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 Bible Blogs 

O Holy Spirit, may these passages give me hope, strength, wisdom, compassion, courage and peace for my daily life          Chinese text

  Reading:  Daniel 14  

In Babylon there was a temple with an idol named Bel
to which lots of food and drink were offered each day.

70 priests and their families  used to eat the food each night,
having entered the temple by a secret door.

The king believed Bel ate the food.
Daniel told him that an idol cannot eat anything.

The 70 priests called for Daniel to be executed
if he could not prove the idol was not eating the food.

Daniel got his servants to spread ashes over the temple floor.
Next morning he showed the king the footprints in the ashes.

The king had the 70 priests and their families executed.
The king had Bel destroyed.

Reflection: 
The word "idol" above needs to be carefully understood.
Here it means something made out wood or metal etc that people actually thought was alive ....and people actually worshipped. This is "idol worship", idolatry.
Not to be confused with a photo of our parents/spouse/children or a statue/photo of a famous person that we use to honor such people. Worship should be directed to God only. Worship directed to anyone or anything else is idolatry.

Prayer: Lord, please help people turn away from lifeless idols
 and serve you, the Creator of the world

Reading:  Psalm 119

They are happy who follow God's word,
those who seek God with all their hearts.

How can young people avoid evil?
By seeking you and obeying you, Lord.

Open my eyes, Lord, 
that I may understand the beauty of your word.

Lord, when I'm worried or  in trouble,
your word revives me and gives me strength.

Lord, keep my eyes from what is false.
Bend my heart to your word and not to love of gain.

The word from your mouth means more to me
than silver and gold.

The unfolding of your word gives light
and teaches simple people.

Reflection:
When we're "rattled", confused, "can't get going", "going round in circles"
....give a few minutes to Bible reading and notice the change:
God's word gives us energy, peace, strength and hope

Prayer: Lord, thank you for your word which gives peace to our hearts

Reading:  Romans 12

Do not let your love be superficial, but sincerely prefer good to evil.
Have a family love for each other, and a profound respect for each other

Persevere in your love for the Lord and your service of the Lord.
Hope will make you cheerful

Do not give up when trials come. Keep on praying.
Help people who are in need. Make hospitality your special care

Reflection:  
"Make hospitality your special care" features prominently in the movie We're No Angels (Robert di Niro, Debbi Moore). Hospitality featured prominently in the thinking of St Benedict (feast today!)  when he founded his monasteries. c.f. Monastic hospitality

Prayer: Jesus, please help me show hospitality to others, especially new comers and poor people

Reading: Mark 7     

Jesus went to the district of Tyre.
A foreign woman fell at his feet and begged him to expel a devil from her daughter

Jesus said "The children (= Jews)  should be fed first. It's not right to give the children's food to the house dogs (= foreigners)"

She replied "Ah yes, Sir, but the house dogs under the table can eat the children's scraps"

Jesus said to her "For expressing such great faith, you can go home happy. The devil has gone out of your daughter". 

She went home and found the child lying on a bed, and the devil gone

Reflection: 
Jesus must have smiled when the woman trumped his canine conversation. 
Their exchange was a challenging mind-game by which Jesus drew out the great and humble faith of the woman ...like a teacher or parent drawing out some fact from a child/student

Prayer: Jesus, please help us to draw out more faith from sick people