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
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?
Name
& shame
JesusTower
GoodNewsForPoor
Dr
Jesus
China8
SimpleBible
MatteoRicci
EssentialReading
Tues March 1
Last night MercyHK was providing emergency accommodation (+
meals, Covid tests, temperature checks, medicine etc) for 35 Covid domestic
helpers from the Philippines, Indonesia, India and Thailand. Yesterday's first
case was a Filipina who called me at 7.30am, saying she had spent two nights
sleeping at a park in Tokwawan. Eleven of the women have tested positive. The
rest were positive and are now negative and required to stay in isolation ...
but they have nowhere to go and the government cannot look after them. The more
that HK's Covid situation deteriorates, probably the more there will be domestic helpers
who will
be homeless. My
file of background info re this situation.
Pope
asks that tomorrow, Ash Wed be a day of prayer & fasting for peace in
Ukraine
---------------------------
The
Book Blog:
4 readings + recordings
Comments welcome here
Readings are from
Simple Bible
2 Kings
20: King Hezekiah became ill and was dying.
Hezekiah begged the Lord to cure him. The Lord told Isaiah the prophet to tell
Hezekiah:
"I will add 15 years to your
life." The king recovered and lived for another 15
years.
Dear God, please cure (..a sick
person..)
the way you cured Hezekiah
My
recording of this reading
Psalm
33: Ring out your joy to the Lord, all good
people,
for praise is fitting for loyal hearts. For the Lord loves justice and right;
he fills the earth with his love. By his word the heavens were made,
he spoke and the universe came into being. They are happy, whose God is the Lord,
he is the source of all true joy. May your love be upon us, O Lord,
since we place all our trust in you.
Lord, we trust in your precious
love
Listen
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
Matthew
18.1-10: One day Jesus heard his disciples
arguing about which one of them was the most important. Jesus got a little child to sit in front
of them, and said "If you want to be great in God's eyes, become child-like.
In fact, unless you become child-like, you won't get to heaven. And make sure you never cause harm to children
like this one.
Remember, the protecting angels of children
are in the presence of my Father in heaven."
Jesus, please help me to be
more child-like,
and please don't let me ever cause harm to children
Listen
Reflection: Psalm
33 encourages us to pray more for our nation to love Him by whom the heavens
were made
------------------------------
Q: At animal school, what exams do they have?
A: Rabbit tests (... everyone talking about them ...
rapid tests...)
-------------------------------
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 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 Niger
And praying for one
Islam-related intention each day of the week:
Jesus, today, Tuesday,
please pacify Boko
Haram
----------------------------
----------------------------
Mon Feb 28
Since Feb 18, MercyHK has provided emergency accommodation for
38 homeless Covid positive domestic workers. Last night we were caring for 28
women (9 positive, 19 negative) .... one of the positive cases who arrived last
night had been sleeping in a park in Wan Chai for a week. Several of the cases
arrived between 11pm and midnight. See my
file of media reports which speak about some of our cases
Pope
asks that Ash Wed (March 2) be a day of prayer & fasting for peace in
Ukraine
Helping MercyHK rent rooms for
homeless people - Carousell:
Shop 1
Shop
2
My article in today's Ming Pao newspaper has the topic: Wear a mask ... and a Cross. Text without recording
------------------------
The
Book Blog:
4 readings + recordings
Comments welcome here
Readings are from
Simple Bible
2 Kings
19:
King Hezekiah asked the prophet Isaiah for
advice.
Isaiah said to the king:
"The Lord says 'Do not be afraid of the King of Assyria.
He shall not enter Jerusalem.
I will protect this city and save it.'" That same night the angel of the Lord struck
the Assyrian camp
with a type of plague which killed thousands of men. The Assyrians then went back to their own land
and did not attack Jerusalem.
Dear God, please protect
....... (the city where I am living now)
My
recording of this reading
Psalm
32: Happy is the person whose sin is forgiven.
For a while I refused to ask for forgiveness,
and my body paid the penalty. But then I said "Lord, forgive me"
and my spirit and body revived.
Lord, when I do wrong, please give me the grace to say sorry and ask forgiveness
Listen
Colossians
4.3-21: Pray for me, in my chains,
that I may proclaim the message of Christ as clearly as I should. Be tactful with people who are not
Christians.
Use friendly conversation with them. Greetings from the believers here with me.
Greetings to all the believers in your area. Grace be with you all
Jesus, may my conversation with non-Christians
help them know you
Listen
Matthew
17.14-20: A man went down on his knees and pleaded with
Jesus:
"Lord, please help my son. He is crazy and does crazy things
like falling into fire and into water.
I asked your disciples to heal him but they were not able to." There was an evil spirit oppressing the boy,
so Jesus ordered the spirit to leave the boy.
The boy was healed immediately. Jesus' disciples asked him
"Why were we unable to expel that spirit?" Jesus answered "Because your faith is not
strong enough."
Jesus, please increase my
faith,
so that my prayers can be of more help to other people
Listen
Reflection: Since Covid is attacking HK, let's ask God's protection, as Hezekiah did for his city .... and may we hear the words "I will protect this city and save it"
-------------------------
Sometimes
problems have a simple solution we have not yet thought of. Like last week. ....
roof of prayer room at Dr Jesus Centre was leaking .....and we thought major
repairs might be necessary .... until we discovered that the problem was
moisture/humidity .... which was solved by a dehumidifier!
--------------------
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 28th of
the month, Jesus please bless the prisoners of Beijing
And
praying for one of the
world's poorest countries each day of the month:
On this 28th
of the month, Jesus please bless the people of Ivory
Coast
And praying for one Islam-related intention
each day of the week:
Jesus, today, Monday,
please pacify I.S.
-----------------------
----------------------
Sun Feb 27
24
of the Covid domestic helpers who were being cared for by MercyHK over the past
week have gone to the govt facility at Penny's Bay on Lantau Island. But the
place has
a very bad reputation. Which is why HELP
and other friends will offer monitoring and counselling services on line to our
group. There are still 4 women in our care in Jordan. One other of the 29 has
returned to her place of employment
My reflections on Documents of Vatican 2: Life
is a struggle against the powers of darkness
Bible Study: Romans
2
------------------------------
The
Book Blog:
4 readings + recordings
Comments welcome here
Readings are from
Simple Bible
c.f. readings for Sunday 8
Sirach
25-28: Happy the
husband of a really good wife. A good wife is the joy of her husband. Do not
praise a person before they have spoken. A
person's speech reveals what sort of person is speaking. Among stupid
people look for an opportunity to leave, but among thoughtful people take your
time. Sarcasm and abuse are the mark of an arrogant person. Resentment and anger
are bad for everyone. Forgive others if they have offended you. Then when you
pray, your own sins will be forgiven. Avoid quarrelling and losing your temper.
Do not let your mouth speak scandal.
Lord, please give me the wisdom to control my speech
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
1
Corinthians 15.54-58: When
this mortal nature has put on immortality, then the words of Scripture will come
true: "Death has been defeated. Death,
where is your victory? Death, where is your
sting?" Never give up, dear friends, never admit defeat. Keep on working at
the Lord's work always. Know that, in the Lord, no work is in vain.
Jesus, please give me more faith to "keep going"
Listen
Luke
6.41-45: In his teaching,
Jesus said "Why do you notice the splinter in someone else's eye, but don't
notice the plank in your own eye? Deal with your own faults before you
start correcting other people. A good tree does not produce bad fruit. A bad
tree does not produce good fruit. The fruit tells you what sort of tree it came
from. So with people: their
words and actions tell you what their heart is like - good or bad.
Jesus, please help me be a good person, producing good fruit
Listen
Reflection on the above readings: Lent is approaching - Ash Wed this week. A good resolution suggested by today's first reading and today's Gospel: kinder/encouraging speech, less unkind/critical/complaining speech
Video
commentary on today's readings - in Italian, Chinese, English, and
Spanish
(+
Cantonese audio)
-------------------------------
Hour
of Love HK radio program 8.30
pm HK time tonight
- with items about HK prison inmates
-------------------------------
A
couple of times yesterday I thought of items to put here, but last night I could
not remember what they were. I guess the time has come for me to write down
things before I forget them!
------------------------------
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 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 Tanzania
And praying for one Islam-related
intention each day of the week:
Jesus, today, Sunday,
please bless all Muslims in my country
-----------------------
----------------------
Sat Feb 26
Last night 10 Covid-negative domestic helpers were moved from
MercyHK's care in Jordan to govt facilities in Penny's Bay on Lantau Island. One
other woman returned to her employer's home. That leaves us with 13, of whom 9 are due to move
today to Penny's Bay. But if the HK figures
in article below are correct, we can expect to have more people in our care in
the coming months when govt facilities will be totally overwhelmed.
More
than 300 Covid prisoners in HK (.... this report also says HK probably now
has 200,000 cases ... and might have more than 1,000,000 cases by late April ....
and is now listed by Bloomberg as the 2nd worst place in the world to live
during Covid ..... second only to Pakistan!!!)
Yesterday morning at the High Court a kind judge granted bail to
a man from Bangladesh after he was offered accommodation at MercyHK's Centre for
Men on Cheung Chau Island
My reflections on Documents of Vatican 2:
What
is the relationship between science and religion?
---------------------------
The
Book Blog:
4 readings + recordings
Comments welcome here
Readings are from
Simple Bible
2 Kings
14-18:
After the death of Elisha, kings continued to
come to power
and be assassinated in Judah and Israel. It was then that the king of Assyria invaded
Israel and Judah. Hezekiah, king of Judah, a good man, prayed to
God for help.
Dear God, please save us in
time of trial
My
recording of this reading
Psalm
31: Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am in
distress.
My eyes are full of tears, my heart full of sorrow. Everyone makes fun of me. My friends don't want to know me.
Save me, Lord, from this mess. I praise you Lord, for you protect those who trust you.
You keep them safe from slander and lies. Be strong, let your heart take
courage,
all you who trust in the Lord
I trust in you, Lord. My life
is in your hands
Listen
Colossians
3.18 - 4.1: Wives and
husbands, understand and support
each other. Children, be obedient to your parents.
Parents, treat your children fairly or else they will rebel.
Slaves, be obedient and respectful to your
owners.
Offer up your work to the Lord, our Heavenly Owner. Owners, be just and fair to your slaves.
Remember your Heavenly Owner
Jesus, help
families to live
together in harmony
Listen
Matthew
17.1-8: One day Jesus took his disciples Peter, James
and John
up a high mountain.
On the mountain Jesus' whole appearance changed.
His face shone like the sun. His clothes were as white as snow. The prophets Moses and Elijah appeared
and spoke with him. Peter said to Jesus "Lord, how good it is for
us to be here!" Then a bright cloud covered them with its
shadow.
From the cloud came a voice:
"This is my Son, the Beloved. Listen to him." The disciples bowed to the ground.
When they got up, they saw only Jesus in his normal appearance.
Jesus, Beloved Son of God,
how good it is to spend time with you in prayer.
Listen
Reflection: Times of crisis ( ... Covid, war in Ukraine ... ) are times for spending more time on the mountain of prayer
---------------------------
Not easy to find things to smile about these days,
but one happy item for half of the Covid domestic helpers in the care of MercyHK
this past week was when their daily Covid test showed they finally were negative
(one line on the gauge) and no long positive (two lines). Their faces just lit
up with joy to see only one line!
------------------------------
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 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 Madagascar
And
praying for one Islam-related intention
each day of the week:
Jesus, today, Saturday,
please pacify the
Taliban
------------------------
------------------------
Fri Feb 25
Some of the women in this Guardian
report are now being looked after by MercyHK: Covid
Domestic workers fired and homeless
*** Mother
& baby spend night outside hospital *** Woman
spends 2 nights in park *** Equal
Opportunities Commission statement
God bless the kind people who have responded to the appeal by
MercyHK's Temple Street shop staff to help the above homeless people, through
Eddie Chan (a Director of MercyHK)
Pope
asks that Ash Wed (March 2) be a day of prayer & fasting for peace in
Ukraine
My reflections on Documents of Vatican 2: "People"
jobs are special
-------------------
The
Book Blog:
4 readings + recordings
Comments welcome here
Readings are from Simple
Bible
2 Kings 7-13: During Elisha's life time, there were many
kings in Israel and Judah. A number of these kings were assassinated. Elisha also died and was buried in a tomb.
Once when a dead man was put in Elisha's tomb,
the man came back to life.
Dear God, please help us love
you the way Elisha loved you
My
recording of this reading
Psalms
29-30: The Lord gives us strength, the Lord blesses
us with peace.
Thank you, Lord, for so often helping and healing me.
I cried to you when sickness surrounded me, and you healed me. You changed my mourning into dancing.
So I will thank you always.
Thank you, Lord, for all the
times you have healed me
Listen
Colossians
3.15-16:
May the peace of Christ reign in your hearts.
Always be thankful. Let the message of Christ, in all its
richness, find a home in you.
Help each other grow in wisdom. With gratitude in your hearts, sing songs to
God
Jesus, live in my heart. Please live in
my heart
Listen
Matthew
16.21-28: Jesus now began explaining to his disciples
how he must go to Jerusalem to suffer, die and rise from the dead. He also said "If you want to be my disciple, you must deny yourself,
take up your own cross, and follow me. Selfishness will ruin your life.
Self-sacrificing will bless your life. What use is it to have everything in this
world
yet miss out on Heaven?"
Jesus, please help me find my
life by losing it in service of others
Listen
Reflection: "your own cross", apart from very, very special circumstances, does not mean "sickness". Sickness in God's dictionary means "God can heal you" (as in Psalms, above)
-------------------------
At this time of pandemic, it's ok .... in fact it's good
.... to be .... a .... negative person!
-------------------------
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 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 Lesotho
And praying for one Islam-related
intention each day of the week:
Jesus, today, Friday,
please bless all Muslims
----------------------------
----------------------------
Thur Feb 24
Last night MercyHK was providing emergency accommodation for 24
Covid domestic helpers, after 5 from the previous night's 29 were moved to
another location since they tested negative. Caritas HK is now supporting our
work .... and joining with HELP
for Domestic Helpers to lobby for more concern for women made homeless
by Covid
Pope's
moving appeal for peace in Ukraine (and notice an O.M.I. cross at end of
this report ... Oblates are working in Ukraine)
Update
from Camay whose faith is giving her courage to keep up the fight against
stage four lung cancer
===================
===================
Wed Feb 23
Yesterday was Day 4 of MercyHK's project to provide emergency
accommodation for people like those in this
SCMP video and this
HKFP report. Early last night there were 26 women in our care: 6 at the Dr
Jesus Centre, 12 at the nearby MercyHK Hostel, 6 at a nearby hotel, and two in
nearby seperate rooms ... with 3 more due late last night. Three of those who
came around 7pm last night had been sleeping at the airport for 3 nights. One
who came at midnight the night before had been required by her employer to stay
in a small car for 30 hours (allowed out only for toilet) in an open car park,
with one blanket ... in freezing weather. MercyHK is working with the NGO HELP
for Domestic Helpers in this project. God bless these 29 very
special guests and the many kind people who have been helping MercyHK in this
project.
=============
=====
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)) (blocked by FB Oct 2020)
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
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.
Map and Flag Counter began Feb 11, 2012. Previous visits 4,932.
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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
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ .