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 us hope, wisdom, compassion,
courage and peace for our daily life
     Chinese text

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

 Bible Blog   October 10, 2013     Comments welcome here

  Reading:  Exodus 9 

Pharaoh's advisers urged him to let the Israelites go.
They said to him "How much longer is this affair going to go on?
Let the Israelites go before Egypt is ruined."

Pharaoh agreed to let the men go, but not the rest of the people.

So God sent two more plagues on the Egyptians:
locusts which devoured all the plants and trees
and then three days of total darkness,
except in the land where the Israelites lived.

But even after the above nine plagues,
Pharaoh still wouldn't let the Israelites go.

Reflection:
Pharaoh cared more about getting his way than what was happening to his country. A country is in trouble if its politicians follow such behaviour

Prayer: Dear God, stubbornness can sometimes be a good thing,
 but please don't let me be stubborn if that will hurt other people

 

Reading: Psalm 51

Have mercy on me, God, in your kindness,
and cleanse me of my sin.

My offences truly I know them.
What is evil in your sight I have done.

But in my defence please don't forget that sinfulness is part of the human condition, part of our DNA.

A pure heart create for me, O God.
Put a steadfast spirit within me.

Give me again the joy of your help.
With a spirit of fervor sustain me.

Reflection: 
Most people have a shower every day.
No shower....smell.
We also need a spiritual shower every day....to clean off the day's shortcomings.
Spiritual shower: before sleep at night...an "Our Father" to thank God for the blessings of the day
and to ask pardon for the day's shortcomings/failures/sins

Prayer: Lord, you will not spurn a humbled, contrite heart

 

Reading:  Ephesians 5 

Follow Christ by loving as he loved us

Among you there must be not even a mention of promiscuity or impurity in any of its forms

There must be no coarseness, or salacious talk and jokes
 - all this is wrong for you

Reflection: 
Dirty jokes dirty ourselves....and those who hear us

Prayer: Jesus, help me control my mind and my tongue

 

Reading:  Luke 6

One Sabbath day Jesus and his disciples were walking through a cornfield. 
The disciples were hungry. They picked some ears of corn and ate them

Picking corn on the Sabbath was regarded as unlawful by the Pharisees.
So the Pharisees said to Jesus "Your disciples are breaking the Sabbath law"

Jesus replied "Don't you remember what King David and his followers once did when they were hungry? They ate the Temple bread which only the priests were allowed to eat

I am Master of the Sabbath"

Reflection:
Sometimes it's ok to break laws...especially unreasonable human laws

Prayer: Jesus,  please help me understand
 that love is more important than law