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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Tues Nov 19
These words from a local HK reader sum up the feelings of many HK
people: We are so sad, hopeless and worried
At
2am yesterday morning, Bishop Joseph Ha was part of a group appealing for
restraint at the Polytechnic Uni. About that
time I was praying for peace instead of sleeping ("Jesus, Lamb of God, you
take away the sins of the world, grant HK peace") as I listened for most of
the night to noisy protesters below my home in Temple Street, Jordan. And as I
prayed I thought of the tens of thousands of anxious parents wondering if their
sons and daughters are safe after staying out all night in protest mode.
Yesterday afternoon as I left home to go to a meeting on HK side, I was sickened and saddened to see the destruction that the protesters caused to Jordan Road and Nathan Road .... again trashing the traffic lights at the corner of Nathan Road and Jordan Road. See my videos and photos here.
NowTV (live channel, the one on the right) has direct broadcast of what's happening in HK
And I have a problem: at school and at university in Australia I was taught to think, to ask questions, to analyse, to check the facts, to look at the big picture. No offence to Chinese readers, but Confucian culture, while it has many good and beautiful features, also encourages children/students to "shut up and listen" ... which I think is one reason why some local people, young and old, have an unhealthy tendency to believe anything they hear. A rumour too easily becomes the truth. People, especially young people, are too easily ... fooled. At this troubled time in HK's history, truth is often a casualty. Much HK media suffers from, exploits and magnifies this tendency ... leaving out the reason why something happens when describing something that is happening. So the main current story is how heartless police launched a vicious attack on helpless students trapped at the Polytechnic University. No mention of the students putting people's lives in danger by throwing items from a bridge onto traffic below .... and throwing petrol bombs at police....and able to leave if they use the way designated by police (= registration/arrest). Yesterday's bomb throwers are today's "children at risk" from a police attack. I pray for the safety of the students and the police and the public.
Not forgetting that this whole terrible situation was caused by a foolish government whose heartlessness and unwillingness to dialogue continues to fan the flame it originally lit.
Jesus, please give
Pope Francis a safe trip to Thailand and Japan. Pope's
cousin to be translator in Thailand!
---------------------------
The
Book Blog:
4 readings + recordings
Comments welcome here
Readings are from
Simple Bible
Baruch
1-2: The message of Baruch, written in Babylon for the exiles living
there,
and sent to Jerusalem for the people still there: Let us pray that our genuine service for the king of Babylon
will win his favor and protection.
To us belongs a look of shame, because we have not listened
to the message of the Lord our God. Lord, please listen to our prayer.
Rescue us from exile and humiliation.
Dear God, please help all
exiles return to their homeland
My
recording of this reading
Psalm
34: I will bless the Lord at all
times,
his praise always on my lips.
In the Lord my soul shall make its boast,
the humble shall hear and be glad. Glorify the Lord with me, together let us
praise his name.
I sought the Lord and he answered me.
From all my terrors he set me free. The angel of the Lord is encamped around those
who revere the Lord, to rescue them. Taste and see that the Lord is good.
They are happy who seek refuge in him. The Lord is close to the broken-hearted.
Those whose spirits are crushed he will save.
Lord, by our Bible reading and
prayer, may we taste and see your goodness each day
Listen
Philippians
3.7-11:
Because of Christ, I have come to consider
all my former advantages as a scholar as disadvantages. Nothing is more important than knowing Christ
Jesus my Lord. For him I have accepted the loss of
everything, and I look on everything as so much rubbish if only I can have
Christ. All I want is to know Christ and the power of
his resurrection.
I want to share his sufferings by carrying the Cross with him. This is the way I can hope to receive eternal
life.
Christ Jesus my Lord, knowing you is No. 1
Listen
Matthew
12.1-8: 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 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,
Master of the Sabbath, please help
me understand that love is more important than law.
Listen
Reflection on the above readings: Sometimes it's ok not to keep certain laws ....
------------------------------
As soon as I got home last night I had a shower to cleanse my
eyes after they experienced a little bit of tear gas on Nathan Road. But an hour
or two later, when police using tear gas chased protesters down Temple
Street where I live ... the smell of tear gas entered my home ... even with the
windows shut. Tear gas is certainly not good for eyes or nose. I feel sorry for
anyone with asthma who experiences tear gas.
-------------------------------
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 Shanxi
And praying for one of
the world's poorest countries
each day of the month:
On this 19th of the month, Jesus
please bless the people of Sudan
And praying for one
Islam-related intention each day of the week:
Jesus, today, Tuesday,
please pacify Boko
Haram
----------------------------
----------------------------
Mon Nov 18
Latest news about the Battle of HK: RTHK
* SCMP
If only this could please
come true: Govt
should dialogue with demonstrators without preconditions, say international
peacemaking experts
Yesterday
when I watched this
program of Songs of Praise I was very impressed by the words of the parents,
especially the mother, of a 21 year old man born blind and handicapped.
Filipina
acquitted by jury after accepting parcel of drugs at employer's home
( my
interview with her here)
This is excellent: Prisoners
Abroad UK
Dear Francis, Sorry, I completely forgot it was World
Day of the Poor yesterday. Nothing in diocesan calendar. Nor did I hear
anyone talk about it. But it is now in my 2020 diary!
------------------------
The
Book Blog:
4 readings + recordings
Comments welcome here
Readings are from
Simple Bible
Lamentations
1-5:
The roads to Zion are in mourning.
No one comes to her festivals now. Jerusalem is a captured city,
a city of ruins. All you who pass this way, look and see.
Is there any sorrow like mine? My eyes are wasted away from crying
as I see children dying of starvation. Yet deep in my heart there is hope
that the Lord will rescue us
from this calamity which our sins have caused. The favors of the Lord are not just something of the past.
His kindness is for the present, even in times of despair. Every morning there are signs of his
kindness,
and so I will continue to hope in him for help. Lord, forgive us
for abandoning you.
Do not abandon us.
Lord, especially when I'm in
trouble,
please help me to keep trusting in you for help
My
recording of this reading
Psalm
33: Ring out your joy to the Lord, all good
people,
for praise is fitting for loyal hearts. For the Lord loves justice and right;
he fills the earth with his love. By his word the heavens were made,
he spoke and the universe came into being. They are happy, whose God is the Lord,
he is the source of all true joy. May your love be upon us, O Lord,
since we place all our trust in you.
Lord, we trust in your precious
love
Listen
Philippians
2.13-16: It is God who gives us the spiritual energy to
be good and to do good. Don't be someone who is always complaining and
arguing. Live a life of light in our dark world.
May your life of light offer the world the word of life
Jesus, help me avoid complaining and
arguing
Listen
Matthew
11.25-30: One day Jesus prayed:
Father, Lord of heaven and earth,
I am joyfully amazed at the way simple people
understand and accept what I'm saying,
while proud and clever people miss the
plot. And he said to the ordinary people: Come to me,
all you who are treated unfairly by unjust religious laws.
I will give you peace and justice. Learn from me, and you will know peace,
for I am gentle and humble of heart.
Jesus, please help people who
are suffering from unjust religious laws
Listen
Reflection
on the above readings:
Beautiful song using words of Lamentations: The
Steadfast Love of the Lord
-------------------------
Photos of Rosary Church and St Mary's Canossian College feature in
this report about the battle outside their front gates ... about 15 mins
walk from my home.... I could hear sirens going for much of last night
--------------------
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 Ivory
Coast
And praying for one Islam-related intention
each day of the week:
Jesus, today, Monday,
please pacify I.S.
-----------------------
----------------------
Sun Nov 17
Four short videos of protesters dropping items from bridge onto
traffic below: 01 02
03 04
(Does anyone have video of items being dropped from CUHK bridge? ... jdwomi@gmail.com)
At the start of the "Cultural Revolution" in China in
1966-1967, millions of university and high school students known as the "Red
Guards" went on a rampage throughout the country, causing
tens of thousands of deaths (1772 people were murdered in Beijing in 1966) and
widespread destruction and terror. The young people had been misled by Chairman
Mao to believe they were doing something good for the nation. They were deceived
to think that destruction and violence were good - here.
In 2019 in Hong Kong, tens of thousands of university and high school students
are engaging in widespread vandalism and destruction. They too have been
deceived to believe that violence and destruction will help HK.
What
a difference between the Red Guards and these young Mainland soldiers in HK! PLA soldiers deployed to clear street debris.....
HKFP
photos & video (but this
condemnation of the soldiers is pathetic) ***
This is good: Residents come out to clear roads near universities
Call
for Australian university students to leave HK
Interview I made two days ago with a Filipina jury-released 7:0
three days ago ... explaining how she was tricked to accept a parcel of
drugs at her employer's home ... and what it was like being in prison for 19
months - here
(QQ in English; AA in Tagalog)
How do your
body parts work? (How could all this happen by
chance?!)
------------------------------
The
Book Blog:
4 readings + recordings
Comments welcome here
Readings are from
Simple Bible
c.f. readings for Sunday 33
Malachy 3.19-20: The day is coming now, burning like a furnace; and all the arrogant and the evil-doers will be like stubble. The day that is coming is going to burn them up, says the Lord of Hosts, leaving them neither root nor stalk. But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness will shine out with healing in its rays.
Psalm
98: Sing a new song to the Lord for he has worked
wonders.
His right hand has brought salvation. The Lord has made known his salvation.
He has shown his justice to the nations.
He has remembered his truth and love for the house of Israel. All the ends of the earth have seen the
salvation of our God.
Shout to the Lord all the earth, ring out your joy. Sing psalms to the Lord with the harp,
with the sound of music. Let the sea, the world and all peoples
acclaim the King, the Lord. Let the rivers clap their hands
and the hills ring out their joy at the presence of the Lord, for he comes to rule the earth.
He will rule the world with justice
and the peoples with fairness.
Lord,
may all peoples in all countries know your love and goodness
Listen
2
Thessalonians 3.10-16:
We gave you a rule when we were with you:
not to let anyone have any food if he refused to do any work. Yet we hear that some of you are living in
idleness, doing no work themselves but interfering with everyone else's
work. In the Lord Jesus Christ, we order and call on
such people
to go on quietly working and earning the food that they eat. Never grow tired of doing what is right.
May the Lord of peace give you peace always
and everywhere
Jesus, don't let me interfere in other
people's business
Listen
Luke
21.3-38: Jesus said to his disciples that Jerusalem
would be destroyed and its people scattered throughout the world. He also spoke of how his followers would be
persecuted, and of the end of the world: "The planets will be
shaken, nations will be in agony, bewildered by the force of the oceans.
Then they will see me coming in a cloud with great power and
glory. To prepare for your own end of earthly life,
stay faithful to prayer and goodness. Don't let your heart be coarsened by
debauchery, drunkenness and material cares". In this his final week on earth, Jesus spent
the daytime in the Temple, teaching. From early morning the people would
gather round him to listen to him. Then he would spend the night on the
Mount of Olives.
Jesus, help me be faithful to prayer
and goodness
Listen
Reflection on the above readings: The more problems our society has, the more important it is to redouble our efforts to stay faithful to prayer and goodness
Video
commentary on today's readings - in Italian, Chinese, English, and
Spanish
Daniel Daring: Christ the Lord comes to rule the world (with Chinese text below English text)
-------------------------------
Hour
of Love HK radio program 8.30
pm HK time tonight
- with items about HK prison inmates
-------------------------------
Yesterday afternoon first by walking, then
by taxi,
then again by walking, I eventually was able to get to Kowloon City for my
usual Saturday evening O.M.I. prayer/meal .... after which I walked home to Jordan.
I felt so sorry for people I saw waiting for buses that would not arrive ... and
cars stuck for long periods in traffic .... because roads were closed/blocked. At
midday also I had gone out - to the post office. But not once during the whole
day did I see a policeman or police car. Are they on strike?
------------------------------
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 17th
of the month, Jesus please bless the prisoners of Shaanxi
And praying for one of the
world's poorest countries each day of the month:
On this 17th of the month, Jesus
please bless the people of Malawi
And praying for one Islam-related
intention each day of the week:
Jesus, today, Sunday,
please bless all Muslims in my country
-----------------------
----------------------
Sat Nov 16
Yesterday
morning I was at the High Court for two cases, followed by a lunch meeting with
two recently jury-freed women: a Filipina freed two days ago and an Indonesian
woman freed some months ago .... they are forming a "7:0 Club". After
lunch I was back at the High Court for another case. God bless HK's judicial
system ... we have hope while it is in place.
Warning: two
graphic videos: Street cleaner
killed by protester's brick *** Anti-protest
man set on fire
Message
from a HK reader, a worried mother:
HK is in its darkest time, students are in despair and full of hatred. Violence is breeding violence. Where is justice if it is through violence and
hatred? Please pray for our young people as well as police. Our govt is totally useless.
Please pray for our beloved city. The marginalized group are being penalized through this extreme means of
protest: the elderly and handicapped are not able to go out, and the blue collar workers are suffering for they cannot go to work. Their families suffer due to decreasing household income, parents of students are worried with pain daily
for the safety of their children, the families of police are being terrorized and bullied. It is indeed a war among ourselves
now. Please pray earnestly for HK
Message
received yesterday at 5.40pm - from Ian Morley, an Associate Professor at CUHK:
I'm on CUHK campus right now. What is obviously is that most protesters are not NOT CUHK students. They are persons from elsewhere, they are masked and dressed in black (as the student protesters were in the past days) but they are armed to the teeth with molotov cocktails and weapons of various descriptions. The situation is very tense - a dramatic change from my campus visit 24 hours ago - and most students have now left. Very few 'real students' about now!!! Yet the persons manning the barricades, etc., who are they?! So, don't come onto campus! It's extremely volatile and most persons from CUHK - staff and students - have gone. Also, be careful of statements from 'students' in the press. Who gave the statement about the bridge being reopened this morning? People I have spoken to don't know who they are. There are many persons on campus with their own agenda, and the ultimate outcome could be massive damage to the university infrastructure and university reputation! So, please share, it's apparently the same at other campuses in Hong Kong...the campuses are full of outsiders looking to cause trouble, and no doubt they will! Oh, and as before, no communication from the University administration! Why, oh why, is it so difficult for them to send an email?
Yesterday during breakfast I watched this 3 min video: How
Your Nose Works (...I hope everyone nose
Who designed it!)
---------------------------
The
Book Blog:
4 readings + recordings
Comments welcome here
Readings are from
Simple Bible
Hosea
7-14: God's message through Hosea: Israel has forgotten its
Maker.
The people worship idols made by human hands. It is time to seek the Lord.
It is time to sow integrity and reap kindness. Israel,
come back to the Lord your God.
Have no more to do with idols made by human hands
Lord, please help us lead good
lives, and thereby follow you
My
recording of this reading
Psalm
32: Happy is the person whose sin is forgiven.
For a while I refused to ask for forgiveness,
and my body paid the penalty. But then I said "Lord, forgive me"
and my spirit and body revived. Lord, when I do wrong, please give me the grace to say sorry and ask forgiveness
Listen
Philippians
2.5-11: O Lord, unite us in your love
and keep our minds in you. O Lord, unite us in your love
and keep our minds in you. Though you were God in state divine
you did not cling to what you were.
No, you shed your glory's shine
so as to live just like a slave. O Lord, unite us in your love
and keep our minds in you. You came on earth in human form
and you shared our troubled life.
A humbler man there never was,
even in death obedient. Yes, Lord, death upon a cross,
yes, upon a cross. Therefore are you raised on high
and you have the name of names.
At that name should bend the knee
and tongue confess: Jesus Christ is LORD.
And tongue confess that Jesus Christ is LORD.
And tongue confess that Jesus Christ is LORD.
To the glory of God the Father
Listen
Matthew
11.1-19: John the Baptist sent some of his friends to
ask Jesus
"Are you the promised Anointed One?"
Jesus replied
"Tell John what you hear and see:
blind people see, lame people walk, lepers are healed". Jesus also said to the people around him
how neither John nor himself could please the religious leaders. "For John
always fasted and
never drank wine,
and people said he was possessed. I eat well and I drink wine
and people call me a glutton and a
drunkard."
Jesus, please help me be
someone who is easy to live with,
someone who is not hard to please
Listen
Reflection on the above readings: The Son of God was called a drunkard. This should make us more sympathetic to alcoholics!
---------------------------
True story! Lady
buys air ticket to get from New Terrritories to HK Island!
------------------------------
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 16th
of the month, Jesus please bless the prisoners of Qinghai
And praying for one of the
world's poorest countries each day of the
month:
On this 16th
of the month, Jesus please bless the people of Afghanistan
And
praying for one Islam-related intention
each day of the week:
Jesus, today, Saturday,
please pacify the
Taliban
------------------------
------------------------
Fri Nov 15
As you check this
totally pro-protester BBC video see if you can find any mention of the fact
that the reason police went to the university was because protesters were
throwing bricks from a university bridge onto the highway below, putting
motorists lives in danger. Was it wrong for the police to go to the bridge to
stop the protesters throwing bricks onto passing traffic? Do protesters have
the right to throw bricks from a bridge onto traffic below? Why is the media
supporting such dangerous and irresponsible behaviour? If you can find video of
bricks being thrown from the bridge, please send to me: jdwomi@gmail.com
Overseas
students leaving HK universities
A Filipina on a drug trafficking charge was acquitted by a jury
7:0 yesterday. GOD IS GOOD! That's the 9th (!) woman this year to be
acquitted or have their charge dropped. Nearly all of the 9 were tricked by
Nigerian boyfriends. The 9 comprise 5 Indonesians, 3 Filipinas and 1
Kenyan.
-------------------
The
Book Blog:
4 readings + recordings
Comments welcome here
Readings are from Simple
Bible
Hosea 5-6: God's message through Hosea:
What am I to do with you, Ephraim?
What am I to do with you, Judah? Your love is like a morning cloud,
like dew that quickly disappears. What I want is love, not the sacrifice
of animals in the Temple.
What I want is knowledge of God, not burnt offerings in the Temple.
Lord, please help us to love
you as we should
My
recording of this reading
Psalm
31: Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am in
distress.
My eyes are full of tears, my heart full of sorrow. Everyone makes fun of me.
My friends don't want to know me.
Save me, Lord, from this mess I praise you Lord, for you protect those who trust you.
You keep them safe from slander and lies. Be strong, let your heart take courage,
all you who trust in the Lord
I trust in you, Lord. My life
is in your hands
Listen
Philippians
1.27-2.4: Avoid anything in your
everyday lives that would be unworthy of the Good News of Christ. Be united in your
convictions, and united in your love.
There must be no competition among you, no conceit. Everyone should be
self-effacing.
Always regard others as better than yourself. Put others interests
before your own
Jesus, help me say
"no" to anything unworthy of your Good News
Listen
Matthew
10.17-42: Jesus said to his apostles
"Because you follow me and speak my message,
therefore you will be arrested and put in prison. But don't worry about what to say for your
defense.
What to say will be given you by the Holy Spirit. Boldly proclaim my message
and do not be afraid of persecution. Take up your cross and follow me.
Anyone who does not take up his cross and follow me
is not worthy of me."
Jesus, please give me more
courage
Listen
Reflection on the above Bible readings: The best barrister in the world: The Holy Spirit!
-------------------------
Last night I returned home after a four day O.M.I.
in-service meeting at Sheung Shui .... not far from S. Shui station where an
empty train was set on fire on Tuesday. Our group had to take a long detour to
get back to Kowloon, since the railway was closed and the usual highway was not
in operation because of vandals on a bridge near the Chinese University throwing
bricks onto motorists below. (One good thing about being home: fast wifi! At the
conference centre at S. Shui not only were there 15 Oblates but also 30 priests
from another congregation .... 45 internet users ... and the wifi was oh so
slow!
-------------------------
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 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, Friday,
please bless all Muslims
----------------------------
----------------------------
Thu Nov 14
All
schools have suspended classes today. Understandable, given the breakdown in
transport .... but this will provide the violent radical leadership with more
student fodder for their vandalism *** And see the
bow and arrow here!
Police
foil drug smuggling attempt at Kuala Lumpur Airport
- well done!
-------------------------
The Book Blog: 4 readings + recordings
Comments welcome here
Readings are from Simple
Bible
Hosea 4: People of Israel,
listen to the word of the Lord: there is no fidelity, no tenderness,
no knowledge of God in the country, only perjury and lies, slaughter, theft,
adultery, violence and murder. This is why the country is in mourning.
This is why you have experienced so much disaster.
My people, says the Lord,
perish for want of knowledge.
Lord, please help us lead good
lives, and so help our country experience blessing
Recording
Psalms 29-30: The Lord gives us strength, the Lord blesses
us with peace.
Thank you, Lord, for so often helping and healing me.
I cried to you when sickness surrounded me, and you healed me. You changed my mourning into dancing.
So I will thank you always.
Thank you, Lord, for all the
times you have healed me
Recording
Philippians 1.13-25: My chains have become famous and have given
courage to many other believers. Many others are now becoming more daring
in announcing the Message without fear. I hope and trust that I will always have
courage for Christ to be glorified in my body, whether by my life or by my
death. My heart wants to go
two ways. One part wants to depart this world and live for ever with
Christ in heaven. The other part wants to stay in this world to help more
people to know the Lord
Jesus, give me courage in
spreading the Good News
Listen
Matthew
10.1-16: Many men followed Jesus as "fishers of
men", as "disciples".
Jesus chose 12 of them and called them "apostles": Peter and his
brother Andrew; Zebedees' sons James
and John;
Philip and Bartholomew;
Thomas and Matthew;
James son of
Alphaeus; Thaddaeus,
Simon and Judas.
Jesus sent them to prepare his way by visiting
the places he would go.
He gave them power to cast out evil spirits and to heal all kinds of
sicknesses.
He said to them:
Proclaim that the kingdom of heaven is near.
Cure the sick.
Raise the dead. Cleanse lepers. Cast out devils.
Jesus, please give me more
courage
Listen
"12 Apostles", Australia
Reflection on the above Bible readings: Some people might say this is superstitious, but Hosea links our world's problems with our forgetfulness of God
---------------
As a media student I cannot help but notice the bias of the media
towards the protesters, even the violent protesters. An example: the story about
an anti-protester set alight gets little or no coverage a day or two after the
attack. If the victim had been a student protester, the story would have
remained in the headlines. (No mention by RTHK
one day after the attack)
--------------------
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 14th 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 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, Thursday, please pacify Al-Qaeda
----------------------------
Wed Nov 13
The situation in HK continues to deteriorate: RTHK
reports. A vicious circle: universities are closed because of violence ....
which means students don't have class and can take part in more violence
....which keeps the unis closed ....and keeps the violence going. Meanwhile the
govt which lit this fire of protest, then fanned it into violence, is doing
nothing to put it out .... just condemning the fire. And the police, who were
never trained for this sort of thing .... and have leaders who understand only
brute force ....keep making blunders to further fan the flames (... like last
night firing tear gas at the Chinese University of HK President as he tried to
broker peace between students and police!) (Update:
calls to close schools will make the problem worse, since it will release tens
of thousands of students to be used by the radical protesters)
Interesting that Pope has not publicly prayed for HK .... too
sensitive....
------------------------------
Chris McDonnell
The
people's voice matters
The task of healing the rifts and divisions of the last three years will be
considerable
-----------------------------
The
Book Blog:
4 readings + recordings
Comments welcome here
Readings are from
Simple Bible
Hosea 1-3: God said to Hosea "Marry a prostitute
and have children by her,
for my people have abandoned me and become unfaithful". The Lord's people are like his wife,
but they have abandoned him. Hosea's wife was unfaithful to him and left
him.
But the Lord told Hosea to take her back. This was to show how God welcomes people
back,
even though they have been unfaithful to him.
Lord,
please help us to be faithful to you
My
recording of this reading
Psalm
28: To you, O Lord, I call, my rock, hear me.
If you do not heed, I shall become like people in the grave. Lord, you are my strength and my shield.
In you my heart trusts. Thank you, Lord, for so often hearing my
prayer.
I will always thank and praise you. You are the strength of your people Israel.
Save your people. Be our shepherd and carry us for ever.
Lord, please help people who
are in big danger today
Listen
Philippians
1.1-9: From Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ
Jesus, to all the believers in the Church
at Philippi. We wish you the grace and peace of God our
Father and of the Lord Jesus Christ. I thank God whenever I think of you. Every
time I pray for you, I pray with joy, remembering how you helped to spread
the Good News. You have a permanent place in my
heart. God
knows how much I miss you. I love you as Christ Jesus loves you. My prayer is that your love for each other
will increase more and more, helping you always to know what is good and
to avoid what is bad
Jesus, thank you for all the people
who have a permanent place in my heart
Listen
Matthew
9.35-37: Jesus went to many towns and villages.
In the local prayer halls he taught people
the Good News of God's kingdom.
He healed all sorts of diseases and sicknesses. He felt
sorry for the ordinary people
because they were like sheep without a shepherd
- leaderless, exploited, and feeling hopeless. He said to his friends:
"So many people don't have good leaders.
Pray to God to send good leaders".
Jesus, many countries have bad leaders.
Please help every country to have good leaders
Listen
Reflection on the above readings: Let's pray every day for the Lord to give our world good leaders - like the new president on Ethiopia (... 2019 Nobel Peace Prize..) who replaced a 20 year war with peace
---------------------------
As far as I am concerned, the time has come for the young
Mainland soldiers stationed 5 mins walk from Jordan MTR .. .. in the former
British barracks .... to lend a hand to restore law and order in HK. I often see
them when I walk along Jordan Lane.
-------------------------
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 13th
of
the month, Jesus please bless the prisoners of
Jiangxi
And praying for one of
the world's poorest
countries each day of the month:
On this 13th
of the month, Jesus please bless the people of Mali
And praying for one
Islam-related intention each day of the week:
Jesus, today, Wednesday,
please pacify Al-Shabaab
--------------------------------
-------------------------------
Usually I remove each menu after one week. It can still be accessed on "Archives" (top of this page). But because the menu of Oct 8 has special relevance to HK at the moment, I will not delete it for the time being
-------------------------------
Tues Oct 8
The collapse of HK is continuing at exponential speed: Vandals
bring HK to standstill.
Yesterday before midday as I crossed the intersection of Nathan Road and Jordan
Road to join two very special friends for a Yum Cha, I noticed the traffic and
pedestrian lights were not working ... with pedestrians running the gauntlet
between buses, trucks and cars to cross the road .... and vehicles blasting
horns trying to force their way through the intersection .... with not a few
near-misses. I actually made a video of a police car going through the
intersection, but not stopping to help the situation.
More than an hour later when I returned to the same place, after the Yum Cha,
the situation was just as chaotic. So, I went home, got my trusty bush hat, and
went back to the intersection as a volunteer traffic guide .... for which, as
the afternoon went on, many dozens of bus drivers and other drivers waved a
thank you sign to me as they went past. Many pedestrians gave me bottles of
water ... from a few of which I took a few mouthfuls before putting the bottles
at an crossing island.
After about 30 minutes a police car stopped and several policeman told me to stop. I said I'd be happy to stop if they would do the job. They asked me to get in their car. I declined and walked to a footpath. Then I went home for a drink and toilet break. Then went back. Police still not helping. So I went back to work. Having a bus licence (in Australia and formerly in HK) I understand traffic and felt in no danger. Just got tired after another 90 minute stint. With a cramp in my left foot. So I went again to the footpath. Providential timing. Within a minute another police car came and two polite officers and I had the same conversation as above. They told me to go. I said I would go if they would do their job. My left foot and tiredness decided on a trip home, where I had a shower (very hot weather) and rest.
About 6.30pm I went back to the intersection ....as part of a prayer walk ...and was pleased to see 4 (!) traffic policeman on the job. But when I returned around 7pm they were just leaving ....walking away from a dangerous situation. So I ask myself, as on last night's menu: why are police not on the job? Why are they letting vandals have hours of freedom to wreck MTR stations and smash shops? Some people say the authorities want to see HK in chaos so that the PLA can come in and restore order and rule will be from Beijing. To this end, some people even say that some of the destruction is being done by undercover policemen .... maybe from the Mainland since some don't speak HK Cantonese.
Some people say that while the vast majority of protesters are peaceful, there's a small minority of radical vandals whose aim is anarchy. No mainstream media will talk much about this, but in private many people feel that former legislator "Long Hair" Leung Kwok Hung is one of the masterminds of the destruction that "spontaneously" breaks out at the same time at so many locations. Wikipedia's main article (with it's many links) shows he was/is a Trotskyist, anarchist and revolutionary Marxist.
So, the vandalising is maybe coming from more than one source, but it is turning one of the safest and most beautiful cities in the world into a place of destruction and despondency. I felt absolutely gutted last night as I walked down Nathan Road from Jordan Road to Waterloo Road, seeing the trail of destruction ...especially my beloved Kowloon Central Post Office whose doors and windows have been smashed and the front of the building covered in "campaign signs". And I noticed many groups of mainly young people in black carrying umbrellas (on a fine night) heading towards Mong Kok ....trouble brewing there.
Violence just makes things worse. And this is a lesson that the HK government is just not getting. It caused the original peaceful protests (by its crazy extradition amendment) and then by ignoring the peaceful protesters, the govt bred violence, bred radical vandals ..some of whom didn't need much breeding .... they were waiting for a chance to destroy HK. The govt has handed HK to them on a petrol bomb.
Is this all a bad dream? If only. But today is another day .... and how will people get to work and school with the MTR badly damaged and under threat after four nights of destruction (Frid, Sat, Sun, public holiday yesterday for Chung Yeung Festival)? God, please help HK get out of this mess! Please thwart the plans of the wicked!
New
FB to try to stop women from Thailand
bringing drugs to HK: Thailand Drug
Trade
---------------------------
The
Book Blog:
4 readings + recordings
Comments welcome here
Readings are from
Simple Bible
Jeremiah
7: At the gate of the Temple in Jerusalem,
Jeremiah proclaimed the word of the Lord: "You people of Judah who come here to worship,
amend your behavior and actions,
and then I, the Lord, will meet you here in this Temple. Do not exploit the stranger, the orphan and the widow.
Do not follow alien gods, do not break the Commandments. If you don't care about bad behavior
and yet keep on coming to my Temple for worship,
your worship is useless
and you are turning this Temple into a robbers' den. This nation refuses to listen to the Lord.
Sincerity has vanished since worship and behavior are not
related."
Lord, please help me "practise
what I preach"
My
recording of this reading
Psalm
137: By the rivers of Babylon we sat and cried,
remembering Zion.
On the poplars that grew there we hung up our harps. For it was there that they asked us, our
captors, for songs.
"Sing to us", they said, "one of Zion's songs". O how could we sing the song of the Lord on
alien soil?
If I forget you, Jerusalem, let my right hand wither. O let my tongue cleave to my mouth
if I remember you not, Jerusalem, above all my joys.
Lord, please help people
who have been exiled from their homeland
Listen
Galatians
1.11-24: The Good News I preach is not a human message.
It is something I received from Jesus Christ. I used to persecute the church, but then God
called me to follow Jesus. I am a one-time persecutor who is now
preaching the faith I had previously tried to destroy. When I visited Jerusalem three years after my
conversion, the believers gave glory to God for what he had done for me
Jesus, please turn more persecutors into
preachers!
Listen
John
20.1-10: Before dawn the next morning, Sunday, Mary
Magdalene went to the tomb. She saw the stone had been moved from
the tomb's entrance. She ran to Peter and John and said
"Someone has taken the Lord out of the tomb". They ran back to the tomb. Peter went in
first. He saw that the linen cloths were on the ground. But the cloth that
had been around Jesus' head was not on the ground. It was neatly folded
and in a place by itself. Then John went into the tomb. He saw, and he
believed
Jesus, I believe you rose from the dead.
Please increase my faith
Listen
Reflection
on the above readings: Today's Gospel reminds us
that in the midst of death and destruction and dejection, God plants seeds
of .... deliverance and delight
------------------------------
Australian
protesters using HK tactics!
-------------------------------
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 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, Tuesday,
please pacify Boko
Haram
----------------------------
----------------------------
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
June 2019: my anti-drug campaign featured in The Malaysia Drug Trade
Oct 23, 2019: FM988 Breakfast program in Kuala Lumpur at which I was a guest
--------------------
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
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ .