V2Catholic.com
A voice for the poor
by HK prison chaplain 胡頌恆神父Dr
Jesus Centre 187 Temple St Jordan
Fr John Wotherspoon
O.M.I.
jdwomi@gmail.com
+852 67095674
Imitating
Pope Francis
Thu Nov 20
Hello from St Paul's Retreat Centre in Sheung Shui where I arrived yesterday afternoon for an O.M.I. meeting after attending a "mention" hearing yesterday morning at Kowloon City Court for one of my surety cases. After the meeting finishes with lunch tomorrow, I hope to go to nearby Lo Wu women's prison for a while
Death-row
Filipina to be sent back from Indonesia
Pope's
new encyclical "He Loved Us"
26. Saint Bonaventure said that in the end you have to ask "not the light, but the fire." And he taught that "faith is in the intellect, so that it provokes affection. For example: knowing that Christ died for us does not remain knowledge, but necessarily becomes affection, love." Along these lines, St. John Henry Newman took as his motto the phrase " Cor ad cor loquitur ", because beyond all dialectics, the Lord saves us by speaking to our hearts from his sacred Heart. This same logic meant that for him, a great thinker, the place of the deepest encounter with himself and with the Lord was not reading or reflection, but prayerful dialogue, from heart to heart, with Christ alive and present. For this reason Newman found in the Eucharist the living Heart of Jesus Christ, capable of liberating, of giving meaning to every moment and of pouring out true peace to the human being: "Most sacred and beloved Heart of Jesus, you are hidden in the Holy Eucharist and still suffer for us. I venerate you, then, with all my best love and reverence, with my fervent affection, with my greatest submission and the most resolute will. My God, when you condescend to suffer me to receive you, to eat you, to drink you, and for a moment to take up your abode in me, make my heart beat with yours. Purify it from all that is earthly, from all that is pride and sensuality, from all that is hard and cruel, from all wickedness, from all disorder, from all mortality. Fill it so with yourself that neither the events of the moment nor the circumstances of the time will have power to alter it, but that in your love and in your fear it may be at peace"
-------------------------
The Book Blog:
readings + recordings
Readings are from
Simple Bible
Leviticus 26-27:
God's words through Moses:
"If you keep my commandments
I will bless you in every way:
- you will have rain at the right time
- the earth shall give its produce
- your land will know peace
- you will be fruitful and multiply
- I will be in your midst: I will be your God
and you shall be my people.
But if you ignore my words and break my commandments
- you will have no peace
- there will be no rain
- the earth shall not yield its produce
- sickness and pestilence will afflict you
- you will be scattered among the nations".
Dear God, please help us
to keep your commandments
My
recording of this reading
Psalm
112: Happy are people who love and honor the Lord,
who take delight in his commands.
The children of such people will be blessed. Such people are a light in the darkness for
others.
Such people are generous, merciful and just. They take pity and help those in
need.
They conduct their affairs with integrity. Open-handed they give to the poor.
Their justice and goodness will never be forgotten. Lord, please help me do more
for the poor
Listen
Revelation
2.1-4: The Son of Man gave me this message for the
church in Ephesus:
"I know all about you. I know how much you have suffered for me.
But your love has grown cold. Repent, and revive your original love"
Jesus, keep my love for you strong. Don't let
it grow cold
Listen
Luke 2.21-32: When the baby was circumcised on the 8th day,
he was given the name Jesus, the name the angel had given him 9 months
before. When Jesus was 40 days old, his parents took
him to the Temple in Jerusalem to present him to the Lord, as the Law
required. In Jerusalem there was an old man named
Simeon. The Holy Spirit had revealed to him that before he died, he
would see the Christ of the Lord. Prompted by the Spirit, he came
to the Temple, took Jesus in his arms and praised God, saying:
"Now, Master, you can let your servant go in peace, for my eyes have
seen the Savior. He is a light to enlighten the pagans, and he is the
glory of your people Israel"
Jesus, true Light of the world, we praise you
Lord
Listen
Reflection: Global warming reflects the words of Leviticus: human behaviour can influence the weather
-----------------
This
week I have been at 3 courts (District, High and Kowloon City) for 4 cases ....I
think that's my record for 2024!
--------------------
Please join me in praying for one part of the world each day, especially for the leaders of that area:
Sun:
Mon:
Tues:
Wed:
Thurs: S.E. Asia, Pacific
Frid:
Sat:
Cent,
Jesus,
today, Thursday,
please bless
the people of
And praying for one
part of the Mainland each day of the month:
On this 20th of the month, Jesus please bless the people of
And praying for one of the
world's poorest countries each day of the month:
On this 20th
of the month, Jesus please bless the people of Sudan
And praying for one Islam-related
intention each day of the
week:
Jesus, today, Thursday, please pacify Al-Qaeda
----------------------------
Wed Nov 19
Yesterday morning I was at the District Court for a
"mention" of a case for whom I am surety ...followed by a visit to
the High Court where a woman from Africa and local HK man were being sentenced
for drug trafficking ....both were given reductions for taking part in my
anti-drug campaign. While at the High Court I paid a small bail fee to secure
the release of a man at Lai Chi Kok prison ....I took a High Court
"release authorisation" to LCK for the release.
Last night on behalf of MercyHK, Eddie Chan and I attended the annual Rotary
"The One" ceremony. Many thanks Rotary for most
generous donation to MercyHK to help prisoners.
Pope's
new encyclical "He Loved Us"
25. Where the thinking of the philosopher halts, there the heart of the believer presses on in love and adoration, in pleading for forgiveness and in willingness to serve in whatever place the Lord allows us to choose, in order to follow in his footsteps. At that point, we realize that in God’s eyes we are a “Thou”, and for that very reason we can be an “I”. Indeed, only the Lord offers to treat each one of us as a “Thou”, always and forever. Accepting his friendship is a matter of the heart; it is what constitutes us as persons in the fullest sense of that word.
-----------------------------
The
Book Blog:
4 readings + recordings
Comments welcome here
Readings are from
Simple Bible
Leviticus 24-25:
God's words through Moses:
"Every seventh year your land is to have a rest,
a sabbath for the Lord.
Every fifty years will be a Year of Jubilee:
no sowing, no harvesting, a time for freeing slaves".
Dear God, please help us
understand and keep your word
My
recording of this reading
Psalm
111: I will thank the Lord with all my heart.
Great are the works of the Lord,
to be pondered by all who love him. His goodness stands firm for ever.
The Lord is compassion and love. His precepts are for all peoples and all
times.
He is to be honored by all nations. To love and honor the Lord
is the beginning of wisdom.
Dear Lord, please help me to
love and honor you every day
Listen
Revelation
1.9-17: I, John, share your sufferings. I was on the
island of Patmos, imprisoned for having preached about Jesus. One Sunday the
Spirit possessed me. I heard a
voice shouting
"Write down all you see, and send it to the seven churches of
Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea".
I turned to see who had spoken to me, and I
saw Jesus,
full of glory. His face was like the sun shining with all its force. He said to me "Do not be afraid. It is I,
the First and the Last. I am the Living One"
Jesus, Living One, we praise and adore you,
Lord
Listen
Luke
2.15-20: After the angels went away, the shepherds
said to one another
"Let's go to Bethlehem and see what the Lord has told us about".
So they quickly went and found Mary and
Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. People who heard the shepherds
talk about the angels were amazed. As for Mary, she treasured every moment of
what had happened
and pondered the whole event in her heart. The shepherds went back to their fields
glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen
Jesus we adore you, Jesus we adore you, Jesus we
adore you, Christ the Lord
Listen
Reflection on the above readings: "Let's go to Bethlehem" = "let's go to Jesus" .... every day!
-------------------
For last night's Rotary function I wore by 51 year old
suit coat (which I will not swap or part with) ... my first time to wear it
this year!
-------------------------
Please join me in praying for one part of the world each day:
Sun: Africa
Mon: Europe,
Russia
Tues: South
Asia
Wed: East
Asia
Thurs: S.E.Asia, Pacific
Frid: South
America
Sat: Cent, N America
Jesus,
today, Wednesday,
please bless the people of East
Asia
And praying for people
in one
part of China each day of the month:
On this 20th
of
the month, Jesus please bless the people of Sichuan
And praying for one of
the world's poorest
countries each day of the month:
On this 20th
of the month, Jesus please bless the people of Sudan
And praying for one
Islam-related intention each day of the week:
Jesus, today, Wednesday,
please pacify Al-Shabaab
--------------------------------
Tues Nov 19
Global
warming supercharging deadly weather
My
Gaza Prayer
*** Pope
urges Gaza genocide inquiry
Pope's
new encyclical "He Loved Us"
24. All that we have said has implications for the spiritual life. For example, the theology underlying the Spiritual Exercises of Saint Ignatius Loyola is based on “affection” ( affectus). The structure of the Exercises assumes a firm and heartfelt desire to “rearrange” one’s life, a desire that in turn provides the strength and the wherewithal to achieve that goal. The rules and the compositions of place that Ignatius furnishes are in the service of something much more important, namely, the mystery of the human heart. Michel de Certeau shows how the “movements” of which Ignatius speaks are the “inbreaking” of God’s desire and the desire of our own heart amid the orderly progression of the meditations. Something unexpected and hitherto unknown starts to speak in our heart, breaking through our superficial knowledge and calling it into question. This is the start of a new process of “setting our life in order”, beginning with the heart. It is not about intellectual concepts that need to be put into practice in our daily lives, as if affectivity and practice were merely the effects of – and dependent upon – the data of knowledge.
---------------------------
The
Book Blog:
readings + recordings
Readings are from
Simple Bible
Leviticus
21-23: God's words through Moses:
"Regard the priests as holy, for they offer holy sacrifice.
Keep the sacred festivals:
- every Sabbath
- the Passover and the feast of Unleavened Bread
- the First Sheaf
- the Feast of Weeks
- the first day of the seventh month
- the Day of Atonement
- the Feast of Tabernacles"
Dear God, thank you for special
worship days and seasons
My
recording of this reading
Psalms
109, 110: O God whom I praise,
do not be silent,
for people are bombarding me with words of hate. They speak to me with
lying tongues
and attack me without cause. They repay me evil for
good.
While I pray for them, they show me hatred. I have become an object
of scorn.
Help me, Lord my God.
Lord,
when people are unkind to me, please give me the grace to pray for them
Listen
Revelation
1.4-8: From John, to the seven churches of Asia
province:
grace and peace to you
from him who is, who was, and who is to come,
from the seven spirits at his throne,
and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness,
the First-born from the dead,
the Ruler of the kings of the earth. Jesus Christ loves us and has washed away our
sins with his blood, and made us a line of kings
and priests to serve his
God and Father. It is he who will come on the clouds.
Everyone, in every part of the world, will see him.
All hearts will be moved by his coming "I am the beginning and the end",
says the Lord God.
"I am the originator and goal of all things"
Jesus, please help more and more people know
who you are
01 02
Luke
2.9-14: Not far from where Mary had her baby, there
were shepherds who lived in the fields and took it in turns to watch their
sheep during the night. An angel appeared to them and the glory of the
Lord shone around them. The angel said "Do not be afraid. I
bring you news of great joy, a joy to be shared by everyone. Today in the town of David, a savior has been
born to you. He is Christ the Lord. Look for a baby wrapped in swaddling
clothes and lying in a manger". Suddenly with the angel there were many other angels, praising God and singing "Glory to God in
heaven, and peace to people on earth"
"O come let us adore him, O come let us
adore him, O come let us adore him, Christ the Lord"
Listen
Reflection: The Baby in the manger (Gospel) is the Originator and Goal of all things (Rev)
------------------------------
Shoe
thief in Japanese kindergarden
-------------------------------
Please join me in praying for one part of the world each day, especially for the leaders of that area:
Sun: Africa
Mon: Europe,
Russia
Tues: South
Asia
Wed: East
Asia
Thurs: S.E. Asia,
Pacific
Frid: South
America
Sat: Cent, N America
Jesus,
today, Tuesday,
please bless the people of
South
Asia
And praying for one
part of the Mainland each day of the month:
On this 19th
of
the month, Jesus please bless the people of Shanxi
And praying for one of
the world's poorest countries
each day of the month:
On this 19th of the month, Jesus please
bless the people of Haiti
And praying for one
Islam-related intention each day of the week:
Jesus, today, Tuesday,
please pacify Boko
Haram
----------------------------
----------------------------
Mon Nov 18
This week, Mon-Thurs, I'm due to attend annual O.M.I. in-service
program at Sheung Shui, but also need to attend two court cases Tues morning, a
special Rotary function Tues night, and a court hearing on Wed morning!
Settlers
happy with Trump's "Dream Team"
As
I watch live coverage of the genocide
in Gaza each day, and each day hear the people of Gaza cry out "why is
no one helping us?" ... and see how the US is giving an ever-larger green
light to Israel to increase the killings ... I ask myself "what more can I
do to try to stop the slaughter?". Well, in his letter for World Day of the
Poor (Nov 17), Pope Francis asked us to pray for the poor. So, I am now praying
not just ordinary prayers for Gaza, but also this extraordinary prayer:
Heavenly
Father, you who are most grieved when your children kill each other, in order to
stop the genocide in Gaza please send a temporary illness on the
Israeli military and political leadership to stop them from murdering the
400,000 people trapped in Northern Gaza without food or medical supplies.
Temporary blindness? Boils and sores? Loss of sight, speech, hearing? Powerful
anxiety attacks?
.... I make this prayer in the name of your dear Son who once walked
the land of Gaza and who said to ask for anything in his name. Amen! (...
and please protect all who pray this prayer so that there is no reverse curse on
us!)
Pope's
new encyclical "He Loved Us"
23. Whenever a person thinks, questions and reflects on his or her true identity, strives to understand the deeper questions of life and to seek God, or experiences the thrill of catching a glimpse of truth, it leads to the realization that our fulfilment as human beings is found in love. In loving, we sense that we come to know the purpose and goal of our existence in this world. Everything comes together in a state of coherence and harmony. It follows that, in contemplating the meaning of our lives, perhaps the most decisive question we can ask is, “Do I have a heart?”
------------------------
The
Book Blog:
readings + recordings
Readings are from
Simple Bible
Leviticus
19: God's words through Moses:
"Be holy, for I, the Lord your God, am holy.
Honor your father and mother.
The Sabbath must be a holy day.
When you collect from harvest or vine,
leave something for the poor and the stranger.
Be just, honest and truthful in your relationships.
Do not let hatred live in your heart".
Dear God, please help me live
according to your sacred word
My
recording of this reading
Psalm
108: My heart is ready, O God. I will sing, sing
your praise.
Awake, lyre and harp. I will awake the dawn. I will thank you, Lord, among the peoples,
praise you among the nations, for your love reaches to the heavens
and your truth to the skies. O Lord, come and deliver us today.
Help us with your right hand. Give us help in difficult situations.
With your help we shall be brave.
Lord, we need your help every
day
Listen
Jude: From Jude, servant of Jesus Christ and brother of James,
to those who are dear to God the Father and kept safe,
wishing you mercy and peace and love. I write with urgency to appeal to you:
stand up for the faith that has been entrusted to us. Some false teachers have infiltrated our ranks.
They reject the teaching of our Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.
They say "anything goes" in the area of morality. Such teaching, such people, must be opposed.
Be kind to such people, but with great caution. To God who saves us through Jesus Christ our Lord,
be glory and all honor, now and forever
Jesus, please protect your church from false
teachers
Listen
Luke
2.1-8: The Emperor of Rome ordered that a census be
taken of the whole
Empire. Every man had to go to his home town to be registered. So Joseph set out from Nazareth in Galilee and
traveled to Judea,
to the town of David called Bethlehem, with his pregnant wife Mary. While they were in Bethlehem, the time came
for Mary to have her child. She gave birth to a
son. She wrapped him in
swaddling clothes
and laid him in a feeding box for
animals, because there was no room for
them at the local inn
Baby Jesus, born in Bethlehem,
please bless all babies born in the world today
Listen
Reflection: "Bethlehem" means "House of Bread", the birthplace of him who said he was The Bread of Life" ... he who was laid in a feeding box for animals
-------------------------
Last
week I downloaded Google Earth ....used it years ago but have not used it for a
long time. Then I searched for "Temple Street Market" and found
MercyHK's canteen ....with one of my bail cases standing outside!
--------------------
Please join me in praying for one part of the world each day, especially for the leaders of that area:
Sun:
Africa
Mon: Europe,
Russia
Tues: South
Asia
Wed: East
Asia
Thurs: S.E. Asia,
Pacific
Frid: South America
Sat: Cent, N. America
Jesus,
today, Monday,
please bless the people of Europe
& Russia
And
praying for one
part of the Mainland each day of the month:
On
this 18th of
the month, Jesus please bless the people of Shandong
And
praying for one of the
world's poorest countries each day of the month:
On this 18th
of the month, Jesus please bless the people of Gambia
And praying for one Islam-related intention
each day of the week:
Jesus, today, Monday,
please pacify I.S.
-----------------------
----------------------
Sun Nov 17
21,000
Nepali, Bangladeshi and Indian workers reported to have died since the launch of
Saudi Arabia's 2030 World Cup program in 2016 -in this
report
Israel's
tepid enabler - Biden
Pope's
new encyclical "He Loved Us"
(("complicity" means USA!))
22.
For this reason, when we witness the outbreak of new wars, with the complicity,
tolerance or indifference of other countries, or petty power struggles over
partisan interests, we may be tempted to conclude that our world is losing its
heart. We need only to see and listen to the elderly women – from both sides
– who are at the mercy of these devastating conflicts. It is heart-breaking to
see them mourning for their murdered grandchildren, or longing to die themselves
after losing the homes where they spent their entire lives. Those women, who
were often pillars of strength and resilience amid life’s difficulties and
hardships, now, at the end of their days, are experiencing, in place of a
well-earned rest, only anguish, fear and outrage. Casting the blame on others
does not resolve these shameful and tragic situations. To see these elderly
women weep, and not feel that this is something intolerable, is a sign of a
world that has grown heartless.
------------------------------
The
Book Blog:
readings + recordings
Readings are from
Simple Bible
Special readings for World Day of the
Poor:
Tobit
1: Tobit
was a Jewish exile living in the city of Nineveh in Assyria. Even though other
Jewish exiles, even his own relatives, neglected their religion, Tobit stayed
loyal to God. Tobit
also cared for the poor and hungry. And he made a special practice of
burying the dead.
Dear God, please help me to be like Tobit: loyal to you and caring for the
poor
My
recording of this reading
Psalm
41: Blessed
the person who helps the poor and the weak. He himself will be helped by
the Lord when he is sick and in trouble. The Lord will help him on his bed of
pain. The Lord will bring him back from sickness to health.
Lord, please help me to do more for the poor
Listen
James
2.14-26: Faith
and good works need to go together. Suppose someone is lacking clothes and food,
and you say "I wish you well" and do nothing to help them. What good
is that? Faith
without good deeds is useless
Jesus, please help me put my faith into action by good deeds
Listen
Matthew
25.31-46: Jesus said to
his disciples: When I come in glory at the end of the world, all peoples of all
times will be gathered in front of me. I will separate them, like a shepherd
separates sheep from goats. I will place the sheep on my right, the goats on my
left. I will say to those on my right "Come and enter my kingdom. For I was
hungry, and you gave me food. I was thirsty, and you gave me drink. I was a
stranger, and you made me welcome. I was naked, and you clothed me. I was sick,
and you visited me. I was in prison, and you came to see me".
Then those good people on my right will say "Lord, when did we see you
hungry and feed you? When did we see you thirsty and give you a drink? When did
we see you a stranger and welcome you, naked and clothe you, sick or in prison,
and visit you?" I will answer "Each
time you helped and cared for a poor person, you helped and cared for me".
Jesus, please help me do more for
poor people. Make me understand that when I help a poor person, I help you
01 02 03
Reflection on the above readings: Pope's message for 2024 World Day of the Poor
Reflection by Fr Peter: English Chinese
-------------
Video
commentary on today's readings - in Italian, Chinese, English, and
Spanish
(+
Cantonese audio)
-------------------------------
Hour
of Love HK radio program 8.00
pm HK time tonight
- with items about HK prison inmates
-------------------------------
To
go with World Day of the Poor:
Q: What
is it? .... the poor have it, the rich don't want it, and God can't do it?
A: n
o t h i n g
------------------------------
Please join me in praying for one part of the world each day, especially for the leaders of that area:
Sun: Africa
Mon: Europe,
Russia
Tues: South
Asia
Wed: East
Asia
Thurs: S.E. Asia,
Pacific
Fri: South America
Sat: Cent., N America
Jesus,
today, Sunday,
please bless the people of
Africa
And praying for one
part of the Mainland each day of the month:
On this 17th
of the month, Jesus please bless the people of Shaanxi
And praying for one of the
world's poorest countries each day of the month:
On this 17th of the month, Jesus
please bless the people of Ethiopia
And praying for one Islam-related
intention each day of the week:
Jesus, today, Sunday,
please bless all Muslims in my country
-----------------------
----------------------
Sat Nov 16
I spent 5 hours yesterday at Lai Chi Kok men's prison where of
the 50 or 60 guys I chatted with it seemed that about one third of them are
associated with Temple Street! I felt like I was visiting a whole group of my
neighbours!
As
I watch live coverage of the genocide
in Gaza each day, and each day hear the people of Gaza cry out "why is
no one helping us?" ... and see how the US is giving an ever-larger green
light to Israel to increase the killings ... I ask myself "what more can I
do to try to stop the slaughter?". Then last night I prayed a new prayer: Heavenly
Father, you who are most grieved when your children kill each other, in order to
stop the genocide in Gaza please send a non life threatening illness on the
Israeli military and political leadership to stop them from murdering the
400,000 people trapped in Northern Gaza without food or medical supplies.
Temporary blindness? Boils and sores? Loss of speech and hearing? Extra powerful
anxiety attacks? I make this prayer in the name of your dear Son who once walked
the land of Gaza and who said to ask for anything in his name. Amen!
Australia
backs UN resolution re sovereignty of Palestinians over natural resources
((this is good news!))
Pope's
new encyclical "He Loved Us"
21. This profound core, present in every man and woman, is not that of the soul, but of the entire person in his or her unique psychosomatic identity. Everything finds its unity in the heart, which can be the dwelling-place of love in all its spiritual, psychic and even physical dimensions. In a word, if love reigns in our heart, we become, in a complete and luminous way, the persons we are meant to be, for every human being is created above all else for love. In the deepest fibre of our being, we were made to love and to be loved.
---------------------------
The
Book Blog:
readings + recordings
Readings are from
Simple Bible
Leviticus
18:
Do not marry a close relative.
Do not have sex during time of menstruation.
Do not practise sodomy.
Do not have sex with an animal
Dear God, please help us to
respect the gift of sex
My
recording of this reading
Psalm
107: O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.
His great love is without end. Let them say this, those the Lord has helped,
people from east and west, north and south.
Some people wandered in the desert, lost and unable to find their way to safety.
In their hunger and thirst they cried to the
Lord for help.
He rescued them and showed them the way to safety. Let them thank the Lord for his love,
for he fills the hungry with good things.
Some people were prisoners in misery and
chains, living in darkness and gloom. In their distress they cried to the Lord for
help.
He rescued them and restored their freedom. Let them thank the Lord for his goodness,
for he shatters the iron bars of prisons.
Some people were sick on account of their
sins,
unable to eat, and close to
death. They cried to the Lord in their need.
He healed them and saved them from the grave. Let them thank the Lord for his love,
for the wonders he does for us.
Some people sailed to the sea in ships
and were caught in terrifying
storms. They cried to the Lord in their need
and he calmed the sea and wind. Let them thank the Lord for his love,
for the wonders he does for us.
Whoever is wise should meditate on these
things
and reflect on the love of the Lord.
Thank
you Lord, for your rescuing love
01
02 03
04
3 John: From the Elder to my dear friend
Gaius.
People have told me of your faithfulness to the truth. It is always a great joy for me
when I hear that my children are living according to the truth. Thank you for your hospitality to believers who travel to spread the
Good News. Such people deserve whatever support we can give them
Jesus, please bless people who travel to
spread the Good News
Listen
Luke
1.67-80: When John was named, his father Zechariah was
filled with the Holy Spirit
and said "Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel. He has visited his
people.
And you, little child, you shall be called a prophet of the Most High. You
will go before the Lord to prepare a way for him". When John grew older, he lived in the
wilderness until the time came for him to begin his ministry.
Jesus, please help me prepare your way
by helping people to know you
Listen
Reflection:
Psalm 107 has four
Ds which can be used to describe
all the trials of human life: Desert,
Detention, Death, Danger!
-----------------------
------------------------------
Please join me in praying for one part of the world each day, especially for the leaders of that area:
Sun:
Africa
Mon: Europe,
Russia
Tues: South
Asia
Wed: East Asia
Thurs: S.E. Asia, Pacific
Frid: South
America
Sat: Cent. & N
America
Jesus,
today, Saturday,
please bless the people of Central
& North America
And
praying for one
part of the Mainland each day of the month:
On this 16th
of the month, Jesus please bless the people of Qinghai
And praying for one of the
world's poorest countries each day of the
month:
On this 16th
of the month, Jesus please bless the people of Malawi
And
praying for one Islam-related intention
each day of the week:
Jesus, today, Saturday,
please pacify the
Taliban
------------------------
------------------------
Fri Nov 15
Just after Typhoon Signal No. 8 was
replaced by No. 3 yesterday morning, Cardinal John Tong kindly phoned to say he
could go ahead at 12 noon with Plan A for the blessing of MercyHK's new day care
shelter for homeless people at 192 Shanghai Street ... and the blessing went
ahead, followed by a buffet lunch at the centre ... a very simple but very happy
activity .... photos and reports to come in the coming week or so. God bless the
Cardinal!
Owen
Jones: Israel
- no red line ***
Israel's
crimes against humanity
Pope's
new encyclical "He Loved Us"
20. In this age of artificial
intelligence, we cannot forget that poetry and love are necessary to save our
humanity. No algorithm will ever be able to capture, for example, the nostalgia
that all of us feel, whatever our age, and wherever we live, when we recall how
we first used a fork to seal the edges of the pies that we helped our mothers or
grandmothers to make at home. It was a moment of culinary apprenticeship,
somewhere between child-play and adulthood, when we first felt responsible for
working and helping one another. Along with the fork, I could also mention
thousands of other little things that are a precious part of everyone’s life:
a smile we elicited by telling a joke, a picture we sketched in the light of a
window, the first game of soccer we played with a rag ball, the worms we
collected in a shoebox, a flower we pressed in the pages of a book, our concern
for a fledgling bird fallen from its nest, a wish we made in plucking a daisy.
All these little things, ordinary in themselves yet extraordinary for us, can
never be captured by algorithms. The fork, the joke, the window, the ball, the
shoebox, the book, the bird, the flower: all
of these live on as precious memories “kept” deep in our heart.
-------------------
The
Book Blog:
readings + recordings
Readings are from
Simple Bible
Leviticus 16-17: Instructions for
the annual Day of Atonement:
Once a year Aaron or his successor must wear special vestments
and enter the sanctuary past the veil.
Then he is to offer two goats to pray for atonement
for the whole community of Israel.
One goat will be sacrificed in the Temple;
the other is to be set free to go out into the desert -
a symbol of the people's sins being carried away.
(this story gives us the English word:
"scapegoat")
Dear God, please forgive
us, and help us to forgive others
My
recording of this reading
Psalm
106: O give thanks to the Lord for he is
good.
His great love is without end. They are happy who do what is right,
who at all times remember what is just. When our ancestors came out of Egypt,
they forgot the greatness of God's love. Each time they strayed, God forgave them.
But still they continued to forget God who was their saviour,
God who had done such great things for them in Egypt.
O Lord, our God, please don't
let us forget your love
Listen
2 John:
In our life of truth and love,
we have grace, mercy and peace from God the Father
and from Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father. I write not to give you any new commandment,
but the one we were given at the beginning:
let us love one another; let us live a life of love.
Keep to what Jesus taught.
Don't follow anyone who changes what Jesus taught
Jesus, please protect me from people who distort
your message
Listen
Luke
1.46-56: Mary said "My soul praises the
greatness of the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my savior. Starting
from today, all generations will call me blessed, for the Almighty has
done great things for me". Mary stayed with Elizabeth about 3 months and
then went home.
Elizabeth gave birth to a son. Her neighbors and relatives shared her joy.
When the child was circumcised on the 8th day, he was given the name John.
Jesus, please bless all women who are having a
baby today
Listen
Reflection: Mary deflected praise from herself to the Lord, realising that her greatness came from the Lord, just like the moon owes its brightness to the sun
----------
The fork, the joke,
the window, the ball, the shoebox, the book, the bird, the flower ... in Pope's
letter, above!
-------------------------
Please join me in praying for one part of the world each day, especially for the leaders of that area:
Sun: Africa
Mon: Europe,
Russia
Tues: South
Asia
Wed: East
Asia
Thurs: S.E. Asia, Pacific
Frid: S.
America
Sat: Cent, N. America
Jesus,
today, Friday,
please bless the people of South
America
And praying for one
part of the Mainland each day of the month:
On this 15th
of the month, Jesus please bless the people of Liaoning
And praying for one of the
world's poorest countries each day of the
month:
On this 15th of the month, Jesus please bless the
people of Liberia
And praying for one Islam-related
intention each day of the week:
Jesus, today, Friday,
please bless all Muslims
----------------------------
--------------------
----------------------------
Africa:
2020: My trip to Addis Ababa, Nairobi, Dar es Salaam, Johannesburg
Jan 1, 2020: How cocaine trafficking is impacting West Africa
2017:
My trip to Southern Africa, Dubai (
The
Last Run)
2016:
My trip to Kenya, Uganda
2015: My trip to Tanzania, Malawi
----------------
Latin America:
2019-05-10: No More Mules Peru FB boost 199,000 views!
2019-01-20: Article in El Pais, Uruguay - 01 02
2018-09-18: No More Mules Facebook campaign - more than 300,000 people reached in Venezuela
2018: My trip to Latin America
----------------
South East Asia:
Aug 16, 2020: CNN - Indonesian women recruited to take drugs to Hong Kong
Oct 23, 2019: FM988 Breakfast program in Kuala Lumpur at which I was a guest
June 2019: My campaign featured in The Malaysia Drug Trade (6 written reports & documentary video)
2019-03-25: Eleven HK01 video and photo reports about Malaysian drug mules arrested in HK- here (one of the reports is about my anti-drug campaign).
Dec 2018 - My Jan 2019 trip to Malaysia
2018: My trip to Thailand and Cambodia
--------------------
Hong Kong:
July 2019: My warning to HK domestic helpers - published here in HK Filipino media
2018-09-22:
My
60 min video interview with Radio99,
in Cantonese, is here: 01 02
to help stop people going to prison
2018-07-29: SCMP- Beware drug lords luring domestic helpers, refugees into narcotics trade
2018-04-08: The Pearl Report on TVB - concerning HK's Long Term Sentencing Review Board and my anti-drug campaign
March 18, 2018: South China Morning Post report on my work
2017-09-27: SCMP Spirit of HK Awards (video starts after 20 secs)
2017-08-24: Cable TV video report on my anti-drug campaign and a Facebook report on the video report (click "translation" for English)
2017-05-17: SCMP - The prison chaplain who has stopped 150 drug mules reaching HK
2017-03-25: Oriental Daily report of case of South African woman given discount for help to my campaign *** May 14 updates: Oriental Daily, Sing Tao
Dec 1, 2016 - HK News: More women being recruited as drug mules
2016-10-13: HK01 report about campaign and about work for the poor
2016-09-11: Oriental Daily report about my campaign - and same day Editorial
2016-08-27: Oriental Daily article about court case and campaign
My
anti-drug campaign sites
(skillfully
managed by kind HK friends):
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nomasmulas/
Facebook: Chinese no more mules page
http://hkdrugblog.org/name-and-shame/index.htm
----------------------
Photos
from my time in China 2001-20008
---------------------
---------------------
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Fr
John Wotherspoon O.M.I. 胡
頌 恆 神 父
jdwomi@gmail.com HK
mobile +852- 67095674
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