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This plan follows the Sunday liturgy:  reading + psalm + reading + gospel       From  www.simplebible.info         Previous R-R-P 

O Holy Spirit, please guide me as I read these passages for today.                     
May these passages give me hope, strength, wisdom, compassion, courage and peace for my daily life     Chinese text

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 Reading - Reflection - Prayer   Feb 5, 2013 
With readers' comments, below                 

Reading:  Proverbs 25-26

Cloud and wind, but no rain.
Such is the person who makes a lot of promises
but doesn't keep them.

Don't over-tax your neighbor's hospitality.

If people who don't like you are hungry or thirsty,
give them something to eat or drink.
In this way you will shame them into being better people.

Rain comes by the north wind.
A ravaged face comes from  a backbiting tongue.

An open town, without defences.
Such is a person lacking self-control.

As a dog returns to its vomit
so foolish people return to their folly.

Interfering in the quarrels of other people
is like catching a stray dog by the tail.

No wood, and the fire goes out.
No talebearer, and quarrelling dies down.

Reflection:
To take just one idea from the above -"A ravaged face comes from a backbiting tongue".
See this article Do you have a critical spirit? which has the words:
From over 10,000 case studies, he discovered that there was a common trait with all his patients who suffered from severe tension. They were habitual fault-finders, constant critics of people and things around them. Those who were free from tension, were the least critical. His conclusions were that the habit of fault-finding is a prelude or mark of the nervous, or the mentally unbalanced. Those who wish to retain good emotional and mental health, should learn to free themselves from a negative and critical attitude.

Prayer:  Lord, please stop me from being  critical of other people

 

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.

Reflection:
"We are filled with contempt" ....contempt often goes with criticism.
See Criticism and Contempt

Prayer: Lord, please help me avoid criticism and contempt of others

 
Reading:  Revelation 19

After this I heard the sound of a huge crowd in heaven singing:
"Alleluia! Victory and glory and power to our God!"

The sound of the crowd  was like the sound of the ocean
or the roar of thunder as they called out:

"Alleluia! The reign of the Lord our God the Almighty has begun.
Let us be glad and joyful, and give praise to God,
because this is the time for the marriage of the Lamb"

And an angel said "Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding feast of the Lamb"

Reflection:
A few weeks ago in Australia I was at the home of my dear brother on the Gold Coast.
One night there was a rock concert at the local showground....several km away...but often the roar of some 30,000 people could be heard. Imagine the roar of hundreds of millions in Heaven!

Prayer: Jesus, even on this earth, may I start to hear the sounds of heaven

 
Reading:  John 20

That same Sunday evening, the doors were locked in the room where the disciples had gathered,
for fear of the religious leaders

But Jesus appeared and stood before them, saying "Peace be with you".
He showed them his hands and his side and said "As the Father sent me, so I am sending you"

Then he breathed on them, saying "Receive the Holy Spirit"

Thomas, one of the 12 apostles, was not there that night. 
When the other disciples said they had seen the Lord, he replied 
"Unless I see and touch his wounded body, I refuse to believe"

Eight days later, the group was again in the same house, with the doors locked.
This time Thomas was with them

Jesus again appeared and stood before them saying "Peace be with you". 
Then he said to Thomas "Put your hand into my side. Doubt no longer, but believe".
Thomas replied "My Lord and my God!"

Jesus said "You believe because you can see me. Blessed are those who have not seen me and yet believe"

Reflection:
"I refuse to believe" said Thomas. For us humans, belief is a decision: we can say "I refuse to believe" or we can say "I am willing to believe".  "I refuse to believe" is like locking the door of our heart to stop Jesus from coming in.
But, as with Thomas, Jesus can come through locked doors!

Prayer: Jesus, my Lord and my God, I believe in you. The door of my heart is open, Lord. Please come in!

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