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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

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

 Reading - Reflection - Prayer   April 18, 2013 
With readers' comments, below  

 

Reading:  Isaiah 13 - 19

God will punish the world for its evil-doing.
Then  peoples' hearts will turn back to their Creator.

Then people will no longer worship idols made by human hands.
Instead, people will look towards their Creator.

The nations will be converted and know the Lord.
Egypt and Assyria will be blessed like Israel.

The Lord will give his blessing in these words:
"Blessed be my people Egypt,
blessed be
Assyria my creation, and blessed be Israel my heritage".

Reflection: 
What a beautiful piece: "Egypt, my people; Assyria (= Iraq), my creation; Israel, my heritage"

Prayer: Lord, please help all Middle East countries,
especially Israel, Egypt, Iran and Iraq, to be friends

 

Psalms 35-37

O Lord, please save me from people who slander me,
you who rescue the weak from the strong,

you whose love is so precious,
you in whose light we see light.

We believe that if we find our delight in you,
you will grant our heart's desire.

And so we commit our lives to you,
confident you will help us in time of trouble.

Reflection:
May my delight in God be as strong as my delight in using the internet!

Prayer: Lord, please increase my delight in you ...by knowing you and loving you more

 
Reading:  Acts 16

In the town of Lystra,  Paul recruited Timothy, whose mother was a Jewish Christian and whose father was Greek

As they visited one town after another, they announced the decisions taken in Jerusalem about what Jewish practices to follow

The local churches continued to grow strong in faith as well as grow in numbers

One night Paul had a vision: a Macedonian appeared and said "Come across to Macedonia and help us".
We immediately crossed the sea to Macedonia
(Luke was now with Paul)

Reflection:
Helping people often involves a crossing:
- crossing to the other side of the road, like the Good Samaritan
- crossing to another town/state/country


Prayer: 
Jesus, if someone asks me for help, may I say yes

 
Reading:  Matthew 17

One day Jesus heard his disciples arguing 
about which one of them was the most important.

Jesus got a little child to sit in front of them, and said 
"If you want to be great in God's eyes, become child-like.
In fact, unless you become child-like, you won't get to heaven.

And make sure you never cause harm to children like this one.
Remember, the protecting angels of children
are in the presence of my Father in heaven."

Reflection: 
Harm to children: may the Church find ways of making up for the harm done to children by Church leaders.
Maybe some special projects, particularly in poor countries,  to provide education and health care for poor children?

Prayer: Jesus, please help me to be more child-like, and please don't let me ever cause harm to children

Comments welcome here