V2Catholic.com
A voice for the poor
by HK prison chaplain 胡頌恆神父
Fr John Wotherspoon
O.M.I.
jdwomi@gmail.com
+852 67095674
Imitating
Pope Francis
May 24
PENTECOST SUNDAY!
Wishing all dear readers a Happy Pentecost!
COME HOLY SPIRIT! FALL AFRESH ON OUR WORLD!
How many people at Pentecost? Most commentators say 120, but others, like this one, say just the apostles and women and Jesus brothers ... as does my Jerusalem Bible
20
O.M.I. bishops meeting in Rome
..
US-sponsored
Israeli genocide in Gaza: ...and attack on Iran & Lebanon:
See video here
where Australian lady doctor says she and other boat activists were treated
worse than animals *** Simon
Tisdall: Trump
must be stopped
------------------------------
The
Book Blog:
4 readings + recordings
Comments welcome here
Readings are from
Simple Bible
c.f. Readings for Pentecost
Acts
2.1-4: About ten days after
Jesus' ascension to heaven, was the Feast of Pentecost. Jesus'
12 apostles, his mother, several other women, and his brothers were together in
one room. Suddenly
they heard what sounded like a powerful wind. Tongues of fire appeared and came
to rest on the head of each of them. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit,
and began to speak foreign languages
Come Holy Spirit, fall afresh on me. Fall afresh on our world
My
recording of this reading
Psalm 104: Bless
the Lord, my soul! Lord God, how great you are. You make the
clouds your chariot. You walk on the wings of the wind. You make springs gush
forth in the valleys. They give drink to all the animals of the field. You make
grass grow for the cattle, and plants to provide food for people. You give us wine
to cheer our hearts, and oil to make our faces shine. You made the moon to mark
the months. The sun knows the time for its setting. How many are your works, O
Lord. In wisdom you have made them all. The earth is full of your riches and the
sea is swarming with life. All things, great and small, look to you for food.
You open your hand, they have their fill. You
send forth your spirit, and life is created. You renew the face of the earth. I
will sing to the Lord all my life. May my thoughts be pleasing to him.
Lord, send forth your Holy Spirit and renew the face of the earth
Recording
Romans
8.14-21: Everyone
moved by the Spirit is a child of God. The Spirit lets us use children's
language to speak to God tenderly as "Abba, Father". Since we are
God's children, we are also his heirs, coheirs with Jesus, sharing his suffering
so as to share his glory. What we suffer in this life can never be compared with
the glorious life we will have in heaven. The whole of creation looks forward to
sharing the same glory, to sharing immortality
Abba, Father, may everyone love and honor you. Help everyone get to heaven
Recording
John
14.23-27: At the
meal, Jesus said to his disciples "If you love me, you will put my words
into practice, and my Father will love you, and we shall make our home in your
heart. The New Friend, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name,
will teach you everything and remind you of all I have said to you. Peace I
leave with you, my own peace I give you, a peace the world cannot give"
Father, Son and Holy Spirit, please help me understand how you live in my
heart. Thank you for your peace
Recording
Reflection on the above readings:
The
Day of Pentecost (good!)
Hudson Taylor: "Since the days of Pentecost, has the whole church ever put aside every other work and waited upon Him for ten days, that the Spirit's power might be manifested? We give too much attention to method and machinery and resources, and too little to the source of power."
My 2013 article: The forgotten Paraclete
-------------------------------
73
years ago today ... I can remember it all very clearly ...Thank you Jesus!
------------------------------
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
Fri: South America
Sat: Cent., N America
Jesus,
today, Sunday,
please bless the people of
Africa
And praying for the
people in one part
of China each day of the month:
On this 24th
of the month, Jesus please bless the prisoners of Innter
Mongolia
And praying for one of the
world's poorest countries each day of the month:
On this 24th of the month, Jesus
please bless the people of Djibouti
And praying for one Islam-related
intention each day of the week:
Jesus, today, Sunday,
please bless all Muslims in my country
-----------------------
----------------------
Sat May 23
After the annual O.M.I. retreat ended with lunch yesterday, I
went to nearby Lo Wu women's prison to hand in some books ....then mini-bus from
prison to nearby Sheung Shui MTR station ....then train one station to Fanling
....then walked 5 mins to Fanling Court when I collected some bail money from
two surety cases for whom I am no longer required to be surety/bail.
Tomorrow
is Pentecost
Sunday
Come Holy Spirit!
A
simple little song to the Holy Spirit - to the tune of "The
Stabat Mater" - listen to it here:
Flowing
from the heart of Jesus,
Living River, Holy Spirit,
Fill our hearts and flow through us
-based on today's Gospel, below!
Pentecost Sunday .... let's wear RED clothing!
US-sponsored
Israeli genocide in Gaza: ...and attack on Iran & Lebanon:
Ireland's
Occupied Territories Bill
---------------------------
The
Book Blog:
4 readings + recordings
Comments welcome here
Readings are from
Simple Bible
c.f. readings for Vigil of Pentecost
Joel
1-4: My country has
been invaded. Joy has disappeared from the land. Priests, put on sackcloth, and
lament. Proclaim a fast to pray for our nation. Turn to the Lord your God again,
for he is all tenderness and compassion. Call out to the Lord for help.
"Spare your people, Lord!" The Lord replies: "I will save and
rescue you. I
will pour out my spirit on all peoples. Everyone will prophesy and see visions. You
will learn that I am the Lord your God. Jerusalem will be a holy place."
Lord, pour out your Holy Spirit on all nations
My
recording of this reading
Psalm
104: Bless the Lord,
my soul! Lord God, how great you are. You make the clouds your chariot. You walk
on the wings of the wind. You make springs gush forth in the valleys. They give
drink to all the animals of the field. You make grass grow for the cattle and
plants to provide food for people. You give us wine to cheer our hearts and
oil to make our faces shine. You made the moon to mark the months. The sun knows
the time for its setting. How many are your works, O Lord. In wisdom you have
made them all. The earth is full of your riches and the sea is swarming with
life. All things, great and small, look to you for food. You open your hand,
they have their fill. You
send forth your spirit, and life is created. You renew
the face of the earth. I will sing to the Lord all my life. May my thoughts be
pleasing to him.
Bless the Lord, my soul!
Recording
Romans
8.14-21: Everyone
moved by the Spirit is a child of God. The Spirit lets us use children's
language to speak to God tenderly as "Abba, Father". Since
we are God's children, we are also his heirs, coheirs with Jesus, sharing his
suffering so as to share his glory. What we suffer in this life can never be
compared with the glorious life we will have in heaven. The whole of creation
looks forward to sharing the same glory, to sharing immortality.
Holy Spirit, please help us pray!
Recording
John
7.37-39: During the
Feast of Tabernacles in Jerusalem, Jesus called out loudly in the Temple
"If anyone is thirsty, come to me. Anyone who believes in me, come and
drink!" As Scripture says "From his heart will flow fountains of
living water". Jesus
was speaking of the Holy Spirit, which people who believed in him were to
receive. The Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus had not yet been
glorified.
Holy Spirit, flowing from the heart of Jesus, please increase your influence
in my life
Recording
Reflection
on the above readings: One
of my favorite songs: Everyone
moved by the Spirit
---------------------------
On arrival back in Jordan yesterday afternoon, as I passed
through the local market between Austin MTR station and Temple Street, I bought
some fruit and ... a RED
tea shirt for the singing tomorrow at 4pm outside MercyHK's canteen in Temple
Street ... just like the
singing last Easter
------------------------------
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, Saturday,
please bless the people of Central
& North America
And
praying for prisoners in one
part of China each day of the month:
On this 23rd
of the month, Jesus please bless the prisoners of Guangxi
And praying for one of the
world's poorest countries each day of the
month:
On this 23rd
of the month, Jesus please bless the people of Togo
And
praying for one Islam-related intention
each day of the week:
Jesus, today, Saturday,
please pacify the
Taliban
------------------------
------------------------
Fri May 22
For yesterday's Feast of O.M.I. Founder St Eugene de Mazenod, our
retreat group went to St Eugene de Mazenod Oblate Primary School in Tok Wa Wan
for Mass with the students and staff
To prepare for Pentecost (May 24) let's reflect on the Holy Spirit:
The
finger is
another symbol of the Holy Spirit. It was by the
finger of God that Jesus cast
out demons. If God's law was written on tablets of stone "by the
finger of God," then the "letter from
Christ" entrusted to the care of the apostles, is written "with the
Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone, but on tablets of human
hearts." The hymn Veni Creator
Spiritus invokes the Holy Spirit as " the finger of
the Father's right hand." - CCC
700
In this week before Pentecost, let's
often pray each day: Come
Holy Spirit, fall afresh on our world!
US-sponsored
Israeli genocide in Gaza: ...and attack on Iran & Lebanon:
Israeli
minister taunting bound flotilla crew (not his first time to do this)
-------------------
In this week before Pentecost, let's use the readings of the day
Reflection on the above readings: COME HOLY SPIRIT!
-------------------------
A retreat house is not a place to lose weight!
-------------------------
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: S.
America
Sat: Cent, N. America
Jesus,
today, Friday,
please bless the people of South
America
And praying for
prisoners in one
part of China each day of the month:
On this 22nd
of the month, Jesus please bless the prisoners of Zhejiang
And praying for one of the
world's poorest countries each day of the
month:
On this 22nd of the month, Jesus please bless the
people of Senegal
And praying for one Islam-related
intention each day of the week:
Jesus, today, Friday,
please bless all Muslims
----------------------------
----------------------------
Thu May 21
On
this day in 1861, in Marseilles, a French bishop died at the age of 78. He had
been born into an aristocratic family which was forced to flee from the French
Revolution. His family went to Italy as refugees. His parents had an unhappy
marriage and eventually divorced. In Italy the young Eugene de Mazenod had an
overpowering experience of the love of Jesus on the Cross. Eugene became a
priest and dedicated himself to serving the poorest parts of French society such
as prisoners and domestic servants. To further his work he joined with other
priests to form a new congregation in the Church. The group came to be known as the Oblates
of Mary Immaculate.
Today the Oblates have around 3,000 members working for the poor in more than 60
countries around the world. Saint
Eugene de Mazenod, pray for us!
Has
had 30k views: Corruption
at Canadian airport exposed by Avery Haines
(who has 3 times made reports from Dr Jesus Centre in Jordan)
To
prepare for
Pentecostst (May
24) lelet's
reflect on the Holy Spirit:
The dove: At
the end of the flood, whose symbolism refers to Baptism, a dove released
by Noah returns with a fresh olive-tree branch in its beak as a sign that the
earth was again habitable. When
Jesus comes up from the water of his baptism, the Holy Spirit, in the form of a dove,
comes down upon him and remains with him. The Spirit comes down and remains in
the purified hearts of the baptized. In
some churches, the Eucharist is reserved in a metal receptacle in the form of a dove (columbarium)
suspended above the altar. Christian
iconography traditionally uses a dove to
suggest the Spirit. - CCC
701
In this week before Pentecost, let's
often pray each day: Come
Holy Spirit, fall afresh on our world!
And ...on Pentecost Sunday ... let's wear: RED!
Matrology:
Mothers of the Church
US-sponsored
Israeli genocide in Gaza: ...and attack on Iran & Lebanon:
Sister of Irish
president among those illegally arrested by Israel in international waters
-------------------------
In this week before Pentecost, let's use the
readings of the day
Reflection on the above readings: COME HOLY SPIRIT!
---------------
Not seen for 2 or 3 years at St Paul's retreat centre, but seen
yesterday - a family of squirrels! The sight of them gives joy to the
heart!
--------------------
Please join me in praying for one part of the world each day:
Sun:
Mon:
Tues:
Wed:
Thurs: S.E. Asia, Pacific
Frid:
Sat:
Cent,
Jesus,
today, Thursday,
please bless
the people of
And praying for prisoners in one
part of China each day of the month:
On this 21st of the month, Jesus please bless the prisoners of
And praying for one of the
world's poorest countries each day of the month:
On this 21st
of the month, Jesus please bless the people of Yunnan
And praying for one Islam-related
intention each day of the
week:
Jesus, today, Thursday, please pacify Al-Qaeda
----------------------------
Wed May 20
To prepare for Pentecost (May 24) let's reflect on the Holy Spirit - today: The
Hand
The hand is
another symbol of the Holy Spirit. Jesus heals the sick and blesses little
children by laying hands on
them. In his name the apostles will do the same. It is by the Apostles'
imposition of hands that
the Holy Spirit is given. The
Church has kept this sign of the all-powerful outpouring of the Holy Spirit by
having the priest at Mass extend his hands over
the bread and wine as he says "Let your Spirit come upon these gifts to
make them holy" CCC
699
In
this week before Pentecost, let's
often pray each day: Come
Holy Spirit, fall afresh on our world!
US-sponsored
Israeli genocide in Gaza: ...and attack on Iran & Lebanon:
Israel
illegally intercepting boats
-----------------------------
The
Book Blog:
In this week before Pentecost, let's use the
readings of the day
Reflection on the above readings: COME HOLY SPIRIT!
---------------------------
Some
time ago at Lai Chi Kok men's prison I saw one of the guards had a brown and
white Beagle drug-sniffing
dog. I asked the guard what was the dog's name and with a big smile he told me
"Doughnut"!
-------------------------
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
prisoners in one
part of China each day of the month:
On this 20th
of
the month, Jesus please bless the prisoners 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 May 19
Hello again from the annual O.M.I. retreat at Seung Shui .... a district notorious for internet problems. Makes me relalise how blessed I am to live in Jordan!
This short video
posted by a kind visitor to MercyHK's canteen in Jordan attracted many people to
visit the canteen. God bless the kind visitor!
To prepare for Pentecost (May
24) let's reflect on the Holy Spirit each day this week:
The seal is
a symbol close to that of anointing. "The Father has set his seal"
on Christ and also seals us
in him. Because this seal indicates
the indelible effect of the anointing with the Holy Spirit in the sacraments of
Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy Orders, the image of the seal (sphragis)
has been used in some theological traditions to express the indelible
"character" imprinted by these three unrepeatable sacraments. CCC
698
In this week before Pentecost let's often pray each day: Come
Holy Spirit, fall afresh on our world!
US-sponsored
Israeli genocide in Gaza: ...and attack on Iran & Lebanon: Israeli
settlers run over sheep in West Bank
---------------------------
The
Book Blog:
In this week before Pentecost, let's use the
readings of the day
Reflection on the above readings: COME HOLY SPIRIT!
------------------------------
A Pastor is preaching on Loving Your Enemies.
Every hand in the congregation goes up except for one
The pastor sees that it is a little old lady in the front row
He asks the woman "Why can't you love your enemies?"
The little old lady says "Pastor, I can honestly say I have no enemies"
The pastor says "That's incredible, may I ask how old you are?"
"96"
The pastor says "96 years old and no enemies? That's incredible. Would you mind sharing how you have achieved this?
The little old lady totters to the front of the church, turns around to the congregation and says "I outlived all those snakes"
-------------------------------
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, Tuesday,
please bless the people of
South
Asia
And praying for
prisoners in one
part of China each day of the month:
On this 19th
of
the month, Jesus please bless the prisoners of Shangxi
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 May 18
Hello from annual O.M.I. retreat at St. Paul's Retreat Centre,
Sheung Shui. A beautiful week to be on retreat ...between Ascension and
Pentecost!
To prepare for Pentecost (May 24), let's reflect on the Holy Spirit each day
this week:
Cloud and
light. These two images occur together
in the manifestations of the Holy Spirit. In the theophanies of the Old
Testament, the cloud,
now obscure, now luminous, reveals the living and saving God, while veiling the
transcendence of his glory - with Moses on Mount Sinai, at the tent of meeting,
and during the wandering in the desert, and with Solomon at the dedication of
the Temple. In the Holy Spirit, Christ fulfills these figures. The Spirit comes
upon the Virgin Mary and "overshadows"
her, so that she might conceive and give birth to Jesus. On the mountain of
Transfiguration, the Spirit in the "cloud came
and overshadowed" Jesus, Moses and Elijah, Peter, James and John, and
"a voice came out of the
cloud, saying, 'This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!' Finally, the
cloud took Jesus out of the sight of the disciples. (CCC
697)
In this week before Pentecost let's often pray each day: Come
Holy Spirit, fall afresh on our world!
US-sponsored
Israeli genocide in Gaza: ...and attack on Iran & Lebanon:
Israel's
image crisis (video)
------------------------
The
Book Blog:
Comments welcome here
Readings are from
Simple Bible
In this week before Pentecost, let's use the readings of the day
Reflection on the above readings: COME HOLY SPIRIT!
-------------------------
A recent vistor to MercyHK's canteen a 191 Temple Street kindly
posted a report on FB which has led to a big jump in customers over the past
week or so. God bless that visitor. Because of internet problems here at the
retreat I am unable to link that FB report. Will link when internet
improves.
--------------------
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, Monday,
please bless the people of Europe
& Russia
And
praying for prisoners in one
part of China each day of the month:
On
this 18th of
the month, Jesus please bless the prisoners 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.
-----------------------
---------------------------
Anti-drug
campaign trips: 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 ( 2016:
My trip to Kenya, Uganda
---------------- 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 2018-07-29:
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 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nomasmulas/ Facebook: Chinese
no more mules page http://hkdrugblog.org/name-and-shame/index.htm ---------------------- --------------------- --------------------- Left
click this table of flags for details of hits on this main page This website
was launched in construction mode in Hong Kong on November
20, 2011 - the Feast of Christ the King. The
official launching was held on
the Gold Coast, Australia, on January 20, 2012. Map and Flag Counter
began Feb 11, 2012. Previous visits 4,932. Note: counter on this
page + Map & Flag Counter record visits only to this main/index
page. Visits to other pages and to Facebook page are not recorded.
This site's 2017 statistics.
Thank you for checking this website each day. God bless all readers and
bloggers! +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ .
Europe:
Many reports of 2026 trip here
(Jan 6 - Feb 7)
Africa: 
The
Last Run)
2015: My trip to Tanzania, Malawi
Latin America:
2018-09-22:
My
60 min video interview with Radio99,
in Cantonese, is here: 01 02
to help stop people going to prison
(skillfully
managed by kind HK friends):
Photos
from my time in China 2001-20008
Table shows location of readers:
HK 33%; Australia 19%; UK 11%; US
12%; Canada 4% ; Tanzania 4%
Fr
John Wotherspoon O.M.I. 胡
頌 恆 神 父
jdwomi@gmail.com HK
mobile +852- 67095674
