V2Catholic.comDr
Jesus Centre 187 Temple St Jordan
A voice for the poor
by HK prison chaplain
胡頌恆神父
Fr John Wotherspoon
O.M.I.
jdwomi@gmail.com
+852 67095674
Imitating
Pope Francis
Tues July 11
Ming
Pao report about work of MercyHK in Jordan .....especially
about our canteen in Temple Street due to open in next month or so.
England
fans turn to Bible and bottle to settle Ashes nerves
Laudato
Si:
141.
Economic growth, for its part, tends to produce predictable reactions and a
certain standardization with the aim of simplifying procedures and reducing
costs. This suggests the need for an "economic ecology" capable of
appealing to a broader vision of reality. The protection of the environment is
in fact "an integral part of the development process and cannot be
considered in isolation from it". We urgently need a humanism
capable of bringing together the different fields of knowledge, including
economics, in the service of a more integral and integrating vision. Today, the
analysis of environmental problems cannot be separated from the analysis of
human, family, work-related and urban contexts, nor from how
individuals relate to themselves, which leads in turn to how they relate to
others and to the environment. There is an interrelation between ecosystems
and between the various spheres of social interaction, demonstrating yet again
that "the whole is greater than the part".
Pope
asks we re-read documents of Vatican 2.
My
reflection on Article 23
of Church in the
World
---------------------------
The
Book Blog:
readings + recordings
Readings are from
Simple Bible
Joshua
23-24: As Joshua neared the end of his life,
he urged the Israelites to stay faithful to the Lord
while living with many foreign neighbours: "Continue to observe everything
written by Moses.
Do not mingle with the foreign peoples still among you.
Do not utter the names of their gods. Stay loyal to the Lord your God.
Love the Lord your God. If you stay faithful, the Lord will
bless you.
If you are unfaithful, everything will go wrong for you. Choose today whom you will serve:
the Lord our God, or false gods. As for me and my house,
we will serve the Lord."
Dear Lord, may Joshua's
dying words be true for me:
"As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord".
My
recording of this reading
Psalms
49-50: I will turn my mind to a parable,
with the harp I will solve a problem. The problem is: why do bad people prosper and
succeed? The answer: at the end of their lives bad
people will have to face death and judgement, just like everyone else. When we are rich, we often lack
wisdom.
Wealth blinds our minds and hearts. Let's not
forget God and his laws.
Let's try to be good and lead good lives
Lord, please help me understand
the meaning of life
Listen
Titus
3.1-7: Remind everyone
to be obedient to government officials; to be
ready to do good at every opportunity; not to go slandering other
people or picking quarrels; to be courteous and polite to everyone. There was
a time when we too were ignorant; when we lived in wickedness and ill-will,
hating each other and hateful ourselves. But then the kindness and love of God
our Saviour were revealed, and God saved us because of his compassion. God
saved us by the cleansing water of rebirth, and by renewing us with the Holy
Spirit whom he has poured over us through Jesus Christ our Saviour. So we are
justified by his grace, and look forward to eternal life
Jesus, Saviour of the world, you are our Saviour
Listen
Mark
1.14-20:
Jesus went to Galilee and proclaimed the Good
News from God.
"The time has come" he said "and the kingdom of God is
close at hand. Repent, and believe the Good News." As he was walking along by the sea of Galilee,
he saw two fishermen Simon and his brother Andrew. Jesus said to
them "Follow me and I will make you into fishers of men".
Simon and Andrew then followed Jesus.
Going a little further, Jesus saw two more fishermen James and his brother
John. He called them also to follow him. They left their nets and
boat and followed him.
Jesus, please bless all the
people who work full time as "fishers of men"
Listen
Reflection: Jesus did not recruit professional people or religious leaders etc ... but simple fishermen etc.
------------------------------
For today, 7/11 ... did
you know there are 78,029 7-Eleven
stores in the world ....including 2 within 1 minutes walk from the Dr Jesus
Centre
-------------------------------
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 11th
of
the month, Jesus please bless the people of Hunan
And praying for one of
the world's poorest
countries each day of the month:
On this 11th of the month, Jesus
please bless the people of Yemen
And praying for one
Islam-related intention each day of the week:
Jesus, today, Tuesday,
please pacify Boko
Haram
----------------------------
----------------------------
Mon July 10
Bishop
Stephen Chow to be cardinal .... and to
attend October Synod
Work
continues on MercyHK's canteen in Temple Street. Flooring is finished, now the
walls are being done. Food licence can't be applied for until all the
renovation is finished ... hopefully by end of this month. God bless all the
people who made it possible for the renovations to take place!
Laudato
Si:
140.
Due to the number and variety of factors to be taken into account when
determining the environmental impact of a concrete undertaking, it is
essential to give researchers their due role, to facilitate their interaction,
and to ensure broad academic freedom. Ongoing research should also give us a
better understanding of how different creatures relate to one another in
making up the larger units which today we term "ecosystems". We take
these systems into account not only to determine how best to use them, but
also because they have an intrinsic value independent of their usefulness.
Each organism, as a creature of God, is good and admirable in itself; the same
is true of the harmonious ensemble of organisms existing in a defined space
and functioning as a system. Although we are often not aware of it, we depend
on these larger systems for our own existence. We need only recall how
ecosystems interact in dispersing carbon dioxide, purifying water, controlling
illnesses and epidemics, forming soil, breaking down waste, and in many other
ways which we overlook or simply do not know about. Once they become conscious
of this, many people realize that we live and act on the basis of a reality
which has previously been given to us, which precedes our existence and our
abilities. So, when we speak of
"sustainable use", consideration must always be given to each
ecosystem's regenerative ability in its different areas and aspects.
Pope
asking we re-read documents of Vatican 2.
My reflection on Article 22
of Church in the
World
------------------------
The
Book Blog:
readings + recordings
Readings are from
Simple Bible
Joshua
22: The campaign to subdue
the whole land had taken a long time.
Joshua especially thanked the tribes from across the Jordan
for their help. These tribes - Reuben,
Gad and Manasseh - had been
given land on the Eastern side of the Jordan, but still helped in the campaign to control the
Western side.
Joshua said to them:
"Despite the fact that the campaign has lasted so long,
you have loyally helped your brothers. Keep
on loving the Lord your God, following his paths.
Be loyal to him and serve him with all your heart."
Dear
Lord, please help me to be loyal - to you, to my family and to my country
My
recording of this reading
Psalms
47-48: All peoples, clap your hands, cry to God with
shouts of joy.
For the Lord, our Creator, we must love and honor,
great king over all the earth. Especially in his holy city is the Lord worthy
to be praised.
Praise is fitting in Mount Sion, our earth's most sacred site. O God, as we pray in your temple,
our hearts meditate on your love. May peoples and rulers everywhere
acknowledge and love you as Creator of the Universe
Let all the peoples praise you, Lord. Let all the peoples praise you
Listen
Titus
2.11-14: God's grace has made salvation available for
the whole human race.
We must give up everything that does not lead to God. We must delete our worldly ambitions. We must
be self-restrained and live good lives here in this present world, while
we wait in hope for the blessings that will come with the Coming of the
glory of our God and savior Christ Jesus. He sacrificed himself for us in order to set
us free from wickedness, and to purify us so that we would have no
ambition except to do good
Jesus, please help me give up everything that
does not lead to you
Listen
Mark
1.9-13: About this time Jesus came from Nazareth in
Galilee
and was baptized by John in the river Jordan. As soon as Jesus came out of the
water, he saw
the sky open
and the Spirit, like a dove, coming down on him. Then a voice came from heaven
"You are my Son, the Beloved. My favor rests on you".
Straight after this the Spirit led Jesus into
the wilderness for 40 days.
During this time Jesus was tempted by Satan.
Holy Spirit, please increase
your influence in my life
Listen
Reflection: Today's psalms and Titus remind us that life comes from God and that the full meaning of life can only be known by acknowledging God
-------------------------
HK's weather these days is
hitting 33, but feels like 43!
--------------------
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 10th of
the month, Jesus please bless the people of Hubei
And
praying for one of the
world's poorest countries each day of the month:
On this 10th
of the month, Jesus please bless the people of Eritrea
And praying for one Islam-related intention
each day of the week:
Jesus, today, Monday,
please pacify I.S.
-----------------------
----------------------
Sun July 9
62
year old Danish woman arrested 2 days ago at HK airport with drugs from Addis
Ababa (the 2nd Danish woman in the past two
months)
Oblate
priest kidnapped and beaten in Nigeria
Laudato
Si:
139.
When we speak of the "environment", what we really mean is a
relationship existing between nature and the society which lives in it. Nature
cannot be regarded as something separate from ourselves or as a mere setting
in which we live. We are part of nature, included in it and thus in constant
interaction with it. Recognizing the
reasons why a given area is polluted requires a study of the workings of
society, its economy, its behaviour patterns, and the ways it grasps reality.
Given the scale of change, it is no longer possible to find a specific,
discrete answer for each part of the problem. It is essential to seek
comprehensive solutions which consider the interactions within natural systems
themselves and with social systems. We are faced not with two separate crises,
one environmental and the other social, but rather with one complex crisis
which is both social and environmental. Strategies for a solution demand an
integrated approach to combating poverty, restoring dignity to the excluded,
and at the same time protecting nature.
Pope
asking we re-read documents of Vatican 2.
My
reflection on Article 21
of Church in the
World
------------------------------
The
Book Blog:
readings + recordings
Readings are from
Simple Bible
c.f. readings for Sunday 14
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
01
Romans
8.9-13: You
are on God's team. God the Father is the manager. Jesus is the captain. The
Holy Spirit is the coach, a coach living in your heart. If the Spirit of him
who raised Jesus from the dead, is living in you, then he who raised Jesus
from the dead will help you live a risen life. By
the grace of the Holy Spirit you can stop doing bad things
Holy Spirit of Jesus, Holy Spirit of the Father, fall afresh on me!
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 on the above readings: Jesus had a humble heart. This must also be the aim of every Christian. A proud Christian is a contradiction in terms
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
-------------------------------
Easy
win yesterday for Brisbane Lions
------------------------------
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 9th
of the month, Jesus please bless the people of Henan
And praying for one of the
world's poorest countries each day of the month:
On this 9th of the month, Jesus
please bless the people of Eritrea
And praying for one Islam-related
intention each day of the week:
Jesus, today, Sunday,
please bless all Muslims in my country
-----------------------
----------------------
Sat July 8
Eddie Chan and Lucia Leung yesterday morning represented
MercyHK at a meeting of the "Homeless Alliance" - a group of NGOs
which help needy people - with two government legislators at government LegCo
headquarters in Wanchai
Laudato
Si:
138.
Ecology studies the relationship between living organisms and the environment
in which they develop. This necessarily entails reflection and debate about
the conditions required for the life and survival of society, and the honesty
needed to question certain models of development, production and consumption. It
cannot be emphasized enough how everything is interconnected. Time and
space are not independent of one another, and not even atoms or subatomic
particles can be considered in isolation. Just as the different aspects of the
planet - physical, chemical and biological - are interrelated, so too living
species are part of a network which we will never fully explore and
understand. A good part of our genetic code is shared by many living beings.
It follows that the fragmentation of knowledge and the isolation of bits of
information can actually become a form of ignorance, unless they are
integrated into a broader vision of reality.
Pope
asking we re-read documents of Vatican 2.
My reflection on Article 20
of Church in the
World
---------------------------
The
Book Blog:
readings + recordings
Readings are from
Simple Bible
Joshua
11-21: Some kings in the
north combined to fight the Israelites.
But the Lord delivered them into the power of Israel. Eventually the whole
country had rest from war,
and the land was divided up among the 11 tribes. So it was that the Lord
gave the Israelites all the land
he had sworn to give their ancestors.
They took possession of it and settled there.
The Lord granted them peace on all their frontiers
just as he had sworn to their ancestors. Of all the promises
that the Lord had made to the House of Israel,
not one failed. All were fulfilled.
Dear Lord, please
give peace to nations troubled by war
My
recording of this reading
Psalm
46: God is for us a refuge and strength,
in time of distress he is a helper close at hand. Therefore we shall not fear even though the
earth should rock,
even though the mountains fall into the sea. The Lord of hosts is with us.
The God of Jacob is our stronghold. Come and consider the works of the Lord
and always remember his words: "Be still and know that I am God".
Lord, help us to be more aware
of your presence,
especially when we are in trouble
Listen
Titus
2.1-10: It's your job to preach the behavior that
goes with sound doctrine: the older men should be reserved, dignified,
moderate, sound in faith and love. The older women should be teachers of good
behavior, avoiding scandal mongering and too much wine. They should be an
example to the younger women in their love for their husbands and children.
Younger men should be moderate, with yourself
setting an example of sincerity for them. Slaves should be obedient to their masters,
and avoid petty thieving
Jesus, help me be a good person, a good
Christian
Listen
Mark
1.1-8: This is the
story of the Good News about Jesus Christ,
the Son of God. Long ago God
said through the prophet Isaiah
"I am going to send my messenger before you. He will prepare your
way. A voice cries out in the wilderness: prepare a way for the
Lord". And so it was
that John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness,
proclaiming a baptism for the forgiveness of sins. As the people
were baptized by John in the river Jordan,
they confessed their sins. John wore a
garment of camel skin.
Locusts and wild honey were his food.He said to the
people "Someone is coming who is more important than I am. I am not
worthy to kneel down and undo his sandal straps.
I baptize you with water. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit".
Jesus,
please help us prepare a way for you like John the Baptist
Listen
Reflection: Titus 2 Ministry
------------
In Shanghai Street, not far from the Dr Jesus Centre, a
group of former prisoners are running a take-away food shop. Yesterday their
customers included a couple of policemen who enjoy the store's food!
------------------------------
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 8th
of the month, Jesus please bless the people of Heilongjiang
And praying for one of the
world's poorest countries each day of the
month:
On this 8th
of the month, Jesus please bless the people of Sierra
Leone
And
praying for one Islam-related intention
each day of the week:
Jesus, today, Saturday,
please pacify the
Taliban
------------------------
------------------------
Fri July 7
I spent a couple of hours yesterday at Lai Chi Kok men's
prison, mainly to help a 77 year old man from overseas to prepare his bail
application. Another victim of an on-line scam ... tricked to bring drugs to
HK from Sao Paulo. And speaking of scams, last night I received an email from
someone claiming to be an O.M.I. in Canada ....real name, real phone number,
real address ... but false email alerted me to the scam. Someone has said
there is a special place in Hell for on-line scammers, especially scammers who
deceive elderly people.
Laudato
Si:
137.
Since everything is closely interrelated, and today's problems call for a
vision capable of taking into account every aspect of the global crisis, I
suggest that we now consider some elements of an integral
ecology, one which clearly respects its human and social
dimensions.
Pope
asking we re-read documents of Vatican 2.
My reflection on Article 19
of Church in the
World
-------------------
The
Book Blog:
readings + recordings
Readings are from
Simple Bible
Joshua 10: Five kings in the
southern part of the land made war on Gibeon.
The Gibeonites appealed to Joshua for help.
Joshua and his soldiers marched through the night
and caught the armies of the 5 kings by surprise
and defeated them.
The Israelite army also attacked other southern towns
and captured them. Joshua and his army
were victorious in the south
because the Lord supported and helped them
Dear
God, please help me in the battles of life
My
recording of this reading
Psalms
42-45: Like a deer that longs for running streams,
so my soul is longing for you, my God. My soul is thirsting for you, the God of my
life.
I think of you all the time, here in my land of exile. People make fun of us here in exile.
They taunt us saying "Where is your God?" Yet no matter what happens we will hope in you,
for you are our saviour and our God. No
matter where we are or what happens to us,
our hearts will long for you, like a bride longing for her groom.
Lord, no matter what happens,
may I always hope in you
Listen
Titus
1.1-9:
From Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to
Titus, true child of mine in the faith we share, wishing you grace and
peace from God the Father and from Christ Jesus our Saviour. The reason I left you behind in Crete was for
you to appoint elders in every
town: each of them a man of irreproachable
character, married only once, not arrogant
or hot-tempered, not a heavy drinker, not out to make money. A man who is hospitable and a friend of all
that is good; sensible, devout, with a firm grasp of the Good News, a good
teacher, able to refute people who argue against sound doctrine
Jesus, please help all pastors be good
"elders"
Listen
Matthew
28.16-20: The 11 apostles went to Galilee,
to the mountain where Jesus had arranged to meet them. When they saw him they fell down
before him in worship.
Jesus said to them
"All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations. Baptize them in the
name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Teach them to understand and live according to my words.
And know that I am with you always, yes, to the end of time".
Jesus, "God-with-us",
please help us live our lives according to your teaching .... and thank you, Matthew, for this beautiful Gospel Report
Listen
Reflection:
When the
first reading says the Lord supported Joshua's army, I can't help thinking
that is "support"
from a human point of view. I can't help thinking God would not really be
happy to support some of His children killing other children of His .... just
like human parents would be most distressed to see their children killing each
other.
-------------------------
Man mowing grass accidentally cut off tail of his cat. So
he took cat to Walmart (.... retailer!)
-------------------------
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 7th
of the month, Jesus please bless the people of Hebei
And praying for one of the
world's poorest countries each day of the
month:
On this 7th of the month, Jesus please bless the
people of Burkina Faso
And praying for one Islam-related
intention each day of the week:
Jesus, today, Friday,
please bless all Muslims
----------------------------
----------------------------
Thu July 6
I spent yesterday morning preparing a bail application for an elderly woman tricked to bring drugs to HK from Addis Ababa in Ethiopia. In the afternoon I joined the weekly gathering for local drug addicts at MercyHK's Nathan Road centre. In the evening I joined the weekly gathering for Nepal drug addicts at the Dr Jesus Centre. This afternoon I'm hoping to visit a prison to help an elderly man prepare a bail application.
Last
Monday was world's hottest day on record
Laudato
Si:
136.
On the other hand, it is troubling that, when some ecological movements defend
the integrity of the environment, rightly demanding that certain limits be
imposed on scientific research, they sometimes fail to apply those same
principles to human life. There is a
tendency to justify transgressing all boundaries when experimentation is
carried out on living human embryos. We forget that the inalienable
worth of a human being transcends his or her degree of development. In the
same way, when technology disregards the great ethical principles, it ends up
considering any practice whatsoever as licit. As we have seen in this chapter,
a technology severed from ethics will not easily be able to limit its own
power.
Pope
asking we re-read documents of Vatican 2.
My reflection on Article 18
of Church in the
World
-------------------------
The Book Blog:
readings + recordings
Readings are from
Simple Bible
Joshua 9:
After hearing that the
Israelites had captured Jericho and Ai,
other peoples of the region formed an alliance to fight against the Israelites.
But the people of Gibeon used another strategy:
they tricked the Israelites into thinking
they were not locals but had come from far away. So the
Israelites made
a treaty with them. When the Israelites
realized they had been tricked,
they kept their side of the bargain and did not attack Gibeon. Instead the Gibeonites
became wood-cutters and water-carriers
in the service of the Israelites.
Dear
Lord, please help nations to make treaties instead of war
My
recording of this reading
Psalm
41: Blessed the person who helps the poor and the
weak.
He himself will be helped by the Lord when he is sick and in trouble. The Lord will help him on his bed of pain.
The Lord will bring him back from sickness to health.
Lord, please help me to do more
for the poor
Listen
2
Timothy 4.6-8: As for me, my life of service to the Lord is
nearly over.
I have fought the good fight to the end.
I have run the race to the finish. I have kept the faith. The Lord will soon give me the best of all
prizes: eternal life in heaven. He will give it not only to me, but to
everyone who has loved him sincerely in this life
Jesus, help me keep running to
the finish line
Listen
Matthew
28.1-15: Jesus died on Friday afternoon.
Early on Sunday morning, two women went to Jesus' tomb. Suddenly there was a violent
earthquake, and an angel from heaven
came and rolled away the big stone at the tomb's entrance.
The guards at the tomb were terrified of the angel. The angel said to the women
"Do not be afraid. I know you are looking for Jesus who was
crucified. He is not here. He has risen from the
dead. Go and tell his
disciples he has risen from the dead and will see them in Galilee". The women were filled with joy
and ran to tell this news to the disciples.
As they left the tomb area, Jesus himself appeared to them and said "Do not be afraid. Go and tell the disciples they
must go to Galilee. They will see me there".
Lord Jesus, by your Cross and Resurrection you
have set us free.
You are the Savior of the world.
Listen
Reflection: Jesus' resurrection is totally relevant to every human creature .... see beautiful words of Vatican 2 in Article 18, above
---------
I can't believe we are already in July? How come this year has gone so
quickly?!
--------------------
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 6th 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 6th
of the month, Jesus please bless the people of Mali
And praying for one Islam-related
intention each day of the
week:
Jesus, today, Thursday, please pacify Al-Qaeda
----------------------------
Wed July 5
Yesterday I was at Tai Lam women's prison from 9am to 5.30pm
....sad to meet several new overseas drug mules. And I spent an hour with an
elderly lady from overseas, preparing a bail application for her (she was
tricked on line to bring drugs to HK from Addis Ababa in Ethiopia)
Laudato
Si:
135.
Certainly, these issues require constant attention and a concern for their
ethical implications. A broad, responsible scientific and social debate needs
to take place, one capable of considering all the available information and of
calling things by their name. It sometimes happens that complete information
is not put on the table; a selection is made on the basis of particular
interests, be they politico-economic or ideological. This makes it difficult
to reach a balanced and prudent judgement on different questions, one which
takes into account all the pertinent variables. Discussions are needed in
which all those directly or indirectly affected (farmers, consumers, civil
authorities, scientists, seed producers, people living near fumigated fields,
and others) can make known their problems and concerns, and have access to
adequate and reliable information in order to make decisions for the common
good, present and future. This (GM) is
a complex environmental issue; it calls for a comprehensive approach
which would require, at the very least, greater efforts to finance various
lines of independent, interdisciplinary research capable of shedding new light
on the problem.
Pope
asking we re-read documents of Vatican 2.
My
reflection on Article 17
of Church
in World
------------------------------
The
Book Blog:
readings + recordings
Readings are from
Simple Bible
Joshua 8:
Once again the
Israelites attacked the town of Ai,
this time with a special strategy: 5,000 men
went by night to the back of the town and hid themselves in the nearby hills.
In the morning Joshua and the rest of the people
marched towards the front of Ai. When the
king of Ai saw them coming, he led his people out for battle. In chasing
the Israelites,
the king of Ai left his town undefended. Then the
5,000 Israelites attacked
Ai from the rear and set it on fire.
When the men of Ai looked back and saw their town on fire,
they realized they were caught in a trap. The
Israelites easily won the battle
and captured Ai.
Dear Lord, please
give leaders the courage of Joshua
My
recording of this reading
Psalm 40: I waited, I waited for the Lord and he
stooped down to me.
He heard my cry. He saved me from distress.
He put fresh hope into my heart. How many, O Lord my God, are the times you
have helped me.
They are too many for me to describe. My God, in the depth of my heart I delight in
your law.
You do not want external offerings.
You want my heart.
Lord, I offer you my heart, my
love. You deserve all my love
Listen
2
Timothy 4.1-5: In the presence of God our Father and of
Christ Jesus, I give you this command: proclaim the Good News and, welcome
or unwelcome, insist on it. Refute falsehood, correct error, call to
obedience
- but do this with patience. Be prepared to face people who jettison sound
teaching in favor of the latest novelty. Instead of listing to the truth,
they will turn to myths. Make the spreading of the Good News your
life's work
Jesus, please protect me from junk ideas and
misleading teachers
Listen
Matthew
27.57-66: Joseph from Arimathaea was a rich man who had
become a disciple of Jesus. After Jesus died on Friday, he asked Governor Pilate for
Jesus' body. Joseph wrapped the body in a clean
burial cloth and put it in his own new tomb in a rock cave. He then put a
large stone at the cave's entrance. The next day, Saturday,
the religious
leaders went to Pilate and said
"This imposter said he would rise from the dead after 3
days.
Therefore you should secure the tomb in case his disciples steal the body
and say he has risen from the dead".
Pilate gave them a guard and told them to secure the tomb.
The guards took up their position at the tomb
and seals were put on the entrance stone.
Jesus in the tomb, please give
eternal life to all who have died
Listen
Reflection: They put a funeral cloth on the man who had a reputation for "spoiling" funerals .... and he was about to "spoil" his own funeral!
---------------------------
Dare I say it? .... women in the workshops of women's
prisons work much harder than men in the workshops of men's priosns!
-------------------------
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 5th
of
the month, Jesus please bless the people of Guizhou
And praying for one of
the world's poorest
countries each day of the month:
On this 5th
of the month, Jesus please bless the people of South
Sudan
And praying for one
Islam-related intention each day of the week:
Jesus, today, Wednesday,
please pacify Al-Shabaab
--------------------------------
-------------------------------
Tues July 4
Apart from a media interview and walkabout in the afternoon, I spent most of the day at the desk on prison jobs. Today I hope to visit a prison ... and please God help one more elderly person apply for bail (after being tricked on line to bring drugs to HK).
Report in Kung
Kao Po re MercyHK's canteen project in Temple Street
Laudato
Si:
134.
Although no conclusive proof exists that GM cereals may be harmful to human
beings, and in some regions their use has brought about economic growth which
has helped to resolve problems, there remain a number of significant
difficulties which should not be underestimated. In many places, following the
introduction of these crops, productive land is concentrated in the hands of a
few owners due to "the progressive disappearance of small producers, who,
as a consequence of the loss of the exploited lands, are obliged to withdraw
from direct production". The most vulnerable of these become
temporary labourers, and many rural
workers end up moving to poverty-stricken urban areas. The expansion of
these crops has the effect of destroying the complex network of ecosystems,
diminishing the diversity of production and affecting regional economies, now
and in the future. In various countries, we see an
expansion of oligopolies for the production of cereals and other products
needed for their cultivation. This dependency would be aggravated were
the production of infertile seeds to be considered; the effect would be to
force farmers to purchase them from larger producers.
Pope
asks we re-read documents of Vatican 2.
My
reflection on Article 16
of Church in the
World
---------------------------
The
Book Blog:
readings + recordings
Readings are from
Simple Bible
Joshua
7: The Lord had told the
Israelites not to keep anything for themselves
when they captured Jericho. But one man disobeyed
the Lord
and secretly kept some of the spoils. As a result of that
man's disobedience,
the Israelites were defeated in battle when they attacked the town of
Ai. The disobedient
man's identity was found by drawing of the lot: of the 12 tribes, one was chosen, the tribe of
Judah; of the tribe of Judah, one clan was chosen, that of Zerah; of the families of
Zerah, one was chosen, that of Zabdi; of the men of Zabdi, one was chosen,
Achan. Achan admitted his
guilt.
He and his whole family were then stoned to death
and a great cairn built over them.
All of Achan's possessions were burnt.
Dear
Lord, please don't let me disobey you
My
recording of this reading
Psalms
38-39: O Lord, please forgive my sins and heal
me.
Heal my body which is sick because of my sins. Protect me, Lord, from those who gloat over me
now that I am brought low and unable to help myself. Lord, you have shown me how short a time I
have on earth.
Lord, give me wisdom of heart to live my life better.
Lord, help us understand the
meaning of life
Listen
2
Timothy 3.12-16: Anyone who tries to live a sincere Christian
life will be persecuted. Stay faithful to what you have been taught and
know to be true.
Remember who your teachers were, and how, ever since you were a child, you
have known the Scriptures. From the Scriptures you can learn the wisdom
that leads to salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by God and can be
used for teaching, for refuting error, for guiding people's lives and
teaching them to be holy
Jesus, please give all Christians, especially
pastors,
a passion for the Scriptures
Listen
Matthew
27.45-54: Jesus was put on the cross about
9am.
From about noon until 3pm there was darkness over all the land. About 3pm Jesus cried out the words of
Psalm 22:
"My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" A little while later he again
cried out in a loud voice.
Then he died. At that moment the holy curtain
in the Temple was torn in two from top to bottom, and there was a violent
earthquake. The Roman soldiers were
terrified. Their leader called out "Truly this was a son of God".
Jesus, thank you for dying on the cross for the
salvation of the world
Listen
Reflection: Sometimes we read reports of how someone died to save someone else .... like some years ago when a father pushed his son to safety while crossing a road in Sham Shui Po when a drunken truck driver went through a red light ... the boy was injured, the father died. How grateful that boy must be every day of his life for what his father did. How grateful we must be every day of our lives to Jesus for dying for us.
------------------------------
War
between England and Australia?
-------------------------------
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 4th
of
the month, Jesus please bless the people of Guangdong
And praying for one of
the world's poorest
countries each day of the month:
On this 4th of the month, Jesus please
bless the people of Burundi
And praying for one
Islam-related intention each day of the week:
Jesus, today, Tuesday,
please pacify Boko
Haram
----------------------------
------
----------------------
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
|
On revolving map: Left click bottom right silver button Left click country Left click state/province ....till you find your city/town ! |
|
Left click this table of flags for details of hits on this main page
|
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.
Note: counter on this page + Map & Flag Counter record visits only to this
main/index page.
Visits to other pages and to Facebook page are not
recorded.
This site's 2017
statistics.
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
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++