some religious leaders put Jesus to the test by asking him
"Is it against the Law of Moses for a man to divorce his wife?"

Jesus replied "God created male and female, for the two to become united as one body.  What God has united, no one should separate."

The religious leaders then asked
"But why did Moses allow divorce?"

Jesus replied "Moses allowed divorce because people were so hard of heart. 
But divorce was not God's plan.

So I say to you, anyone who walks out on their partner and marries someone else,
is guilty of adultery."

Reflection: 
The ideal:  "What God has united, no one should separate."
But St Paul made exceptions: The Pauline Privilege (which has link to the Petrine Privilege)
As I understand Jesus' thinking, someone who has been walked out on ....is allowed to divorce and remarry.  And other exceptions exist...involving such issues as total incompatibility, immaturity, the rights of children of the marriage etc. Not a simple topic. Not at all black and white.

Prayer 
Jesus, please help married people stay together