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

  Reading:  Genesis 44 

Joseph had his brothers' sacks filled with free grain,
then he gave them back their money.

But he again put them to the test:
he got his servants to put his special chalice
in Benjamin's sack.

Not long after the brothers left,
Joseph's servants caught up with them
and asked them why had they stolen Joseph's chalice.

They replied that they would never dream of doing such a thing
and that if the chalice was found in anyone's sack
that man would die.

Each man's sack was opened, beginning with the oldest,
and finally the chalice was discovered in Benjamin's sack.

On returning to Joseph's home
the brothers pleaded with Joseph not to punish Benjamin.

Judah even offered to be Joseph's slave for life
in return for Benjamin's freedom

Reflection: 
Joseph continues his game of cat and mouse with his brothers ...maybe to elicit their repentance?  Or to produce a more genuine type of reconciliation?  
Maybe sometimes God plays games with us??!

Prayer: Dear God, please help troubled families to work towards reconciliation that is genuine and not just superficial

Reading: Psalms 29, 30

The Lord gives us strength, the Lord blesses us with peace.

Thank you, Lord, for so often helping and healing me.
I cried to you when sickness surrounded me, and you healed me.

You  changed my mourning into dancing.
So I will thank you always.

Reflection:
King David, or whoever wrote these psalms, believed in Heavenly healing!

Prayer: Thank you, Lord, for all the times you have healed me

Reading:  Galatians 6

God cannot be cheated. Where we sow is where we will reap

If we sow in the field of self-indulgence, we will get a harvest of corruption

If we sow in the field of the Spirit, we will get a harvest of eternal life

Never tire of doing good

Reflection: 
Every human person is a ...farmer! ....sowing....producing a good or a bad harvest ....sometimes a harvest that contains weeds as well as wheat. 
Our aim must be: wheat - maximum; weeds - minimum

Prayer: Jesus, help me sow in the field of the Spirit by doing good

Reading:  Luke 2

Joseph and Mary moved back to their own town of Nazareth.
The child Jesus was filled with wisdom as he grew older

Each year  Joseph and Mary would take Jesus to Jerusalem for the celebration of the  Passover. When Jesus was 12 years old, they went to Jerusalem as usual

But when their traveling group left Jerusalem, Jesus stayed behind without his parents knowing it.  They presumed he was somewhere with the group . When they couldn't find him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for him

After 2 days, they found him,  in the Temple, listening to the religion teachers and asking them questions. People who heard him were astounded at his intelligence

His mother said to him "My child, why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been really worried about you"

Jesus replied "Why were you looking for me? Didn't you know that I must be concerned with my Father's work?"  But they didn't understand what he meant

He went with them to Nazareth and lived under their authority.
His mother stored all these things in her heart

Reflection:
In today's Genesis reading: Joseph playing Cat and Mouse with his brothers.
In this Gospel reading: Jesus playing Hide and Seek with Mary and Joseph!
I rest my case that God sometimes plays games with us!

Prayer: Jesus, please help all "lost children" to be found!  (and please, not too games...unless of course they are for our good)