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 Sep 26
Yesterday from 9am to 5pm I was one of about two hundred priests, deacons, sisters and social workers who attended an in-service program at the Diocesan Centre on the theme of Protection of Minors and Vulnerable Persons.
On my return to Jordan I had a meal at MercyHK's canteen in Temple Street ....where one of several visitors was a dear Sister of Mercy from Brisbane! I say "dear" because my first four years of school were at Guardian Angel's Primary School in Brisbane run by the Sisters of Mercy
---------------------------
The
Book Blog:
readings + recordings
Readings are from
Simple Bible
1
Kings 18: In the 3rd year of drought,
the Lord sent Elijah to speak to Ahab. Elijah got Ahab to gather all the
people and all the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel. Elijah challenged the prophets of
Baal
to produce fire to consume a sacrificed bull. Elijah mocked the false prophets
as they ranted and raved
and cut themselves, but produced no fire for their bull. Then Elijah got the people to
pour water on his bull
and he prayed to God to hear his prayer. A
fire from heaven then consumed the bull
and the people acknowledged the Lord as God. Elijah then told Ahab there would
soon be rain,
and the sky grew dark and produced torrents of rain.
Dear God, please help people not to follow false
gods
My
recording of this reading
Psalm
134: O come, bless the Lord,
all you who serve the Lord, who stand in the house of the Lord,
in the courts of the house of our God. Lift up your hands to heaven
and bless the Lord through the night. May the Lord bless you from Zion,
he who made both heaven and earth.
Lord, please protect my
family tonight and every night
Listen
Revelation
3.7-9:
He gave me this message for the church in
Philadelphia: "I am opening a new door of opportunity
for you
to spread the Good News. I will move people to accept the Good News
from you.
I will keep you safe in time of trial".
Jesus, please give me more opportunities to spread
the Good News
Listen
Mark
16.9-20:
After he rose from the dead, Jesus appeared
first to Mary of Magdala, from whom he had cast out 7 devils. Next
he appeared to two of his disciples while they were on a journey. Then he appeared to the 11 apostles. He said
to them "Go everywhere in the world. Proclaim the Good News to all
creation.
Anyone who believes and is baptized, will be saved.
Anyone who refuses to believe, will be condemned.
These are the signs that will be associated with believers:
- in my name they will cast out devils, they will have the gift of tongues,
they will pick up snakes in their hands, they will be unharmed if they drink poison,
they will lay their hands on the sick, who will be healed". And so, the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to
them, was taken up to heaven, while they, going out, preached everywhere,
the Lord working with them and confirming their message by the miracles that
accompanied the message
Lord Jesus, may more and more
people all over the world believe in you
Listen
Reflection: A sign from Heaven (fire) confirmed that Elijah was a true prophet. Miracles of healing confirm the Christian Message
Laudato
Si:
210. Environmental
education has broadened its goals.
Whereas in the beginning it was mainly centred on scientific information,
consciousness-raising and the prevention of environmental risks, it tends now
to include a critique of the "myths" of a modernity grounded in a
utilitarian mindset (individualism, unlimited progress, competition,
consumerism, the unregulated market). It seeks also to restore the various
levels of ecological equilibrium, establishing harmony within ourselves, with
others, with nature and other living creatures, and with God. Environmental
education should facilitate making the leap towards the transcendent which
gives ecological ethics its deepest meaning. It needs educators capable of
developing an ethics of ecology, and helping people, through effective
pedagogy, to grow in solidarity, responsibility and compassionate care.
------------------------------
Lovely New Zealand apples are on sale at my local market
for only HK$10 for five!
-------------------------------
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 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, Tuesday,
please pacify Boko
Haram
----------------------------
----------------------------
Mon Sep 25
Today I'm due to attend an all-day in-service program for priests working in HK. Tomorrow I'm due to attend a bail follow-up hearing in the morning at West Kowloon Court, then take part in a media interview (to promote MercyHK's recently opened canteen) in the afternoon. On Wed another media interview in the morning and one in the afternoon. Thursday all day in a prison. Frid morning another bail follow-up hearing at WKC, followed by a media interview in the afternoon. A busy week .... sure looking forward to hike on Oct 2 pls God!
On
Monday Oct 2, a public holiday, I hope to go to Big Wave Bay near Sai Kung.
Confirmation of this trip will depend on the weather and other factors, but
tentative plan is to take 8.30am ferry from Ma
Liu Shui pier (near University MTR station) ... to Wong
Shek Pier (a trip of about 2 hours) ... then hike for
about 90 mins to Big Wave Bay .....for swim and lunch ...then speed boat to
Sai Kung. Photos of previous
hike to Big Wave Bay. HK readers most welcome to come and bring friends
(who can walk for about 2 hours!)!
------------------------
The
Book Blog:
readings + recordings
Readings are from
Simple Bible
1
Kings 17: When Ahab was king of Israel, in
the 9th century B.C.,
Elijah was a prophet of the Lord. Elijah told Ahab there would be
no rain for a long time
because the people were following the cult of Baal. Elijah did miracles in the name
of the Lord:
he blessed a poor widow's food to make it increase, and he brought back to life a young boy who had died.
Dear God, please bless our prayers as you blessed the prayers of Elijah
My
recording of this reading
Psalm
133: How good and how pleasant it is
when people live in unity. It is like precious oil upon the head,
running down upon the beard. It is like the dew of Hermon
which falls on the heights of Zion. For there the Lord gives his blessing,
life for ever.
Dear Lord, please help all the
peoples of the world to live as one family, in unity
Listen
Revelation
3.1-3: He gave me this message for the church
in Sardis: "I know all about you. You are a shining
red apple on the outside,
but inside you are rotten. Wake up, revive your faith and love.
Remember the eagerness you showed
when you first heard the Good News. Listen to this message and repent"
Jesus, don't ever let me become a rotten
apple
Listen
Mark
16.1-8: Jesus died on Friday afternoon.
Early on Sunday morning, Mary of
Magdala and two other women went to
Jesus' tomb to anoint his body with spices.
They had been wondering how they would roll away the large stone,
but when they arrived, the stone had already been rolled away. When they went into the tomb, they saw a young
man in a white robe and they were full of awe. But he said to them
"Do not be afraid. You are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is
not here. He has risen from the
dead. Go and tell his disciples he
will see them in Galilee"
Jesus,
when life seems
hopeless, like a dead body in a tomb, please
help us remember how you rose from the dead....and you can help us
"rise" from any "hopeless" situation
Listen
Reflection: Elijah (first reading) brought a dead boy back to life. Jesus defeated Death for everyone
Laudato
Si:
209. An awareness of the gravity of today's
cultural and ecological crisis must be translated into new habits. Many people
know that our current progress and the mere amassing of things and pleasures
are not enough to give meaning and joy to the human heart, yet they feel
unable to give up what the market sets before them. In those countries which
should be making the greatest changes in consumer habits, young
people have a new ecological sensitivity and a generous spirit, and some of
them are making admirable efforts to protect the environment.
At the same time, they have grown up in a milieu of extreme consumerism and
affluence which makes it difficult to develop other habits. We are faced with
an educational challenge.
-------------------------
Re
busy week: I forgot to mention ... Football Grand Final in Melbourne on
Saturday afternoon!
--------------------
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 25th of
the month, Jesus please bless the people 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, Monday,
please pacify I.S.
-----------------------
----------------------
Sun Sep 24
Sunday
Examiner report about opening of MercyHK canteen *** Video
report by school students about work of MercyHK
Pope
visits Marseille, the city of St Eugene ***
RTHK
report
200kg
of cocaine seized in Melbourne
Laudato
Si:
208.
We are always capable of going out of ourselves towards the other. Unless we
do this, other creatures will not be recognized for their true worth; we are
unconcerned about caring for things for the sake of others; we fail to set
limits on ourselves in order to avoid the suffering of others or the
deterioration of our surroundings. Disinterested
concern for others, and the rejection of every form of self-centeredness and
self-absorption, are essential if we truly wish to care for our brothers and
sisters and for the natural environment. These attitudes also attune us
to the moral imperative of assessing the impact of our every action and
personal decision on the world around us. If we can overcome individualism, we
will truly be able to develop a different lifestyle and bring about
significant changes in society.
------------------------------
The
Book Blog:
readings + recordings
Readings are from
Simple Bible
c.f. readings for Sunday 25
Isaiah
54-55: Though the mountains
may fall and the hills turn to dust, the love of the Lord will never cease. O
come to the water, all you are thirsty, though you have no money, come. Why
spend your money on what is useless, your wages on what fails to satisfy? Seek
the Lord while he is to be found. Call to him while he is near.
Lord, please help us give more time to things that are important ....and
less time to things that are not so important
My
recording of this reading
Psalm
145: I will give you glory, O God my
king. I will bless your name day after day. The Lord is great, worthy of all
praise. His greatness cannot be measured. Age to age shall proclaim your
works, shall speak of your splendor and glory. The Lord is kind and full of
compassion, slow to anger, abounding in love. How good is the Lord to all,
compassionate to all his creatures. All your creatures shall thank you, O
Lord, and tell all the world of your love. The Lord is faithful in all his
words and loving in all his deeds. The Lord supports all who fall and raises
all who are bowed down. The eyes of all creatures look to you and you give
them their food each day. The
Lord is close to all who call him, who call on him from their hearts.
Let the whole world bless the Lord's holy name, for ever, for ages unending.
Thank you, Lord, for your love. Thank you for your love
Listen
Philippians
1.13-25: My chains have
become famous and have given courage to many other believers. Many others are
now becoming more daring in announcing the Message without fear. I hope and
trust that I will always have courage for Christ to be glorified in my body,
whether by my life or by my death. My
heart wants to go two ways. One part wants to depart this world
and live for ever with Christ in heaven. The other part wants to stay in this
world to help more people to know the Lord.
Jesus, give me courage in spreading the Good News
Listen
Matthew
20.1-16: Jesus said to his
disciples: The kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out at dawn to
hire workers for his vineyard. He agreed to pay them the normal daily wage.
Then about 9am he went again to the market place. He saw more men without a
job. He got them also to go to his vineyard. He promised to pay them a
fair wage. About noon and again about 3pm he once more went to the market
place and employed two more groups of men. About 5pm he went one final time
and employed one last group of men. At sunset when the men came to be paid,
the owner paid everyone a normal day's wage. This made the dawn group unhappy.
They grumbled and said "We have done a full day's work in the heat. Yet
we got the same as those who did only one hour's work. This is not fair!"
The owner replied "I am paying you what we agreed to. Why
do you begrudge my generosity?"
Jesus, please help me not to be jealous of your
gifts to others
Listen
Reflection on the above readings:
Some people "enter the kingdom" by water baptism or "baptism of desire" from their earliest childhood days. Others when they are teenagers, others when adults, others in old age. It's never too early ...or too late...to become friends with God. As long as we are alive in this world, God tries to establish/protect/restore/improve our friendship/love for him.
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
-------------------------------
Lions
defeat Carlton .... Grand Final next week against Collingwood
------------------------------
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 24th
of the month, Jesus please bless the people of Inner
Mongolia
And praying for one of the
world's poorest countries each day of the month:
On this 24th of the month, Jesus
please bless the people of Djibouti
And praying for one Islam-related
intention each day of the week:
Jesus, today, Sunday,
please bless all Muslims in my country
-----------------------
----------------------
Sat Sep 23
Yesterday I was at Lai Chi Kok men's prison from 10am to 5pm
... sadly meeting more cases of people recruited/tricked to bring drugs to HK
from other countries. When I got back to Temple Street I was pleased to hear
that a number of priests and sisters and people from various parishes had been
to the MercyHK canteen for a meal during the day .... and when I had an
evening meal at the canteen I was able to welcome more visitors, including a
group of nurses from nearby Queen Elizabeth Hospital.
This
article on US prisons supports the view I often express locally and
overseas that HK prisons are among the best and safest and most caring in the
world!
---------------------------
The
Book Blog:
readings + recordings
Readings are from
Simple Bible
1
Kings 12-16:
After Solomon died, his son Rehoboam became
king.
The people asked Rehoboam not to be harsh like Solomon.
Solomon had imposed heavy taxes, enforced labor etc. Rehoboam asked the elders for
advice.
They said "Treat the people kindly and they will serve you." Rehoboam asked his peers for
advice.
They said "Treat the people more harshly than your father." Rehoboam accepted the advice of
his peers.
Therefore the people of Israel rejected him as king.
Only the people of Judah accepted him. The people of Israel made
Jeroboam king.
He had previously led an unsuccessful revolt against Solomon. Rehoboam and Jeroboam died and
were succeeded by various kings who ruled over Judah and Israel.
Dear God, please help leaders be kind to their
people
My
recording of this reading
Psalm
130: Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord. Lord, hear my voice.
If you, O Lord, should
record our guilt,
Lord, who would survive? But with you is found
forgiveness.
For this we revere you. My soul is waiting for the Lord.
I count on his word. My soul is longing for the Lord
more than watchman for the daybreak. With the Lord there is mercy
and fullness of redemption. Israel indeed he will redeem
from all its iniquity.
Lord, please forgive me for all
the bad things I have done
Listen
Revelation
2.18-22: He gave me this message for the church in
Thyatira: "I know how charitable you are.
I see your faith and devotion, and your courage in suffering. But some of you are being misled by a false
teacher.
You are imitating her bad behavior. Listen to this message and repent"
Jesus, please don't let me imitate bad
behavior
Listen
Mark
15.42-47: 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 a tomb in a rock cave. He then put a large
stone at the cave's entrance. Mary of Magdala and another woman watched Joseph as he put Jesus' body in the tomb.
Jesus in the tomb, please give
eternal life to everyone who dies today
Listen
Reflection: Dead body in tomb ... a hopeless situation ... but "hopeless" not in God's vocabulary!
--------------
Laudato
Si:
207.
The
Earth Charter asked us to leave behind a period of self-destruction and make a
new start, but we have not as yet developed a universal awareness
needed to achieve this. Here, I would echo that courageous challenge: "As
never before in history, common destiny beckons us to seek a new beginning
.… Let ours be a time remembered for the awakening of a new reverence for
life, the firm resolve to achieve sustainability, the quickening of the
struggle for justice and peace, and the joyful celebration of life"
------------
At Lai Chi Kok men's prison yesterday the welfare staff
said they looked forward to visiting MercyHK's canteen in Temple Street ....
happy to know that some of their former guests were working at the
canteen!
------------------------------
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 23rd
of the month, Jesus please bless the people of Guangxi
And praying for one of the
world's poorest countries each day of the
month:
On this 23rd
of the month, Jesus please bless the people of Togo
And
praying for one Islam-related intention
each day of the week:
Jesus, today, Saturday,
please pacify the
Taliban
------------------------
------------------------
Fri Sep 22
Yesterday many more customers came to MercyHK's canteen on Day 4 of its opening ... to the point that many of our items were sold out. Last night three Caritas social workers brought a dozen volunteers to the Dr Jesus Centre for a sharing session. Today I'm hoping to visit a prison ...before getting home in time for a most important football match in Melbourne!
-------------------
The
Book Blog:
readings + recordings
Readings are from
Simple Bible
1 Kings 11:
Solomon had 700 wives and 300 concubines.
Many of these women were foreigners. As Solomon grew old, his foreign
women
swayed his heart to allow the worship of foreign idols. This displeased the Lord
and led to the breakup of Solomon's kingdom. Solomon was king for 40 years and
then died.
Dear God, please protect leaders from corruption
My
recording of this reading
Psalm
128: O blessed are those who love the Lord and
walk in his ways. By the labor of your hands you shall eat.
You will be happy and prosper: your wife like a fruitful vine in the heart of
your house;
your children like shoots of the olive, around your table. Indeed thus shall be blessed
the people who love and honor the Lord. May the Lord bless you from Zion all the days
of your life.
May you see your children's children in a happy Jerusalem!
On Israel, peace!
Dear Lord, may all married
people live to see their children's children
Listen
Revelation
2.12-16:
He gave me this message for the church in
Pergamum: "I know you live in a place where idol
worship is strong.
I know you have stayed faithful, even after one of you was killed. But some of you have compromised yourselves by
eating food sacrificed to idols. And some of you have followed false
teachers. Listen to this message and repent"
Jesus, don't let me ever compromise my faith
Listen
Mark
15.33-39: Jesus was put on the cross sometime after 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. The leader of the Roman soldiers
who crucified Jesus, when he saw how Jesus died, said "Truly this man
was a son of God"
Jesus, thank you for dying on
the cross for the salvation of the world
Listen
Reflection: Jesus' death touches every heart ... as in this beautiful article The pull of Good Friday
Laudato
Si:
206. A change in lifestyle could bring
healthy pressure to bear on those who wield political, economic and social
power. This is what consumer
movements accomplish by boycotting certain products.
They prove successful in changing the way businesses operate, forcing them to
consider their environmental footprint and their patterns of production. When
social pressure affects their earnings, businesses clearly have to find ways
to produce differently. This shows us the great need for a sense of social
responsibility on the part of consumers. "Purchasing is always a moral -
and not simply economic - act". Today, in a word, "the issue of
environmental degradation challenges us to examine our lifestyle"
-------------------------
Yesterday a young woman who came to MercyHK's canteen was
wearing a t-shirt with the words: "NO BOYFRIEND, NO PROBLEMS"
-------------------------
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 22nd
of the month, Jesus please bless the people of Zhejiang
And praying for one of the
world's poorest countries each day of the
month:
On this 22nd of the month, Jesus please bless the
people of Senegal
And praying for one Islam-related
intention each day of the week:
Jesus, today, Friday,
please bless all Muslims
----------------------------
----------------------------
Thu Sep 21
Yesterday was Day 3 for MercyHK's canteen at 191 Temple Street
... and once again we were blessed with many customers, mostly from parishes in HK
diocese ... and two groups from Canada! God bless all who came ...
and the dear staff who are working non-stop these days! And ... a number of
people, after eating at the canteen, have been coming to the next door Dr
Jesus Centre for a visit and prayer. I really hope this "combo" will
continue!
On Oct 14 I am required to vote in the Australian "Voice
to Parliament" referendum (voting is compulsory for Australian
elections). During breakfast over the past few days I have watched this
excellent presentation by Fr Frank Brennan S.J., explaining how the
referendum is, unfortunately, suffering from a flawed process ... but ..
"it is right and just" (my words) for us to support the YES
vote! *** Referendum
a "crucial turning point"
Laudato
Si:
205. Yet all is not lost. Human
beings, while capable of the worst, are also capable of rising above
themselves, choosing again what is good, and making a new start, despite their
mental and social conditioning. We are able to take an honest look at
ourselves, to acknowledge our deep dissatisfaction, and to embark on new paths
to authentic freedom. No system can completely suppress our openness to what
is good, true and beautiful, or our God-given ability to respond to his grace
at work deep in our hearts. I appeal to everyone throughout the world not to
forget this dignity which is ours. No one has the right to take it from us.
-------------------------
The Book Blog:
readings + recordings
Readings are from
Simple Bible
c.f. readings for Feast of St
Matthew
Isaiah 51-52: Pay
attention to me, you peoples. Listen to me, you nations. The islands put their
hope in the Lord. They put their trust in his strength. How
beautiful on the mountains are the feet of one who brings good news,
who proclaims peace and salvation, and tells Zion "Your God is
king!" Break into shouts of joy, you ruins of Jerusalem, for the Lord is
redeeming his people. All the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our
God.
Lord, may more and more people in more and more countries know you and love
you.
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
Recording
Ephesians
4.1-16: I implore you to
lead a life worthy of your vocation. Bear with one another charitably, in
complete selflessness, gentleness and patience. If
we live by the truth and in love, we shall become more and more like Christ.
We are parts of the Body of Christ. Christ is the head. Each part must do its
bit to keep the Body healthy and growing in love.
Jesus, help me understand how the Church is your Body
Recording
Matthew
9.9-13: One day when Jesus
was walking past a customs house he said to a
tax collector named Matthew
"Follow
me". Matthew got up and followed Jesus. Matthew invited Jesus and Jesus'
friends to a dinner in his house. Some tax collectors and "bad"
people sat at Jesus' table. Religious leaders saw this and complained to
Jesus' friends "Why does your master eat with tax collectors and bad
people?" Jesus' answer was "It is not the healthy who need the
doctor, but the sick. Go and think about the Bible words 'What I want is
mercy, not sacrifice'. I have a special concern for rejects and
down-and-outs."
Jesus, please help religious leaders in today's world to care more about
people who are rejected by society
Recording
Reflection on the above Bible readings:
---------
Yesterday
on the MTR I saw a woman holding a book with title in large letters: "HOW
TO TALK TO ANYONE". I smiled at her but she did not start talking to me!?
--------------------
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 21st 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 21st
of the month, Jesus please bless the people of Afghanistan
And praying for one Islam-related
intention each day of the
week:
Jesus, today, Thursday, please pacify Al-Qaeda
----------------------------
Wed Sep 20
Yesterday was Day 2 for MercyHK's canteen at 191 Temple Street
... and again we were blessed with many customers, mostly from parishes in HK
diocese. Not to mention two O.M.I.s, some school principals, a most senior
policeman, and several VIPs from various HK organizations .... and a family of
six from Spain who are in HK for just 2 days and chose the canteen when they
visited Temple Street! God bless all
HK prisons are among the best in the world ....very, very
different from this
women's prison in Colombia
Income
gap widening in HK - Oxfam
AUD$475
drug bust, hundreds arrested *** Background
report
------------------------------
The
Book Blog:
readings + recordings
Readings are from
Simple Bible
1 Kings 10:
Solomon's wealth continued to
grow.
He acquired a fleet of ships for trading.
He also had a huge force of chariots and horses. The queen of Sheba heard about
Solomon's wisdom
and came to visit him. Solomon answered all her
questions.
None of her questions was too difficult for him.
Dear Lord, please give wisdom
to all world leaders
My
recording of this reading
Psalm
127: If the Lord does not build the house, in vain do its builders
labor. If the Lord does not watch over the city,
in vain does the watchman keep vigil. Success comes not from earlier rising or from
going later to rest,
but from the Lord's blessing. Success is from the Lord
who blesses the womb of his beloved while she sleeps. Truly, children are a gift from the Lord,
a blessing, the fruit of the womb.
Lord, many people these days
don't want children. Please help such people understand that children are
a blessing
Listen
Revelation
2.8-10: He gave me this message for the church in
Smyrna: "I know the trials you have been through,
and how poor you are, and the slanderous attacks that have been made on
you. Do not be afraid of suffering, afraid of
prison.
Even if you have to die, keep faithful,
and I will give you the prize of eternal life"
Jesus, help me stay faithful when I experience
trials and suffering
Listen
Mark
15.21-32:
As Jesus was taken to the place of crucifixion,
a man named Simon, from Cyrene, was made to carry Jesus' cross. Sometime after 9am, Jesus was nailed to the cross. Two robbers were crucified
with him, one on his right and one on his left.
Above Jesus' head was a sign with the charge against him.
The sign said "The King of the Jews". People passing by that place made
fun of Jesus.
So did the religious leaders. They mocked and taunted him.
Jesus on the Cross,
thank you for suffering so much for the salvation of the world
Listen
Reflection: To be mocked by people you are in the act of saving .... imaging a doctor being mocked while ministering to sick people ....
Laudato
Si:
204.
The current global situation engenders a feeling of instability and
uncertainty, which in turn becomes "a seedbed for collective
selfishness". When people become self-centred and self-enclosed,
their greed increases. The
emptier a person's heart is, the more he or she needs things to buy, own and
consume. It becomes almost
impossible to accept the limits imposed by reality. In this horizon, a genuine
sense of the common good also disappears. As these attitudes become more
widespread, social norms are respected only to the extent that they do not
clash with personal needs. So our concern cannot be limited merely to the
threat of extreme weather events, but must also extend to the catastrophic
consequences of social unrest. Obsession with a consumerist lifestyle, above
all when few people are capable of maintaining it, can only lead to violence
and mutual destruction.
---------------------------
Laudato Si, above, is not easy reading. But every now and
then it contains most practical psychology ... like today's analysis of the
human heart
-------------------------
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 20th
of
the month, Jesus please bless the people of Sichuan
And praying for one of
the world's poorest
countries each day of the month:
On this 20th
of the month, Jesus please bless the people of Sudan
And praying for one
Islam-related intention each day of the week:
Jesus, today, Wednesday,
please pacify Al-Shabaab
--------------------------------
-------------------------------
Tues Sep 19
Yesterday MercyHK's canteen opened at 191 Temple Street ... and a non-stop
stream of customers ....nearly all of them from many parishes in HK ...came
for a meal. God bless them all! And God bless the 5 staff, augmented by Lucia
Leung and Eddie Chan, who cheerfully served people on our very first day of
operation. A memorable day. THANK YOU JESUS!
Letter by a local HK
man about his involvement in a financial crime. Not a drug case,
but like drug letters ... as a warning to others not to make the same mistake - here
(Aug 26)
---------------------------
The
Book Blog:
readings + recordings
Readings are from
Simple Bible
1Kings
8-9: When the temple was finished,
Solomon shifted the Sacred Chest to the temple.
After the Chest was placed in the temple,
the glorious cloud of the Lord filled the temple. Solomon then praised God and
blessed the people.
Solomon prayed that the temple would be a place of blessings. Solomon also prayed that all the
peoples of the world
would come to know the Lord from whom all life comes. The Lord again appeared to Solomon and said:
"I will be near to all who enter the temple you have built."
Dear God, may all temples and
churches in the world
be places where people praise and love you
My
recording of this reading
Psalm
126: When the Lord delivered Zion from bondage,
it seemed like a dream.
Then was our mouth filled with laughter,
on our lips there were songs. What marvels the Lord worked for us.
Indeed we were glad. Those who are sowing in tears
will sing when they reap. They go out, full of tears, carrying seed for
the sowing.
They come back, full of song, carrying their sheaves.
Dear God, please bless all
people who are sorrowful as they work
Listen
Revelation
2.1-4:
The Son of Man gave me this message for the
church in Ephesus:
"I know all about you. I know how much you have suffered for me. But your love has grown cold. Repent, and revive your original love".
Jesus, keep my love for you strong. Don't let
it grow cold
Listen
Mark 15.16-20:
After the Roman soldiers scourged Jesus, they made fun of
him.
They put a purple cloak on him. They made a crown out of thorns and put it
on his head. They knelt in front of him
and mocked him saying "Hail, king of the Jews". They hit
his head with a reed, and spat on him.
When they had finished making fun of him,
they dressed him in his own clothes and led him away to crucify him
Jesus, please don't let me hurt
other people by making fun of them
Listen
Reflection: Imagine parents being made fun of by their children ... after their children had just bashed and battered them ..... to get some idea of how Jesus felt when being made fun of
Laudato
Si:
203. Since the market tends to promote
extreme consumerism in an effort to sell its products, people
can easily get caught up in a whirlwind of needless buying and spending.
Compulsive consumerism is one example of how the techno-economic paradigm
affects individuals. Romano Guardini had already foreseen this: "The
gadgets and technics forced upon him by the patterns of machine production and
of abstract planning man accepts quite simply; they are the forms of life
itself. To either a greater or lesser degree mass man is convinced that his
conformity is both reasonable and just". This paradigm leads people
to believe that they are free as long as they have the supposed freedom to
consume. But those really free are the minority who wield economic and
financial power. Amid this confusion, postmodern humanity has not yet achieved
a new self-awareness capable of offering guidance and direction, and this lack
of identity is a source of anxiety. We have too many means and only a few
insubstantial ends.
------------------------------
Yesterday as the day went on at MercyHK's canteen ....
and nearly everyone coming through the door was from a Catholic parish in HK
....our standard greeting to everyone was: "Welcome ...what parish are
you from?"! It was like a diocesan function!
-------------------------------
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 19th
of
the month, Jesus please bless the people of Shanxi
And praying for one of
the world's poorest
countries each day of the month:
On this 19th of the month, Jesus
please bless the people of Haiti
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
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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
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