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 8

Gideon had seventy sons by his wives and concubines.
One of his sons was Abimelech, son of a concubine.

Abimelech became king after murdering all but one
of his 70 half-brothers.

The half-brother who escaped was Jotham.

Abimelech ruled over Israel for 3 years.
Then God sent a spirit of discord
between Abimelech and the leaders of Shechem.

The leaders of Shechem rebelled against Abimelech.
Abimelech started attacking and destroying their towns.

Abimelech besieged the town of  Thebez.
The people of the town took refuge in a tower.

When Abimelech tried to set fire to the tower,
a woman in the tower threw down a large rock
which crushed Abimelech's head.

Abimelech got his armor-bearer to kill him with a sword,
so that no one could say he was killed by a woman.

Reflection: 
Ever since the human family began, ruthless power-hungry people have been using violent means to get power (.. even in the Church!..). What can we do? One thing: pray each day for good leaders. 

Prayer:  Dear Jesus, please give the world good leaders, people who live simply and care about the poor

Reading: Psalms 47-48

All peoples, clap your hands, cry to God with shouts of joy.
For the Lord, our Creator, we must love and honor,
great king over all the earth.

Especially in his holy city is the Lord worthy to be praised.
Praise is fitting in Mount Sion, our earth's most sacred site.

O God, as we pray in your temple,
our hearts meditate on your love.

May peoples and rulers everywhere
acknowledge and love you as Creator of the Universe

Reflection: 
"Clap your hands" ....a joyful form of praise..... as in this 2011 Mass celebrated by Cardinal Bergoglio (Pope Francis)

Prayer: Let all the peoples praise you,  Lord. Let all the peoples praise you!

Reading:  One Peter 4

You spent enough time in the past living a careless life, behaving indecently, drinking all the time, having wild parties

Now that you don't do these things anymore, people can't understand why you've changed, and they tell lies about you

They will have to answer for this to him who will judge everyone at the end of their lives

Reflection: 
Wild parties ....alcohol and drugs .... are increasingly common among young people.
How can parents protect their children from such a dangerous life style?  One way is to give a good example in the moderate use of alcohol, with alcohol being taken at meals (c.f. France, Italy, China) rather than by itself (c.f. UK, USA, Australia)

 Prayer: Jesus, please rescue young people from wild party life

Reading:  John 10

Jesus said to the religious leaders "I am the Good Shepherd.
The Good Shepherd is one who lays down his life for his sheep

A hired man, since he has no real concern for the sheep,
abandons them and runs away if he sees a wolf coming

I am the Good Shepherd.
I know my own sheep, and my own sheep know me"

Reflection:
No doubt the above reading makes us think of the Korean ship captain whom videos show scurrying from his sinking ship containing hundreds of drowning students

Prayer: Jesus, Good Shepherd, please help leaders have genuine care for people in their responsibility