V2Catholic.com A voice for the
poor Edited
by HK prison chaplain
Fr John Wotherspoon
O.M.I . 胡頌恆神父
jdwomi@gmail.com
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& Archives Imitating
Pope
Francis www.familyhk.org
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website's anti-drug campaign saves people from going to prison in HK
See & share inmates'
letters! How campaign began
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Malaysia 
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Ph 
SA 
S.Amer
Thai 
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EU
HK:how
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www.AsylumSeekerHK.com
Name
& shame
JsaesusTower
GoodNewsForPoor
Dr
Jesus FamilyH
Tues Jan 15
When my taxi entered Malacca on Sunday morning, it happened to
pass the church of St Francis Xavier, close to which I had intentionally booked
an overnight hotel. So I said to the driver "no need to go to the hotel,
I'll get off here thanks" .... and I spent the first half hour of my
Malacca visit at the church. The visit went extra well ... despite incomplete
contact information, but with the help of an extraordinarily gifted taxi driver (who even
had CSD experience!), I was able to locate two families who had little or no
contact with their daughter/son in prison in HK. Score could have been 0/2 or
1/2 but it was 2/2. So, yesterday before leaving
Malacca, my final hour was spent at the Church as a thank you for so many
blessings and in prayer for a range of intentions. On Sunday morning I sort of
said "reporting for duty"; yesterday the feeling was "thank you
for mission accomplished".
On the way back to my hotel in Kuala Lumpur late yesterday afternoon I stopped at a certain place to try to get some information to help inmates in HK who have appeals pending.
Pope Francis - The
Joy of the Gospel No. 85:
One of the more serious temptations which stifles boldness and zeal is a
defeatism which turns us into querulous and disillusioned pessimists, "sourpusses"
.
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The
Book Blog:
4 readings + recordings
Comments welcome here
Readings are from
Simple Bible
Ruth 1: In the days of the
judges, there was famine in the land.
Because of the famine, a man from Bethlehem named Elimelech moved to Moab.
Elimelech took with him
his wife Naomi and his two sons.
Elimelech died.
The two sons married Moabite women: Orpah and Ruth.
But then the two sons also died. Naomi was
heart-broken. She had lost her husband and two sons. She decided to return
to Bethlehem
and told her daughters-in-law to go back to their own homes. Orpah went back to her
people.
But Ruth with great loyalty and love chose to go with Naomi. Ruth said:
"Wherever you go, I will go. Wherever you live, I will live.
Your people shall be my people.
Your God shall be my God.
Wherever you die, I will die, and there I will be buried."
Dear God, in time of trouble, please help people to be loyal and kind to each other
My
recording of this reading
Psalm
147: Praise the Lord for he is good.
Sing to our God for he is loving. To him our praise is due. The Lord builds up Jerusalem
and brings back Israel's exiles. He heals the broken-hearted
and binds up all their wounds. The Lord raises the lowly
and humbles the wicked. He fixes the number of the stars.
He calls each one by name. Our Lord is great and almighty.
His wisdom can never be measured. He covers the heavens with clouds.
He prepares rain for the earth, making mountains sprout with grass
and with plants to serve our needs. His delight is not in horses
nor his pleasure in warriors' strength. The Lord delights in those who love and honor
him,
in those who wait for his love.
It is right and fitting to
praise and love you, Lord our Creator
Listen
James
3.3-10:
When a bit is put into a horse's mouth, the
whole animal is under control. A tiny rudder can control a big ship. In the same way,
if you can control your
tongue,
you can control every other part of yourself. The tongue is a whole wicked world in itself.
It is so hard to control.
We use it to bless God, but we also use it to curse people made in God's
image.
Jesus, please help me control my tongue!
Mark
3:
Jesus went back to Capernaum. Such a crowd gathered that he could not even have a meal.
When his family heard about such things,
they set out to take care of him, thinking that he was crazy. His mother and brothers arrived at the house.
Standing outside, they sent in a message asking for him. Jesus was told "Your mother and brothers
and sisters are outside asking for you". Jesus replied
"Who are my mother and brothers?"
Then looking round at the people sitting in a circle about him, he said
"Here are my mother and my brothers. Anyone who does the will of God,
that person is my brother and sister and mother".
Jesus, please help me to do
your will,
even if people sometimes think I'm crazy
Listen
Reflection on the above readings: Jesus, as a descendant of Ruth, had Moabite blood! And see this beautiful song which uses Ruth's words: Wherever You Go (often used for weddings)
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(not really a smile?) Yesterday before I left Malacca to return to Kuala Lumpur,
I received a phone call from someone in HK whose father had just died. Caller's
mother, a Catholic, died some years ago and their ashes are in a Catholic
cemetery. But father was not a water-baptised Catholic, so according to the
harsh regulations of HK diocese, the father's ashes are not allowed to be put with
those of his wife. This is a great injustice. Not long after the call, I started
preparing this menu, which has the words of Ruth about being buried together!
Why does the diocese practice cemetery divorce which causes great distress to
families? Ruth in Heaven, please move the hearts of diocesan authorities to put
your words into practice! This is 2019, not 1619!
--------------------------------------
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 15th
of
the month, Jesus please bless the prisoners 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 Zimbabwe
And praying for one
Islam-related intention each day of the week:
Jesus, today, Tuesday,
please pacify Boko
Haram
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Mon Jan 14
Yesterday, after an early morning Mass in my hotel room in Kuala
Lumpur, in order to have enough time to do what I needed to do during the day, I
got a taxi from KL to Malacca where, after a visit to the church of St Francis
Xavier (who worked in Malacca long ago) I checked into a nearby hotel for an
overnight stay, and then got another taxi to a remote part of the town to visit
the family of a young prisoner in HK who could not remember the family's phone
numbers ... just their address. Thank you Lord the family was home (Sunday a
good day to visit!) and much sharing took place. I will inform the prisoner's
welfare staff of the family numbers ... and I informed the family of the
prisoner's address (their letters had been returned because of wrong
address).
Then my faithful taxi driver took me about 30
minutes to another town to meet the family of another prisoner in HK .... who
never went to school and could not remember his family's address or complete
phone number. We eventually met the family after a long saga (see 
below!). Family had lost contact with the son ... did not know he was in HK
("how could he travel, he doesn't have a passport?" was one of their
early statements). Family now have his complete address and I'll ask someone to
hand in an IDD card to him so he can make a call.
Really, this business of helping prisoners make contact with their families is not the job of HK CSD or its chaplains, but the responsibility of the consulates/embassies. But the Malaysian Consulate in HK has, as far as I know, visited only one prisoner in the past two years (compared with the Indonesian consulate which visits every prisoner every month!)
Today the first of several reports by the R.AGE team of Malaysia's Star Media Group is due to be published at this link - warning young Malaysians about the danger of drug trafficking to HK ... and, later, pushing the Malaysian government to tighten security at KL airport ... and get consulates/embassies to care to prisoners!
Catholics
flourishing in Muslim UAE where
Pope will visit Feb 3-5
Pope Francis - The Joy of the Gospel No. 84: The joy of the Gospel is such that it cannot be taken away from us by anyone or anything (cf. Jn 16:22). The evils of our world - and those of the Church - must not be excuses for diminishing our commitment and our fervour. Let us look upon them as challenges which can help us to grow.
--------------------------------------------------------
The
Book Blog:
4 readings + recordings
Comments welcome here
Readings are from
Simple Bible
Judges
17-21: After Samson's death, there was no leader
in Israel
and everyone did as they pleased
as lawlessness and anarchy became widespread.
Dear Lord,
please don't let lawlessness increase in our world.
My
recording of this reading
Psalm
146: My soul, give
praise to the Lord.
I will praise the Lord all my days. Put no trust in
princes,
in mortal men in whom there is no help. Take their breath, they
return to clay
and their plans that day come to nothing. They are happy who are
helped by Jacob's God,
whose hope is in the Lord our God, who alone made heaven
and earth,
the seas and all they contain. It is he who gives
bread to the hungry,
the Lord, who sets prisoners free. It is the Lord who
gives sight to the blind,
who raises up those who are bowed down. It is the Lord who
protects the stranger
and upholds the widow and orphan. It is the Lord who
loves the just
but thwarts the path of the wicked. The Lord will reign for
ever,
Zion's God, from age to age.
Lord, please increase my trust
and faith in you
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
Mark
3.13-19: Jesus went up a hill and called his
disciples.
He chose 12 of them to be his special companions.
He commissioned them for preaching.
He gave them power to cast out devils. The names of the 12:
Simon, to whom he gave the name Peter;
James and John the sons of Zebedee. Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas,
James son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot
and Judas Iscariot the one who would betray him.
Jesus, please bless and protect
all Gospel workers
Listen
Reflection on the above readings: Today's first reading reminds us - not that we need much reminding - that good leaders make a huge difference. Each day let us ask the Lord to give our troubled world good leaders
--------------------------------------------------------
Yesterday
in a town about 30 mins from Malacca I tried to make contact with the family of a
young prisoner in HK who could not remember his family's address ... and who
also gave me an incomplete phone number (... he never went to school ... can
write only a few characters). Phone contact was eventually made, but then his
parents would not believe who I was and they requested me to meet them at a
local police station (in case I was a crook trying to get money from them!). So
I met them at the police station, but only after my faithful taxi driver and I
explained our story in complete and arduous detail to five (!) different sets of
police before reaching the top man who finally took the momentous decision to
phone the family and assure them we were genuine. The guards at the front gate
sent us to the G/F office who sent us to the 1/F office who sent us to the 4/F
office on the way to which we were questioned, albeit in a friendly way, by an
officer on the stairs between 2/F and 3/F! Then, even before police on 4/F
phoned the family, who should show up on the 4/F but the father! Great rejoicing
by taxi driver and myself. We then joined father and his wife for a drink at a
nearby canteen. All ended well!
--------------------------------------
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 14th of
the month, Jesus please bless the prisoners of Jilin
And
praying for one of the
world's poorest countries each day of the month:
On this 14th
of the month, Jesus please bless the people of Ethiopia
And praying for one Islam-related intention
each day of the week:
Jesus, today, Monday,
please pacify I.S.
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Sun Jan 13
After a long and busy week - including a trip to Penang - I had a
slow day yesterday .... had a good sleep-in, did my washing at a nearby laundry
shop, caught up on email and w/ap messages, went to a nearby church to charge my
spiritual battery, had a long walk to charge my physical battery, and last night
worked the phone again to try to line up a last round of family visits. So far
I've met 16 families, but I'm hoping that figure will grow. Tomorrow the Star
Media group here in Malaysia is due to publish the first of several reports on
the issue of young Malaysian drug mules being arrested in HK. Reports are the
work of the Star's award-winning R.AGE
team ... God bless them!
This article concerns each one of us, now:
George Monbiot: Don't
breathe
Pollution
is now the biggest threat to children's health
Venezuela
opposition leader declares himself ready to assume presidency
(after my visit to Venezuela in January 2018 I pray for Vz every day)
Pope Francis - The
Joy of the Gospel No. 83:
A
tomb psychology can transform Christians into mummies in a museum
-----------------------------------
The
Book Blog:
4 readings + recordings
Comments welcome here
Readings are from
Simple Bible
c.f. readings for Baptism of Jesus
Isaiah 41-42:
The Lord says to his people Israel:
"I have chosen you. I have not rejected you.
Do not be afraid, for I am with you. Stop being anxious and worried.
I am your God. I give you strength and help. Here is my servant whom I uphold,
my chosen one in whom my soul delights. I have endowed him with my spirit
that he may bring true justice to the nations. He does not cry out or shout aloud.
He does not extinguish the wavering flame. I have called him to serve the cause of right,
to open the eyes of the blind,
to free captives from prison".
Lord, please help me understand
how "my servant" is Jesus
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!
01
02
Luke
3.15-22: John the Baptist said to the people "I
baptize you with water, but someone more powerful than I will baptize you
with the Holy Spirit.
I am not fit to undo the strap of the powerful one's sandals". Jesus then came and was baptized by
John.
While Jesus was praying after his baptism, heaven opened and the Holy
Spirit came down on him in the shape of a dove. And a voice came from heaven "You are my
Son, the Beloved. My favor rests on you".
Jesus, Beloved Son, please baptize me with
your Holy Spirit.
Holy Spirit, please increase your influence in my life
Listen
Reflection on the above readings: On this day in previous years, Pope Francis has reminded us to remember and celebrate our day of baptism, just as we remember and celebrate our day of birth (... my baptism: November 3)
Video
commentary on today's readings - in Italian, Chinese, English, and
Spanish
Daniel Daring: The Baptism of the Lord (Chinese text)
--------------------------------------------------------
Hour
of Love HK radio program 8.30
pm HK time tonight
- with items about HK prison inmates
-------------------------------------------
To
go with today's Gospel:
--------------------------------------
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
prisoners in one
part of China each day of the month:
On this 10th
of the month, Jesus please bless the prisoners of Hubei
And praying for one of the
world's poorest countries each day of the month:
On this 10th of the month, Jesus
please bless the people of Guinea
And praying for one Islam-related
intention each day of the week:
Jesus, today, Sunday,
please bless all Muslims in my country
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Sat Sat 12
On January 3 when I tried to visit an African inmate in a prison
about one hour south of Kuala Lumpur, I was told "not today because she has
already had visit today...come back on the 10th"...to which I said (showing
an official my diary) "I'm due to be in Penang on the 10th ... can I come
on the 11th?" ... to which he said "ok". But yesterday
mid-morning when I again went to the prison I was told "no visits
today...today is Friday (Muslim holiday)"...to which I said "but you
said I could come on the 11th" ...to which he replied "No I
didn't". But then I was given a pass to enter the prison to put my case to
senior officers ....same dialogue, same result. So I offered up the experience
as a prayer that the woman would not only be spared the death penalty but also
be acquitted.
When I went back to the main entrance it was pleasing to see about a dozen male prisoners who had just been released ...met by relieved relatives and friends ... a happy moment ....except for one poor guy about 40 years old who looked like he had one foot in the grave ... no one met him and he was quite disoriented. So I helped him get something to eat and drink and then took him on my own donkey, I mean in my own taxi to the train station where I was going .... then paid a driver to take him to the hospital in his home town about one hour away (he was too ill to travel by public transport). A case of advanced HIV. Jesus, please heal him!
I then took a train to a place further down the line where I met two families of prisoners in HK - one at 3pm and one at 5pm. Both families are cooperating with local and HK media to warn people about the danger of drug trafficking to HK ... which should help the inmates get a discount when they are sentenced please God.
Pope Francis - The Joy of the Gospel No. 81: At a time when we most need a missionary dynamism which will bring salt and light to the world, many lay people fear that they may be asked to undertake some apostolic work and they seek to avoid any responsibility that may take away from their free time.
--------------------------------------------------------
The
Book Blog:
4 readings + recordings
Comments welcome here
Readings are from
Simple Bible
Judges
16: Samson went to Gaza and
entered the house of a prostitute.
The men of Gaza tried to capture Samson
but he eluded them. Samson
then fell in love with a woman called Delilah.
The Philistine leaders pressured Delilah to find out the secret of Samson's great strength.
Day
after day Delilah pestered Samson
until he told her his secret:
"A razor has never touched my head,
because I have been specially dedicated to God from my birth.
If my hair is cut, I will lose my strength." Delilah
then cut Samson's hair while he was asleep
and called the Philistines to capture him. The
Philistines bound Samson, put out his eyes
and chained him in a prison in Gaza.
But in prison, Samson's hair began to grow again. The
Philistines held a special ceremony in a large building
to celebrate the capture of Samson. They
paraded Samson at the ceremony
and then made him stand between two pillars. Samson
prayed to God for strength one more time
and the Lord heard his prayer.
He
then used his great strength
to pull down the main pillars supporting the building. In
this way, at his death, Samson killed more Philistines than before he went to prison.
Dear
Lord, you once gave special strength to Samson.
Please give me strength to face the battles of life.
01
02
Psalm
145: I will give you glory, O God my king.
I will bless your name day after day. The Lord is great, worthy of all praise.
His greatness cannot be measured. Age to age shall proclaim your works,
shall speak of your splendor and glory. The Lord is kind and full of
compassion,
slow to anger, abounding in love. How good is the Lord to all,
compassionate to all his creatures. All your creatures shall thank you, O Lord,
and tell all the world of your love. The Lord is faithful in all his words
and loving in all his deeds. The Lord supports all who fall
and raises all who are bowed down. The eyes of all creatures look to you
and you give them their food each day. The Lord is close to all who call him,
who call on him from their hearts. Let the whole world bless the Lord's holy
name,
for ever, for ages unending.
Thank you, Lord, for your love.
Thank you for your love
Listen
James
2.1-13:
Don't try to combine faith in Jesus Christ,
our glorified Lord, with the making of distinctions between classes of
people. Suppose two men come into your prayer meeting,
one beautifully dressed and with a gold ring; the other poor and in shabby
clothes. If you welcome the rich man, and look down on
the poor man, you are making a big mistake. It was those who are poor according to the
world that God chose to be rich in faith. So, never make distinctions between classes of
people.
Everyone is your neighbor. Love your neighbor as yourself. There will be judgment without mercy for
people who have not been merciful. But merciful people need have no fear
of judgment
Jesus, help me treat everyone equally and
fairly. No favorites
Listen
Mark
3.7-12: Jesus went again to the Sea of Galilee.
Great crowds of people from all over the country went to him.
They had heard what he was doing and wanted to see him. Large crowds of sick people pushed forward, trying to touch
Jesus.
They had heard how he had healed so many sick people.
Jesus, please heal my friend
(.. name ..) who is sick
Listen
Reflection on the above readings: Psalm 145 says that God is good and kind. That goodness and kindness can be seen in practice in today's Gospel
-------------------------------------
When Chinese people in HK answer the phone they say "Wei".
But when Chinese people in Malaysia answer the phone they say ....
"hello"!
--------------------------------------
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 12th
of the month, Jesus please bless the prisoners of Jiangsu
And praying for one of the
world's poorest countries each day of the
month:
On this 12th
of the month, Jesus please bless the people of Guinea-Bissau
And
praying for one Islam-related intention
each day of the week:
Jesus, today, Saturday,
please pacify the
Taliban
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Fri Jan 11
Hello again from Kuala Lumpur where I arrived back last night
after two nights in Malaysia's second largest city George
Town about four and a half hours by train from KL. Lovely train trip ...
non-stop lush green tree land ... just like many parts of Australia or China or
Africa or South America. Electric train not as fast as the bullets in China, but
travelled at about 120 kph most of the way with 8 stops.
In GT I was able to meet four families, the last one yesterday for lunch was extra special: family had lost contact with 21 year old son for four months, had no idea where he was ... and he had not been able to contact them because he couldn't remember family mobile numbers. HK Customs confiscate detained people's phones and for security reasons take eternity to give prisoners any number from a confiscated phone. Nor did the boy write to family because he didn't remember their full address ...he has very little education. Father had put "missing person" post on FB in November which someone from another family in GT helped find two nights ago. Father had been crying every night wondering what had happened to his son. Yesterday I sent message to a welfare officer at the son's prison to give him the mobile numbers of his father and mother. And I gave mail address of prison to the father. Please God by phone and mail the son and parents will be in contact before Lunar New Year.
Father was so happy to know his son was safe that he paid for lunch yesterday and then drove me to Butterworth Station for train to KL. Police and immigration department had told the father that according to their records the son had not left the country ... which raises two prospects: bureaucratic inefficiency or a false passport. The false passport possibility might explain why the Malaysian Consulate in HK had not told the family that the son was in HK. Consulates are always informed by HK CSD/police/Customs when a foreigner is put in detention. Jesus please bless the four families in GT, especially family No. 4!
Pope Francis - The
Joy of the Gospel No. 80:
Some
pastoral workers fall into a
lifestyle which leads to an attachment to financial security, or to a desire for
power or human glory at all cost, rather than giving their lives to others
in mission. Let
us not allow ourselves to be robbed of missionary enthusiasm!
-------------------------------------------
The
Book Blog:
4 readings + recordings
Comments welcome here
Readings are from Simple
Bible
Judges 15: When Samson found out
his wife had been given to someone else
he took his revenge on the Philistines
by setting fire to their crops. The Philistines then
attacked the land of Judah, trying to capture Samson. To avoid war with the
Philistines,
the men of Judah bound Samson with ropes
and handed him over to the Philistines. But as the Philistines
approached him,
Samson was filled with the spirit of the Lord
and broke free from the ropes. He saw a dead donkey's
jawbone on the ground
and used this to strike down many Philistines
before making his escape. Samson was judge in
Israel for 20 years.
Dear Lord, you
once gave strength to Samson.
Please give me strength to face the battles of life.My
recording of this reading
Psalm
144: Blessed be the Lord, my rock,
who gives me strength for every situation. He is my love, my fortress.
He is my stronghold, my savior. To you, O God, will I sing a new song,
you who so often rescued David your servant. Happy the people whose God is the Lord.
Please continue to bless your people, Lord. Let our sons flourish like saplings
grown tall and strong from their youth; our daughters graceful as columns,
adorned as though for a palace.
Let our crops and stock be blessed.
May there be no sound of weeping on our streets.
Lord, please help us love and
honor you every day.
Don't let us ever forget your love
Listen
James
1.26-27:
Don't go thinking you're "religious"
while your tongue is out of control. That's the wrong idea of religion. Genuine
religion, in the eyes of God our
Father is this: coming to the help of orphans and widows, and staying
clear of bad values
Jesus, help me control my tongue ... and help me do more
to help the poor
Listen
Mark
3.1-6: Jesus again went to a prayer hall on the
Sabbath.
In the hall was a man with a withered hand. The religious leaders were watching Jesus to
see if he would heal on the Sabbath, hoping for something to use against
him. Jesus said to the man with the withered hand
"Stand in the middle of the hall". Then he said to the
religious leaders "Is it against the law on the Sabbath to do
good?"
They remained silent. Grieved that they were so obstinate, Jesus looked
angrily round at them, and said to the man "Stretch out your
hand". He stretched it out and it was healed.
The leaders left and began to plot how to get rid of Jesus.
Jesus, don't let my
heart become obstinate
Listen
Reflection on the above Bible readings: In the first reading God gave special strength to Sampson. Psalm 144 praises God for giving us strength for every situation. Real religion (James) means strengthening the poor. In the Gospel Jesus restores strength to a withered hand.
----------------------------------------------
Malaysia once belonged to the UK, and in George
Town, capital of Penang, where I've just spent the past two nights, there
used to be a large British military base. Which explains why so many streets
have English names ... just like HK!
--------------------------------------
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 11th
of the month, Jesus please bless the prisoners of Hunan
And praying for one of the
world's poorest countries each day of the
month:
On this 11th of the month, Jesus please bless the
people of Eritrea
And praying for one Islam-related
intention each day of the week:
Jesus, today, Friday,
please bless all Muslims
--------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Thu Jan 10
Yesterday
morning at the town where I stayed the past two nights I went to the local
church for a prayer and a chat with the local priest and some of his
parishioners, asking them to help the anti-drug campaign. Last
night I met two very special families of prisoners in HK, one after another, and
through the help of the second family was able to locate a third family who had
lost contact with their son ...they didn't know where he was. Now they know he
is safe, although in detention. Today I will phone his prison in HK to give
welfare officers his family's number so he can phone them. I hope to visit his
family, in another part of Malaysia, before I go back to HK. This is not
uncommon these days - prisoners can't remember their family phone numbers. Last
night's contact was made using FB posts. Thank you
Jesus for a special night!
Many thanks HK "No More Mules" team for another
successful FB boost:
Pope Francis - The Joy of the Gospel No. 80: Pastoral workers can be affected by arelativism which consists in acting as if God did not exist, making decisions as if the poor did not exist, setting goals as if others did not exist, working as if people who have not received the Gospel did not exist.
--------------------------------------------------------
The Book Blog: 4 readings + recordings
Comments welcome here
Readings are from Simple
Bible
Judges 14:
Samson
wanted to marry a Philistine woman,
even though custom required he marry an Israelite. On his way to
visit
the woman in Philistine territory,
Samson was confronted by a young lion. The spirit of the Lord
filled Samson
and he tore the lion to pieces with his bare hands. On his next visit to
the woman's home, Samson saw that in the carcass of the dead lion there was a swarm of bees, and honey.
The people of the
village made a wedding feast for 7 days.
But they were scared of Samson
so they assigned 30 men to stay with him. Samson challenged them
to answer a riddle:
if they got the right answer before the 7 days were over,
he would give them 30 pieces of silver and 30 festal robes. But if they failed to
get the right answer,
they had to give Samson 30 pieces of silver and 30 robes.
They agreed to the challenge. Samson stated his
riddle:
"Out of the eater came what is eaten,
out of the strong came what is sweet". Three days went by and
they could not solve the riddle.
So they asked Samson's wife to find out the answer. Day after day she
pestered Samson with pleading and tears
until, on the 7th day, he told her. She then told the men. The men then said to
Samson:
"What is sweeter than honey,
and what is stronger than a lion?" Samson
then went to a nearby Philistine town
and killed 30 men there. He took their robes and
gave them to the 30 wedding feast guests.
Full of anger, he stormed out of the village
and returned to his parents' house. His wife was then given to
the companion who had been his best man.
Dear
God, please help me control my anger
01
02
Psalms 140-143: Lord, save me from
people who do evil,
you who do justice for the needy. I have no way out of
this situation.
And no one wants to help me. Lord, I beg you tonight
to make haste and give me an answer,
for my spirit fails within me. In the morning let me know your love
for I put my trust in you.
Lord, please help people who
are in big trouble
Recording
James 1.19-25: Be quick to listen, and slow to speak, and
even slower to get angry.
God's goodness is never helped by human anger. Accept and submit to the word which has been
planted in your heart and can save your soul. Do what the word tells you. Don't just listen
to it. Actively put God's word into practice in your life
Jesus, help me put your word into practice in
my life each day
Listen
Mark
2.23-28: One Sabbath day Jesus and his disciples were walking through a
cornfield. The disciples were hungry.
They picked some ears of corn and ate them. Picking corn on the Sabbath was regarded as unlawful by the
Pharisees. So the Pharisees said to Jesus
"Your disciples are breaking the Sabbath law". Jesus replied "Don't you remember what King David and his
followers once did when they were hungry? They ate the Temple bread which
only the priests were allowed to eat. Go and learn the meaning of these words
'What I want is mercy, not superficial external
offerings'. I am Master of the Sabbath."
Jesus, please help
me understand that love is more important than law
Listen
Reflection on the above Bible readings: Two of today's readings mention anger ... which is a problem for everyone from time to time
-----------------------------
Two
days as when I got a train to the place where I've stayed the past two nights,
seated next to me was a Muslim man, aged about 40. He was wearing Muslim gear, I
was wearing my cross. I hesitated to chat with him because it can be an offence
in Malaysia for a foreign priest to chat to a local Muslim (especially in his
home). So I just shook hands and told him my name was John, and no more. In fact he could not speak
much English so
communication could not get very far anyway. But about half way through the
journey he took out his camera and took a selfie with me. I didn't object. Then
I got a passenger across the aisle to take a photo of the two of us. No
objections, in fact soon after he asked me to W/Ap him my photo .... and then
after we left the train he sent me several "bye bye, see you again"
messages. A simple, friendly man. God bless him!
--------------------------------------
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 10th 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 10th
of the month, Jesus please bless the people of Guinea
And praying for one Islam-related
intention each day of the
week:
Jesus, today, Thursday, please pacify Al-Qaeda
--------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Wed Jan 9
Last night here in Malaysia I had a lovely meal gathering at the
home of a prisoner in HK ... in the town where I am staying overnight ....due to
meet two or three more families tomorrow night. My taxi driver from the local
railway station to my hotel was a grandmother of 10 .... which immediately
brought back memories of January last year in Rio, South America, when a
grandmother taxi driver took me to the wrong airport (Rio has 2 international
airports ... and they are 45 minutes apart). No problem yesterday ... with the
help of Google we arrived at the correct hotel .... in fact I had time to have a
swim in the hotel pool before the home gathering.
Pope Francis - The Joy of the Gospel No. 78: Today we are seeing in many pastoral workers, including consecrated men and women, an inordinate concern for their personal freedom and relaxation, which leads them to see their work as a mere appendage to their life, as if it were not part of their very identity.
--------------------------------------------------------
Chris McDonnell
And the walls came tumbling down
Why all this talk about walls? Because we don't seem to have learnt the lesson
of history
-------------------------------------------------------
The
Book Blog:
4 readings + recordings
Comments welcome here
Readings are from
Simple Bible
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.
Dear
Lord, please bless all barren women
My
recording of this reading
Psalm
139: O Lord, you search me and you know me.
You know my resting and my rising. You know exactly what's going on in my life,
all my ways are an open book to you. Before ever a word is on my tongue,
you know, O Lord, what I'm going to say. Your knowledge is beyond my understanding,
too high, beyond my reach. It was you who created my being,
knit me together in my mother's womb. I thank you for the wonder of my life,
for the wonders of all your creation.
Lord, thank you for the gift of
life. Please help me follow the path to eternal life
Listen
James
1.1-12: From James, servant of God and of the Lord
Jesus Christ.
Greetings to believers scattered around the world. You will always have difficulties and things
going wrong.
When they happen, praise God for them and patiently keep going. Blessed are people who stand firm when trials
come. They have proved themselves, and will win the prize of eternal life
which the Lord has promised to those who love him
Jesus, please give me patience and praise
when
life gets tough
Listen
Mark
2.13-17: Jesus went again to the Sea of Galilee.
Many people came to him and he taught them there by the sea. Near the sea he saw a
tax collector Levi
(Matthew) working at the customs house. Jesus said to him "Follow
me". He got up and followed him. Levi gave a dinner in his house for Jesus.
Sitting with Jesus were some tax collectors and "sinners".
In fact Jesus' followers included many tax collectors and
"sinners". Some religious leaders asked Jesus' disciples
"Why does he eat with tax collectors and 'sinners'?" Jesus himself answered them: "It is not
the healthy who need the doctor, but the sick. I did not come to call the
virtuous, but sinners."
Jesus, thank you for being a
friend
of people who are rejected and despised
Listen
Reflection on the above readings: Today's Gospel suggests the name www.doctorjesus.org !
-------------------------------------------------------
Yesterday afternoon on the train to the town where I stayed last
night I played two games of online Chess ... and lost both games....thanks to
the fact that in the middle of both games the train (a very fast and modern one
I must add) went through a very long tunnel ... which caused my internet
connection to fail ... and I was timed out!
--------------------------------------
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 9th
of
the month, Jesus please bless the prisoners of Henan
And praying for one of
the world's poorest
countries each day of the month:
On this 9th
of the month, Jesus please bless the people of Central
African Republic
And praying for one
Islam-related intention each day of the week:
Jesus, today, Wednesday,
please pacify Al-Shabaab
---------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------
My Africa trips:
2015: Tanzania, Malawi
2016:
Kenya, Uganda
2017:
Southern Africa, Dubai (
The
Last Run)
2018:
My trip to Latin America
2018: My trip to Thailand and Cambodia
March 18, 2018: South China Morning Post report on my work
--------------------
Australian Chinese for
Families Association
Gay marriage: an elephant in the room (by John W)
Video:
What "gay
marriage" did to Massachusetts
同志婚姻自2004年立法後，美國麻省的改變
（ 廣東話附字幕版）
Frightening
YouTube reports:
LGBT radical impact
on educational institutions (No.
5); LGBT
infiltrating churches
(No. 6); US corporations massively
supporting LGBT agenda (No. 7). What
has happened in the US is now starting to happen in other places. Some
day our children will ask "why didn't you do more to stop this evil?"
--------------------------------------------
Pope's surprise visit to drug treatment centre
Pope is practising what he preaches: "get out and mix with the poor"
HK
readers might like to join me in praying each day for one group of HK
prison inmates: Sun:
Lo Wu; Mon: C.I.C., Siu Lam, Tai Lam; Tue: Stanley
Wed: Hei Ling Chau Thu: Lantau
Fri: Lai Chi Kok
Sat: Hospitals, Pik Uk & other centres
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This website was launched in construction
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the King.
The official launching
was
held on the Gold Coast, Australia, on January 20,
2012.
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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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