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:  Judges 4-6

Gideon prepared to go to war with the Midianites.
But God told him to reduce his number of soldiers.

The army was told
"Let anyone who is frightened or fearful go home".

22,000 men went home; 10,000 stayed.

The Lord  said there were still too many.
"So many men might cause Israel to claim that a victory
had nothing to do with the Lord".

So Gideon got the men to go to the river to drink.

All those who lapped the water, like a dog, he put on one side.
These numbered 300.

The rest knelt down and used their hands to drink.
These were sent home.

Gideon divided his 300 men into 3 groups, 
surrounding the Midianite camp.

To each man he gave a horn and an empty water container,
with a torch inside each container.

In the middle of the night, they attacked.
They sounded their horns and smashed their containers,
holding a horn in their right hand and a torch in their left.

The Midianites woke in terror,
thinking that the Israelites had a huge number of men.

In their panic, the Midianites attacked each other
as they fled the camp.

The Israelites drove the Midianites from the Israelite homeland.

Reflection: 
The worst way to face a problem: forget about asking God for help
The best way to face a problem/opponent etc: ask God for help

Prayer:  Dear God, when I face a problem, please help me remember to ask your help

Reading: Psalm 42-45

Like a deer that longs for running streams,
so my soul is longing for you, my God.

My soul is thirsting for you, the God of my life.
I think of you all the time, here in my land of exile.

People make fun of us here in exile.
They  taunt us saying "Where is your God?"

Yet no matter what happens we will hope in you,
for you are our saviour and our God.

No matter where we are or what happens to us,
our hearts will long for you, like a bride longing for her groom.

Reflection:
3,000 years after the above words were written, people still make fun of those who believe in God:
Is Catholicism now deemed to be old-fashioned, irrational, and unacceptable?

Prayer: Lord, no matter how much people make fun of me for being a believer, may I continue to thirst for you

Reading:  One Peter 3

Wives, honor and respect your husbands. If some husbands  are not yet believers, they may find themselves won over to the Lord, without a word spoken, by the goodness of their wives

Wives, do not dress up for show: special hair style, gold bracelets, expensive clothes - all outside stuff

What matters is what's inside: a sweet and gentle disposition - that's what God likes

Husbands, be kind and thoughtful to your wives, 
respecting them as equals

Reflection: 
May we give as much attention to what's inside as we do to the outside stuff

Prayer:  Jesus,  please help  husbands and wives imitate your love

Reading:  John 9

Once when Jesus was walking along the road, he saw a man who had been blind from birth

Jesus spat on the ground and made some mud with the spittle. He put the mud on the man's eyes, and said "Go and wash in the Siloam Pool"

The blind man went and washed, and came away able to see

When the blind man heard people criticize Jesus, he said "Ever since the world began, it has never been recorded that someone opened the eyes of a man born blind. This man must be from God"

Reflection:
Canadian man born blind sees for the first time at age 68 after he FELL down the stairs

Prayer: Jesus, please heal my blind friend ....(name)