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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

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

 Bible Blog   August 2, 2013 

  Reading:  Genesis 3 (back to the start of The Book!)
  

A creature hostile to God took the form of a snake
and tempted the first man and first woman.

The snake tempted them to disobey God.
The man and woman then disobeyed God.

When God asked them why they disobeyed him,
the man blamed the woman, and the woman blamed the snake.

God said to the snake:
"You are the enemy of the human race.
Someday a member of the human race will defeat you."

God said to the man and woman:
"From dust you came  and to dust you will return."

The first man's name was Adam (meaning "man").
The first woman's name was Eve (meaning "life").

Reflection: 
If Adam and Eve had been Chinese, there would have been no disobedience problem:
they would have eaten the snake!

Prayer: 
Dear God, please protect us from the influence of creatures/people who are hostile to you

 

Reading: Psalm 136

O give thanks to the Lord for he is good,
for his great love is without end.

It was his wisdom which made the skies,
for his great love is without end.

It was he who made the sun, moon and stars,
for his great love is without end.

It was he who rescued and protected his people Israel,
for his great love is without end.

He gives food to all living things,
for his great love is without end.

To the God of heaven give thanks,
for his great love is without end.

Reflection:
People who have near death experiences speak about coming into the presence of an overpowering source of love that totally blows their minds when they realise how much they are loved. That source of love fills the universe, and compared with it, evil in the universe is like a grain of sand on a vast beach  (c.f. "Proof of Heaven" p. 83)

Prayer: We praise you, Lord, for your great love is without end

 

Reading:  1 Corinthians 5

Get rid of all evil and wickedness from your life. 
Replace them with sincerity and truth

People who do wrong will not inherit the kingdom of God: people of immoral lives, idolaters, adulterers, catamites, sodomites, thieves, usurers, drunkards, slanderers and swindlers

Some of you were like that once, but now you have been washed clean and sanctified by Jesus Christ and his Spirit

Reflection: 
In Brazil Pope Francis called on all Christians, especially young people, not to give up the fight against evil and wickedness and injustice

Prayer: Jesus, please help all Christians, especially young people, to keep fighting "the good fight"

 

Reading: Mark 10

As  Jesus was leaving Jericho on his way to Jerusalem,
many people followed him along the road

Sitting by the road was a man  who had become blind.
His name was Bartimaeus ("son of Timaeus").
When he heard that Jesus was going past,
he called out "Son of David, have pity on me"

Some people tried to stop him from calling out,
but he shouted even more loudly " Son of David, have pity on me"

Jesus stopped and said to him "What do you want me to do for you?"
He replied "Lord, let me see again"

Jesus said to him "Go, your faith has saved you".
Immediately his sight returned, and he followed Jesus along the road

Reflection:
Two days ago when getting off a ferry, I met a mother and her blind-from-birth 13 year old son. I've met them a few times over the past couple of years and I've been encouraging the boy to pray "Jesus, please help me see". As I repeated such encouragement this time, I thought to myself "Am I giving them false hope?"
But then I remembered last Sunday's Gospel: "Ask and you shall receive"

Prayer Jesus, please let 13 year old Stephen see

Comments welcome here