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 Francis
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MatteoRicci
Tues Nov 24
Hello from Sheung Shui near the border of China where I am
attending the annual O.M.I. in service program. Yesterday afternoon we took part
in a sharing via zoom with our Asian Councillor in Rome, Fr Peter Stoll ....who
said, among other things, that Covid-19 is a wake-up call to take global
solidarity seriously, especially with regard to the ideas of Pope Francis in Laudato
Si
Pope Francis - Fratelli
Tutti:
48.
The ability to sit down and listen to others, typical of interpersonal
encounters, is paradigmatic of the welcoming attitude shown by those who
transcend narcissism and accept others, caring for them and welcoming them into
their lives. Yet "today's world is largely a deaf world. At times, the
frantic pace of the modern world prevents us from listening attentively to what
another person is saying. Halfway
through, we interrupt him and want to contradict what he has not even finished
saying. We must not lose our ability to listen". Saint Francis
"heard the voice of God, he
heard the voice of the poor, he
heard the voice of the infirm and
he heard the voice of nature. He
made of them a way of life. My desire is that the seed that Saint Francis
planted may grow in the hearts of many".
---------------------------
The
Book Blog:
4 readings + recordings
Comments welcome here
Readings are from
Simple Bible
Job
32-39: Job's three friends had no more to say.
But a young man named Elihu, decided to join the conversation. He said to Job "How can you claim to be
innocent and yet say that God is persecuting you without cause?" As Elihu continued his speech, suddenly the voice of God himself was heard.
God asked Job "Have you ever given orders
to the morning for day to begin? Have you ever arranged the stars in the sky?
Was it you who gave all the animals their
various powers?
Who do you think you are?"
Dear God, when we are
confronted
by the mystery of suffering and evil,
please help us realize that these things do not come from you
My
recording of this reading
Psalm 145: I will give you glory, O God my king.
I will bless your name day after day. The Lord is great, worthy of all praise.
His greatness cannot be measured. Age to age shall proclaim your works,
shall speak of your splendor and glory. The Lord is kind and full of
compassion,
slow to anger, abounding in love. How good is the Lord to all,
compassionate to all his creatures. All your creatures shall thank you, O Lord,
and tell all the world of your love. The Lord is faithful in all his words
and loving in all his deeds. The Lord supports all who fall
and raises all who are bowed down. The eyes of all creatures look to you
and you give them their food each day. The Lord is close to all who call him,
who call on him from their hearts. Let the whole world bless the Lord's holy
name,
for ever, for ages unending.
Thank you, Lord, for your love.
Thank you for your love
Listen
Ephesians
1.9-13:
God the Father has let us know his sacred
plan:
the whole show, everything in heaven and everything in earth,
is one big orchestra with Christ as the conductor. We Jews are special instruments in the
orchestra.
We were chosen to put our hope in Christ before he came. And you non-Jews are also on the stage,
now that you have believed the truth of the Good News. All of us have been stamped with the Holy
Spirit.
He's the composer whose music we are playing
Father, Son and Holy Spirit, thank you for the
gift of life
Listen
Matthew
9.14-17:
One day John the Baptist's friends asked Jesus
"How come we and the religious leaders fast, but your friends
don't?" Jesus replied
"Fasting is a good thing, and after I have left this world my friends will fast.
But remember that multiplying external prayers
and fasts
without a change of heart is useless. Out of date religious structures need a
drastic overhaul,
not just external plastic surgery."
Jesus, please help me practise
a bit of fasting,
especially each Friday, the day you died
Listen
Reflection on the above readings: Ephesians reminds us that the best way to protect our world from problems like Covid-19 is to follow our Maker's instructions
------------------------------
This is a classic!
How
a US doctor helped Mother Teresa
-------------------------------
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 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, Tuesday,
please pacify Boko
Haram
----------------------------
----------------------------
Mon Nov 23
MercyHK updated Nov financial report - here
***
This article mentions MercyHK: HK's
homeless react to "I'm Livin' It", a film about HK's homeless
From this morning until Thursday afternoon I'm due to attend the
annual O.M.I. inservice program at Sheung Shui. One theme of the program is
"life at this time of Covid-19".
Pope Francis - Fratelli
Tutti:
Information without wisdom
47. True
wisdom demands an encounter with reality. Today, however, everything can
be created, disguised and altered. A direct encounter even with the fringes of
reality can thus prove intolerable. A mechanism of selection then comes into
play, whereby I can immediately separate likes from dislikes, what I consider
attractive from what I deem distasteful. In the same way, we can choose the
people with whom we wish to share our world. Persons or situations we find
unpleasant or disagreeable are simply deleted in today's virtual networks; a
virtual circle is then created, isolating us from the real world in which we are
living.
Click
"countries" here
for Covid-19 latest figures
------------------------
The
Book Blog:
4 readings + recordings
Comments welcome here
Readings are from
Simple Bible
Job
25-31: Bildad then reminded Job that God's power is
beyond human understanding. No one should question God's actions. Job replied:
"I swear by God who denies me justice that as long as I have breath,
I will live a life of innocence. I remember how I have always lived as a friend
of God:
how I helped the poor, the orphan, the dying, the widow, the blind, the
lame. I remember how I made a pact with my eyes
not to linger on any other woman but my wife.
I remember how I have never put my trust in riches or fame.
I have always trusted only in the Lord. Yet now people laugh at me and make fun of me.
They avoid me and even spit on me. When will God answer me?"
Dear God, please help me to
imitate Job's way of life
My
recording of this reading
Psalm
144: Blessed be the Lord, my rock,
who gives me strength for every situation. He is my love, my fortress.
He is my stronghold, my savior. To you, O God, will I sing a new song,
you who so often rescued David your servant. Happy the people whose God is the Lord.
Please continue to bless your people, Lord. Let our sons flourish like saplings
grown tall and strong from their youth;
our daughters graceful as columns,
adorned as though for a palace.
Let our crops and stock be blessed.
May there be no sound of weeping on our streets.
Lord, please help us love and
honor you every day.
Don't let us ever forget your love
Listen
Ephesians
1.1-7: From Paul, appointed to be an apostle of
Christ Jesus. Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord
Jesus Christ. Blessed be God the Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ.
Before the world was made, he chose us in Christ,
to live through love in his presence. He chose us, in Christ, to be his adopted
children,
to make us praise the glory of his grace. This grace is his free gift to us in his
Beloved Son,
through whose blood we gain our freedom
and the forgiveness of our sins
Father, thank you for upgrading me from human child to Divine Child!
Listen
Matthew
9.9-13: One day when Jesus was walking past a customs
house
he said to a tax collector named Matthew "Follow me".
Matthew got up and followed Jesus. Matthew invited Jesus and Jesus' friends to a
dinner in his house.
Some tax collectors and "bad" people sat at Jesus' table. Religious leaders saw this and complained to
Jesus' friends
"Why does your master eat with tax collectors and bad people?"
Jesus' answer was
"It is not the healthy who need the doctor, but the sick.
Go and think about the Bible words
'What I want is mercy, not sacrifice'.
I have a special concern for rejects and down-and-outs."
Jesus, please help religious
leaders in today's world
to care more about people who are rejected by society
Listen
Reflection on the above readings: Jesus ministered to all types of people, but he had a "preferential option" for the poor and rejected
-------------------------
I
spent most of yesterday at home in lockdown mode .... trying to "clear the
desk" before being away for several days. ... aware that, as usual, a few
days away means a lot of extra office jobs when I get back!
--------------------
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 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, Monday,
please pacify I.S.
-----------------------
----------------------
Sun Nov 22
Christ
the King
From tomorrow morning till Thursday midday I'm due to attend the annual O.M.I. in-service program at St Paul's Retreat House, Sheung Shui. So, yesterday I spent much time trying to "clear the desk" before being away. Over the next four days I might be slower than usual to answer email and W/App messages ... and phone calls.
This website, v2catholic was 9 years old yesterday. Thank you
Jesus for so many blessings since 2011. See very, very bottom of this file for
an historical note.
And may this blog avoid problem mentioned by Pope in No. 46, below!
Pope Francis - Fratelli
Tutti:
46.
We
should also recognize that destructive forms of fanaticism are at times found
among religious believers, including Christians; they too "can be caught up
in networks of verbal violence through the internet and the various forums of
digital communication. Even
in Catholic media, limits can be overstepped, defamation and slander can become
commonplace,
and all ethical standards and respect for the good name of others can be
abandoned". How
can this contribute to the fraternity that our common Father asks of us?
Bible Study: Mark 1
------------------------------
The
Book Blog:
4 readings + recordings
Comments welcome here
Readings are from
Simple Bible
c.f. readings for Feast of Christ the King
Matthew
25: 31-46 (a): Jesus
said to his disciples: When I come in glory at the end of the world, all peoples
of all times will be gathered in front of me. I will separate them, like a
shepherd separates sheep from goats. I will place the sheep on my right, the
goats on my left. I
will say to those on my right "Come and enter my kingdom. For I
was hungry, and you gave me food. I
was thirsty, and you gave me drink. I
was a stranger, and you made me welcome. I
was naked, and you clothed me. I
was sick, and you visited me. I
was in prison, and you came to see me".
Listen
Matthew
25.31-46 (b): Then those good
people on my right will say "Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you?
When did we see you thirsty and give you a drink? When did we see you a stranger
and welcome you, naked and clothe you, sick or in prison, and visit you?" I
will answer "Each time you helped
and cared for a poor person, you helped and cared for me".
Listen
Matthew
25: 31-46 (c): Then
I will say to those on my left "Go away from me and join Satan and his
angels in hell. For I was hungry, and you
never gave me food. I was thirsty, and you
never gave me anything to drink. I was a stranger, and you
never made me welcome, naked, and you
never clothed me, sick and in prison, and you
never visited me".
Listen
Matthew
25: 31-46 (d): Those
on my left will then ask "Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty, a
stranger or naked, sick or in prison, and did not come to your help?" I
will answer "Each time you refused
to help and care for a poor person, you refused to help and care for me".
Those on the left will then go to eternal punishment. Those on the right will go
to eternal life.
Jesus, please help me do more for poor people. Make me understand that when I
help a poor person, I help you
Listen
Reflection on the above readings:
The King of the Universe identifies with the poor....to the point where he will judge us according to the way we have helped, or not helped, the poor. Or to paraphrase the sign in Bill Clinton's office: "The poor, stupid". (in Clinton's office: "The economy, stupid")
Video
commentary on today's readings - in Italian, Chinese, English, and
Spanish
(+
Cantonese audio)
Daniel Daring: Judgmentg of the Nations (with Chinese text below English text)
-------------------------------
Hour
of Love HK radio program 8.30
pm HK time tonight
- with items about HK prison inmates
-------------------------------
Business
was very slow at MercyHK's 2nd hand shop at 191 Temple Street for most of last
week. Slow in fact for all businesses in HK. So 191 followed the lead of Tsim
Sha Tsui shops: we put up a 50% discount sign on Friday morning. And since then
our sales have gone up again! Yesterday back to normal!
------------------------------
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 22nd
of the month, Jesus please bless the prisoners of Zhejiang
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, Sunday,
please bless all Muslims in my country
-----------------------
----------------------
Sat Nov 21
My day yesterday was divided between jobs for prisoners and jobs for the homeless, with a visit to Rosary Church in the morning since afternoon activities would preclude a church visit. The busier and more complicated life becomes, the more a visit to a church is like a thirsty traveller spending time at an oasis!
People have been asking me when will be the next hike. Not sure
yet. Maybe in the first week or two of December. Photos and videos of Nov 18
hike here
Pope Francis - Fratelli
Tutti:
45.
This has now given free rein to ideologies. Things that until a few years ago
could not be said by anyone without risking the loss of universal respect can
now be said with impunity, and in the crudest of terms, even by some political
figures. Nor should we forget that "there are huge economic interests
operating in the digital world, capable of exercising forms of control as subtle
as they are invasive, creating mechanisms for the manipulation of consciences
and of the democratic process. The way many platforms work often ends up
favouring encounter between persons who think alike, shielding them from debate.
These
closed circuits facilitate the spread of fake news and false information,
fomenting prejudice and hate"
---------------------------
The
Book Blog:
4 readings + recordings
Comments welcome here
Readings are from
Simple Bible
Job
22-24: Eliphaz then said that God was punishing Job
because justice demanded that Job be punished for his sins. Job replied:
"I know that God sees everyone and everything.
God sees every step I take.
But I cannot contact him.
He has filled my life with sadness and fear
and yet he doesn't answer my prayer."
Dear
God, in times of darkness, with Jesus we pray
"My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?"
My
recording of this reading
Psalms
140-143: Lord, save me from
people who do evil,
you who do justice for the needy. I have no way out of
this situation.
And no one wants to help me. Lord, I beg you tonight
to make haste and give me an answer,
for my spirit fails within me. In the morning let me know your love
for I put my trust in you.
Lord, please help people who
are in big trouble
Listen
Galatians
6.14-18:
As for me, the only thing I boast about is the
Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom the world is crucified to me,
and I to the world. It does not matter if a person is circumcised
or not.
What matters is that we become a new creature. From now on, I want no more trouble from you.
The scars on my body were suffered for the sake of Jesus. May his grace be with you
Jesus, may I look at everything in the world
from up on your Cross
Listen
Matthew
9.1-8: Some people carried a paralyzed man through a
crowd to Jesus.
The man was on a bed. Jesus knew that these people believed he could
help them,
so he said to the paralyzed man "Courage, your sins are
forgiven". Religious leaders in the crowd were
thinking to themselves
that Jesus was wrong to say he could forgive sins. So Jesus said to the leaders: Which is
easier:
to say 'Your sins are forgiven', or to say 'Get up and walk'? Then to prove that he had authority to forgive
sins,
he said to the paralyzed man
"Get up, pick up your bed and go home".
The man got up and went home.
The crowd praised God for what they had seen.
Jesus, please give me more
faith in your power to forgive, your power to heal
Listen
Reflection on the above readings: People in "impossible" situations need to be in contact with Jesus
---------------------------
A first for MercyHK's second hand shop at 191 Temple
Street, Jordan: an adult's bicycle for sale! (Info from shop 11am to 8pm:
92811545)
------------------------------
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 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, Saturday,
please pacify the
Taliban
------------------------
------------------------
Fri Nov 20
Photos & videos (including Drone shots!) of hike Nov 18 to
Big Wave Bay - here
Pope Francis - Fratelli
Tutti:
Shameless aggression:
44. Even as individuals maintain their
comfortable consumerist isolation, they can choose a form of constant and
febrile bonding that encourages remarkable hostility, insults, abuse, defamation
and verbal violence destructive of others, and this with a lack of restraint
that could not exist in physical contact without tearing us all apart. Social
aggression has found unparalleled room for expansion through computers and
mobile devices.
-------------------
The
Book Blog:
4 readings + recordings
Comments welcome here
Readings are from Simple
Bible
Job 20-21: Zophar then said it was unreasonable for Job
to think that his situation was an exception as regards God's justice. Job replied:
"I can't help asking why do wicked people prosper while good people
suffer?"
Dear God, please help us to
understand the mystery of good and evil
My
recording of this reading
Psalm
139: O Lord, you search me and you know me.
You know my resting and my rising. You know exactly what's going on in my life,
all my ways are an open book to you. Before ever a word is on my tongue,
you know, O Lord, what I'm going to say. Your knowledge is beyond my understanding,
too high, beyond my reach. It was you who created my being,
knit me together in my mother's womb. I thank you for the wonder of my life,
for the wonders of all your creation.
Lord, thank you for the gift of
life. Please help me follow the path to eternal life
Listen
Galatians
6.7-9:
God cannot be cheated. Where we sow is where
we will reap. If we sow in the field of self-indulgence, we
will get a harvest of corruption. If we sow in the field of the Spirit, we will
get a harvest of eternal life. Never tire of doing good
Jesus, help me sow in the field of the Spirit
by doing good
Listen
Matthew
8.23-27: Jesus and his "fisher of men"
friends got into a boat
to cross the lake near Capernaum. Jesus was so tired that he went to sleep in
the boat.
Then a sudden storm caused big waves to lash the boat. Jesus' friends woke him up and said
"Save us, Lord, we are sinking". Jesus stood up, and ordered the wind and sea
to be calm.
Straight away the wind and sea were calm. Jesus' friends said to each other
"Who is this? Even the wind and sea obey
him."
Jesus, please calm the storms
in my life, my family, our world
Listen
Reflection on the above Bible readings: As each new "storm" breaks upon our part of the world, indeed upon the world itself, let us say with the apostles "Save us, Lord, we are sinking"
-------------------------
The hike two days ago was my first time to see a drone up
close .... and what beautiful photos/videos it produced (see link at top of this
menu) - especially this
one now on Youtube
-------------------------
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 20th
of the month, Jesus please bless the prisoners of Sichuan
And praying for one of the
world's poorest countries each day of the
month:
On this 20th of the month, Jesus please bless the
people of Gambia
And praying for one Islam-related
intention each day of the week:
Jesus, today, Friday,
please bless all Muslims
----------------------------
----------------------------
Thu Nov 19
Yesterday
7 (!) Oblates and 3 associates of MercyHK and Voice for Prisoners took part in a memorable hike to Big Wave Bay near Sai Kung. In perfect
weather we walked from Pak Tam Au to Ham Tin beach for lunch, then walked to Sai
Wan Beach for boat trip to Sai Kung, after inspecting the famous waterfall rock
pool near Sai Wan Beach.... finishing with a Pizza meal in Sai Kung. Photos to
come in next few days. Thank you Jesus for a great day!
Pope
Francis - Fratelli
Tutti:
43.
Digital campaigns of hatred and destruction, for their part, are not - as some
would have us believe - a positive form of mutual support, but simply an
association of individuals united against a perceived common enemy.
"Digital media can also expose people to the risk of addiction, isolation
and a gradual loss of contact with concrete reality, blocking the development of
authentic interpersonal relationships". They
lack the physical gestures, facial expressions, moments of silence, body
language and even the smells, the trembling of hands, the blushes and
perspiration that speak to us and are a part of human communication.
Digital relationships, which do not demand the slow and gradual cultivation of
friendships, stable interaction or the building of a consensus that matures over
time, have the appearance of sociability. Yet they do not really build
community; instead, they tend to disguise and expand the very individualism that
finds expression in xenophobia and in contempt for the vulnerable. Digital
connectivity is not enough to build bridges. It is not capable of uniting
humanity.
-------------------------
The Book Blog: 4 readings + recordings
Comments welcome here
Readings are from Simple
Bible
Job 18-19: Bildad then said that Job's suffering was
caused by his sins. Job repeated that he was innocent of any
wrong-doing.
He added:
"I am sure of three things:
my God lives,
my God will rescue me,
and I will see my God's face."
Dear God, I believe you live
and that someday I will see your face
Recording
Psalm 138: I thank you, Lord, with all my heart.
You have heard the words of my mouth. With the angels I will bless you.
I will adore you in your holy temple. I thank you for your faithfulness and love
which are far above what we can understand. On the day I called you answered.
You increased the strength of my soul. All earth's kings shall thank you
when they hear the words of your mouth. They shall sing of the Lord's ways:
"How great is the glory of the Lord!" Though I walk in the midst of affliction
you give me life and frustrate my foes. Your love, O Lord, is eternal.
Do not abandon us whom you have made. Lord, when we remember how much
you love us and help us, every day of the year is a Thanksgiving Day
Recording
Galatians 5.19-26: When self-indulgence is at work, the results
are obvious: sexual irresponsibility, sorcery, feuds and wrangling,
jealousy and drunkenness. What the Spirit brings is very different:
love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, truthfulness, gentleness
and self-control. You cannot belong to Christ Jesus unless you
crucify all self-indulgent desires. Let us be directed by the
Spirit. We must stop
being conceited, provocative and envious
Holy Spirit, increase your influence in
my life
Listen
Matthew 8.14-17: Jesus went to the home of Peter the
"fisher of men".
Peter's mother-in-law was sick in bed with a fever.
Jesus touched her hand, and the fever left her.
She got up and began to serve her visitor. That evening,
many sick people were brought to Peter's home.
Jesus healed them all.
Jesus, please heal
.....(names)....who are sick
Listen
---------------
On the 30 minute boat trip from Sai Wan beach to Sai Kung
yesterday afternoon ... at ground speed of around 80kpm which caused the small
boat with its 20 passengers to dramatically rise and fall with the large waves
.... people who don't usually swear were swearing .... and people who don't
usually pray were praying! (I'm exaggerating ... but it was a bit of a scarey
trip!)
--------------------
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 19th 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 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, Thursday, please pacify Al-Qaeda
----------------------------
Wed Nov 18
Yesterday
I was at Lai Chi Kok men's prison from 10am to 6pm .... meeting many new and old
friends .... including a couple of former residents of the Alhambra Building in
YMT where MercyHK is renting more than 40 homes for about 70 homeless people!
Pope Francis - Fratelli
Tutti:
THE ILLUSION OF
COMMUNICATION
42. Oddly enough, while closed and
intolerant attitudes towards others are on the rise, distances are otherwise
shrinking or disappearing to the point that the right to privacy scarcely
exists. Everything has become a kind of spectacle to be examined and inspected,
and people's lives are now under constant surveillance. Digital communication
wants to bring everything out into the open; people's lives are combed over,
laid bare and bandied about, often anonymously. Respect
for others disintegrates, and even as we dismiss, ignore or keep others distant,
we can shamelessly peer into every detail of their lives.
------------------------------
Chris McDonnell
Our changing planet
Our generation is the first to
recognize danger and may well be the last to have the opportunity to
do something about it
-----------------------------
The
Book Blog:
4 readings + recordings
Comments welcome here
Readings are from
Simple Bible
Job 15-17: Eliphaz then said that Job's own words
condemned him
since he was in fact challenging God. Job replied that he was sick and tired of
listening to his friends' speeches. He also said he felt death was
not far away: "My breath grows weak, I am ridiculed by
everyone, every fiber of my heart is broken. I have no
hope."
Lord, help of the helpless,
please help people who feel their situation is hopeless
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
5.13-15: Serve one another in works of love, since
the
whole of the Law is summed up in the command "Love your neighbor as
yourself". If you go in for non-stop criticism and
personal attacks, you will destroy the church community
Jesus, help me avoid unfair/unnecessary
criticism of other people
Listen
Matthew
8.5-13: In the town of Capernaum, a Roman army captain
said to Jesus
"Sir, my servant is paralyzed and in great pain."
Jesus replied "I will go and heal him". But the captain said
"Sir, I am not worthy that you should enter my house.
Just say the word and my servant will be healed. For I understand orders. I give an order, and
people act.
I know that you also just need to give an order,
and my servant will be healed". Jesus said
"This foreigner's faith is greater than that of the local people.
And I tell you that in the future
people from all parts of the world will be in the kingdom of heaven".
Then Jesus said to the captain
"Go home. Your request made in faith is granted". And the servant was healed at that moment.
Jesus, please give more people, from all parts of the world, the faith of the captain
Listen
Reflection
on the above readings: Beautiful song based on
Psalm 137 - 
By The Rivers of Babylon
(6m views!)
---------------------------
Before entering Lai Chi Kok men's prison yesterday morning
I paid a visit to the nearby Subway store for a $30 special: a bacon
and egg roll with cappuccino! Beautiful! Just right to get me started on a
long day!
-------------------------
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 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, 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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Fr John Wotherspoon O.M.I. 胡
頌 恆 神 父
jdwomi@gmail.com
HK
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