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 12, 13

Jephthah was judge in Israel for 6 years.
For the following 25 years,
Ibzan (7 years), Elon (10 years)  and Abdon  (8 years) were judges.

After these judges, the Israelites again were unfaithful to the Lord
and so they were oppressed by the Philistines for 40 years.

It was then that the angel of the Lord appeared to Manoah's wife
and said to her:

"You are barren and have had no child.
But you will soon conceive and bear a son.
No razor is to touch his head,
for he shall be dedicated to the Lord from his mother's womb.
It is he who will rescue Israel from the Philistines".

The woman gave birth to a son and called him Samson.
The child grew and the Lord blessed him.

Reflection: 
In ancient times, and still in some places today, not having children was/is a sad thing. Today in many parts of the world, we are at the other extreme: people don't want children. As Pope John Paul II once said "we are heavily influenced by the culture of death" and need to stand up for the culture of life

Prayer:  Dear Lord, please bless all barren women

Reading: Psalm 51

Have mercy on me, God, in your kindness,
and cleanse me of my sin.

My offences truly I know them.
What is evil in your sight I have done.

But in my defence please don't forget that sinfulness is part of the human condition, part of our DNA.

A pure heart create for me, O God.
Put a steadfast spirit within me.

Give me again the joy of your help.
With a spirit of fervor sustain me.

Reflection: 
Most people have a shower every day.
No shower....smell.
We also need a spiritual shower every day....to clean off the day's shortcomings.
Spiritual shower: before sleep at night...an "Our Father" to thank God for the blessings of the day
and to ask pardon for the day's shortcomings/failures/sins

Prayer: Lord, you will not spurn a humbled, contrite heart

Reading:  One Peter 5

To those of you who are elders I say: I am an elder myself,
a witness to the sufferings of Christ

Be good shepherds of the flock that God has entrusted to you.
Watch over it, not simply as a duty, or for sordid money,
but gladly, because that's what God wants you to do

Never be a dictator over any group that is in your charge,
but be an example that the whole flock can follow

When the Chief Shepherd appears,
you will be given the crown of unfading glory

Reflection: 
Someone once said that the best form of government is dictatorship - benevolent dictatorship ....meaning wise and caring leadership = being a good shepherd!

 Prayer: Jesus, please help all civic and church leaders be good shepherds

Reading:  John 11

Lazarus and his sisters Mary and Martha lived in the village of Bethany. When Lazarus became very sick, the sisters sent a message to Jesus "Lord, your dear friend is very sick"

By the time  Jesus and his disciples arrived in Bethany,
Lazarus was dead and buried for 4 days

Martha said to Jesus "If you had been here, my brother would not have died"

Jesus replied "I am the resurrection and the life. If anyone believes in me, he will have life after death"

Jesus said to Mary and Martha "Where have you put him?"  Jesus cried as he went to the tomb. The tomb was a cave with a stone at the entrance

Jesus said "Take the stone away". Then he called out in a loud voice "Lazarus, come out!"

The dead man came out, wrapped in burial clothes. Jesus said "Unwrap him and let him go free"

Reflection:
In English, the shortest verse in the whole Bible is "Jesus wept" 
....such was the importance of these two words for the people who designed the Bible's verses and numbers many centuries ago 

Prayer: Jesus, you are the Resurrection and the Life. Please give eternal life to all who have died recently, and give consolation to their sorrowful relatives and friends