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

Reading:  Isaiah 51, 52

Pay attention to me, you peoples.
Listen to me, you nations.

The islands put their hope in the Lord.
They put their trust in his strength.

How beautiful on the mountains
are the feet of one who brings good news,
who proclaims peace and salvation,
and tells Zion "Your God is king!"

Break into shouts of joy, you ruins of Jerusalem,
for the Lord is redeeming his people.

All the ends of the earth
shall see the salvation of our God.

Reflection: 
I thought of the above words a few weeks ago after I obtained a bail release order for an inmate, and I was on the way to deliver the order to the inmate's detention centre. I thought to myself "my feet are bringing good news".  We can bring good news to others in all sorts of ways: e.g. giving someone a smile or an encouraging word

Prayer: Lord, please help me bring good news to others

Save me, O God, for the waters have risen to my neck.
I am sinking fast and can't keep afloat much longer.

So many people hate me without cause.
I have no more strength to resist them.

May my situation not cause anyone to lose faith in you.
May people realize that it is for your sake that I am taunted.

Taunts have broken my heart.
No one shows me any compassion.

For food they give me poison.
In my thirst they give me vinegar to drink.

Lord, do not hide your face from your servant.
Answer quickly for I am in distress.

You are my rescuer, my help, O God.
O Lord, do not delay to help me.

Reflection: 
"Hate without cause" - these words are applied especially to Jesus.
Paul explains why Christians can expect the same treatment: because the Spirit of Jesus is in them, and the Spirit's presence sends out signals that cause "non-spiritual" or "less-spiritual" people to react

Prayer: O God come to our  assistance. Lord make haste to help us ...especially when people hate us without cause

So remarkable were the miracles worked by God through Paul,
that even handkerchiefs which had touched him, were taken to the sick, 
and they were healed and evil spirits came out of them

Some believers admitted how they had practised magic.
They collected their expensive books on magic and burnt them in public

Things like these helped the word of the Lord to continue spreading

Reflection:
Every Christian, every day, should ask: 
what can I do today to help the spreading of the Lord's word?

Prayer: Jesus, what can I do to help your message spread today?

Jesus told the people to respect their religious leaders, but he condemned the religious leaders
-  for not practising what they preached
- for doing things just to attract attention
- for craving front seats and places of honor
- for being concerned only with externals

Jesus called the religious leaders
-  "hypocrites"
- "blind guides"
- "tombs that look good on the outside but are  full of dead bones".

Reflection: 
Towards the ordinary people, even those who were "big sinners", Jesus showed extraordinary compassion. For Jesus to to have to use such strong language towards the religious leaders showed their extraordinary resistance to God's grace 

Prayer: Jesus, help religious leaders be good people