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
Links,
Search & Archives Imitating
Pope Francis
MercyHK
This
website's anti-drug campaign saves people from going to prison in HK
See & share inmates' letters!
How
campaign began
HK
Indon
Kenya
Malaysia
Nigeria 
Ph 
SA 
S.Amer
Thai
Tz
Ug
EU
HK:how
long prison for trafficking?
.AsylumSeekerHK
Name
& shame
JesusTower
GoodNewsForPoor
Dr
Jesus
China8
SimpleBible
MatteoRicci
Tues Oct 27
14
drug mules arrested Addis Ababa airport .... on way to HK!
(... didn't they know about 14 day quarantine in HK? .... 14 days with drugs in
bodies?). This report is by Samuel
Getachew, Ethiopia's number 1 investigative journalist who worked with me
in Addis Ababa in January this year ... when together we had a long meeting with
the officer mentioned in the report - Commander
Mengisteab. Previous report of Samuel here
Yesterday I found accommodation for three more homeless people.
MercyHK now renting 38 rooms for 73 people! And late afternoon I provided meals
for 6 people who had had little if anything to eat during the day. Most grateful
a full time social worker will begin work for MercyHK from November 2!
Pope Francis - Fratelli
Tutti:
21. Some economic rules have proved
effective for growth, but not
for integral human development. Wealth
has increased, but together with inequality, with the result that "new
forms of poverty are emerging". The claim that the modern world has
reduced poverty is made by measuring poverty with criteria from the past that
do not correspond to present-day realities. In other times, for example, lack
of access to electric energy was not considered a sign of poverty, nor was it a
source of hardship. Poverty must always be understood and gauged in the context
of the actual opportunities available in each concrete historical period.
---------------------------
The
Book Blog:
4 readings + recordings
Comments welcome here
Readings are from
Simple Bible
1
Maccabees 1: Some Jews abandoned
their religion and made a pact with King Antiochus Epiphanes, a Seleucid
king of the Greeks. Antiochus conquered
many lands, including Israel.
He plundered the Temple and forced the Jews to renounce their religion. But many Jews
courageously stood firm and were punished with death. This was a sad and
terrible time for Israel.
Dear
God, please help us stay faithful to you
My
recording of this reading
Psalms
114-115: When Israel came out of Egypt,
Jacob's descendents from an alien people, Judah became the Lord's temple,
Israel became his kingdom. Descendents of Israel, trust in the
Lord.
He is our help and our shield. To you may the Lord grant increase,
to you and all your children. May you be blessed by the Lord,
the maker of heaven and earth.
Thank you, Lord, for all your
blessings
Listen
1
Corinthians 15.20-22:
Christ has been raised from the dead, the
first to rise of all who have died. Death came through one man, Adam, and rising
from the dead has come through one man, Jesus. Just as all people die because of Adam, so all
people can live because of Christ
Jesus, may all people have
eternal life
Listen
John
20.11-18:
Peter and John went home. Mary Magdalene
remained at the tomb, crying. When she looked inside the tomb, she saw two
angels in white. She also saw Jesus standing there, though she did not
recognize him. Jesus said "Woman, why are you
crying?". Mary thought he was the gardener so she said to him
"If you have taken him away, tell me where you have put him". Jesus said "Mary" and she recognized
him. Jesus then said "I will ascend to my Father". Mary went and told the disciples all she had
seen and heard
Jesus, please bless people who are crying at
funerals today. May awareness of your presence bring them peace and
strength for the days ahead
Listen
Reflection on the above readings: What a strong combination I Cor and John 20 make!
------------------------------
To go with story above re Nigerians at Addis Abba airport:
Nigerian
Drug Lords' nightmare 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
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 27th
of
the month, Jesus please bless the prisoners of Tibet
And praying for one of
the world's poorest countries
each day of the month:
On this 27th of the month, Jesus
please bless the people of Uganda
And praying for one
Islam-related intention each day of the week:
Jesus, today, Tuesday,
please pacify Boko
Haram
----------------------------
----------------------------
Mon Oct
26
A Holiday in HK today for the Chung
Yeung Festival - a beautiful custom of remembering the
Dead
I spent much time Saturday and yesterday on mitigation letters
for prisoners soon to be sentenced for drug trafficking. Reminds me of having to
produce essays at school or university .... getting started often the most
difficult thing. And the relief when product finished ... like the feeling after
finishing an exam! All in a good cause ... most letters help people get a few
months discount from their sentence.
Pope Francis - Fratelli
Tutti:
20. This
way of discarding others can take a variety of forms, such as an
obsession with reducing labour costs with no concern for its grave
consequences, since the unemployment that it directly generates leads to the
expansion of poverty. In addition, a readiness to discard others finds
expression in vicious attitudes that we thought long past, such as racism,
which retreats underground only to keep reemerging. Instances of racism
continue to shame us, for they show that our supposed social progress is not as
real or definitive as we think.
Click
"countries" here
for Covid-19 latest figures
------------------------
The
Book Blog:
4 readings + recordings
Comments welcome here
Readings are from
Simple Bible
Esther
6-8: On the night between the two banquets, the
king could not sleep.
To induce sleep he started reading the history of his kingdom. He read how some years ago two of his eunuchs
planned to assassinate him, but the plot was foiled by Mordecai. The king asked Haman how to honor a man whom
the king wished to honor. Haman thought the king was talking about
himself, Haman, so
he suggested royal clothes, a royal horse and a royal parade. The king agreed and told Haman to honor
Mordecai in this way.
This was a great humiliation for Haman.
And it got even worse for Haman. At the second banquet, Esther told the
king that she was Jewish and that Haman planned to
kill all Jews.
The result: Haman was hanged on the gallows which he had prepared for
Mordecai, and the Jews were not only spared annihilation - they were given
places of honor in the kingdom. The
Jews praised God for all his help through Mordecai.
Dear God, please stop people
like Haman from committing injustice
01
02
Psalm
113: Praise, O friends of the Lord,
praise the name of the Lord. May the name of the Lord be blessed
both now and for evermore. From the rising of the sun to its setting
praised be the name of the Lord. Who is like the Lord our God,
above the heavens his glory. From the dust he lifts up the lowly,
to put them in the company of royalty. To the childless wife he gives a home
and gladdens her heart with children.
May the Lord be praised from
sunrise to sunset
Listen
1
Corinthians
15.9-11: I am the least of the apostles. In fact, since
I persecuted the Church of God, I hardly deserve the name apostle. But by God's grace I am what I
am, and the
grace that he gave me has not been fruitless. On the contrary, I, or rather the grace of God
in my heart, have worked harder than any of the others, preaching the
same message that they preach
Jesus, may your grace in me be more fruitful
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: John remembers the moment when he believed Jesus had risen from the dead. Each of us can ask: "When did I first believe Jesus rose from the dead?" From childhood... as a teenager ...as an adult?
-------------------------
Early
last night I joined 5 people at a pedestrian crossing waiting for a green light.
Crossing in isolated place ... no traffic ... people usually don't wait for
green light. But last night they waited ... because one of the 5 was a
policeman. Then further down the street I noticed someone crossing on a red
light .... it was the policeman!
--------------------
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 26th of
the month, Jesus please bless the prisoners of Xinjiang
And
praying for one of the
world's poorest countries each day of the month:
On this 26th
of the month, Jesus please bless the people of Togo
And praying for one Islam-related intention
each day of the week:
Jesus, today, Monday,
please pacify I.S.
-----------------------
----------------------
Sun Oct 24
MercyHK is now paying rent for 70 (!) homeless people, 68 of them
at the Alhambra Building in Yau Ma Tei. God bless the many kind donors and
volunteers who make this project possible. Updated October financial report here.
My hope is that the coming Policy Address by Chief Executive Carrie Lam will
announce more help for the homeless. At present the government funds three (=
1+1+1) emergency shelters for homeless people ... but conditions in these places
are very bad ... and people may stay for only a few months, then back on the
street. This
government report of 2018 needs much updating. And see this
Social Welfare Department file
Pope Francis - Fratelli
Tutti:
19. A decline in the birthrate, which leads
to the aging of the population, together with the relegation of the elderly to a
sad and lonely existence, is a subtle way of stating that it is all about us,
that our individual concerns are the only thing that matters. In this way,
"what is thrown away are not only food and dispensable objects, but often
human beings themselves". We have seen what happened with the elderly
in certain places in our world as a result of the coronavirus. They did not have
to die that way. Yet something similar had long been occurring during heat waves
and in other situations: older people
found themselves cruelly abandoned. We fail to realize that, by isolating
the elderly and leaving them in the care of others without the closeness and
concern of family members, we disfigure and impoverish the family itself. We
also end up depriving young people of a necessary connection to their roots and
a wisdom that the young cannot achieve on their own.
Bible Study: Matthew
9
------------------------------
The
Book Blog:
4 readings + recordings
Comments welcome here
Readings are from
Simple Bible
c.f.
readings for Sunday 30
Exodus 22: Laws
announced by Moses: "If a man seduces a virgin, he must marry her. A
sorceress must be put to death. Anyone who has intercourse with an animal must
die. Do not discriminate against foreigners, for you yourselves were foreigners
in
Dear God, please help us not to hurt other people
My
recording of this reading
Psalms
17-18: Lord, when trouble
breaks out on every side, please protect and help me. For
you are my strength, my rock, my fortress, my savior. I love you, Lord
who save me because you love me. Lord, you are my lamp who lightens my life. I
will praise you among the nations.
Lord, you are worthy of all praise
Listen
1
Thessalonians 1.1-6: From
Paul, Silvanus and Timothy to the Church of God the Father and the Lord Jesus
Christ in Thessalonika. Wishing you grace and peace. In my prayers for you, I
thank God our Father for your faith in
action, your work for love,
and your persevering hope. When
we brought the Good News to you, it came to you not just as words, but as power
from the Holy Spirit. By the grace of the Holy Spirit, you accepted the Good
News, despite great opposition from many quarters
Jesus, help people accept the Good News, despite opposition
Listen
Mathew
22.34-40: In Jerusalem a
religious leader asked Jesus "Which is the most important
commandment?" Jesus replied "You
must love the Lord your God with all your heart. And you must care as much about
others as you care about yourself. These are the two most important
commandments. All other commandments depend on these two."
Jesus, please help me love you with all my heart and care for others as much as
I care about myself
Listen
Reflection on the above readings:
The more we try to love God and care for others, the better our lives, our families, our nations, our world ...goes/go. Inasmuch as we fail to love God and care for others, the worse everything goes
Video
commentary on today's readings - in Italian, Chinese, English, and
Spanish
(+
Cantonese audio)
Daniel Daring: All the Law and the Prophets (with Chinese text below English text)
-------------------------------
Hour
of Love HK radio program 8.30
pm HK time tonight
- with items about HK prison inmates
-------------------------------
Late
yesterday afternoon at the Waterloo Road home of the Colomban Fathers, I watched
the AFL Grand Final from Brisbane, with the
Tigers defeating the Cats. Thank you Colomban Fathers!
------------------------------
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 25th
of the month, Jesus please bless the prisoners of Ningxia
And praying for one of the
world's poorest countries each day of the month:
On this 25th of the month, Jesus
please bless the people of Comoros
And praying for one Islam-related
intention each day of the week:
Jesus, today, Sunday,
please bless all Muslims in my country
-----------------------
----------------------
Sat Oct 24
Early last night I went with two homeless men, both still on
drugs (therefore unable to stay at a normal guest house), to a building where
"an agent" had arranged accommodation for them .... two beds in a
double-room dormitory of more than a dozen men .... some of them on drugs ...
one guy injecting while I was there .... but at least a place to stay after
being on the street for three years (one man). But what shocked me was the
presence of a woman in her 40's. She had been there for about a year with the
men. She has been off drugs for half a year, but is still on methadone. I
invited the woman to come with me for a better place to stay ... and she did,
with her few belongings. I took her for a chat with a local Salvation Army
social worker, then booked her into a room for a week while she sorts out her
life.
The
armed robber who reformed through sport in prison (BBC)
Pope Francis - Fratelli
Tutti:
A "throwaway"
world:
18.
Some parts of our human family, it appears, can be readily sacrificed for the
sake of others considered worthy of a carefree existence. Ultimately,
"persons are no longer seen as a paramount value to be cared for and
respected, especially when they are poor and disabled, "not yet
useful" - like the unborn, or "no longer needed" - like the
elderly. We have grown indifferent to all kinds of wastefulness, starting with
the waste of food, which is deplorable in the extreme"
---------------------------
The
Book Blog:
4 readings + recordings
Comments welcome here
Readings are from
Simple Bible
Esther
5: After Esther prayed to God for a long
time,
she went to the palace and presented herself to the king. At first the king was angry that
Esther came without being invited,
but then his heart softened and he
welcomed her. When King Ahasuerus saw that
Esther was distressed,
he asked her what was wrong. He promised to do anything for her. Esther asked that there be two
special banquets for herself,
the king and Haman. The king agreed and the banquets were arranged. Haman meanwhile was making his
own arrangements:
a high gallows on which to hang Mordecai.
Dear God, please move the
hearts of rulers
to be kind to their people
My
recording of this reading
Psalm
112: Happy are people who love and honor the Lord,
who take delight in his commands.
The children of such people will be blessed. Such people are a light in the darkness for
others.
Such people are generous, merciful and just. They take pity and help those in
need.
They conduct their affairs with integrity. Open-handed they give to the poor.
Their justice and goodness will never be forgotten.
Lord, please help me do more
for the poor
Listen
1
Corinthians 15.1-8:
Let me remind you of the basic facts of the
Good News:
Christ died for our sins. He was buried.
He was raised to life on the third day. He appeared to Peter, then to the other
apostles, then to more than 500 of the believers - most of whom are still
alive. Then he appeared to James and the other disciples. Last of all he appeared to me. I was like an
unexpected child
Jesus, I have not yet seen you, but I believe
in you and I love you
Listen
John
19.38-42: Joseph of
Arimathaea, a disciple of
Jesus, asked Pilate for the body of Jesus. Pilate agreed and
Jesus' body was taken down from the cross. Another man, Nicodemus, brought burial spices.
He and Joseph wrapped Jesus' body in linen cloths with the spices. Since the Passover was due to begin at sunset,
they put the body in an unused tomb close to the place of
Crucifixion
Jesus, dead in the tomb, please give eternal
life to everyone who dies today
Listen
Reflection on the above readings: Nothing more hopeless than a dead body ..... ???????!!!!!
---------------------------
Yesterday during some Bible study, I came across this
"awesome" sentence from Judith to her town's male leaders (Judith
8.14): You do not understand anything,
and never will. (!!!)
------------------------------
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 24th
of the month, Jesus please bless the prisoners of Inner
Mongolia
And praying for one of the
world's poorest countries each day of the
month:
On this 24th
of the month, Jesus please bless the people of Zambia
And
praying for one Islam-related intention
each day of the week:
Jesus, today, Saturday,
please pacify the
Taliban
------------------------
------------------------
Fri Oct 23
Not long ago I was asked to help a HK man on death row in China
for drug trafficking. Turns out the man had been receiving psychiatric help in
HK for mental illness issues. Such a case would receive special compassion in
most countries. A kind volunteer of my NGO Voice
for Prisoners has helped the man's parents draft an appeal to HK Chief
Execuitve Carrie Lam asking her to ask China for compassion. Dear
Jesus, please bless the appeal!
Pope Francis - Fratelli
Tutti:
17. To care for the world in which we live
means to care for ourselves. Yet we need
to think of ourselves more and more as a single family dwelling in a common home.
Such care does not interest those economic powers that demand quick profits.
Often the voices raised in defence of the environment are silenced or ridiculed,
using apparently reasonable arguments that are merely a screen for special
interests. In this shallow, short-sighted culture that we have created, bereft
of a shared vision, "it is foreseeable that, once certain resources have
been depleted, the scene will be set for new wars, albeit under the guise of
noble claims"
-------------------
The
Book Blog:
4 readings + recordings
Comments welcome here
Readings are from Simple
Bible
Esther 4: When Mordecai heard about Haman's plan,
Mordecai asked Esther to appeal to Ahasuerus for help. Mordecai and Esther both knew that to approach
the king
without an invitation was a crime punishable by death,
unless the king saw fit to welcome an uninvited person. So they prayed to God to move the heart of
Ahasuerus to welcome Esther.
Dear God, please move the
hearts of rulers
to care for their people
My
recording of this reading
Psalm
111: I will thank the Lord with all my heart.
Great are the works of the Lord,
to be pondered by all who love him. His goodness stands firm for ever.
The Lord is compassion and love. His precepts are for all peoples and all
times.
He is to be honored by all nations. To love and honor the Lord
is the beginning of wisdom.
Dear Lord, please help me to
love and honor you every day
Listen
1
Corinthians 13.1-13:
If I am the most brilliant speaker, but don't
have love, I am just a gong booming. If I understand all mysteries, and if I have a faith that will move mountains, but don't
have love, I am nothing. Love is always patient and kind. It is never
jealous, never boastful, never conceited, never rude or selfish. Love does not take offence. It's not
resentful. Love delights in the truth. Love is always ready to excuse, to trust, to
hope and to endure whatever comes. Love is virtue Number
One, greater than
faith or hope
Jesus, please help me love like you
Listen
John
19.31-37: The next day was the Passover. To prevent the
bodies remaining on the crosses during the Passover, the soldiers broke
the legs of the two men crucified with Jesus. But when they came to Jesus, they saw that he
was already dead. Instead of breaking his legs, they pierced his side with a spear.
Immediately there came out blood and
water. And so the Scriptures were fulfilled "Not
one of his bones will be broken" and "They will look on the one
they have pierced"
Jesus, please help me understand how blood and
water are symbols of the Eucharist and Baptism
Listen
Reflection on the above Bible readings: Jesus' death is as relevant to every human being as the air we breath. Our life is intrinsically linked to both
-------------------------
Oct 18th's smile was:
Q: Which country is best at singing?
A: Singapore!
A reader has pointed out that the question could also be asked:
Q: Which country is worst at singing?
A: Singapore!
-------------------------
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 23rd
of the month, Jesus please bless the prisoners of Guangxi
And praying for one of the
world's poorest countries each day of the
month:
On this 23rd of the month, Jesus please bless the
people of Djibouti
And praying for one Islam-related
intention each day of the week:
Jesus, today, Friday,
please bless all Muslims
----------------------------
----------------------------
Thu Oct 22
Yesterday
around midday an 86 (!) year old man from Europe was freed from detention after
his trial ended in a hung jury ... after which the Department of Justice
compassionately agreed not to seek a retrial. I was there when he came out of
detention at the High Court holding centre. I took him to Lai Chi Kok men's
prison to help him collect a supply of medicine from the prison hospital section
where he had been staying for a year. Then his consulate staff took him to the
airport for a flight to his home country where he is due to arrive before you
read this!
Homeless
man dies in prison ***
October updated financial report for MercyHK's help for homeless
and other needy people - here
Pope
Francis - Fratelli
Tutti:
16. Amid the fray of conflicting interests,
where victory consists in eliminating one's opponents, how is it possible to
raise our sights to recognize our neighbours or to help those who have fallen
along the way? A plan that would set great goals for the development of our
entire human family nowadays sounds like madness. We
are growing ever more distant from one another, while the slow and
demanding march towards an increasingly united and just world is suffering a new
and dramatic setback.
-------------------------
The Book Blog: 4 readings + recordings
Comments welcome here
Readings are from Simple
Bible
Esther 3: About this time Haman from the land of Agag
was promoted by King Ahasuerus to a top position. All other officials were
to bow and prostrate themselves before Haman. Mordecai refused to bow to
Haman. This made
Haman very angry.
Haman found out that Mordecai was a Jew.
Haman decided to kill Mordecai and all Jews in the kingdom. Ahasuerus agreed to Haman's plan
and a decree to this effect was announced:
all Jews were to be killed on the 14th day of the 12th month.
Dear God, please protect poor
people from people like Haman
Recording
Psalms 109-110: O God whom I praise,
do not be silent,
for people are bombarding me with words of hate. They speak to me with
lying tongues
and attack me without cause. They repay me evil for
good.
While I pray for them, they show me hatred. I have become an object
of scorn.
Help me, Lord my God.
Lord,
when people are unkind to me, please give me the grace to pray for them
Recording
1 Corinthians 12.12-30: A human body is made of many parts: arms,
legs, muscles, eyes etc.
Every part is important and needed for the body to be healthy. The church is like a
body. We are the body's
members. Some of us are apostles, some prophets, some teachers etc. The members of the church must care about
every member of the church. Everyone is important. The spiritual health of
each member affects the health of the whole body
Jesus, help me understand how your church is
like a human body
Listen
John 19.17-24: Carrying his own
crossbeam, Jesus went out of
the city to the place called Golgotha, where they crucified him with two
other men, one on each side of him. Pilate had the charge against Jesus written
out and attached to the top of the cross. It read "Jesus of Nazareth,
King of the Jews". When the soldiers had finished crucifying
Jesus, they divided his clothes among them
Jesus nailed to the Cross, thank you for
suffering for the salvation of the world
Listen
Reflection on the above Bible readings: Prisoners in HK have an ID card which they carry most of the time. On the card is written their offence: drug trafficking, theft, murder etc. In Jesus' time the charge was attached to the top of the cross.
---------------
My
visit to Lai Chi Kok men's prison yesterday (see above) was unplanned. I had
been at the Alhambra Building paying the rent for some of the 58 homeless people
being helped by MercyHK ... when CSD staff from the High Court holding centre
phoned me to help the 86 year old man just freed by the Department of Justice.
So I went straight to the HC .... wearing my Yau Ma Tei uniform .... shorts and
sandals. Then to Lai Chi Kok men's prison. My first time ever to go to the High
Court and to enter Lai Chi Kok in shorts!
--------------------
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 22nd 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 22nd
of the month, Jesus please bless the people of Rwanda
And praying for one Islam-related
intention each day of the
week:
Jesus, today, Thursday, please pacify Al-Qaeda
----------------------------
Wed Oct 21
Yesterday
after the monthly O.M.I. retreat at Sheung Shui finished with lunch, I went with
two other Oblate priests to Lo Wu women's prison .... where I was fortunate to
have the chance to say goodbye to several women from Africa and South America
who are going home in the next few weeks after 5-7-9 years in detention ....
although they are going home to shattered economies and will find it very
difficult indeed to find employment. I asked them to contact me when they get
back to see if something can be done to help them.
Vietnam
is fighting Covid without pitting economic growth against public health
(... bottom line: Vietnam took Covid seriously at the very beginning!)
Pope Francis - Fratelli
Tutti:
LACKING A PLAN FOR EVERYONE
15. The
best way to dominate and gain control over people is to spread despair and
discouragement, even under the guise of defending certain values. Today, in many
countries, hyperbole, extremism and polarization have become political tools. Employing
a strategy of ridicule, suspicion and relentless criticism, in a variety of ways
one denies the right of others to exist or to have an opinion. Their
share of the truth and their values are rejected and, as a result, the life of
society is impoverished and subjected to the hubris of the powerful. Political
life no longer has to do with healthy debates about long-term plans to improve
people's lives and to advance the common good, but only with slick marketing
techniques primarily aimed at discrediting others. In this craven exchange of
charges and counter-charges, debate degenerates into a permanent state of
disagreement and confrontation.
------------------------------
Chris McDonnell
In
the breaking of bread
I have been unable to share in a Eucharistic meal since March
-----------------------------
The
Book Blog:
4 readings + recordings
Comments welcome here
Readings are from
Simple Bible
Esther 2:
A selection process was begun to find a woman
to replace Vashti as queen. Esther was a beautiful Jewish orphan girl who
had been brought up by her cousin Mordecai. After the long selection process was finished,
Esther was chosen to be queen.
No one in the palace knew she was Jewish.
Dear God, again I ask you,
please bless all kings and queens
My
recording of this reading
Psalm
108: My heart is ready, O God. I will sing, sing
your praise.
Awake, lyre and harp. I will awake the dawn. I will thank you, Lord, among the peoples,
praise you among the nations, for your love reaches to the heavens
and your truth to the skies. O Lord, come and deliver us today.
Help us with your right hand. Give us help in difficult situations.
With your help we shall be brave.
Lord, we need your help every
day
Listen
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...)
Listen
John 19.4-16:
Pilate now put Jesus on display and again
told the leaders
"I find no case against him". The leaders replied "According to our Law
he must die, since he claims to be the Son of
God. If you free him, you
are no friend of the Roman Emperor". Eventually Pilate gave in to them and handed
Jesus over to be crucified
Jesus, please help all judges to stand up for
the truth and not make false judgments
Listen
Reflection on the above readings: If anyone says "Jesus never claimed to be the Son of God", ask them to check today's Gospel
---------------------------
MercyHK's second hand shop at 191 Temple Street, Jordan, is
raising money to help rent rooms for homeless people. Last night I noticed a man
working in a nearby electronic shop was wearing a tee-shirt with images of 8
dogs and the words "HK
homeless dogs shelter"
-------------------------
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 21st
of
the month, Jesus please bless the prisoners of Yunnan
And praying for one of
the world's poorest
countries each day of the month:
On this 21st
of the month, Jesus please bless the people of Benin
And praying for one
Islam-related intention each day of the week:
Jesus, today, Wednesday,
please pacify Al-Shabaab
--------------------------------
-------------------------------
============
On-going project to help homeless people in YMT-Jordan area
========
Africa:
2020: My trip to Addis Ababa, Nairobi, Dar es Salaam, Johannesburg
2017:
My trip to Southern Africa, Dubai (
The
Last Run)
2016:
My trip to Kenya, Uganda
2015: My trip to Tanzania, Malawi
----------------
Latin America:
2019-05-10: No More Mules Peru FB boost 199,000 views!
2019-01-20: Article in El Pais, Uruguay - 01 02
2018-09-18: No More Mules Facebook campaign - more than 300,000 people reached in Venezuela
2018: My trip to Latin America
----------------
South East Asia:
Aug 16, 2020: CNN - Indonesian women recruited to take drugs to Hong Kong
Oct 23, 2019: FM988 Breakfast program in Kuala Lumpur at which I was a guest
June 2019: My campaign featured in The Malaysia Drug Trade (6 written reports & documentary video)
2019-03-25: Eleven HK01 video and photo reports about Malaysian drug mules arrested in HK- here (one of the reports is about my anti-drug campaign).
Dec 2018 - My Jan 2019 trip to Malaysia
2018: My trip to Thailand and Cambodia
--------------------
Hong Kong:
July 2019: My warning to HK domestic helpers - published here in HK Filipino media
2018-09-22:
My
60 min video interview with Radio99,
in Cantonese, is here: 01 02
to help stop people going to prison
2018-07-29: SCMP- Beware drug lords luring domestic helpers, refugees into narcotics trade
2018-04-08: The Pearl Report on TVB - concerning HK's Long Term Sentencing Review Board and my anti-drug campaign
March 18, 2018: South China Morning Post report on my work
2017-12-01: Report in Chinese in Ming Pao Magazine
2017-09-27: SCMP Spirit of HK Awards (video starts after 20 secs)
2017-08-24: Cable TV video report on my anti-drug campaign and a Facebook report on the video report (click "translation" for English)
2027-05-18: SCMP - The prison chaplain who has stopped 150 drug mules reaching HK
2017-03-25: Oriental
Daily
report of case of South African woman given discount for help to my campaign
*** May
14 updates:
Oriental
Daily, Apple
Daily, Sing
Tao
Dec 1, 2016 - HK News: More women being recruited as drug mules
2016-10-13: HK01 report about campaign and about work for the poor
2016-09-11: Oriental Daily report about my campaign - and same day Editorial
2016-08-27: Oriental Daily article about court case and campaign
My
anti-drug campaign sites
(skillfully
managed by kind HK friends):
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nomasmulas/
Facebook: Chinese no more mules page
Facebook: AddisAbabaDrugTrade; KenyaDrugTrade; TanzaniaDrugTrade; JohannesburgDrugTrade; SaoPauloDrugTrade; MalaysiaDrugTrade; ThailandDrugTrade; HongKongDrugTrade; CambodiaDrugTrade; IndonesiaDrugTrade
http://hkdrugblog.org/name-and-shame/index.htm
----------------------
Photos
from my time in China 2001-20008
---------------------
---------------------
Australian Chinese for
Families Association
Gay marriage: Elephant in the room (by John W)
--------------------------------------------
Pope's surprise visit to drug treatment centre
Pope is practising what he preaches: "get out and mix with the poor"
HK
readers might like to join me in praying each day for one group of HK
prison inmates: Sun:
Lo Wu; Mon: C.I.C., Siu Lam, Tai Lam; Tue: Stanley
Wed: Hei Ling Chau Thu: Lantau
Fri: Lai Chi Kok
Sat: Hospitals, Pik Uk & other centres
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This website was launched in construction
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the King.
The official launching
was
held on the Gold Coast, Australia, on January 20,
2012.
Map and Flag Counter began Feb 11, 2012. Previous visits 4,932.
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Fr John Wotherspoon O.M.I. 胡
頌 恆 神 父
jdwomi@gmail.com
HK
mobile +852- 67095674
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ .