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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JesusTower
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China8
Tues June 11
Why
housewives are entitled to speak out against extradition (... "must
read"!) and Businesses, shops urge strike over fugitive law
and
see 
below
Australia
navy drug seizures in Middle East
In this week after Pentecost, please join me in praying the Sequence of Pentecost each day
I must say I am really enjoying the O.M.I. retreat this week -
being led by our Superior General Fr Louis Lougen. One gem from yesterday's Mass
homily by Fr Louis that I had never heard: Eve took
something (an apple) from a tree .... we must try to avoid being
"grabbers" (accumulating etc) like her. Mary
gave something (her Son) to a tree (the Cross) ... and we also must try to offer
ourselves to Jesus and the poor. (Mass of Mary, Mother of the Church)
---------------------------
The
Book Blog:
4 readings + recordings
Comments welcome here
Readings are from
Simple Bible
Job
20-21: Zophar then said it was unreasonable for Job
to think that his situation was an exception as regards God's justice. Job replied:
"I can't help asking why do wicked people prosper while good people
suffer?"
Dear God, please help us to
understand the mystery of good and evil
My
recording of this reading
Psalm
3: When people make fun of me for believing in
you, Lord,
I deeply remember how you are my help and my shield. Even when the whole world seems against me,
I can go to bed and sleep easy, knowing that you protect me. O Lord, please rescue me from people who plot
against me.
Lord our savior, please bless everyone who needs help.
Lord, thank you for your
protection and help:
Listen
Acts
11.19-26 (for
Feast of St Barnabas): Some believers went to Antioch in Syria where they
preached the Good News
of the Lord Jesus to non-Jewish people. Many
non-Jewish people became believers. Barnabas, a good man filled with the Holy
Spirit, was sent to Antioch in Syria to encourage the new believers to remain
faithful to the Lord. Barnabas brought
Paul from Tarsus to Antioch.
They stayed in Antioch one year, instructing a large number of people. It was at Antioch that the believers were
first called "Christians"
Jesus, please help me be a good Christian
Listen
Luke
18.31-34:
Once again Jesus explained to the 12 apostles
what would happen to him:
"Now we are going to Jerusalem. Everything written about me by the prophets will
happen:
I will be handed over to the
pagans. I will be mocked and spat on. I will be scourged and put to
death. On the third day I will rise from the dead". But the apostles had no idea what his words meant
Jesus, especially each Friday, please help me
to remember you on the Cross
Listen
Reflection on the above readings: Jesus knew what would happen to him in Jerusalem, yet he continued his journey there. May his example of "going through what you have to go through" give us courage when we have to go through difficult times.
------------------------------
Carry Lam (HK Chief Extraditionist): "300 groups have
written to support extradition law" (in
this report). This is pathetic. Those groups are just Beijing puppets ... I
don't know of one ordinary HK person who supports the extradition.
-------------------------------
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 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, Tuesday,
please pacify Boko
Haram
----------------------------
----------------------------
Mon June 10
Massive anti-extradition march
yesterday. Reports: RTHK, HKFP
(many photos),
SCMP, Guardian
Last night the annual retreat for Oblates of the China Delegation
began in Sheung Shui, HK .... to finish midday Friday. Retreat is being led by
O.M.I.
Superior General Fr
Louis Lougen from the USA. Come Holy Spirit!
In this week after Pentecost, I usually pray the Sequence of Pentecost each day
------------------------
The
Book Blog:
4 readings + recordings
Comments welcome here
Readings are from
Simple Bible
Readings from Feast of Mary, Mother of
the Church, placed straight after Pentecost where Mary accompanied the
apostolic group
Genesis
3: A creature hostile to
God took the form of a snake
and tempted the first man and first woman.
The snake tempted them to disobey God.
When God asked them why they disobeyed him,
the man blamed the woman, and the woman blamed the snake.
God said to the snake:
"You are the enemy of the human race.
Someday a member of the human race will defeat you."
God said to the man and woman:
"From dust you came and to dust you will return."
The first man's name was Adam (meaning "man").
The first woman's name was Eve (meaning "life").
Dear God, please help me understand
how evil in the world
started when Adam and Eve disobeyed you
My
recording of this reading
Psalm
87: On the holy mountain is Jerusalem,
the Lord's cherished city. Of you are told glorious things, O city of
God. All nations are called to serve and love the
Lord.
And Jerusalem shall be called their spiritual mother,
for all shall be her children. In Jerusalem everyone will be welcome and find
a home.
Lord, may Jerusalem be a place
of peace and prayer for all peoples
Listen
John
19.25-30: Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his
mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. Seeing his mother and John the apostle
standing near her, Jesus said to his mother "He is your son".
Then to John he said "She is your mother". From
that moment, John regarded Mary as his own mother. Jesus said "My work is finished".
Then he bowed his head and died
We adore you Lord Jesus and we
praise you,
because you have redeemed the world
Listen
Reflection on the above readings: Yesterday's Mass says that Pentecost was the birthday of the Church. Birth means a mother. Was Mary at Pentecost? Yep!
-------------------------
To
go with today's reading from Genesis:
--------------------
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 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, Monday,
please pacify I.S.
-----------------------
----------------------
June 9
P E N T E C O S T S U N D A Y
Wishing all dear readers a
Happy Pentecost!
COME HOLY SPIRIT! FALL AFRESH ON OUR WORLD!
---------------------
HK
exile warns of extradition "death sentence" - Lam
was forced to sign two statements: surrendering his right to inform his family
of his whereabouts and his right to a lawyer. Over the eight months he was held
in China, he was forced to write confessions more than 20 times
This afternoon the annual retreat for the O.M.I. China Delegation will begin in Sheung Shui, so I am unable to take part in today's anti-extradition march. But I will be there in spirit, and I hope and pray a huge number of HK people will take part ... as a last -minute effort to protect HK from the evil extradition legislation due to be enacted on June 12. .... just as a huge crowd in 2003 forced the HK govt to abort its effort to pass Article 23 security legislation
Cardinal Joseph Zen says everyone in HK risks being sent across the border for one reason or the other. "Everybody should be afraid of this new law and so it is not only a duty, but in the interest of each one to march" (in this report)
Journalists denounce extradition bill
Why Australians should be worried about HK extradition laws
-------------------
'Staggering'
Venezuela exodus reaches 4 million
S.
Africa women freed after 8 years in Thai prison for drug trafficking charge
(for me, the most important word in this report is "decoy"
... this is a common phenomenon ... and it implies a set-up by which the woman
was sacrificed to let others through)
------------------------------
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
1
Corinthians 12.4-10: The
Holy Spirit gives us many different gifts: Some people have the gift of
wise preaching. Some people have the gift of an extra strong faith. Some people
have the gift of healing sick people. Some people have other gifts like the
power of miracles, prophecy, recognizing spirits, and the ability to speak in
tongues.
Holy Spirit, please increase your influence
in my life. Please give me the gift of (..name...)
John
15-16: Jesus said to his
disciples: "When the
Advocate comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth
who issues from the Father, he will be my witness. When
the Spirit of truth comes, he will lead
you to the complete truth. He
will glorify me, since all he tells you will be taken from what is mine. Everything
the Father has is mine; that is why I said: All
he tells you will be taken from
what is mine"
O Holy Spirit, Spirit of Truth, fall afresh on our world!
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
Video
commentary on today's readings - in Italian, Chinese, English, and
Spanish
Daniel Daring: Come Holy Spirit (Chinese text)
-------------------------------
Hour
of Love HK radio program 8.30
pm HK time tonight
- with items about HK prison inmates
-------------------------------
For
Pentecost Sunday:
Once when Pope John XXIII went to visit the Hospital of
the Holy Spirit , a nun answering the door said: "Holy Father, I'm the
mother superior of the Holy Spirit." He replied: "Lucky you! What a
job! I'm just the 'servant of the servants of God.' "
------------------------------
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 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, Sunday,
please bless all Muslims in my country
-----------------------
----------------------
Sat June 8
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!
---------------
"You are not
alone" - Hongkongers abroad mobilise to oppose extradition
bill and "The
last fight for HK" (which has the words "the
little boat of HK is sinking fast
--------------
Portugal's
radical drug policy is working. Why hasn't the world copied it?
Freed
S. African female drug mule stuck in Thailand
Record
Australia haul of Ice in music speaker!
-----------------
Pope approves change to Lord's Prayer.
"God does not lead us into temptation"! ((my Simple Bible
translation: "Save us in time of trial. Protect us from evil"))
---------------------------
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
---------------------------
1. Available from Amazon in the near future: "How We Destroyed Hong Kong" by Carrie Lam and John Lee
2. Yesterday when I went to McDonald's for morning Green Tea, I sat at a table which had 4 extra-friendly Chinese people ... who turned out to be a retired couple and their mid-aged daughters .... who all live in (friendly) Sydney ... and who like talking about AFL and NRL football. And the small world got smaller: the couple are originally from Zhaoqing (where I worked for 7 years) and they had just recently visited there. We had a great chat!
------------------------------
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 8th
of the month, Jesus please bless the prisoners of Heilongjiang
And praying for one of the
world's poorest countries each day of the
month:
On this 8th
of the month, Jesus please bless the people of Sierra
Leone
And
praying for one Islam-related intention
each day of the week:
Jesus, today, Saturday,
please pacify the
Taliban
------------------------
------------------------
Fri June 7
Dragon
Boat Festival Holiday in HK today
Lawyers
march in protest against extradition bill and
Amnesty:
Bill puts rights workers, journalists in
danger and Big
turnout expected for June 9 protest march
Yesterday morning I was at High Court to support
a man from South America on a drug trafficking charge. In the afternoon I
attended a HK diocese meeting where I was invited to give a sharing about my
work for prisoners and the poor ... followed by the usual Thurs meal in Yau Ma
Tei for about 20 homeless people - most of whom sleep at McDonald's. How I wish
this might happen in HK:
Singapore
churches use classrooms to help homeless
Sydney
airport driver was global drug boss
To
prepare for
Pentecostst
(June 9) 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!
-------------------
The
Book Blog:
4 readings + recordings
Comments welcome here
Readings are from Simple
Bible
Job 18-19: Bildad then said that Job's suffering was
caused by his sins. Job repeated that he was innocent of any
wrong-doing.
He added:
"I am sure of three things:
my God lives,
my God will rescue me,
and I will see my God's face."
Dear God, I believe you live
and that someday I will see your face
My
recording of this reading
Lynne
Dawson: I know that my Redeemer liveth
Psalm
2: Why are the nations revolting against God?
Why won't the nations accept God? O kings and rulers of the
nations, listen to God's voice.
Serve the Lord with love and honor. Blessed are the nations that love
the Lord
Let all the nations love you,
Lord. Let all the nations love you
Listen
Acts
16.1-10: In the town of Lystra, Paul recruited
Timothy, whose mother was a Jewish Christian and whose father was Greek. As they visited one town after another, they
announced the decisions taken in Jerusalem about what Jewish practices to
follow. The local churches continued to grow strong in
faith as well as grow in numbers. One night Paul had a vision: a Macedonian
appeared and said "Come across to Macedonia and help us".
We
immediately crossed the sea to Macedonia (Luke was now with Paul)
Jesus, if someone asks me for help, may I
say yes
Listen
Luke
18.18-23: A young man from a prominent family asked
Jesus "What must I do to inherit eternal life?" Jesus replied "You know the commandments:
you must not commit adultery, you must not kill, you must not steal, you
must honor your father and mother". The man answered "I have kept all these
commandments all my life". Jesus then said "There is still one
higher goal: sell all you own,
give the money to the poor, then come follow me". But when the man heard this he was very sad, because he was very
rich
Jesus, please help me follow you the way you
want me to follow you
Listen
Reflection on the above Bible readings: Psalm 2's words apply to today's world when so many places are turning away from Bible values
-------------------------
-------------------------
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 7th
of the month, Jesus please bless the prisoners of Hebei
And praying for one of the
world's poorest countries each day of the
month:
On this 7th of the month, Jesus please bless the
people of Burkina Faso
And praying for one Islam-related
intention each day of the week:
Jesus, today, Friday,
please bless all Muslims
----------------------------
----------------------------
Thu June 6
Yesterday I was at Tai Lam women's prison from 9am to 5.30pm
..... hearing stories of local HK people as well as those from Africa, Malaysia,
Indonesia and South America .... with my brain on auto-pilot after getting to
bed after midnight after attending the June 4 gathering .... then arriving home
around 7pm to a pile of mail and other other messages ....after which I had no
trouble sleeping last night. And see
below!
Note the question by Dennis Kwok!
Chinese judicial freedom ranks among
top
To
prepare for Pentecost (June 9) 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!
-------------------------
The Book Blog: 4 readings + recordings
Comments welcome here
Readings are from Simple
Bible
Job 15-17:
Eliphaz then said that Job's own words
condemned him
since he was in fact challenging God. Job replied that he was sick and tired of
listening to his friends' speeches. He also said he felt death was
not far away: "My breath grows weak, I am ridiculed by
everyone, every fiber of my heart is broken. I have no
hope."
Lord, help of the helpless,
please help people who feel their situation is hopeless
Recording
Psalm 1: Happy the person who
avoids evil and evil entertainment.
Happy the person who reads and meditates on God's words. Such a
person is like a tree planted beside a river, getting plenty of
nourishment, bearing plenty of fruit. Such a
person is on the Way of Life.
People who do evil are on the Way of
Death.
Dear
Lord, please help me do good and avoid evil
Recording
Acts 15.36-40:
Some time after this, Paul said to Barnabas
"Let's revisit the towns where we preached the word of the
Lord". Barnabas suggested taking John Mark with them,
but Paul opposed this, since John Mark had deserted them on the previous
trip when the situation became dangerous. After a violent argument, Paul and Barnabas
split up. Barnabas went with John Mark to Cyprus. Silas joined Paul for
his next journey.
Jesus,
at your Last Supper you
prayed for the unity of your followers. Help us avoid
arguments
Listen
Luke
18.15-17: People brought little children to Jesus, for
him to bless them. The disciples told the people to go away and not bother
Jesus. But Jesus called the children to him and said
"Let the children come to me, and do not stop them, for it is to such
as these that the kingdom of God belongs. I tell you, anyone who does not welcome the
kingdom of God like a little child, will never enter it".
Jesus, please give all children the chance to
know and love you
Listen
---------------
Nearly two hours of my long day at Tai Lam women's prison
yesterday were spent in the laundry section, where more than a dozen women had
chats with me ... after which I felt like I'd been through the dryer!
--------------------
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 6th 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 6th
of the month, Jesus please bless the people of Liberia
And praying for one Islam-related
intention each day of the
week:
Jesus, today, Thursday, please pacify Al-Qaeda
-----------------------------
----------------------------
Wed June 5
Last night, with 50,000 (?) others, I attended a gathering to mark
the 30th Anniversary of the Tiananmen Incident. Before the gathering I joined
several hundred Catholics with Cardinal Zen and Bishop Ha for a pre-gathering
prayer meeting. I hope to post some photos of my own of both gatherings in
next day or so. Many photos of main gathering in
this media report. One concern: the term "Tiananmen Massacre" is
misleading. There was no massacre during the students' final hour on the square.
See the final part of part 2 of Gate
of Heavenly Peace. And see my article Remembering
June 4. Last night's big turnout means that the anti-extradition march on
Sunday June 9 will also be huge.
Front page of yesterday's Ming Pao newspaper - for march on
Sunday June 9 to protest the extradition bill:
How Martyrs
Day was celebrated on June 3 in Uganda
Happy EID
tonight!
-----------------
To prepare for Pentecost (June 9) 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!
-----------------------
Chris McDonnell
The
Yin and Yang of politics
Honesty has given way to deceit, falsehood has become the currency of power and
the denigration of individuals commonplace. And of course global warming doesn't
exist
-----------------------------
The
Book Blog:
4 readings + recordings
Comments welcome here
Readings are from
Simple Bible
Job 11-14: Zophar then said that Job must still have some
secret sins of which he had not repented. Job sarcastically replied:
"No doubt you are the voice of the people
and when you die, wisdom will die with you. I am only too aware that God knows
everything.
How could I hide anything from him? God, why do you hide your face?
Why do you look on me as an enemy?" Dear God, please give us
trust and courage in time of trial
My
recording of this reading
Psalm
148: Praise the Lord from the heavens,
praise him in the heights. Praise him all his angels,
praise him all his spirits. Praise him, sun and moon,
praise him, shining stars. Let them praise the name of the Lord.
His word gave life to all of them. Praise the Lord from the earth,
sea creatures and all oceans. Praise him fire and hail, snow and mist,
stormy winds that obey his word. Praise him all mountains and hills,
all fruit trees and cedars.
Praise him all animals, wild and tame,
reptiles and birds in the air. Praise him all earth's kings and peoples,
earth's princes and rulers. Praise him young men and maidens,
old people together with children. Let them praise the name of the Lord.
He is the praise of all who love him.
Lord our God and Creator, you
are worthy of all praise
Listen
Acts
15.1-29: Some Jewish Christians came to Syrian
Antioch from Judea and said that non-Jewish Christians should be
circumcised. Paul and Barnabas argued against such an idea, and decided to
go to Jerusalem to discuss this issue with the apostles there. During a long meeting,
Peter reminded everyone
how the Holy Spirit had been poured out on non-circumcised people. James spoke
of how all peoples are meant to be consecrated to the Lord. James then issued a teaching for non-Jewish
believers:
"All we ask you to do is to abstain from food sacrificed to idols,
from blood from the meat of strangled animals, from fornication. Avoid these, and you will do what is right"
Jesus, please don't let me make unreasonable
demands on other people
Listen
Luke
18.9-14: Some people prided themselves on being
virtuous, and despised others. Jesus told them this story: Two men went to the Temple to pray, one a
religious leader, the other a social outcast. The leader stood there and said "I thank
you, God, that I am not greedy, unjust and adulterous like other people
such as this outcast here". The outcast did not even raise his eyes, but
beat his breast and said "God, be merciful to me, a sinner". The outcast, I tell you, went home a friend of
God. The leader did not. People who exalt themselves will be humbled.
People who humble themselves will be exalted
Jesus, be merciful to me, a sinner
Listen
Reflection on the above readings: Acts and Luke have a similar theme: "Good" people rejecting "outcasts"
---------------------------
To go with today's Gospel:
Guy at back of temple was praying "Thank you Lord that I am not like that
religious leader up front"!
-------------------------
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 5th
of
the month, Jesus please bless the prisoners of Guizhou
And praying for one of
the world's poorest
countries each day of the month:
On this 5th
of the month, Jesus please bless the people of Chad
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
Dec 2018 - Jan 2019 trip to Malaysia
--------------------
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
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.
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Thank you for checking this website each day. God bless all readers and bloggers!
Fr John Wotherspoon O.M.I. 胡
頌 恆 神 父
jdwomi@gmail.com
HK
mobile +852- 67095674
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ .