V2Catholic.comDr Jesus Centre 187 Temple St Jordan
A
voice for the poor
by HK prison chaplain
胡
jdw
omi@gmail.com
W/App +852 67095674
Imitating
Pope Francis
Tues May 2
Yesterday afternoon, since so many Mainland visitors in HK, a kind group of Filipina domestic helpers gave out health booklets to many visitors ... just as they gave out Easter eggs to locals on Easter Sunday. Two local friends then took over from the domestic helpers and gave out more books late afternoon.
Laudato
Si:
82.
Yet it would also be mistaken to view other living beings as mere objects
subjected to arbitrary human domination. When nature is viewed solely as a
source of profit and gain, this has serious consequences for society. This
vision of "might is right" has engendered immense inequality,
injustice and acts of violence against the majority of humanity, since resources
end up in the hands of the first comer or the most powerful: the winner takes
all. Completely at odds with this model are the ideals of harmony,
justice, fraternity and peace as proposed by Jesus. As he said of the powers of
his own age: "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them,
and their great men exercise authority over them. It shall not be so among you;
but whoever would be great among you must be your servant"
Pope
asking us to re-read main documents of Vatican 2.
My reflection on Article 59
of Document on The
Church
---------------------------
The
Book Blog:
readings + recordings
Readings are from
Simple Bible
Numbers
6: God said to Moses and Aaron:
"This is how you are to bless the people. Say to them:
May the Lord bless you and keep you.
May the Lord let his face shine on you and be gracious to you.
May the Lord uncover his face to you and bring you peace."
Dear
God, please bless everyone in the world
My
recording of this reading
Psalm
122: I rejoiced when I heard them say
"Let us go to God's house."
And now our feet are standing within your gates, O Jerusalem. For the peace of Jerusalem pray
"Peace be to your homes." For love of the house of the Lord
I will ask for your good.
Lord, may your peace be in our
hearts and homes
Listen
Philippians
3.20 - 4.1:
Our homeland is in
heaven. We wait for the
Savior from heaven who will transfigure these wretched bodies of ours
into copies of his glorious body. He will do this by the same power he has as
C.E.O. of the universe. So, do not stop running but
remain faithful in the Lord
Jesus, please increase my longing for heaven
Listen
Matthew
12.9-14:
On another Sabbath Jesus visited a
prayer hall.
A man with a withered hand was in the hall. Some religious leaders asked Jesus, to trap
him,
"Is it lawful to heal a man on the Sabbath day?"
(The leaders taught that no "work" could be done on the
Sabbath). Jesus replied:
"If one of your sheep fell down a hole on the Sabbath,
wouldn't you lift it out?
A man is more important than a sheep.
Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath." Then Jesus said to the man with the withered
hand
"Stretch out your hand".
He stretched it out. It was healed. The religious leaders left the prayer hall
and began plotting how to get rid of Jesus.
Jesus, please stop bad
religious leaders from misleading people
Listen
Reflection:
One
of my all-time favorites, with words from today's first reading: Priestly
Blessings
------------------------------
With so many Mainland visitors in HK at the moment my
Mandarin is getting plenty of practice!
-------------------------------
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 one
part of the Mainland each day of the month:
On this 2nd
of
the month, Jesus please bless the people of Fujian
And praying for one of
the world's poorest countries
each day of the month:
On this 2nd of the month, Jesus please
bless the people of Central African Republic
And praying for one
Islam-related intention each day of the week:
Jesus, today, Tuesday,
please pacify Boko
Haram
----------------------------
----------------------------
Mon May
1International
Labor Day
& Feast of St Joseph the Worker
This is the Labor Day "Golden Week" in China .... and my street,
Temple Street, Jordan ....is full of visitors from the Mainland. Also visitors
from other countries. I haven't seen so many visitors for about 4 or 5 years!
See this
SCMP report
Laudato
Si:
81.
Human beings, even if we postulate a process of evolution, also possess a
uniqueness which cannot be fully explained by the evolution of other open
systems. Each of us has his or her own personal identity and is capable of
entering into dialogue with others and with God himself. Our capacity to reason,
to develop arguments, to be inventive, to interpret reality and to create art,
along with other not yet discovered capacities, are signs
of a uniqueness which transcends the spheres of physics and biology. The
sheer novelty involved in the emergence of a personal being within a material
universe presupposes a direct action of God and a particular call to life and to
relationship on the part of a "Thou" who addresses himself to another
"thou". The biblical accounts of creation invite us to see each human
being as a subject who can never be reduced to the status of an object.
Pope
asking us to re-read main documents of Vatican 2.
My reflection on
Article 57
of Document on The
Church
------------------------
The
Book Blog: readings +
recordings
Readings are from
Simple Bible
c.f. readings for
St Joseph the Worker (For
International Labor Day)
Genesis
1-2: God made the
world. God made the sun, the moon and the stars....the whole
universe. God said "Let there be light" and there was light. God
made the earth with all its plants and trees and animals and fish and birds. God
made the first people.....the first man and first woman. God made them in
his own image and said to them "Be fruitful, multiply and fill the
earth." God saw all that
he had made, and all of it was good, very good.
Dear God, thank you for making such a beautiful
world!
My
recording of this reading
Psalm
90: O Lord you have been our
refuge from one generation to the next. Before the earth or the world
existed, you are God, without beginning or end. For you, a thousand years are
like yesterday, come and gone so quickly. We humans have a short life, our
life is over like a sigh. Our span is 70 years, or 80 for those who are strong.
Make us know the shortness of our life, that we may gain wisdom of heart. In the
morning, fill us with your love. Give success to the
work of our hands.
Lord, help us realize the shortness of our life,
that we may live our lives more wisely
Recording
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
Recording
Matthew
13.53-58: One day Jesus went to Nazareth,
his home town. In the prayer hall there he taught the local people. But the
local people would not accept him. They said "Where did he get such
wisdom and miraculous power? He is just a
carpenter's son. His mother is that woman called Mary. His brothers are
James, Joseph, Simon and Jude. His sisters are here, too. He's nobody
special." Jesus said to them "A prophet is despised only in his own
country and his own house". And he did not work many miracles there because
of their lack of faith.
Jesus, please give me more faith in you .... and
don't let me reject people
Recording
Reflection on the above readings: On this International Workers/Labor Day, may the example of the carpenter whom Jesus called "father" help us to offer up our work as a prayer to the Lord ... like a woman who used to pray "Jesus, I don't really like washing and ironing, but I offer it up as a prayer asking that you would keep my family safe". Let us also pray for the tens of millions of workers who have lost their jobs because of Covid-19
-------------------------
For
International Labor Day:
Pope
John XXIII was once asked how many people worked at the Vatican. "About
half of them" he replied
--------------------
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 one
part of the Mainland each day of the month:
On
this 1st of
the month, Jesus please bless the people 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, Monday,
please pacify I.S.
-----------------------
----------------------
Sun April 30
HK is now suffering from a labour shortage. Maybe one solution: give residence permits to some of the thousands of asylum seekers who have been here for years ... a one-off deal that would not attract more asylum seekers.
Yesterday morning I attended the funeral of a dear old friend from the days when I worked in Notre Dame Parish (1985-1995) in Kowloon City. May his prayers from Heaven help us on this side of the veil until everyone is together again for the Eternal Banquet.
HK
now having 10,000 new Covid cases each day! See
my comment May 26, below!
Laudato
Si:
80. Yet
God, who wishes to work with us and who counts on our cooperation, can also
bring good out of the evil we have done. "The Holy Spirit can be
said to possess an infinite creativity, proper to the divine mind, which knows
how to loosen the knots of human affairs, including the most complex and
inscrutable". Creating a world in need of development, God in some
way sought to limit himself in such a way that many of the things we think of as
evils, dangers or sources of suffering, are in reality part of the pains of
childbirth which he uses to draw us into the act of cooperation with the
Creator. God is intimately present to each being, without impinging on the
autonomy of his creature, and this gives rise to the rightful autonomy of
earthly affairs. His divine presence, which ensures the subsistence and
growth of each being, "continues the work of creation". The
Spirit of God has filled the universe with possibilities and therefore, from the
very heart of things, something new can always emerge: "Nature is nothing
other than a certain kind of art, namely God's art, impressed upon things,
whereby those things are moved to a determinate end. It is as if a shipbuilder
were able to give timbers the wherewithal to move themselves to take the form of
a ship".
Pope
asking us to re-read main documents of Vatican 2.
My reflection on Article 56
of Document on The
Church
------------------------------
The
Book Blog: readings +
recordings
Readings are from
Simple Bible
c.f. readings for Easter 4
Acts
2.37-47: The
crowd was deeply moved by Peter's words, and asked "What should we
do?" Peter replied "You must repent and be baptized in the name
of Jesus Christ. Then you too will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit".
That day about 3,000 people were baptized. These remained faithful to the
teaching of the apostles, to a
life of sharing and caring, to the
Breaking of Bread, and to prayer.
Many miracles were worked by the apostles, and this made a deep impression on
everyone. Each day the Lord added new members to their group.
Jesus, please help me
remain faithful to the Christian way of life
My
recording of this reading
Psalm
23: The
Lord is my shepherd, there is nothing I shall want. Fresh and green are
the pastures where he gives me repose. Near restful waters he leads me, to
revive my drooping spirit. He guides me along the right path. He is true to his
name. If I should walk in the valley of darkness no evil would I fear. You are
there with your crook and your staff; with these you give me comfort. You have
prepared a banquet for me in the sight of my foes. My head you have anointed
with oil. My cup is overflowing. Surely goodness and kindness shall follow me
all the days of my life. In the Lord's own house shall I dwell for ever and
ever.
Thank you, Lord, for
being my good shepherd
Recording
1
Peter 2.19-25: If
you are treated unfairly, put up with it for the sake of God. Christ suffered
for you and left an example for you to follow. He had done nothing wrong. He was
insulted and tortured, but did not retaliate. He bore our sins in his own body
on the Cross, so that we might die to sin and live for holiness. Through his
wounds you have been healed. You were like straying sheep, but now have come
back to the
shepherd and guardian of your souls.
Jesus, please help me put up with difficulties for your sake
Recording
John
10.1-10: Jesus
said to the religious leaders "I
am the gate of the sheepfold. If anyone enters the sheepfold by some
other means than the gate, that person is a thief. The person who enters by the
gate is the shepherd of the flock. The sheep hear his voice as he calls each one
by name and leads them out of the sheepfold. When he has brought them out, he
goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. The
thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come so that people may
have life, not just now but for ever".
Jesus, Good Shepherd,
please help more and more people hear your voice and follow you
Recording
Reflection: 600,000
visitors from the Mainland due in HK in the coming week ("Golden Week"
holiday in China) .... may some/many of the 600,000 receive an interest in the
Good Shepherd while they are in HK
Reflection by Fr Peter: English Chinese
-------------
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
-------------------------------
To
go with today's Gospel:
A
shepherd was herding his flock in a remote pasture when suddenly a brand-new BMW
advanced out of a dust cloud towards him. The driver, a young man in a Broni
suit, Gucci shoes, Ray Ban sunglasses and YSL tie, leans out the window and asks
the shepherd, "If I tell you exactly how many sheep you have in your flock,
will you give me one?" The shepherd looks at the man, obviously a yuppie,
then looks at his peacefully grazing flock and calmly answers, "Sure, Why
not?"
The
yuppie parks his car, whips out his Dell notebook computer, connects it to his
AT&T cell phone. He surfs to a NASA page on the internet, where he calls up
a GPS satellite navigation system to get an exact fix on his location which he
then feeds to another NASA satellite that scans the area in an
ultra-high-resolution photo. The young man then opens the digital photo in Adobe
Photoshop and exports it to an image processing facility in Hamburg, Germany.
Within seconds, he receives an email on his Palm Pilot that the image has been
processed and the data stored. He then accesses an MS-SQL database through an
ODBC connected Excel spreadsheet with hundreds of complex formulas.
He
uploads all of this data via an email on his Blackberry and, after a few
minutes, receives a response. Finally, he prints out a full-color, 150-page
report on his hi- tech, miniaturized HP LaserJet printer and finally turns to
the shepherd and says, "You have exactly 1,586 sheep."
"That's
right. Well, I guess you can take one of my sheep," says the honest
shepherd. He watches the young man select one of the animals and looks on amused
as the young man stuffs it into the trunk of his car. Then the shepherd says to
the young man, "Hey, if I can tell you exactly what your business is, will
you give me back my sheep?"
The
young man thinks about it for a second and then says, "Okay, Why not?"
"You're
a consultant." says the shepherd. "Wow! That's correct," says the
yuppie, "but how did you guess that?"
"No
guessing required." answered the savvy shepherd, "You showed up here
even though nobody called you; you want to get paid for an answer I already
knew; to a question I never asked; and you don't know anything about my
business.......now give me back my dog."
------------------------------
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 one
part of the Mainland each day of the month:
On this 30th
of the month, Jesus please bless the people of Shanghai
& Tianjin
And praying for one of the
world's poorest countries each day of the month:
On this 30th of the month, Jesus
please bless the people of Rwanda & Uganda
And praying for one Islam-related
intention each day of the week:
Jesus, today, Sunday,
please bless all Muslims in my country
-----------------------
----------------------
Sat April 29
Yesterday I spent five hours at Lai
Chi Kok men's prison where I chatted individually with dozens of inmates ...
including several with university degrees from UK and Australia! Made me smile
because my NGOs help many overseas inmates with study and we joke with them that
if they are asked on return to their own country "What did you do in
HK?" they can reply "I went to university"!
Laudato
Si:
79.
In this universe, shaped by open and intercommunicating systems, we can discern
countless forms of relationship and participation. This leads us to think of the
whole as open to God's transcendence, within which it develops. Faith allows us
to interpret the meaning and the mysterious beauty of what is unfolding. We are
free to apply our intelligence towards things evolving positively, or towards
adding new ills, new causes of suffering and real setbacks. This is what makes
for the excitement and drama of human history, in which freedom, growth,
salvation and love can blossom, or lead towards decadence and mutual
destruction. The work of the Church
seeks not only to remind everyone of the duty to care for nature, but at the
same time "she must above all protect mankind from self-destruction".
Pope
asking us to re-read main documents of Vatican 2.
My reflection on Article 55
of Document on The
Church
---------------------------
The
Book Blog: readings +
recordings
Readings are from
Simple Bible
Numbers
1-5: A census was
taken of all the men aged twenty years and above.
The twelve tribes were told to pitch their tents all around the
Sacred Tent site.
Each time they moved to a new place and
pitched their tents, they would do so in the place allocated to each
tribe.
Dear
God, may our homes never be too far from a church
My
recording of this reading
Psalms
120-121: I call to the Lord in the hour of my
distress:
"Lord save me from people who speak with lying lips". Long enough have I been dwelling with those
who hate peace.
I am for peace, but they are for fighting. I lift up my eyes to the mountains.
From where shall come my help? My help shall come from the Lord
who made heaven and earth. The Lord is our guard and our shade.
Day and night we shall not be afraid. The Lord will guard our going and coming
both now and forever.
Lord, please protect us from
danger, day and night
Listen
Philippians
3.12-14: I am not yet perfect. I have not yet won the
race.
But I am still running,
trying to capture the prize for which Christ Jesus captured me. I forget the past, and strain ahead for what
is still to come.
I am racing for the finish, for the prize to which God calls us to receive in Christ Jesus
Jesus, please help me keep running each day!
Listen
Matthew
12.1-8: One Sabbath day Jesus and his disciples were walking through a
cornfield. The disciples were hungry.
They picked some ears of corn and ate them. Picking corn on the Sabbath was regarded as unlawful by the
Pharisees. So the Pharisees said to Jesus
"Your disciples are breaking the Sabbath law". Jesus replied "Don't you remember what David and his followers once did when
they were hungry? They ate the Temple bread which only the priests were
allowed to eat. Go and learn the meaning of these words
'What I want is mercy, not superficial external offerings'. I am Master of the Sabbath."
Jesus,
Master of the Sabbath, please help
me understand that love is more important than law.
Listen
Reflection: Gospel ..."mercy" ... especially since 2016 (the Year of Mercy) Pope Francis has been urging us to show more mercy and compassion for needy people
------------
At Lai Chi Kok men's prison yesterday, when a
friendly CSD officer heard me speaking Spanish with a South American prisoner,
the officer asked me if I was from Italy! (When I told him
"Australia" we both had a good laugh!)
------------------------------
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 one
part of the Mainland each day of the month:
On this 29th
of the month, Jesus please bless the people of Chongqing
And praying for one of the
world's poorest countries each day of the
month:
On this 29th
of the month, Jesus please bless the people of Nigeria
And
praying for one Islam-related intention
each day of the week:
Jesus, today, Saturday,
please pacify the
Taliban
------------------------
------------------------
Fri April 28
Staff from the Philippines Consulate yesterday afternoon joined
Fr Jun and Lucia for the weekly gathering of several dozen mothers (most of them
single mothers) and children at MercyHK's Nathan Road Centre. ... where as at a
number of gatherings over the past week this
lovely song was sung
Laudato
Si:
78. At
the same time, Judaeo-Christian thought demythologized nature. While continuing
to admire its grandeur and immensity, it no longer saw nature as divine. In
doing so, it emphasizes all the more our human responsibility for nature. This
rediscovery of nature can never be at the cost of the freedom and responsibility
of human beings who, as part of the world, have the duty to cultivate their
abilities in order to protect it and develop its potential. If we acknowledge
the value and the fragility of nature and, at the same time, our God-given
abilities, we can finally leave behind
the modern myth of unlimited material progress. A fragile world,
entrusted by God to human care, challenges us to devise intelligent ways of
directing, developing and limiting our power.
Pope
asking us to re-read main documents of Vatican 2.
My reflection on Article 52
of Document on The
Church
-------------------
The
Book Blog: readings +
recordings
Readings are from
Simple Bible
Leviticus 26-27: God's words through Moses:
"If you keep my commandments
I will bless you in every way:
- you will have rain at the right time
- the earth shall give its produce
- your land will know peace
- you will be fruitful and multiply
- I will be in your midst: I will be your God
and you shall be my people.
But if you ignore my words and break my commandments
- you will have no peace
- there will be no rain
- the earth shall not yield its produce
- sickness and pestilence will afflict you
- you will be scattered among the nations".
Dear God, please help us
to keep your commandments
My
recording of this reading
Psalm
119: They are happy who follow God's word,
those who seek God with all their hearts. How can young people avoid evil?
By seeking you and obeying you, Lord. Open my eyes, Lord, that I may understand the beauty of your word.
Lord, when I'm worried or in trouble,
your word revives me and gives me strength. Lord, keep my eyes from what is false.
Bend my heart to your word and not to love of gain. The word from your mouth means more to me
than silver and gold. The unfolding of your word gives light
and teaches simple people.
Lord, thank you for your word
which gives peace to our hearts
Listen
Philippians
3.7-11: Because of Christ, I have come to consider
all my former advantages as a scholar as disadvantages. Nothing is more important than knowing Christ
Jesus my Lord. For him I have accepted the loss of
everything, and I look on everything as so much rubbish if only I can have
Christ. All I want is to know Christ and the power of
his resurrection.
I want to share his sufferings by carrying the Cross with him. This is the way I can hope to receive eternal
life
Christ Jesus my Lord, knowing you is No. 1
Listen
Matthew
11.25-30: One day Jesus prayed:
Father, Lord of heaven and earth,
I am joyfully amazed at the way simple people
understand and accept what I'm saying,
while proud and clever people miss the plot. And he said to the ordinary people:
Come to me,
all you who are treated unfairly by unjust religious laws.
I will give you peace and justice. Learn from me, and you will know peace,
for I am gentle and humble of heart.
Jesus, please help people who
are suffering from unjust religious laws
Listen
Reflection: "Treated unfairly by unjust religious laws" is usually mistranslated as "overburdened"
-------------------------
After a long absence, my favorite dish was available
yesterday midday at the local canteen: tomato and fish! But it didn't last long.
Not available again last night!
-------------------------
Please join me in praying for one part of the world each day:
Sun: Africa
Mon: Europe,
Russia
Tues: South
Asia
Wed: East
Asia
Thurs: S.E. Asia, Pacific
Frid: S.
America
Sat: Cent, N. America
Jesus,
today, Friday,
please bless the people of South
America
And praying for one
part of the Mainland each day of the month:
On this 28th
of the month, Jesus please bless the people 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, Friday,
please bless all Muslims
----------------------------
----------------------------
Thu April 27
Yesterday I spent four hours at Hei
Ling Chau Men's Addiction Treatment Centre where I chatted with around 200
drug addicts individually and handed in more than 100 copies of Dr
Jesus, Good News for the Poor
and No
Next Time (90% of them to local Chinese men) and almost 100 copies of the Kung
Kau Po (HK's Chinese Catholic paper)
Now I know why HK's old airport was called Kai
Tak! : SCMP
- was it the world's scariest airport? (I lived next to it for 10 years at
Notre Dame College ...the planes were very close! ...and a number of times I
took off and landed there)
Laudato
Si:
77.
"By the word of the Lord the heavens were made". This tells us that
the world came about as the result of a decision, not from chaos or chance, and
this exalts it all the more. The creating word expresses a free choice. The
universe did not emerge as the result of arbitrary omnipotence, a show of force
or a desire for self-assertion. Creation is of the order of love. God's
love is the fundamental moving force in all created things: "For you
love all things that exist, and detest none of the things that you have made;
for you would not have made anything if you had hated it". Every creature
is thus the object of the Father's tenderness, who gives it its place in the
world. Even the fleeting life of the
least of beings is the object of his love, and in its few seconds of existence,
God enfolds it with his affection. Saint Basil the Great described the
Creator as "goodness without measure", while Dante Alighieri
spoke of "the love which moves the sun and the stars". Consequently,
we can ascend from created things "to the greatness of God and to his
loving mercy".
Pope
asking us to re-read main documents of Vatican 2.
My reflection on Article 53
of Document on The
Church
-------------------------
The Book Blog: readings + recordings
Readings are from
Simple Bible
Leviticus 24-25:
God's words through Moses:
"Every seventh year your land is to have a rest,
a sabbath for the Lord.
Every fifty years will be a Year of Jubilee:
no sowing, no harvesting, a time for freeing slaves".
Dear God, please help us
understand and keep your word
My
recording of this reading
Psalm
118: Give thanks to the Lord for he is good.
His love has no end. Let the sons of Israel say:
"His love has no end." Let those who honor the Lord say:
"His love has no end." It is better to take refuge in the Lord than
to trust in humans.
It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in princes. I was falling, falling, falling,
but the Lord was my helper. The Lord is my strength and my song.
He is my saviour. The Lord's right hand has triumphed.
His right hand has raised me up. I shall not die, I shall live
and recount all his deeds. The stone which the builders rejected
has become the corner stone. This is the work of the Lord,
a marvel in our eyes. This day was made by the
Lord.
We rejoice and are glad.
Lord, we give thanks to you,
for you are good.
Your love has no end
Listen
Philippians
2.13-16: It is God who gives us the spiritual energy to
be good and to do good. Don't be someone who is always
complaining and
arguing. Live a life of light in our dark world.
May your life of light offer the world the word of life
Jesus, help me avoid complaining and
arguing
Listen
Matthew
11.1-19: John the Baptist sent some of his friends to
ask Jesus
"Are you the promised Anointed One?"
Jesus replied
"Tell John what you hear and see:
blind people see, lame people walk, lepers are healed". Jesus also said to the people around him
how neither John nor himself could please the religious
leaders. "For John
always fasted and
never drank wine,
and people said he was possessed. I eat well and I drink wine
and people call me a glutton and a drunkard."
Jesus, please help me be
someone who is easy to live with,
someone who is not hard to please
Listen
Reflection: Philippians and Matthew have related ideas: always complaining ....hard to please
---------
Yesterday was like a hike for me ...walking from Hei Ling Chau
ferry pier up to "18A" ... along roadway with sound of waves breaking
on beach below. Beautiful!
--------------------
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 one
part of the Mainland each day of the month:
On this 27th of the month, Jesus please bless the people of
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, Thursday, please pacify Al-Qaeda
----------------------------
Wed April 26
Over the past week I know five friends in HK who have
been or still are Covid positive. I can't find any official statistics but it
seems that Covid has not only not gone away but is actually spreading?
Yesterday for the feast of St Mark I watched this
fascinating program ... the best outline of Mark's life I have ever come
across
Laudato
Si:
76. In the Judaeo-Christian tradition, the
word "creation" has a broader meaning than "nature", for it
has to do with God's loving plan in which every creature has its own value and
significance. Nature is usually seen as
a system which can be studied, understood and controlled, whereas creation can
only be understood as a gift from the outstretched hand of the Father of all,
and as a reality illuminated by the love which calls us together into universal
communion.
Pope
asking us to re-read main documents of Vatican 2.
My reflection on
Article 50
of Document on The
Church
------------------------------
The
Book Blog: readings +
recordings
Readings are from
Simple Bible
Leviticus 21-23:
God's words through Moses:
"Regard the priests as holy, for they offer holy sacrifice.
Keep the sacred festivals:
- every Sabbath
- the Passover and the feast of Unleavened Bread
- the First Sheaf
- the Feast of Weeks
- the first day of the seventh month
- the Day of Atonement
- the Feast of Tabernacles".
Dear God, thank you for special
worship days and seasons
My
recording of this reading
Psalm
117: O Praise the Lord, all you
nations.
Acclaim him, all you peoples! Strong is his love for us.
He is faithful for ever.
May all the nations love and
praise you, Lord
Listen
Philippians 2.5-11:
O Lord, unite us in your love
and keep our minds in you
O Lord, unite us in your love
and keep our minds in you
Though you were God in state divine
you did not cling to what you were.
No, you shed your glory's shine
so as to live just like a slave
O Lord, unite us in your love
and keep our minds in you
You came on earth in human form
and you shared our troubled life.
A humbler man there never was,
even in death obedient
Yes, Lord, death upon a cross,
yes, upon a cross
Therefore are you raised on high
and you have the name of names.
At that name should bend the knee
and tongue confess: Jesus Christ is LORD.
And tongue confess that Jesus Christ is LORD.
And tongue confess that Jesus Christ is LORD.
To the glory of God the Father
Listen
Matthew
10.17-42: Jesus said to his apostles
"Because you follow me and speak my message,
therefore you will be arrested and put in prison. But don't worry about what to say for your
defence.
What to say will be given you by the Holy Spirit. Boldly proclaim my message
and do not be afraid of persecution. Take up your cross and follow me.
Anyone who does not take up his cross and follow me
is not worthy of me."
Jesus, please give me more
courage
Listen
Reflection: Boldness these days in many places can be counter-productive if not wise. Christians need "wise boldness"!
---------------------------
Has been raining the past few days but forecast for today is
"cloudy and little chance of rain" ... so I'm hoping my trip to Hei
Ling Chau drug treatment centre can go ahead today without a weather problem!
-------------------------
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 one
part of the Mainland each day of the month:
On this 26th
of
the month, Jesus please bless the people 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, Wednesday,
please pacify Al-Shabaab
--------------------------------
-
Africa:
2020: My trip to Addis Ababa, Nairobi, Dar es Salaam, Johannesburg
Jan 1, 2020: How cocaine trafficking is impacting West Africa
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
2017-09-27: 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)
2017-05-17: 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, 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
http://hkdrugblog.org/name-and-shame/index.htm
----------------------
Photos
from my time in China 2001-20008
---------------------
---------------------
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
prisoners:
Sun:
Lo Wu
Mon: C.I.C., Siu Lam, Tai
Lam
Tue: Stanley
Wed: Hei Ling Chau
Thu: Lantau
Fri: Lai Chi Kok
Sat: Hospitals, Pik Uk & other centres
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This website was launched in construction
mode in Hong Kong on November 20, 2011 - the Feast of Christ
the King.
The official launching
was
held on the Gold Coast, Australia, on January 20,
2012.
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Thank you for checking this website each day. God bless all readers and bloggers!
Fr John Wotherspoon O.M.I. 胡
頌 恆 神 父
jdwomi@gmail.com
HK
mobile +852- 67095674
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