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:  Joshua 11-21

Some kings in the north combined to fight the Israelites.
But the Lord delivered them into the power of Israel.

Eventually the whole country had rest from war,
and the land was divided up among the 11 tribes.

So it was that the Lord gave the Israelites all the land
he had sworn to give their ancestors.
They took possession of it and settled there.

The Lord granted them peace on all their frontiers
just as he had sworn to their ancestors.

Of all the promises that the Lord had made to the House of Israel,
not one failed.  All were fulfilled.

Reflection: 
"Eventually" (above), say the Bible scholars, probably was many decades or even longer ....and even then some parts of the country were not in Israelite hands.
But the main point is, that by perseverance the Israelites gradually achieved their goal
...with the help of the same Lord who helps us (eventually!?) achieve our goals

Prayer:  Dear God, please give us perseverance to achieve our goals ...with your help

Reading: Psalm 32

Happy is the person whose sin is forgiven.

For a while I refused to ask for forgiveness,
and my body paid the penalty.

But then I said "Lord, forgive me"
and my spirit and body revived.

Reflection:
Sometimes, not always, maybe not even often, but sometimes there's a link
between sin and sickness.  c.f. An article on guilt and health

Prayer: Lord, when I do wrong, please give me the grace to say sorry and ask forgiveness of you and people I have hurt

Reading:  James 5

If one of you is in trouble, pray. If you are happy, sing a psalm

If someone is sick, send for the elders of the church. They must anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord, and pray over him.
The prayer of faith will save the sick man and the Lord will raise him up. If he has committed any sins, he will be forgiven

Confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another,
and this will heal you

The heartfelt prayer of a good person is very powerful. Elijah prayed 
for rain, and rain came

Reflection: 
At the time the above words were written, Christians took it for granted that prayer would heal sickness. They had great faith in the power of healing prayer.  

Prayer:  Jesus, please help sick people have the opportunity
to receive the "Anointing of the Sick"

Reading:  John 6

After hearing what Jesus said about his flesh and blood, many of his disciples said "How can anyone believe in such crazy ideas?"  Many disciples then stopped following Jesus

Jesus said to the 12 apostles "What about you? Are you also going to leave me?"

Peter replied "Lord, who shall we go to? You have the message of eternal life. We believe you are the Holy One of God"

Reflection:
What a sad day this must have been for Jesus. He would have experienced pain like that of parents when children walk out on them, or when a spouse walks out on his/her partner and their children

Prayer: Jesus, please don't ever let me stop following you