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, wisdom, compassion, courage and peace for my daily life     Chinese text

  Reading:  Genesis 33  

When Esau and Jacob met, 
Esau was friendly and kind to Jacob.

Esau accepted all the gifts of animals that Jacob gave him.
But Jacob continued to be wary of Esau.

Jacob moved to Shechem.

One of the men of Shechem raped
and then wanted to marry Jacob's daughter, Dinah.

Jacob and his sons craftily said they would agree to the marriage
if all of the men of Shechem were circumcised.

The men agreed. 
But on the third day
while the Shechem men  were still in a lot of pain
Jacob's sons Simeon and Levi took matters into their own hands.

They killed all the Shechem men,
because their sister Dinah had been raped. 
Jacob did not approve of the killings.

Reflection: 
Jacob did not approve of the killings.
Nor should we approve of people or groups or nations that "take matters into their own hands" in a violent way.  This applies to matters that are being handled by the United Nations....e.g. the Syrian situation...it is not right for the US or any other nation to "take matters into their own hands" and start military attacks without UN authority 

Prayer: Dear God, please stop the US from "taking matters into its own hands" re Syria

Reading: Psalm 16

Please protect me, Lord, I take refuge in you.
You are the only source of all true happiness.

I bless you, Lord, who guide and lead me.
Even at night you direct my heart.

And so my heart rejoices, my soul is glad.
My body shall rest in safety now and always.

You will show me the path of life,
the fullness of joy in your presence,
at your right hand, happiness for ever.

Reflection:
The Near Death Experience books all try to describe, emphasis on "try", 
the indescribable joy of Heaven..."the fullness of joy in your presence"

Prayer: Thank you, Lord, for the little joys you give us each day
....and the big joy you've prepared for us in Heaven.

Reading:  Galatians 1

The Good News I preach is not a human message.
It is something I received from Jesus Christ

I used to persecute the church, but then God called me to follow Jesus

I am  a one-time persecutor who is now preaching the faith I had previously tried to destroy

When I visited Jerusalem three years after my conversion, 
the believers gave glory to God for what he had done for me

Reflection: 
Paul's u-turn experience is reflected in the lives of people like Dr Alexis Carrel who went from being a sceptic about Lourdes to a promoter of its genuineness, after he witnessed a miracle there

Prayer: Jesus, please turn more persecutors into preachers!

Reading:  Luke 1

When Herod was king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah and his wife Elizabeth who were really good people,
but they were childless
Once when they went to the Temple in Jerusalem, Zechariah entered the inner sanctuary to burn incense, while all the people prayed outside

An angel appeared and said "Zechariah, your prayer has been heard. Your wife will have a son and you must name him John.
He will prepare the way of the Lord"

Not long after this, Elizabeth conceived, and for 5 months she kept to herself, thanking God for taking away her humiliation at not being able to have a baby

Reflection:
I know a young couple in Hong Kong who had difficulty conceiving a baby, so they prayed to Elizabeth and Zachary ....and you can guess the end of the story! 

Prayer: Jesus, please help childless couples to have a baby