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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Pope
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From Jan 7 until Feb 3 I am due to be in Africa ... where sometimes the internet is not working. If v2catholic.com website is not updated each day as usual, please check FB: v2catholic.com for an explanation
Tues Jan 7
This is being posted on the night of Monday Jan 6, just before I head to the airport for flight to Africa tonight. Tomorrow's menu, Jan 8, will please God mention my destination. I am due to visit 4 countries in Africa - to meet families of prisoners in HK and to do publicity to stop drug mules coming to HK. Grateful for a prayer each day please. And God bless the kind people who have made this trip possible.
For
what it's worth, I have a good feeling about this new man: New Beijing official hopes for return to normalcy
(RTHK). And ... as a media student I can't help noticing that this
always pro-protestor HKFP website report does not mention something in the
RTHK report: the new man's kindness to reporters waiting in the cold.
("Thou shalt not say anything good about thy opponents"?)
Bushfires
Updates from Sr.
Anastasia, M.M. (黄修女）
01
02
03
04
My
article in today's Ming Pao newspaper
has the topic: Traffic
lights vandalised - wheelchair man dies
- It's
on Ming
Pao website - click "Australian in HK". Text
without recording
---------------------------
The
Book Blog:
4 readings + recordings
Comments welcome here
Readings are from
Simple Bible
Genesis
30: Leah gave birth to
four sons - Reuben, Simeon, Levi and Judah.
Rachel had no children and was jealous of her sister Leah.
Rachel gave her servant girl Bilhah to Jacob
and Bilhah gave birth to two sons - Dan and Naphtali.
Leah then gave her servant girl Zilpah to Jacob
and Zilpah gave birth to two sons - Gad and Asher.
Leah herself had two more sons - Issachar and Zebulun
and a daughter - Dinah.
Finally Rachel had a baby, a son whom she named Joseph.
For many long years Jacob worked for Laban
but Laban would not let Jacob return to his own land.
Dear God, please bless
everyone in my family
My
recording of this reading
Psalm
92: It is good to give thanks to the Lord,
to make music to your name, O Most High, to proclaim your love in the morning,
and your truth right through the night. Your deeds, O Lord, have made me glad.
For the work of your hands, I shout with joy. To me you give the wild ox's strength.
You anoint me with the purest oil. May we love and praise you right through our
lives,
right till the end of our days. May we keep on proclaiming your goodness,
proclaiming that in you, our rock, there is only goodness.
Lord, it is right and fitting
to love and praise you
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
Matthew
19.27-29:
On behalf of all the disciples, Peter asked
Jesus
"What about us? We have left everything to follow you." Jesus replied "You will be
leaders in the church on earth. Also, anyone who has left home, family
or country for the sake of my name,
will receive a 100-fold blessing in this
life,
and will also receive eternal life in
Heaven."
Jesus, please bless all Gospel
workers
Listen
Reflection
on the above readings: Following Paul's words,
may we keep on doing what is right ... till the end of our days (Psalm 92)
------------------------------
For
the past two months there have been no public rubbish bins on the streets of
Jordan near my home (nor in many other areas of HK) to save them from being
vandalised (turned into ovens!) by extremist protesters. So, like many other
people, I have sometimes been taking my small plastic bag of rubbish to a street
spot where there used to be a rubbish bin ... and sometimes (again like many
others) depositing my rubbish in the bins of the local MTR station. But
yesterday I noticed a new development: the MTR has removed all its bins from the
"non-paid" areas of Jordan station! (.. to stop people like me from
using the station as a rubbish dump!?...). So ... my deposit yesterday was made
to a rubbish bin at ... McDonald's (shhhh ... it's a secret)
-------------------------------
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 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, Tuesday,
please pacify Boko
Haram
----------------------------
----------------------------
From Jan 7 until Feb 3 I am due to be in Africa ... where
sometimes the internet is not working. If v2catholic.com website is not updated
each day as usual,
please check FB: v2catholic.com for an explanation
Mon Jan
6 - The
12th Day of Christmas - see 
below
Tonight I'm due to leave for Africa. Due back HK Feb 4 please
God. Aim of trip is to visit families of prisoners in HK and through
publicity/meetings to try to slow down the flow of drug mules to HK. Thank you
for a prayer each day.
Yesterday morning at the 10am Mass at St Paul's Yau Ma Tei, out
of around 400 people I think I was the oldest! The faith in HK is alive and well
... and young. But if HK becomes just another city of China ... and follows the
rules of China ... then only people 18 and older will be allowed to go to church
... which would reduce yesterday's congregation by around 1/3
Bushfires
------------------------
The
Book Blog:
4 readings + recordings
Comments welcome here
Readings are from
Simple Bible
Genesis
29: Jacob went to the home
of his uncle Laban, in Haran.
Laban had two daughters, Leah and Rachel.
Jacob fell in love with Rachel.
Jacob made an agreement with Laban:
Jacob would work for Laban for seven years
in return for marriage to Rachel.
For Jacob, the seven years went like a flash
because he loved Rachel so dearly.
But Laban forced Jacob to marry both Leah and Rachel
and made him work for another seven years as well.
Dear God, please
help us to enjoy our work
My
recording of this reading
Psalm 91: He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
says to the Lord "you are my refuge in whom I trust". The Lord will hide you and protect you.
Under his wings you will find refuge. You will not fear any night time terror,
nor any attack during the day. Upon you no evil shall fall,
no plague approach where you dwell.
For you has he commanded his angels to keep you safe in all your ways.
Dear God, thank you for your
protection day and night
Listen
2
Thessalonians 3.1-5: Pray that the Lord's message may spread
quickly,
and be received with honor as it was by yourselves. Pray that we may be protected from the
interference of bigoted people. May your hearts focus on the love of God our
Father
and the fortitude of Christ
Jesus, don't let bigoted people
influence me
Listen
Matthew
19.16-26: A young man asked Jesus
"Master, what do I have to do to get to Heaven?" Jesus replied "Keep the commandments:
do not kill; do not commit adultery; honor your father and mother;
care for others as much as you care about yourself". The young man said "I have kept all these
commandments.
What else do I need to do?" Jesus said "If you want to do something
really special with your life, go and sell all your possessions, give the
money to the poor,
then come and follow me as one of my disciples". When the young man heard these words he went
away sad,
because he was very rich.
Jesus then said to his disciples
"It is hard for a rich person to get to Heaven".
Jesus, don't let riches endanger my
eternal life
Listen
Reflection on the above readings: The young man, above, came to Jesus ... like the wise men in yesterday's Gospel of the Epiphany .... but unlike the wise men who went away happy, the young guy went away sad ....
-------------------------
(with lyrics): The
Twelve Days of Christmas (for Jan 6, the 12th day of Christmas)
--------------------
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 6th of
the month, Jesus please bless the prisoners of Hainan
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, Monday,
please pacify I.S.
-----------------------
----------------------
Sun Jan 5
The
Epiphany
Yesterday I had 3 Masses - morning & evening at St Paul's YMT
while parish priest is away + afternoon QE Hospital monthly Mass - and today 2
more at St Paul's ....also several weekday Masses at St Paul's last week. These
extra times of prayer are a good strengthening activity in preparation for my
trip to Africa tomorrow .... like a spiritual injection! Yesterday I also spent
much time using W/App and email to contact families in Africa to arrange
meetings (their relatives in prison in HK had given me the contact info).
Suleimani assassination goes against
Trump's policy - but not his character
Bushfires
------------------------------
The
Book Blog:
4 readings + recordings
Comments welcome here
Readings are from
Simple Bible
c.f. readings for Feast of the Epiphany
Isaiah 59-60: Arise,
shine out, for your light has come. The glory of the Lord is rising on you,
though the rest of the world is still in darkness. The nations come to your
light and kings to your dawning brightness. People
from other lands are coming to you, bringing gold and incense and singing the
praise of the Lord. No more will the sun give you daylight, nor moonlight
shine on you, for the Lord himself will be your everlasting light. Then your
days of mourning will be ended.
Lord Jesus, you are the light of the world. Please give more light to my
life.
My
recording of this reading
Psalm 72: O
Lord, please bless the king, that he might serve your people with justice. May
the mountains bring forth peace for the people and the hills, justice. The
kings of Sheba and Seba bring him gifts. All nations will serve him. He
will save the poor when they cry for help and the needy who are helpless. He
will have pity on the weak and save the lives of the poor. May every tribe be
blessed in him. May every nation bless his name.
May all the nations know and love you, Lord
Recording
Ephesians
3.2-6: You have probably heard how I have been
entrusted by God with the grace he meant for you, and that it was by a
revelation that I was given the knowledge of the mystery. This mystery that
has now been revealed through the Spirit to his holy apostles and prophets was
unknown to any men in past generations; it means that pagans
now share the same inheritance, that they are parts of the same body, and
that the same promise has been made to them, in Jesus Christ, through the gospel
Recording
Matthew 2.1-12: Jesus
was born in the town of Bethlehem, during the reign of King Herod. Some months
after Jesus' birth, several wise men from the East came to Jerusalem. They
said "Where is the infant king of the Jews? We saw his star as it
rose and we have come to offer him honor." King Herod felt threatened by
this news. He knew from the Scriptures that the promised Saviour would be born
in Bethlehem. So Herod sent the wise men to Bethlehem, pretending that he too
would like to offer honor to the child. The wise men headed for Bethlehem,
guided by the star. The star filled them with joy. The star stopped over the
place where the child was. The wise men fell to their knees and honored the
child. They offered him gifts
of gold, incense and myrrh. Then they returned to their own country by a
different way, having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod.
Jesus, help me to honor you like the wise men
Recording
Reflection
on the above readings: 
We
Three Kings (5m
views)
Video
commentary on today's readings - in Italian, Chinese, English, and
Spanish
Daniel Daring: Solemnity of the Epiphany
-------------------------------
Hour
of Love HK radio program 8.30
pm HK time tonight
- with items about HK prison inmates
-------------------------------
Wang Zhimin loses job as liaison office chief
(interesting: new man's strength is economics. Maybe this will be in his favor
in 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
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 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, Sunday,
please bless all Muslims in my country
-----------------------
----------------------
Sat Jan 4
From a friend who attended Jan 1 protest march:
i went to victoria park yesterday, and there was a lot of police stupidity (brutality?).
we hadn't even been able to get into victoria park yet, and the police called off the march. since there was teargas in the wan chai direction, we decided to walk east towards north point. As we were walking to north point, a whole team of riot police stopped us and diverted us into a narrow street (which goes against every principle of crowd dispersion). A grey-haired man went to have a debate with the officers and they yelled at him. One police officer pulled out a stick, which turned out to be a high-beam torch and shone it into the old man's eyes. A minute or two later, i saw the old man and asked him if he was ok. He said he was fine, he's not scared of hk police.
the police are really using cruel tactics: they gave the organisers 45 mins to evacuate victoria park, and yet, they were closing roads, not allowing people to leave.
violence and vandalism is never right. but the police were also inviting people to get angry.
if they had really wanted to disperse the crowd, they could really have just opened up the roads for protesters to
leave
Now on Amazon: Bag
Full of Years - written by a
young South African woman now in Lo Wu prison:
how and why she was arrested and what it's like to be in prison in a foreign
country. Book was published by a kind friend in Australia who has made trips to
HK and visited many
prisoners in HK. (Amazon's "70" as price for the book is in Indian
rupees = US$0.90)
My latest FB page: Hong Kong Drug Trade
- has link to
this letter in Chinese from a young HK woman recently tricked on FB to bring
drugs from Europe to HK
Protecting
towns from bushfires
---------------------------
The
Book Blog:
4 readings + recordings
Comments welcome here
Readings are from
Simple Bible
Genesis
28: When Rebecca sent
Jacob to Haran,
she and Isaac told Jacob to find a wife in Haran.
While Jacob was on his way to Haran,
God appeared to him in a dream and said to him
"I will keep you safe wherever you
go,
and I'll bring you back safely to your own land."
Dear God, please keep us safe
wherever we go
My
recording of this reading
Psalm 90: O Lord you have been our refuge from one generation to the next.
Before the earth or the world
existed,
you are God, without beginning or end. For you, a thousand years are
like yesterday, come and gone so quickly. We humans have a short life,
our life is over like a sigh. Our span is 70 years,
or 80 for those who are strong. Make us know the shortness of our
life,
that we may gain wisdom of heart. In the morning, fill us with your
love.
Give success to the work of our hands.
Lord,
help us realize the shortness of our life, that we may live our lives more wisely
Listen
2
Thessalonians 2.1-17:
Regarding the coming of our Lord Jesus
Christ,
don't be deceived by wild speculation. Stand firm in your faith and avoid speculation.
Keep the traditions we taught you, whether by
word of mouth or by letter. May God strengthen you in everything good you
do or say
Jesus, stop people
spreading false information
Listen
Matthew
2: Jesus was born in the town of Bethlehem,
during the reign of King Herod. Some months after Jesus' birth,
several wise men from the East came to Jerusalem. They said "Where is the infant king
of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose and we have come to offer him honor."
King Herod felt threatened by this news.
He knew from the Scriptures that the promised Saviour would be born
in Bethlehem. So Herod sent the wise men to Bethlehem,
pretending that he too would like to offer honor to the child. The wise men headed for Bethlehem, guided by
the star.
The star filled them with joy.
The star stopped over the place where the child was.
Reflection on the above readings: No matter what our circumstances, we too experience joy as we approach Jesus
---------------------------
After
totally wrecking a NMM data base field (Google NMM...) which had lots of info re
my prison work, I have gone back to the Dummies for NMM. It's called
"Word"!
------------------------------
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 4th
of the month, Jesus please bless the prisoners of Guangdong
And praying for one of the
world's poorest countries each day of the
month:
On this 4th
of the month, Jesus please bless the people of Mozambique
And
praying for one Islam-related intention
each day of the week:
Jesus, today, Saturday,
please pacify the
Taliban
------------------------
Fri Jan 3
Dear Jesus, please bless the
Living Spring Foundation which for some time has been helping the
Mercy Centre and its outreach canteen on Cheung Chau Island .... and helping my
work for prisoners. The Foundation has a 5 min radio program each week night on
Metro Radio after the 11pm news - details at website
and FB.
Yesterday afternoon I had a most encouraging meeting with the Foundation's
directors at their centre in Kwun Tong.
How
drug trafficking is impacting West Africa (... groan
...)
A
60,000-year-old way to stop Australian bushfires
"Black-clad protesters broke off from the main
group of marchers and attacked banks and ATM machines along the protest route.
They also smashed traffic lights, ripped bricks from pavements and barricaded
roads" - About 400 arrested during New Year's Day march
(c.f. ... my new sign I carry with me: "Protest
is a right. Vandalism is a wrong")
-------------------
The
Book Blog:
4 readings + recordings
Comments welcome here
Readings are from Simple
Bible
Genesis 26-27: God blessed and
protected Isaac all his life.
When Isaac grew old and was nearly blind,
he followed the usual custom of giving his final blessing to his sons.
He wanted to bless Esau first,
since Esau was his older son.
But Rebecca and Jacob tricked Isaac.
Jacob dressed in Esau's clothes
and put hairy animal skins on his
arms.
Before Esau came home, Jacob asked for Isaac's blessing.
Isaac said "Your voice is that of Jacob,
but your arms and scent are those of Esau.
Are you really Esau?"
Jacob said "I am."
Isaac then gave him his solemn blessing.
When Esau found out what had happened,
he was very angry and planned to kill Jacob.
So Rebecca got Jacob to go to Haran until Esau's anger cooled down.
Dear God, please bless
everyone in my family
My
recording of this reading
Psalm
89: I will sing for ever of your love, O Lord.
Of this I am sure, that your love lasts for ever.
The heavens proclaim your wonders, O Lord.
The heavens are yours, the world is yours. Blessed the people who find joy in you,
who walk, O Lord, in the light of your face.
Thank you, Lord, for our
beautiful world
Listen
2
Thessalonians 1.1-5:
From Paul, Silvanus and Timothy to the Church in
Thessalonika: grace and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. We
take special pride in you because of your perseverance, despite persecutions and
other troubles you have to face. People who refuse to accept the Good News are
facing an eternal penalty: to be excluded forever from the presence of the Lord.
So we pray that God will help you be the
sort of people he wants you to be. In this way our Lord Jesus Christ will
be glorified in you
Jesus, help me "keep going" when trials come
Listen
Matthew
2: Jesus was born in the town of Bethlehem,
during the reign of King Herod. Some months after Jesus' birth,
several wise men from the East came to Jerusalem. They said "Where is the infant king
of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose and we have come to offer him honor."
Reflection on the above Bible readings: In these days between Christmas and the Epiphany, let's keep thinking about Bethlehem ... and the wise men on their way to honor the Baby
-------------------------
Organisers say one million people took part in Jan 1 protest march. Police put the figure at 60,000. That's a difference of
940,000!?! c.f. my article: June
4 - 180,000?
-------------------------
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 3rd
of the month, Jesus please bless the prisoners of Gansu
And praying for one of the
world's poorest countries each day of the
month:
On this 3rd of the month, Jesus please bless the
people of Burundi
And praying for one Islam-related
intention each day of the week:
Jesus, today, Friday,
please bless all Muslims
----------------------------
----------------------------
Thu Jan 2
For my trip to Africa next week, the No More Mules team in HK
have prepared a striking poster to be given to airport authorities in
Johannesburg, Dar es Salaam, Nairobi and Addis Ababa - Here
'HK shows One Country, Two Systems untenable'
*** Chaos spread to
Central; HSBC targeted again *** Photos
of yesterday's march *** New
Year vandalism
Australia is becoming a nation of dread
- and the world looks on with pity and scorn
-------------------------
The Book Blog: 4 readings + recordings
Comments welcome here
Readings are from Simple
Bible
Genesis 25: After Abraham died,
God
blessed Abraham's son Isaac.
For a long time Isaac's wife Rebecca
could not have children.
Then after Isaac prayed for her,
she had twin boys - Esau and
Jacob.
Esau became a hunter.
Jacob helped at home.
Isaac favored Esau.
Rebecca preferred Jacob.
There was a strong rivalry between the two boys.
Once when Esau came home seriously ill,
he agreed to give Jacob his rights as first born son in exchange for some soup Jacob had made.
Dear God, please help childless
couples to have a baby
Recording
Psalm 88: Lord my God, day and night I call to you for
help.
Please turn your ear to my cry. For my soul is filled with evils.
My life is on the brink of the grave. I am reckoned as one in the tomb.
I have reached the end of my strength. Will your love be told in the grave?
Will your wonders be known in the dark? Fear surrounds me like a flood. All my friends have deserted me.
My only companion is darkness.
Lord, please help people who
are in despair
Recording
1 Thessalonians 5.19-28:
Let the Holy Spirit have a free reign in your
life.
Hold on to what is good. Avoid every form of evil. May the God of peace make you holy.
May you be kept safe in spirit, soul and body,
for the coming of Our Lord Jesus Christ. God has called you. He will not fail you.
Pray for us. Greet all the believers with the holy kiss.
Read this letter to all the believers. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you
Holy Spirit of Jesus, Holy Spirit of the
Father,
I open my life to you. My heart is yours
Listen
Matthew
2: Jesus was born in the town of Bethlehem,
during the reign of King Herod. Some months after Jesus' birth,
several wise men from the East came to Jerusalem. They said "Where is the infant king
of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose and we have come to offer him honor."
Reflection on the above Bible readings: In these days between Christmas and the Epiphany, let's keep thinking about Bethlehem ... and the wise men on their way to honor the Baby
---------------
? Pope
slaps woman's hand to free himself from her grip (later he apologised for
his lack of patience)
--------------------
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 2nd 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 2nd
of the month, Jesus please bless the people of Niger
And praying for one Islam-related
intention each day of the
week:
Jesus, today, Thursday, please pacify Al-Qaeda
----------------------------
Wed Jan 1
I
wish all dear readers every blessing for 2020! Jesus, thank you for all your
blessings in 2019. Please protect us in 2020!
For the final day of 2019 I watched
this traditional end of year song: Now
Thank We All Our God and Cliff Richard with The
Millenium Prayer
I was at the High Court yesterday morning for a bail application
hearing ... then a meeting of people concerned about prisoners .... then to
Chinese University office in Admiralty to enrol some prisoners for distance
learning courses.... then to Catholic Centre chapel for a bit of thank you time
for 2019 .... then a meeting back in Admiralty to prepare a statement for a
coming court case: the sort of day which explains why 2019 went so quickly!
Australia bushfires:
In my 46 years as a priest I have always shown the greatest sympathy and support
to women who have had an abortion. But I can't forget the words of a senior
Buddhist monk in HK who once shocked me when he expressed the view that abortion
is sometimes linked to a fatal traffic accident or suicide in a family. (...
suggesting that people should pray for special protection for themselves and
their families if they have been involved in an abortion ...). If that monk's
views about individuals has some truth, then is it superstitious to have
troubling thoughts about bushfires in a nation which not long ago passed laws
allowing abortion at the moment of birth?
------------------------------
Chris McDonnell
Show yourself to me Lord
Offerings brought to the Christ-Child were gifts that recognised his gift to us,
himself.
-----------------------------
The
Book Blog:
4 readings + recordings
Comments welcome here
Readings are from
Simple Bible
c.f. Readings for January 1, Feast of Mary, Mother of God
Numbers 6: God
said to Moses and Aaron: "This
is how you are to bless the people. Say to them:
May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord let his face shine on you and
be gracious to you. May the Lord uncover his face to you and bring you
peace."
Dear God, please bless everyone in the world
My
recording of this reading
Psalms 66-68: O
God, be gracious and bless us and let your face shine its light upon us. Let
all the peoples praise you, O God. Let all the peoples praise you. O sing
to the Lord, make music to his name. Rejoice in the Lord, exult at his presence.
Father of the orphan, defender of the widow, God provides a shelter for the
homeless. God gives his people strength.
May all the peoples of the earth know you and praise you, O God
Recording
Galatians
4.4-6: When the appointed time came,
God sent his Son, born of a
woman, born a subject of the Law, to redeem the subjects of the Law, and
to enable us to be adopted as children of God, brothers and sisters of his Son.
The proof that we are children is that God has sent the Spirit of his Son into
our hearts: the Spirit that cries "Abba, Father"
Jesus, help me understand
how I have been adopted, how you are my Brother
Recording
Luke 2.21: When the eighth day came and the child
was to be circumcised, they gave him the name Jesus,
the name the angel had given him before his conception.
Jesus - "God saves" - you are our Saviour
Reflection
-
- really beautiful - words of
today's first reading: Blessing
Song
Daniel Daring: Theotokos
---------------------------
A New Year's resolution is something that
goes in one year and
out the other
-------------------------
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 1st
of
the month, Jesus please bless the prisoners of Anhui
And praying for one of
the world's poorest
countries each day of the month:
On this 1st
of the month, Jesus please bless the people of Congo
And praying for one
Islam-related intention each day of the week:
Jesus, today, Wednesday,
please pacify Al-Shabaab
--------------------------------
-------------------------------
Usually I remove each day's 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 the following part of Oct 8 menu 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!
================
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
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