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, wisdom, compassion, courage and peace for my daily life     Chinese text

  Reading:  Genesis 35-36  

God said to Jacob "Go to Bethel and live there."
so Jacob moved to the area of Bethel.

Not long after this,
Rachel conceived another baby.

But Rachel died in childbirth.
Jacob named the baby boy Benjamin.

In all, Jacob had 12 sons:
Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar and Zebulun
 - their mother being Leah;
Joseph and Benjamin
- their mother being Rachel;
Dan and Naphtali
- their mother being Bilhah;
Gad and Asher
- their mother being Zilpah.

Jacob and his family stayed in the land of Canaan,
the land of his father Isaac.

Esau and his family moved to the land of Edom.

Reflection: 
Like so many lists of names in the Bible and in other ancient documents, only sons are mentioned ....daughters not included. The above 12 sons surely had many sisters.  Recently I heard of a family in China where one of the grandmothers is happy to look after her grandsons....but not grand daughters.
May the human race soon get to the stage where women and men are on an equal footing ....right from the womb

Prayer: Dear God, please help all countries show proper respect to women

Reading: 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:  Galatians 2

14 years after that first visit, I again went to Jerusalem,
with Barnabas and Titus

I explained to the Christian leaders how I had been proclaiming the Good News to non-Jews

James, Peter and John shook hands with us as a sign of partnership.
We were to preach to the non-Jews, and they to the Jews

Reflection: 
James here is not the brother of John (James the apostle) but James the brother of Jesus ...which is why he had such importance in the Church ....even being mentioned ahead of Peter and John

Prayer: Jesus, please help all Christians to avoid disunity

Reading:  Luke 1

In the sixth month of Elizabeth's pregnancy, God sent the angel
Gabriel to the town of Nazareth in Galilee, to a virgin named Mary who was betrothed  to man named Joseph

The angel said to her "Mary, Rejoice! You have been greatly blessed by God.  You are to conceive and have a son whom you must name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of God"

Mary said to the angel, "How can this happen since I am a virgin?"

The angel replied "The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most High will specially bless you. Know this too: your cousin Elizabeth has, in her old age, conceived a son, and is now in her sixth  month"

"I am the handmaid of the Lord", said Mary, "let what you have said, be done for me".  And the angel left her

Reflection:
Tomorrow, September 8, is the feast of the birthday of Mary (not celebrated this year because it falls on a Sunday) ...so...today is a good day to have the above Gospel...and to say a special "Hail Mary" as a birthday wish to our heavenly mother

Prayer: God the Son, thank you for becoming a baby in Mary's womb