V2Catholic.com
A voice for the poor
by HK prison chaplain 胡頌恆神父Dr
Jesus Centre 187 Temple St Jordan
Fr John Wotherspoon
O.M.I.
jdwomi@gmail.com
+852 67095674
Imitating
Pope Francis
Tues Oct 28
Yesterday morning at the High Court a prisoner from Africa on a
drug trafficking charge was given a 2 month reduction of sentence for having
joined my anti-drug campaign to try to stop people bringing drugs to HK.
In case you haven't seen this, pls check my video interviews with dozens of
people after they finished their detention time in HK - here
US-sponsored
Israeli genocide in Gaza: JESUS,
PLEASE LET THERE BE PEACE AND JUSTICE IN THE MIDDLE EAST!
Pope Leo XIV - Dilexi
Te
19. The Gospel shows us that poverty marked every aspect of Jesus’ life. From the moment he entered the world, Jesus knew the bitter experience of rejection. The Evangelist Luke tells how Joseph and Mary, who was about to give birth, arrived in Bethlehem, and then adds, poignantly, that “there was no place for them in the inn” (Lk 2:7). Jesus was born in humble surroundings and laid in a manger; then, to save him from being killed, they fled to Egypt (cf. Mt 2:13-15). At the dawn of his public ministry, after announcing in the synagogue of Nazareth that the year of grace which would bring joy to the poor was fulfilled in him, he was driven out of town (cf. Lk 4:14-30). He died as an outcast, led out of Jerusalem to be crucified (cf. Mk 15:22). Indeed, that is how Jesus’ poverty is best described: he experienced the same exclusion that is the lot of the poor, the outcast of society. Jesus is a manifestation of this privilegium pauperum. He presented himself to the world not only as a poor Messiah, but also as the Messiah of and for the poor.
------------------------
The
Book Blog:
readings + recordings
Readings are from
Simple Bible
Sirach
29-31: Help others in their time of need.
When people ask you for help, do not turn them away. Do not let your children grow up wild.
Teach them self control and self-discipline from their earliest years. Good health is better than silver and gold.
Better to be poor and healthy than rich and sick. Do not give in to brooding and fretting when
things go wrong.
Even in the saddest situation, look for light at the end of the tunnel. Avoid jealously and anger.
Jealously and anger will shorten your life. A moderate diet will help you sleep well.
Gluttony produces sleeplessness, biliousness and grumpiness. Wine was made to cheer our hearts.
But drinking to excess will reduce your strength.
Lord, please help me be moderate with food and drink
My
recording of this reading
Psalm
1: Happy the person who
avoids evil and evil entertainment.
Happy the person who reads and meditates on God's words. Such a
person is like a tree planted beside a river, getting plenty of
nourishment, bearing plenty of fruit. Such a
person is on the Way of Life.
People who do evil are on the Way of Death.
Dear Lord, please help me do good and avoid evil
Listen
2
Timothy 1.6-8: I remind you to fan into a flame the gift that
God gave you
when I prayed over you with the laying on of hands. God's gift was not a spirit of timidity, but
the Spirit of power,
and love and self-control. Never be ashamed of witnessing to the Lord.
Like me and with me, put up with hardships for the sake of the Good News
Jesus, help me put up with hardships for the
sake of the Good News
Listen
John 14.22-24 (for Feast of
Saints Simon and Jude): Judas -
this was not Judas Iscariot - said to Jesus: "Lord, what is all this about?
Do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world?" Jesus replied: "If
you love me, you will put my words into practice, and my Father will love you,
and we shall make our home in your heart"
Reflection on the above Bible readings: Saints Simon and Jude
-------------------------
One good thing about living where I am in Jordan ...I can be at the High Court
in less than 30 minutes ... thanks to the MTR
--------------------
Please join me in praying for one part of the world each day, especially for the leaders of that area:
Sun:
Africa
Mon: Europe,
Russia
Tues: South
Asia
tted against the weakest, and exhorts Israel to renew its
worship from within, because one cannot pray and offer sacrifice while
oppressing the weakest and poorest. From the beginning of Scripture, God’s
love is vividly demonstrated by his protection of the weak and the poor, to the
extent that he can be said to have a particular fondness for them. “God’s
heart has a special place for the poor... The entire history of our redemption
is marked by the presence of the poor.” [13]
US-sponsored
Israeli genocide in Gaza: 9
year old boy murdered by Israel
------------------------------
The
Book Blog:
readings + recordings
Readings are from
Simple Bible
c.f. readings for Sunday 30
Sirach
35-37: Be generous
as the Lord has been generous to you. Be cheerful when you make a gift to the
Lord. The
humble person's prayer pierces the clouds, so love the Lord with a humble
heart. If a property has no fence, it will be plundered. If a man has no wife,
he is like a boat without an anchor. Be careful when you consult other people.
After all consultation, follow the advice of your own heart.
Lord, please give me a cheerful and humble heart
My
recording of this reading
Psalm
34: I will bless the Lord at all
times, his
praise always on my lips. In the Lord my soul shall make its boast, the
humble shall hear and be glad. Glorify the Lord with me, together let us praise
his name. I sought the Lord and he answered me. From all my terrors he set me
free. The angel of the Lord is encamped around those who revere the Lord, to
rescue them. Taste and see that the Lord is good. They are happy who seek refuge
in him. The Lord is close to the broken-hearted. Those whose spirits are crushed
he will save.
Lord, by our Bible reading and prayer, may we taste and see your goodness
each day
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
Luke
18.9-14: Some people
prided themselves on being virtuous, and despised others. Jesus told them this
story: Two men went to the Temple to pray, one a religious leader, the other a
social outcast. The leader stood there and said "I thank you, God, that I
am not greedy, unjust and adulterous like other people such as this outcast
here". The outcast did not even raise his eyes, but beat his breast and
said "God, be merciful to
me, a sinner". The outcast, I tell you, went home a friend of God.
The leader did not. People who exalt themselves will be humbled. People who
humble themselves will be exalted
Jesus, be merciful to me, a sinner
Listen
Reflection on the above readings: Luke's Gospel has a special emphasis on prayer .... today warning us to avoid hypocritical prayer
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 8.00
pm HK time tonight
- with items about HK prison inmates
-------------------------------
Maybe
the tax collection (social outcast) in today's Gospel prayed: "Thank you
God I am not like that proud Pharisee (religious leader)"!
------------------------------
Please join me in praying for one part of the world each day, especially for the leaders of that area:
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 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, Sunday,
please bless all Muslims in my country
-----------------------
----------------------
Sat Oct 25
HK readers are most welcome to join me at the Dr Jesus Jesus Centre, 187 Temple
Street at 3pm tomorrow for a very special function - as explained in this
file.
BBC: King
and Pope pray side by side
US-sponsored
Israeli genocide in Gaza: When I see Netanyahu in the news
these days, he does not look well ... seems to have lost weight ***
Israel's
next Gaza
Pope Leo XIV - Dilexi
Te
16. God is merciful love, and his plan of love, which unfolds and is fulfilled in history, is above all his descent and coming among us to free us from slavery, fear, sin and the power of death. Addressing their human condition with a merciful gaze and a heart full of love, he turned to his creatures and thus took care of their poverty. Precisely in order to share the limitations and fragility of our human nature, he himself became poor and was born in the flesh like us. We came to know him in the smallness of a child laid in a manger and in the extreme humiliation of the cross, where he shared our radical poverty, which is death. It is easy to understand, then, why we can also speak theologically of a preferential option on the part of God for the poor, an expression that arose in the context of the Latin American continent and in particular in the Puebla Assembly, but which has been well integrated into subsequent teachings of the Church. [12] This “preference” never indicates exclusivity or discrimination towards other groups, which would be impossible for God. It is meant to emphasize God’s actions, which are moved by compassion toward the poverty and weakness of all humanity. Wanting to inaugurate a kingdom of justice, fraternity and solidarity, God has a special place in his heart for those who are discriminated against and oppressed, and he asks us, his Church, to make a decisive and radical choice in favor of the weakest.
---------------------------
The
Book Blog:
readings + recordings
Readings are from
Simple Bible
Sirach
24: Wisdom speaks:
"From eternity, in the beginning, God created me.
God sent me to be everywhere on earth. Approach me, you who desire me.
Whoever listens to me will stay on the road of goodness."
Lord, please help me seek
wisdom and listen to wisdom's voice
My
recording of this reading
Psalm
148: Praise the Lord from the heavens,
praise him in the heights. Praise him all his angels,
praise him all his spirits. Praise him, sun and moon,
praise him, shining stars. Let them praise the name of the Lord.
His word gave life to all of them. Praise the Lord from the earth,
sea creatures and all oceans. Praise him fire and hail, snow and mist,
stormy winds that obey his word. Praise him all mountains and hills,
all fruit trees and cedars.
Praise him all animals, wild and tame,
reptiles and birds in the air. Praise him all earth's kings and peoples,
earth's princes and rulers. Praise him young men and maidens,
old people together with children. Let them praise the name of the Lord.
He is the praise of all who love him.
Lord our God and Creator, you
are worthy of all praise
Listen
1
Timothy 6.17-19: Warn people who are rich in this world's goods
that they are not to look down on others. Tell them not to set their hopes
on money, but on God who, out of his riches, gives us all we need for
happiness. Tell rich people to do good, to be rich in
good works, to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will
have a healthy account in the Bank of Heaven.
Jesus, please help rich people do more to help
poor people
Listen
Luke
16.19-26: Jesus told this story to the people: There was a rich man who used to
dress in expensive clothes and feast magnificently every day.
At his gate there was a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores,
who longed to eat scraps that fell from the rich man's table. Dogs
even came and licked his sores.
The poor man died and was carried away by the angels to be with Abraham.
The rich man also died and was buried. In his torment in Hell, the
rich man looked up and saw Abraham a long way off with Lazarus at his
side.
So the rich man cried out "Father Abraham, pity me and send Lazarus to
dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in
agony in these flames".
"My son", replied Abraham, "remember that during your life, good
things came your way, just as bad things came the way of Lazarus. Now
he is being comforted here, while you are in agony"
Jesus, please help me understand how I should do more to help poor people
01
02
Reflection: Australian bishops letter- Lazarus At Our Gate
-----------------------
No offence to the committee who wrote Delixi Te
for Pope Leo/Francis ....but they are so "long-winded". Very different
is the letter from the Australian bishops, above ....much more to the point!
------------------------------
Please join me in praying for one part of the world each day, especially for the leaders of that area:
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 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, Saturday,
please pacify the
Taliban
------------------------
------------------------
Fri Oct 24
Yesterday afternoon a group of 11 students
with a teacher and deputy principal from Kowloon
Wah Yan College came for 3 sharings: one at MercyHK's canteen, one at the Dr
Jesus Centre, and one at MercyHK's Shanghai Street centre. Last night a group of
students from Baptist University came to
the Dr Jesus Centre for an interview. God bless KWY and HKBU!
62kg
of cocaine seized in South Australia
Pope Leo XIV - Dilexi
Te
15. Christians too, on a number of occasions, have succumbed to attitudes shaped by secular ideologies or political and economic approaches that lead to gross generalizations and mistaken conclusions. The fact that some dismiss or ridicule charitable works, as if they were an obsession on the part of a few and not the burning heart of the Church’s mission, convinces me of the need to go back and re-read the Gospel, lest we risk replacing it with the wisdom of this world. The poor cannot be neglected if we are to remain within the great current of the Church’s life that has its source in the Gospel and bears fruit in every time and place.
-------------------
The
Book Blog:
readings + recordings
Readings are from
Simple Bible
Sirach 20-23: People who foolishly talk too much become
unpopular.
Wise people know when to speak and how much to speak. The talk of a foolish person is like a load on
a journey.
The talk of a wise person is a pleasure to hear. Lord, do not give me proud eyes.
Do not let lust take control of my life. Do not let my mouth use coarse and foul
language.
Help me avoid sins of impurity, alone or with others.
Lord, please give me the wisdom
to avoid bad talk and bad actions
My
recording of this reading
Psalm
147: Praise the Lord for he is good.
Sing to our God for he is loving. To him our praise is due. The Lord builds up Jerusalem
and brings back Israel's exiles. He heals the broken-hearted
and binds up all their wounds. The Lord raises the lowly
and humbles the wicked. He fixes the number of the stars.
He calls each one by name. Our Lord is great and almighty.
His wisdom can never be measured. He covers the heavens with clouds.
He prepares rain for the earth, making mountains sprout with grass
and with plants to serve our needs. His delight is not in horses
nor his pleasure in warriors' strength. The Lord delights in those who love and honor
him,
in those who wait for his love.
It is right and fitting to
praise and love you, Lord our Creator
Listen
1
Timothy 6.11-13: As a man of God, avoid things like greed and
disputes. You must aim to be a saint, filled with faith
and love, patient and gentle. Fight the good fight of the faith, and win for
yourself eternal life. Be a constant witness to goodness and
truth,
like Jesus who spoke up as a witness for the truth in front of Pontius
Pilate
Jesus, help me be a witness to goodness
and truth
Listen
Luke
15.11-24: Jesus told this story: a man had two sons. The younger said
to his father "Father, give me the share of the estate that would
come to me".
So the father divided his property between them.
A few days later, the younger son left for a distant land where he wasted his money in wild living.
When he had used all his money, that country had a severe famine, and he
began to feel the pinch, so he got a job on a farm feeding pigs.
He would willingly have eaten the pigs' food, but
no one offered him anything.
Then he came to his senses and said "How many of my father's paid
servants have more food than they want, and I am dying of hunger
I will leave this place and go to my father and say: Father, I have
sinned against heaven and against you. I no longer deserve to be
called your son. Treat me as one of your paid servants."
So he left the place and went back to his father
While he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was moved
with pity. He ran to the boy, clasped him in his arms and kissed him
tenderly. Then the son said "Father, I have sinned against heaven and
against you. I no longer deserve to be called your son"
But the father said to his servants "Quick! Bring out the best robe
and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet.
Bring the calf we have been fattening, and kill it. We are going to
have a feast, a celebration, because this son of mine was dead and has
come back to life. He was lost and is found."
Jesus, please help me understand how much you love me,
no matter what mistakes I make
01
02 03
04
.jpg)
Reflection: Today's Gospel is one of the most famous stories in the Bible, coming from a Divine Mind, useful the most powerful imagery to help us understand His love for us
----------
Yesterday someone helped me pay bail at Kowloon City
Court, then take a "get out of prison letter" from the court ...
to a prison ...and a prisoner was out of detention after one hour. That's 2
people out this week! Thank you Jesus!
-------------------------
Please join me in praying for one part of the world each day, especially for the leaders of that area:
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 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, Friday,
please bless all Muslims
----------------------------
----------------------------
Thu Oct 23
Yesterday morning at the Dr Jesus Centre there was a meeting of 8 NGOs who help
asylum seekers and refugees ....meeting arranged by MercyHK's Lucia Leung who
has almost 1,000 asylum seeker clients.
2 hour video
of last Sunday night's Mission Sunday activity which MercyHK canteen staff
attended
US-sponsored
Israeli genocide in Gaza: Call
by Jewish figures to sanction Israel -
“We do not forget that so many of the laws, charters, and conventions
established to safeguard and protect all human life were created in response to
the Holocaust,” the signatories write. “Those safeguards have been
relentlessly violated by Israel.”
Pope Leo XIV - Dilexi
Te
14. The poor are not there by chance or by blind and cruel fate. Nor, for most of them, is poverty a choice. Yet, there are those who still presume to make this claim, thus revealing their own blindness and cruelty. Of course, among the poor there are also those who do not want to work, perhaps because their ancestors, who worked all their lives, died poor. However, there are so many others — men and women — who nonetheless work from dawn to dusk, perhaps collecting scraps or the like, even though they know that their hard work will only help them to scrape by, but never really improve their lives. Nor can it be said that most of the poor are such because they do not “deserve” otherwise, as maintained by that specious view of meritocracy that sees only the successful as “deserving.”
-------------------------
The Book Blog:
readings + recordings
Readings are from
Simple Bible
Sirach 15-19:
Wisdom makes us happy. Foolishness makes us
sad.
Humility is the pathway to wisdom. We are free to choose good or evil, wisdom or
foolishness.
To live a good life is something everyone can try to do. If we have done something wrong, we must ask
pardon of the Lord.
We must turn our back on wrongdoing, and face towards the Lord. Do not indulge in luxurious living.
Too much wine and luxury corrupts the heart. Avoid gossip and slander.
Be someone who can keep a secret. The way people dress tells you what work they
do.
The way people walk also tells a lot about them.
Lord, please help me turn my
back on wrongdoing.
Help me face towards you
My
recording of this reading
Psalm
147: Praise the Lord for he is good.
Sing to our God for he is loving. To him our praise is due. The Lord builds up Jerusalem
and brings back Israel's exiles. He heals the broken-hearted
and binds up all their wounds. The Lord raises the lowly
and humbles the wicked. He fixes the number of the stars.
He calls each one by name. Our Lord is great and almighty.
His wisdom can never be measured. He covers the heavens with clouds.
He prepares rain for the earth, making mountains sprout with grass
and with plants to serve our needs. His delight is not in horses
nor his pleasure in warriors' strength. The Lord delights in those who love and honor
him,
in those who wait for his love.
It is right and fitting to
praise and love you, Lord our Creator
Listen
1
Timothy 6.3-10: Some people, because of ignorance and pride,
have a craze for questioning and arguing about everything. Such a craze breeds jealousy and mistrust and
unending disputes. People who have a craving to be wealthy are a
prey to temptation.
They get trapped into all sorts of foolish and dangerous schemes which
ruin their lives. The love of money is the root of all evils. It
can cause people to leave the faith
Jesus, help me be content with a simple
lifestyle
Listen
Luke 14.12-14: Jesus said to the meal guests "When you
give a lunch or a dinner, do not ask your friends, family, or rich neighbors.
Rather, when you have a party, invite the
poor, the crippled,
the lame, the blind. That they cannot repay you means you are
fortunate, because repayment will be made to you when the virtuous rise again".
Jesus, help me do more to help poor
people
Listen
Reflection: Paul's words to Timothy about being "scammed" have increasing relevance in today's world!
-----------------
Today's Gospel proposes the opposite of scamming! Not out to
trick people, but treat them. New meanings for "Trick or Treat"!
--------------------
Please join me in praying for one part of the world each day, especially for the leaders of that area:
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 23rd
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 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, Thursday, please pacify Al-Qaeda
----------------------
-----------------------
(Several trips since 2020 but not convenient to post reports)
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
---------------------
---------------------
|
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
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ .
Powered by w3.css