V2Catholic.com A voice for the
poor Edited
by HK prison chaplain
Fr John Wotherspoon
O.M.I . 胡頌恆神父
jdwomi@gmail.com
Links, Search
& Archives Imitating
Pope
Francis
This
website's anti-drug campaign saves people from going to prison in HK
See & share inmates'
letters!
HK
Indon
Kenya
Malaysia Nigeria
Ph
SA S.Amer
Thai
Tz
Ug
EU
How campaign began
HK:how
long prison for trafficking?
www.AsylumSeekerHK.com
Tues July 10
Thai football team, if rescued & recovered in time, will be flown to Moscow for Final of World Cup ... story heard in HK yesterday. May it happen! Or at least a live video link between the boys in Thailand and the World Cup arena?!
Photos and videos of Bishop Joseph Ha Chi Shing at Yau Ma Tei gathering for the poor last Sunday night and at meal with gathering volunteers - here
Yesterday morning I came away sad from the High Court after an Indonesian woman was sentenced by a harsh judge to 9 years (after cuts) in prison for drug trafficking within HK, having been recruited/exploited by a local Pakistani Drug Lord whom HK police will not arrest because he is an informer. Drug Lord is responsible for around 20 people in prison. A great injustice.
Recently I met two people who are familiar with this subject ....it's hard to believe .... I thought it was about printing on paper .... 3D house printing .... there are now machines which make real houses ... and can even use waste material to do this. A house can be made in 24 hours, and can cost as little as US$4,000. Google "3D house printing"!
Xi Jinpint's ruthless crackdown should surprise nobody
What the world urgently needs is better leaders
... please God this new leader in Ethiopia will succeed:
'These changes are unprecedented' How Abiy is upending Ethiopian politics
Pope's new letter -
"Rejoice and Be Glad":
84.
"Guard
your heart with all vigilance" (Prov 4:23). Nothing
stained by falsehood has any real worth in the Lord's eyes. He
"flees from deceit, and rises and departs from foolish thoughts" (Wis
1:5). The Father, "who sees in secret" (Mt 6:6), recognizes
what is impure and insincere, mere display or appearance, as does the Son, who
knows "what is in man" (cf. Jn 2:25).
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The
Book Blog:
4 readings + recordings
Comments welcome here
Readings are from
Simple Bible
Genesis 22: Abraham loved God very
dearly.
Once when God put him to the test
Abraham was even willing to sacrifice his only son Isaac
if that was what God wanted.
When God saw Abraham's love and obedience
God renewed his promise
to make Abraham and Isaac's descendants
as many as the stars of heaven.
Dear God, please help us love
and obey you
My
recording of this reading
Psalm
97: The Lord is king, let earth rejoice,
the many coastlands be glad.
Cloud and darkness are his robes.
His throne is justice and goodness. The skies proclaim his goodness.
All peoples see his glory. Let those who serve idols be ashamed.
Let all creation worship the Creator. Light shines forth for good people
and joy for the upright of heart. Rejoice in the Lord, all good people.
Give glory to his holy name.
Lord, you indeed are God of the
universe
Listen
1
Corinthians 4.15-19:
You now have many people teaching you about
Christ, but remember that it was I who introduced you to Jesus and his
Good News. Imitate my example, the way I live the
Christian life.
Jesus, help me be a good example to
other people
Listen
John
5.36-46:
Jesus said to the religious leaders "The
healing and teaching my Father has given me to do,
testify that the Father sent me. You study the Scriptures, realizing that in
them there is the message of life. Now these same Scriptures focus on me,
and yet you refuse to come to me for life. If you really believe what Moses wrote, you
would believe in me, since it was I that he was writing about"
Jesus, please help me understand how
everything in the Bible is related to you. Help me understand that
"ignorance of the Scriptures is ignorance of you"
Listen
Reflection
on the above readings: Three
points concerning Abraham's willingness to sacrifice Isaac:
1. The location was the future site of Jerusalem.
2. Jewish art portrays Isaac as an adult ...
implying he was willing to be sacrificed.
3. The ram's head was caught in thorns.
1+2+3 = Isaac prefigures Jesus!
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10 years ago today: 11 First two days of mini Summer School at Marco Polo Center - for Anna, Gordon, Ming Ming & Monica + Tina, Tommy & Wendy
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Yesterday afternoon I again went to the Open University of HK for a prison inmate's enrolment ... thinking as I saw all the young university students of my days at Monash University in Melbourne from 1966 .... that's 52 years ago?!?
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Please join me in praying for one part of the world each day:
Sun: Africa
Mon: Europe,
Russia
Tues: South
Asia
Wed: East
Asia
Thurs: S.E. Asia,
Pacific
Frid: South
America
Sat: Cent, N America
Jesus,
today, Tuesday,
please bless the people of
South
Asia
And praying for
prisoners in one
part of China each day of the month:
On this 10th
of
the month, Jesus please bless the prisoners 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 Guinea
And praying for one
Islam-related intention each day of the week:
Jesus, today, Tuesday,
please pacify Boko
Haram
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Mon July 9 My World Cup team - see below!
Photo of after-Mass meal with parishioners yesterday morning, and photo of visit to my home last night by Bishop Joseph Ha - here
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Nkechi Faith Garcia and Larry King file has been updated, with link to video of Faith and other Filipinas attending a prayer meeting in HK with a group of Nigerian men - here (... also has a photo of a large group of Nigerian men in HK many of whom are involved in drug dealing)
The Mexican bishop who talks to Drug Lords
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"Here, I matter" The Indian cafe run by men serving life sentences
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Pope's new letter -
"Rejoice and Be Glad": "Blessed
are the pure in heart, for they will see God".
83. This Beatitude speaks of those whose
hearts are simple, pure and undefiled, for a heart capable of love admits
nothing that might harm, weaken or endanger that love. The Bible uses the heart
to describe our real intentions, the things we truly seek and desire, apart from
all appearances. "Man sees the appearance, but the Lord looks into the
heart" (1Sam 16:7). God wants to speak to our hearts (cf. Hos
2:16); there he desires to write his law (cf. Jer 31:33). In a word, he
wants to give us a new heart (cf. Ezek 36:26).
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The
Book Blog:
4 readings + recordings
Comments welcome here
Readings are from
Simple Bible
Genesis
20-21: Abraham and his wife
Sarah were old people
but God blessed them with a son.
They named their son Isaac.
Sarah again made life difficult for Hagar and Hagar's son.
Hagar and her son had to leave Abraham's home
but God protected them and found them a new home.
Dear God, please don't let me
make life difficult for anyone else
My
recording of this reading
Psalm
96: O sing a new song to the Lord.
Sing to the Lord, all the earth.
O sing to the Lord, bless his name. Proclaim his help day by day.
Tell among the nations his glory,
and his wonders among all the peoples. It was the Lord who made the heavens.
Give the Lord, you families of peoples,
give the Lord glory and honor. Bring an offering and enter his temple.
Worship the Lord in his sacred place. Let the heavens rejoice and earth be glad.
Let the sea and all within it thunder praise. Let the land and all it bears rejoice,
all the trees of the forest shout for joy.
Everyone and everything,
give the Lord glory and honor.
Lord, you are our Creator. We
love and praise you
Listen
1
Corinthians 3.5-15: Apollos and I are servants who brought the
faith to you. I did the planting, Apollos did the watering, but God made
things grow. You are God's building. By God's grace,
I laid the foundation, the only foundation there can be: Jesus
Christ. On that foundation you can build a house with
good or poor materials.
At the end of your life, your building will be judged by God.
Jesus, you are the foundation of my life. Help
me build a house with good material (= good deeds)
Listen
John
5. 17-30: Jesus said to the religious leaders "My
Father goes on working, and so do I. Whoever
refuses honor to the Son, refuses honor to the Father who sent him. The Father judges no one. He has entrusted all
judgement to the Son. A time will come when the dead will
leave their graves at the sound of the Son's voice. Those who did good,
will rise again to life. Those who did evil, will face condemnation".
Jesus, some day you are going to be my judge.
On that day may I hear you say "I was hungry, and you gave me food
etc" (Matthew 25. 31 - 46)
Listen
Reflection on the above readings: Today I am due to be in the High Court with a prison inmate. Some day I am due to be in the Heavenly High Court for my own hearing!
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10
years ago: Day Four of HK PIME Paul VI College students & staff activities for poor
children
------------------------------------------
As the final of the World Cup comes nearer, there's one team which the whole world is cheering for: the team in the Thai cave! "Keep going!" "Ga-yau"!
--------------------------------------
Please join me in praying for one part of the world each day:
Sun:
Africa
Mon: Europe,
Russia
Tues: South
Asia
Wed: East
Asia
Thurs: S.E. Asia,
Pacific
Frid: South America
Sat: Cent, N. America
Jesus,
today, Monday,
please bless the people of Europe
& Russia
And
praying for prisoners in one
part of China each day of the month:
On
this 9th of
the month, Jesus please bless the prisoners 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 Central
African Republic
And praying for one Islam-related intention
each day of the week:
Jesus, today, Monday,
please pacify I.S.
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Sun July 8
Yesterday morning when I went to McDonald's for a cup of green tea, I noticed some African women, a mother and two grown up daughters, who had spent the night at McDs. Turned out they had China visa problems. So I helped them book into a local hostel where I often help visitors stay ... and I learned they are from Lesotho where the mother studied at the O.M.I. university ... and ... her brother-in-law is an Oblate!
60 Minutes: Benny Hinn a dangerous fake (I watched this yesterday morning during breakfast ... very sad that the Good News is being so distorted)
Three letters in Chinese from a local HK man in prison for drug trafficking - here (June 4, 10, 19)
China building cities from scratch in other countries. Scroll down to
China
dreams of urban empire
Pope's new letter -
"Rejoice and Be Glad":
82. Jesus
does not say, "Blessed are those who plot revenge". He calls
"blessed" those who forgive and do so "seventy times seven"
(Mt 18:22). We need to think of ourselves as an army of the forgiven. All
of us have been looked upon with divine compassion. If we approach the Lord with
sincerity and listen carefully, there may well be times when we hear his
reproach: "Should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had
mercy on you?" (Mt 18:33). Seeing and acting with mercy: that is
holiness.
-----------------------------------
The
Book Blog:
4 readings + recordings
Comments welcome here
Readings are from
Simple Bible
c.f. readings for Sunday 14
Ezekiel 1-3:
About 5 years after
the first group of Jews were exiled to Babylon,
Ezekiel received a vision while he was with the exiles in Babylon. Ezekiel saw the glory
of the Lord and he heard a voice saying:
"I am choosing you to speak my message to the people. Whether the people
listen to you or not,
you must keep on proclaiming my message. You are to be a sentry
to the House of Israel,
a lookout who warns them of danger coming."
Lord,
please help people listen to your message and obey it
My
recording of this reading
Psalm
123: To you have I lifted up my eyes,
you who dwell in the heavens. My eyes, like the eyes of slaves
on the hand of their lords. Like the eyes of a servant on the hand of her
mistress,
so our eyes are on the Lord our God till he show us mercy. Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy.
We are filled with contempt. Indeed all too full is our soul with the scorn
of the rich,
with the proud man's disdain.
Lord, please protect poor
people from being exploited by rich people
Listen
2
Corinthians 12: In
view of the extraordinary nature of these revelations, to stop me from getting
too proud I was given a thorn in the flesh, an angel of Satan to beat me and
stop me from getting too proud! About this thing, I have pleaded with the Lord
three times for it to leave me, but he has said, "My grace is enough for
you: my power is at its best in weakness." So I shall be very happy to make
my weaknesses my special boast so that the power of Christ may stay over me, and
that is why I am quite content with my weaknesses, and with insults, hardships,
persecutions, and the agonies I go through for Christ's sake. For it is when I
am weak that I am strong
Listen
Mark
6.1-6: Jesus and his disciples went to his home town
of Nazareth.
On the Sabbath he went to the prayer hall and began teaching. People in the prayer hall were astonished at
his teaching.
"Who does he think he is?" they asked. "He is just a
carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, Joset, Jude and Simon.
His sisters also are here." And they would not accept
him. So Jesus said to them
"A prophet is
despised only in his own country". Because of their lack of faith, Jesus cured
only a few sick people there. He was amazed at the lack of faith in
Nazareth.
Jesus, please help me be happy
about your gifts to others
Listen
Reflection
on the above readings:
Video
commentary on today's readings - in Italian with English, Chinese and
Spanish subtitles
Daniel Daring: Prophet without honour (Chinese text)
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10 years ago today: Happy First Birthday today Jason, son of Mazenod Center teacher Mandy
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Hour of Love HK radio program 8.30 pm HK time tonight - with items about HK prison inmates
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Hong Kong people like today's Gospel .... Mark 6 ... !!!
--------------------------------------
Please join me in praying for one part of the world each day:
Sun: Africa
Mon: Europe,
Russia
Tues: South
Asia
Wed: East
Asia
Thurs: S.E. Asia,
Pacific
Fri: South America
Sat: Cent., N America
Jesus,
today, Sunday,
please bless the people of
Africa
And praying for
prisoners in one part
of China each day of the month:
On this 8th
of the month, Jesus please bless the prisoners 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, Sunday,
please bless all Muslims in my country
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Sat July 7
Yesterday I was at Lai Chi Kok men's prison for seven hours .... hearing many stories ... meeting a number of new guests ... including one man from Colombia recently arrested at HK airport .... who asked me "are you the chaplain from Australia who was recently in Colombia?" .... to which I said yes and asked him "if you heard my message about the danger of drug trafficking to HK, why did you come? .... to which he replied "urgently needed money and someone told me the danger of being arrested in HK was not great". ... groan ... groan .... groan
After LCK I went to the nearby Cheung Sha Wan cemetery for a prayer at the grave of Fr Stan Sun O.M.I. who went home to Heaven on July 7, 2015
Why school trips to abattoirs are essential
Pope's new letter -
"Rejoice and Be Glad": "Blessed
are the merciful, for they will receive mercy".
80. Mercy has two aspects. It involves
giving, helping and serving others, but it also includes forgiveness and
understanding. Matthew sums it up in one golden rule: "In everything, do to
others as you would have them do to you" (7:12). The Catechism reminds us
that this law is to be applied "in every case",[71]especially
when we are "confronted by situations that make moral judgments less
assured and decision difficult".[72]
--------------------------------------------------------
The
Book Blog:
4 readings + recordings
Comments welcome here
Readings are from
Simple Bible
Genesis
19: The men of Sodom
practised sodomy.
They wanted to abuse the two angels who looked like men
when the angels visited the home of Abraham's nephew, Lot.
So the angels struck the threatening men with blindness.
Then the angels told Lot and his family to leave Sodom immediately
because it would soon be destroyed.
As soon as Lot and his family had left Sodom
the town was destroyed by a volcanic storm
My
recording of this reading
Psalm
95: Come ring out our joy to the Lord.
Hail the rock who saves us. Let us come before him giving thanks.
With songs let us praise the Lord.
A mighty God is the Lord,
a great king above all gods. In his hand are the depths of the earth.
The heights of the mountains are his. To him belongs the sea, for he made it,
and the dry land shaped by his hands. Come in, let us bow and bend low.
Let us kneel before the God who made us.
For he is our God and we are the people who belong to his pasture.
Lord, you are our Creator. Our
life comes from you. We praise and love you, Lord
Listen
1
Corinthians
1.18-2.9:
The language of the Cross doesn't make sense
for some people. But for us it is God's power to save. While the Jews demand miracles and the Greeks
require philosophy, here we are preaching a crucified Christ: to the Jews
an obstacle they cannot get over, to the pagans madness. During my stay with you, I relied not on
philosophy or my own efforts, but only on the power of the Spirit. The wisdom we teach is about things no eye has
seen, and no ear has heard, things beyond human understanding - all that
God has prepared for those who love him
Jesus, crucified Lord, please increase my
faith in you
Listen
John
5.1-14: Jesus again went up to Jerusalem for a Jewish
festival. In a building near the Sheep Gate, he saw many sick people.
One paralyzed man had been ill for 38 years. Jesus
said to him "Do you want to be well again?
Get up, pick up your bed and walk".
The man was healed at once. He picked up his bed and walked away.
After a while Jesus met him in the Temple and said to him "Now that
you are well, do not sin any more".
Jesus, if my sickness is due to some sin,
please forgive me and heal me
Listen
Reflection on the above readings: Sodomy
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10
years ago today: Day Two and Three of visit to poor areas, and Yunfu leper center, by students
& staff of Paul VI College
------------------------------------------
Quite a few times yesterday at Lai Chi Kok prison, after hearing sad tales of prisoners, I was able to get a smile from a sad face by mentioning the World Cup. When I asked "who would you like to win?" even the saddest face produced a smile
--------------------------------------
Please join me in praying for one part of the world each day:
Sun:
Africa
Mon: Europe,
Russia
Tues: South
Asia
Wed: East Asia
Thurs: S.E. Asia, Pacific
Frid: South
America
Sat: Cent. & N
America
Jesus,
today, Saturday,
please bless the people of Central
& North America
And
praying for prisoners in one
part of China each day of the month:
On this 7th
of the month, Jesus please bless the prisoners 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, Saturday,
please pacify the
Taliban
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Fri July 6
Recently I met someone who was not long ago in California ... where Drug Lords speak openly on TV about their business and even advertise their selling locations ... and where corrupt pharmaceutical companies are involved in the opioid crisis. Lord, have mercy!
Yesterday morning with another member of the No More Mules team I attended another encouraging meeting at the Consulate General of Colombia, followed by a lunch time meeting of the NMM team, followed by a meeting with Caritas HK, followed by the usual Thursday night meal with homeless people. No trouble sleeping last night.
Yesterday morning during breakfast I watched a somewhat offensive YouTube program in which John Oliver exposes the deception practised by some of America's televangelists. Worth watching for the info provided - here
Australian Chinese for Families - website has many new articles
Pope's new letter -
"Rejoice and Be Glad":
79. True justice comes about in people's
lives when they themselves are just in their decisions; it
is expressed in their pursuit of justice for the poor and the weak. While
it is true that the word "justice" can be a synonym for faithfulness
to God's will in every aspect of our life, if we give the word too general a
meaning, we forget that it is shown especially in justice towards those who are
most vulnerable: "Seek justice, correct oppression; defend the fatherless,
plead for the widow" (Is 1:17). Hungering and thirsting for
righteousness: that is holiness.
July: month of the Precious Blood of Jesus
An amazing story: The singing of a London tramp, made into a moving recording: Jesus' Blood Never Failed Me Yet (need to turn volume up ...and wait for sound to begin at about 28 seconds...then music at 4 mins). Words: Jesus' blood never failed me yet, Never failed me yet, Jesus' blood never failed me yet, There's one thing I know, For he loves me so
-------------------------------------------
The
Book Blog:
4 readings + recordings
Comments welcome here
Readings are from Simple
Bible
Genesis 18: One day at
Mamre, God
and two angels appeared to Abraham.
At first, God and the angels looked like men.
Following the ancient custom of hospitality
Abraham prepared a feast for them.
God told Abraham that the town of Sodom was going to be destroyed because of the evil done there.
Abraham pleaded with God not to destroy Sodom.
God agreed to postpone Sodom's destruction for a while.
Dear God, please
help people avoid sodomy
My
recording of this reading
Psalm
94: O Lord, Judge of the earth,
how long will the wicked crush the poor? The wicked say "God does not hear".
But can he who made the ear, not hear? Blessed are those whom the Lord teaches.
The Lord gives them peace in troubled times. When cares increase in my heart,
God's consolation calms my soul.
Lord, when cares and troubles
increase, please help us to trust in you.
Listen
1
Corinthians 1.1-10:
I, Paul, appointed by God to be an apostle,
send greetings to the church of God in Corinth. May God our Father and the
Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace. I never stop thanking God for all the graces
you have received through Jesus Christ. The witness to Christ has been strong among
you. God shares with us the life of his Son, Jesus.
God helps us to be faithful as followers of Jesus. I appeal to you to be united in belief and
practice.
Put an end to the differences between you
Jesus, Son of God, thank you for all the
graces I have received
Listen
John
4.46-53: Jesus went again to Cana in Galilee, where he
had changed water into wine. In Cana there was a royal official
whose son was dying in his home in the town of Capernaum.
The official asked Jesus to go to his home and cure his son.
"Sir", he said to Jesus, "come to my house before my child
dies". Jesus replied "Go
home. Your son will live". The official believed Jesus and started his
journey home. While on the journey, he was met by his servants who told him
the boy was alive and well. "The fever left him yesterday, they
said, "at 1pm". The father realized that this was the exact
time when Jesus had said "Your son will live". The
official and all his household then believed in Jesus
Jesus, (..name..) is sick.
Please heal him/her
Listen
Reflection on the above Bible readings: Never once did Jesus say "no" to a request for healing, even if the request entailed travelling.
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10 years ago today: Visit to poor areas by students & staff of HK PIME Kwai Chung Paul VI College
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For some years now I've carried a little plastic bag in my left trouser pocket .... containing pieces of raw ginger which I nibble during the day. Yesterday I offered a piece to one member of the No More Mules team ... who politely accepted .... but then .... his face instantly had a clear message: No More Ginger!
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Please join me in praying for one part of the world each day:
Sun: Africa
Mon: Europe,
Russia
Tues: South
Asia
Wed: East
Asia
Thurs: S.E. Asia, Pacific
Frid: S.
America
Sat: Cent, N. America
Jesus,
today, Friday,
please bless the people of South
America
And praying for
prisoners in one
part of China each day of the month:
On this 6th
of the month, Jesus please bless the prisoners of Hainan
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 Liberia
And praying for one Islam-related
intention each day of the week:
Jesus, today, Friday,
please bless all Muslims
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Thu July 5
More people are thinking of leaving HK. Why?
No report yet in English media. Computer can translate this
Chinese report:
81
year old (Colombian?) man from Johannesburg flight arrested HK airport
One of HK's well known Nigerian Drug Lords - Larry King - is holding a public party tomorrow 2pm in Nigeria. Check announcement at his FB page. My profile of Larry is here
Pope's new letter -
"Rejoice and Be Glad":
78. Jesus offers a justice other than that
of the world, so often marred by petty interests and manipulated in various
ways. Experience shows how easy it is to become mired in corruption, ensnared in
the daily politics of quid pro quo, where everything becomes business. How
many people suffer injustice, standing by powerlessly while others divide up the
good things of this life. Some give up fighting for real justice and opt
to follow in the train of the winners. This has nothing to do with the hunger
and thirst for justice that Jesus praises.
--------------------------------------------------------
The
Book Blog:
4 readings + recordings
Comments welcome here
Readings are from Simple
Bible
Genesis
17: God appeared to Abraham
and said to him
"I will make an everlasting covenant with you and your descendants.
As a sign of this covenant, all your males must be circumcised.
Baby boys must be circumcised when they are eight days old.
Also, Sarah your wife, even though she is old, will bear you a son.
You will name him Isaac."
Dear God, please bless
all the babies in the world
Recording
Psalm
93: The Lord is king, with majesty enrobed,
he has girded himself with power. The world you made firm, not to be moved.
From all eternity, O Lord, you are. The oceans and coastlines of the world
are majestic and powerful. But greater than the roar of mighty waters,
more glorious than the surging of the sea
is the Lord on high.
Such a Lord, such a Creator, such a God.
Truly your decrees are to be trusted.
Holiness is fitting to your house
O Lord, always and everywhere.
We praise you, Lord, our
Creator
Recording
Romans 16.1-25: Please welcome our friend Phoebe, a deaconess
in the church at Cenchrea.
She has helped many people, including myself. Greetings to all my friends in Rome,
especially Prisca and Aquila,
my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, who risked death to save my life. Be careful of people whose teaching is
suspect. Avoid them. Glory to him who is able to give you strength
to live according to the Good News
Jesus, help me live according to your Good
News.
Thank you for the beautiful letter to the Romans
Listen
John
4.34-36: Jesus said to his disciples "My food is
to do the will of the one who sent me, and to complete his work. Look around, look at the fields. They are ready for harvest".
Jesus, please encourage more people to be
Gospel workers, harvesting souls for eternal life
Listen
Reflection
on the above Bible readings: All
the evidence points to there being deaconesses in early Christianity (...
today's reading from Romans ..). May the Pope's commission on women deacons soon
move the Church to again have women deacons.
-----------------------------
10 years ago today: Welcome HK Notre Dame friends Maria & Dominic + Thank you Mr Zhang & friends for TV system for handicapped families
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As I walked from the new Whampao MTR (Metro) station yesterday afternoon to the Open University of HK (to enroll some prison inmates) I wasn't quite sure which exit to take when leaving the station, so I asked a lady who was heading in what I thought was the right direction. Turned out she was a student at OUHK and she kindly showed me the way ...in the process telling me she was from Shenzhen where her father works for ... Customs!
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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, Thursday,
please bless the people of
South East Asia
And
praying for prisoners in one
part of China each day of the month:
On this 5th
of the month, Jesus please bless the prisoners 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 Guinea
And
praying for one Islam-related intention
each day of the week:
Jesus, today, Thursday,
please pacify Al-Qaeda
--------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Wed July 4
Yesterday at Eastern Court I had the happiness of being with an inmate who had just been acquitted. He was over the moon. He was expecting to be given the date of his next hearing, but instead the Department of Justice made a simple announcement saying they were dropping the charge ....without even telling the inmate's lawyers. Thank you Jesus for that man's happiness. May other wrongly-arrested people know the same joy as soon as possible! (and see below!)
From Eastern Court I went to the Australian Consulate-General to collect my new passport .... then to a kind lawyer's office to sign a document for the official launching of the new NGO "Voice for Prisoners" .... then after a visit to the Catholic Centre chapel I went to Tsim Sha Tsui to the office of the Chinese University to enroll some prison inmates for courses. A happy day.
A very sad, but very important article by George
Monbiot:
As
our wildlife and ecosystems collapse, remembering is a radical act
Joint-ventures in China are now being "confiscated", international companies are being prevented from relocating to other nations, overseas business people are being arrested on false charges to force them into submission. Why? This really important Ming Pao editorial (June 29) explains why China's economy is in big trouble
Pope's new letter -
"Rejoice and Be Glad":
"Blessed
are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled"
77. Hunger and thirst are intense experiences, since they involve
basic needs and our instinct for survival. There are those who desire justice
and yearn for righteousness with similar intensity. Jesus says that they will be
satisfied, for sooner or later justice
will come. We can cooperate to make that possible, even if we may not
always see the fruit of our efforts.
--------------------------------------------------------
Chris McDonnell - a most relevant July 4 reflection:
A
broken dream
The current argument in the US is not between Democrats and Republicans; it is
between decency and autocracy.
-------------------------------------------------------
The
Book Blog:
4 readings + recordings
Comments welcome here
Readings are from
Simple Bible
Genesis 16: Abraham and his wife
Sarah had been married many years
but they did not have any children.
So Sarah said to Abraham,
"Take my slave Hagar and have children by
her."
When Hagar bore a son, Sarah was jealous and treated Hagar badly.
Hagar ran away from home, but God said to her
"Go back to your mistress and submit to her; I will bless all your
descendants."
Dear God, please help childless
couples to have a baby
My
recording of this reading
Psalm
92: It is good to give thanks to the Lord,
to make music to your name, O Most High, to proclaim your love in the morning,
and your truth right through the night. Your deeds, O Lord, have made me glad.
For the work of your hands, I shout with joy. To me you give the wild ox's strength.
You anoint me with the purest oil. May we love and praise you right through our
lives,
right till the end of our days. May we keep on proclaiming your goodness,
proclaiming that in you, our rock, there is only goodness.
Lord, it is right and fitting
to love and praise you
Listen
Romans
15.15-33: The reason I have written to you is to
encourage you in your faith. This is my job from God. He has appointed me as a priest of Jesus
Christ.
I must do all I can to spread the Good News. I hope to see you on my way to
Spain.
Please
pray for me that I may be protected from people who want to eliminate me.
Jesus, help me do all I can to spread your
Good News
Listen
John
4.1-14: Jesus visited a Samaritan town. Near a well
there, Jesus said to a Samaritan woman "Give me a drink".
He also said to her "If you drink water from this well, you
will get thirsty again. But if you drink the water that I shall give, you
will never be thirsty again.
The water that I shall give will turn into a spring of eternal life inside
you"
Jesus, please give me a drink of your eternal
life water - which is your Holy Spirit
Listen
Reflection on the above readings: Everyone likes to share good news. Every Christian has the duty, the privilege, of sharing THE Good News
-------------------------------------------------------
10 years ago today: Thank you once more Macau Hope Group for again running clinics for the poor at
Marco Polo Center (+ roof sprinkler + staff lunch)
------------------------------------------
Dedicated to inmate who was acquitted yesterday morning!
--------------------------------------
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
prisoners in one
part of China each day of the month:
On this 4th
of
the month, Jesus please bless the prisoners 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 Mozambique
And praying for one
Islam-related intention each day of the week:
Jesus, today, Wednesday,
please pacify Al-Shabaab
---------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------
My Africa trips:
2015: Tanzania, Malawi
2016:
Kenya, Uganda
2017:
Southern Africa, Dubai (
The
Last Run)
2018: My trip to Latin America
March 18, 2018: South China Morning Post report on my work
--------------------
Australian Chinese for Families Association
Gay marriage: an elephant in the room (by John W)
Video:
What "gay
marriage" did to Massachusetts
同志婚姻自2004年立法後,美國麻省的改變
( 廣東話附字幕版)
Frightening YouTube reports: LGBT radical impact on educational institutions (No. 5); LGBT infiltrating churches (No. 6); US corporations massively supporting LGBT agenda (No. 7). What has happened in the US is now starting to happen in other places. Some day our children will ask "why didn't you do more to stop this evil?"
--------------------------------------------
Pope's surprise visit to drug treatment centre
Pope is practising what he preaches: "get out and mix with the poor"
HK
readers might like to join me in praying each day for one group of HK
prison inmates: Sun:
Lo Wu; Mon: C.I.C., Siu Lam, Tai Lam; Tue: Stanley
Wed: Hei Ling Chau Thu: Lantau
Fri: Lai Chi Kok
Sat: Hospitals, Pik Uk & other centres
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Fr John Wotherspoon O.M.I. 胡
頌 恆 神 父
jdwomi@gmail.com
HK
mobile +852- 67095674
China
mobile +86-13828421861 - (only
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