Computer Cud    Vatican II asks us to read the Bible every day,   'to have a burning love'   for the Word of God      Resolution

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   March 18, 2013 
With readers' comments, below                 

Reading:  Sirach 38-39

All healing is a gift of God.
To obtain healing:  pray to the Lord, ask forgiveness for sin,
then follow the doctor's advice.

Mourn for the dead  and honor their graves,
but do not let your heart be controlled by grief.

Ordinary working people have little time for study.
But the Lord blesses everyone who studies wisdom.

Reflection: 
Interesting, doctor's advice will be more successful if we pray! 
So, each time we go to the doctor, each time we reach for the Panadol,
let's also pray.
And maybe if we pray a bit better, we won't need the doctor/Panadol so often

Prayer: Doctor Jesus, please heal  (..name..) who is sick

 

Psalms  17-18

Lord,  when trouble breaks out on every side,
please protect and help me.

For you are my strength, my rock, my fortress, my savior.
I love you, Lord who save me because you love me.

Lord, you are my lamp who lightens my life.
I will praise you among the nations.

Reflection:
God helps us and saves us not for money or power....but because he loves us.
Just as parents help their children not for money or power....but for love

Prayer:  Lord, thank you for loving and helping us

 
Reading:  Acts 9

After a few days, Saul began preaching in the prayer halls that Jesus is the Son of God.
People were amazed at Saul's conversion

As time past, the Jews planned to kill Saul. Saul heard of this and decided to leave the city. 
The Jews kept watch at the city gates to stop him leaving

Then one night he was able to escape: some disciples lowered him in a basket from the city wall

He went to Jerusalem and began preaching boldly in the name of the Lord

Soon another plot was made to kill him. Therefore the disciples sent him to Tarsus

After this the churches throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria were left in peace. 
They steadily grew,
strengthened by the Holy Spirit

Reflection:
Paul's story is repeated in the lives of many people who become Christians
....and are ridiculed and even persecuted by their family and friends

Prayer: 
Holy Spirit, please strengthen people who become Christians in the face persecution
..... as you
strengthened Saul and the first believers

 
Reading:  Matthew 13

Jesus said to the people:

The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed.
It's the smallest of all seeds.
But it becomes a big bush,  then a big tree that the birds live in.

The kingdom of heaven is like yeast which leavens flour.

The kingdom of heaven is like  treasure in a field.
Someone finds it, then sells all they have to buy the field.

The kingdom of heaven is like a fishing net that catches all sorts of fish. 
Good fish are put in a basket. Useless fish are thrown away.
So at the end of time, bad people will be thrown into hell.

Reflection: 
Re the fishing net: see second part of this article "Mending our nets".
One of many urgent jobs for Pope Francis

Prayer: Jesus, please help Pope Francis mend the nets!

Please feel free to add  insights and prayers in the comment box below

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