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 us hope, wisdom, compassion,
courage and peace for our daily life     Chinese text

  Reading:  Exodus 12-13 

God said to Moses and Aaron
"From now on, this month is to be the first month of your year.

On the evening of the 14th day of this month
each family must kill and eat a one year old male sheep or goat.
Some of its blood must be put on your front door.

You must eat it in a hurry,
with a belt round your waist, sandals on your feet
and a staff in your hand.

This night I will go through the land of Egypt
and strike every first-born Egyptian

But when I see the blood on your doors
I shall PASS OVER your homes
and you shall be unharmed.

Each year you must remember this night.
Each year you must observe this feast of the Passover.
You also must consecrate all first-born to me."
-------------

That night God indeed struck dead the first-born
of all the Egyptians,
including the son of Pharaoh.

There was great mourning in Egypt
and Pharaoh finally agreed to let the Israelites go.

The Israelites now numbered about 600,000 men,
having been in Egypt exactly 430 years.

As the people travelled, God went before them
in the form of a pillar of cloud during the day
and a pillar of fire at night.

Reflection:
The blood of a lamb saved the Israelites at the first Passover.
Jesus' blood saved the whole world at the Feast of the Passover.
Jesus is our Passover/Paschal Lamb

Prayer: Dear God,  please help me understand 
the full meaning of the Passover story

Reading: Psalms 61-65

O God, hear my cry,
you who are my refuge and help.

In you alone is my soul at rest. 
My help comes from you.

Take refuge in God, everyone in trouble.
Trust him at all times.

O God, you are my God, for you I long.
My body and soul thirst for you
like a dry, weary land without water.

Your love is better than life,
my lips will speak your praise.

On my bed I remember you.
On you I muse through the night.

You are the Creator of the world.
You care for the earth, you give it water.

To you our praise is due,
wherever we are on earth.

Reflection: 
Physically we thirst for something to drink.
Spiritually we thirst for God.
Jesus spoke about the best spiritual drink: the spring of living water...the Holy Spirit.
And on the other side of the coin, Jesus thirsts - for our love.
c.f. Preface of Lent 3 -  speaks of Jesus' thirst to receive the faith of the Samaritan woman.
c.f. Crucifix in houses of Mother Teresa's sisters:  at top of every crucifix are the words of Jesus on the Cross (with the same double meaning): "I thirst" 

Prayer: Lord, my soul clings to you. Your right hand holds me fast. Only you can satisfy my deepest thirst, my deepest longings

Reading:  Ephesians 5 

In your families, treat each other as Christ wants you to:

Wives, in your husbands see Christ the head of the Church.
Husbands,  love your wives as Christ loves the Church

When men and women get married, they become one body.
This sacred action helps us understand the relationship between Christ and the Church

Reflection: 
Jesus' love for us is that of a lover. Many saints have prayed "Lord, give me a lover's love for you"

Prayer: Jesus, please help husbands and wives to love each other
the way you love the Church

Reading:  Luke 6

Jesus went to the hills to pray. He spent a whole night praying.
In the morning he called all his disciples together. He chose 12 of them and called them "apostles":

Peter and his brother Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Simon, Judas son of James - and Judas Iscariot who became a traitor

Jesus and the 12 came down from the hill to a place of level ground.
Gathered there were his many disciples and a large crowd of people from all over the country who had come to hear him and to be healed of diseases

People in the crowd tried to touch Jesus because power came out of him that cured everyone

Reflection:
12 tribes of Israel...so Jesus chose 12 apostles for the New Israel, his Church.
And the basic mission of apostles in the Church is "going out" ("apostle" = "sent"). Modern day apostles should be people who "go out" (as Pope Francis says)

Prayer: Jesus, please help modern day apostles be people who "go out"