Farmer of Hearts - How Not to Miss God’s Voice

In his message for the 38th World Youth Day, Pope Francis described the virtue of hope in this way:“Christian hope is no facile optimism, no placebo for the credulous: it is the certainty, rooted in love and faith, that God never abandons us and remains faithful to his promise: “Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil, for you are with me” (Psalm 23:4).In daily life, we often hear people use the words "hope" or "optimism" in conversation. But what is the difference between the two? And how is Christian hope, that is, hope as a virtue, different from the everyday concept of "hope"?Many people tend to confuse hope with optimism, but they are not the same. The main difference is that optimism is a general expectation of positive outcomes, often based on favourable conditions or outlooks. Hope, on the other hand, inspires action and carries the power to make things better. Optimism is a passive state of mind, while hope motivates us to act and to set goals.The world often defines "hope" as the desire for something attainable in this life, such as success, health, or a comfortable lifestyle. But Christian hope, the theological virtue, goes far beyond earthly desires. It centers on the reality of heaven and eternal life with God. Even though the things of this world are temporary and imperfect, our ultimate fulfillment is found in eternal union with God.Pope Francis continued in his message:Christian hope is not a denial of sorrow and death; it is the celebration of the love of the risen Christ, who is always at our side, even when he seems far from us. “Christ himself is our great light of hope and our guide in the night, because he is ‘the bright morning star’” (Christus Vivit, 33).Christian hope is not based on wishful thinking, but on the very nature of God, who is faithful, merciful, and almighty. As Scripture reminds us in Numbers 23:19: “God is not a human being, that he should lie, or a mortal, that he should change his mind. Has he promised, and will he not do it? Has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?” Because of God’s nature, we can trust His promises, even in situations that seem impossible. This trust is the foundation of Christian hope.As Christians, our hope is ultimately directed toward heaven. We believe that this earthly life is a pilgrimage, and our true home is in heaven, with our Father. This kind of hope shapes our worldview, helping us to look beyond the present and focus on eternity. As it says in Colossians 3:2: “Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.”Our anchor of hope is Jesus Christ. Through His death and resurrection, He opened the way to heaven for us. Our hope rests on His sacrifice and the promise of eternal life. This anchor holds us steady during the storms of life, because we know our eternal future is secure in the faithfulness of Jesus.To be a Christian filled with hope does not mean to be blindly optimistic in all things, but to have a deep and unwavering trust in God's promises, to firmly believe in the reality of heaven, and to entrust our soul to Jesus Christ. This kind of hope transforms our lives, giving us strength, peace, and purpose as we journey toward our eternal home.ReflectionAre you more of an optimist, or someone who is truly filled with hope? When facing adversity, do you respond passively, or take action with a positive mindset?What is the foundation of your hope? Earthly things, or heavenly realities? Are you full of hope in general sense or full of the virtue of hope?After today’s reflection, in what ways might your understanding of Christian hope need adjusting?Today’s PrayerLord Jesus Christ, thank You for once again revealing to me the true meaning of hope. I know that the worries and temptations of this world often turn my gaze toward earthly desires, making me forget that You are the true rock of my hope. It is through Your death and resurrection that the path to heaven has been opened for me.Please strengthen my faith, so that my hope may also become more solid, anchored not in earthly treasures, but in the treasures of heaven. Teach me, Lord, and gently remind me to set my mind on things above, not on things that are on earth.Lord Jesus, help me to recognize You as my light of hope in this life, and lead me through the darkness, step by step, into the light and ever closer to You.--------------------The following is the “Farmer of Hearts: Finding Hope in God’s Kingdom” team, including FLL staff and volunteers.Please kindly pray for them. May God protect them and sustain their physical, mental and spiritual well-being.Writer: Paul YeungProject Manager: Michael Lam, Rosa TseEditors: Bonny Chan, Rosa TseEnglish Editors: Bonny Chan, Paul YeungMandarin Editor: Anthony X.Cantonese Narrator: Margaret WooEnglish Narrator: J. JohnsonMandarin Narrator: C. ZhouAudio Editors: Cyan Cheung, Sander Lee, Margaret WooYouTube Editors: Arnold Chan, Cyan Cheung, Sander LeeGraphics: Francis Lai, Carmen Tsang, Ro

I hope that yesterday’s reflection has helped you to revisit the promises Christ has made to us. Among the four main promises of Christ, most people may focus on or most long for the promises of “salvation” and “eternal life”, while the promises of “God is with us” and “the Holy Spirit” may receive less attention. Let us reflect more deeply on this.Everyone has their own understanding and feelings about “eternal life” or “going to heaven.” Of course, no one has a concrete concept of it, but our impressions often revolve around a subjective desire, to eventually enjoy the joy of eternal life. This is likely one of the main reasons many people “believe in God”. Another is the hope of reuniting with loved ones in our heavenly home. However, the meaning of “eternal life” goes far beyond reunion with family or simply avoiding hell. At its core, it is the hope to be forever with God, who created us and loves us to the end.Sadly, what we often pursue are only the benefits God gives us, not God Himself. Therefore, when it comes to Christ’s promises, we tend to focus on our own benefits rather than seeing from God’s perspective. Our eyes are more often fixed on the gifts we desire to receive, rather than on the Giver who gives them to us. When we centre our attention on what we want, we easily overlook the gift God has prepared for us. If our view of “heaven” and “hell” is limited to shallow concepts of reward and punishment, eternal happiness and eternal damnation, we miss the greatest gift God has prepared for us, which is God Himself! This gap in expectations will seriously affect how we live our present life and, in the end, influence our ultimate destiny.So while we long for “eternal life”, we must not forget to focus our thoughts and efforts on how to make the most of our earthly pilgrimage and build a relationship with God, who has given Himself to us. The other two main promises of Christ, namely, "God is with us" and "the Holy Spirit" become crucial. These promises not only help us live this life well, but also realign our attitudes and expectations toward eternal life and our relationship with God. Let us begin by exploring the promise that “God is with us.”Since our ultimate relationship is with God, we must begin building that intimate connection with Him here in this life. We need to learn and practice how to accompany God, fostering a habit of being with Him, and a willingness and desire to be accompanied by Him. This is something we need to adapt to, not only because we cannot see or touch God with our physical senses, but also because we are often reluctant to spend time with God. Another potential barrier is our unwillingness to let others, even God, enter into our space or challenge our sense of control. We fear that God’s presence may “disrupt” our plans, and this leads us, consciously or unconsciously, to avoid moments of solitude with Him. But we must know that God’s intervention is an intervention of grace. If we insist on taking control and refuse to let God into our comfort zone, the Holy Spirit cannot guide our lives, and we’ll be left navigating with our own flawed internal compass. This opens the door for the enemy to attack.If we truly believe that God is almighty and deeply concerned with our greatest good, then we should not resist His presence in our lives. Rather, we should allow this loving God to be involved in every aspect of our lives and decisions, big and small. Let us not leave this poor and patient God waiting forever at the door, unable to share life’s joys and sorrows with us. Remember, when God enters our life, it is like the blessing Jesus gave to the newlyweds at the wedding in Cana!The promise that “God is with us” is like the presence of heaven on earth. It allows us a foretaste of the infinite sweetness of being united with God in heaven, and stirs in us a deeper longing for eternal life.ReflectionDoes your understanding of heaven and hell remain limited to the concepts of reward and punishment, eternal happiness and eternal punishment? What insight or change has today’s reflection brought to you?Can you recall a time in your life when you shut God out? Can you sense how God might have felt in those moments?In prayer, feel God’s presence with you. With an open heart, listen to what He wants to say to you, and how He is inviting you.Today’s PrayerMy Heavenly Father, I thank You for the opportunity You gave me today, which helped me realize how much my concepts of heaven and hell, and my understanding of eternal life and eternal punishment, still need to be refined. This reflection has made me aware that I was not fully focused on my relationship with You, but on my own benefit!I feel deeply saddened and sorry for the hurt my selfish mindset has caused You. Abba Father, I am truly sorry!I ask myself: Isn’t everything I have a gift from You? Aren’t You far more precious than anything I possess?I am shocked by my self-centeredness and how it has led me to reject Your prese

Throughout our retreat, we have repeatedly emphasized that hope is built upon our trust in the promises of Christ. But what exactly do these promises represent? What do they mean to you personally? What comes to mind first when you hear about them?Most of us may first think of eternal life or salvation… but let us explore these promises more deeply.The promises of Christ can generally be categorized into four key aspects. The first is that He is with us. From the beginning of creation, from the Old Testament to the New Testament, God has always desired to be with humans He created. This longing of God was fully manifested in the life of Jesus. His coming fulfilled the words spoken by the prophet: "They shall name him Emmanuel, which means 'God is with us.'" (Matthew 1:23)On the night before His Passion, Jesus, as the High Priest, prayed to the Father for the faithful: "As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us…” (John 17:21) Jesus continued: “I in them and you in me, that they may become completely one, so that the world may know that you have sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. Father, I desire that those also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am.…" (cf. John 17:20-26)Before ascending to heaven, Jesus reaffirmed this promise to His disciples: "And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age." (Matthew 28:20)This unceasing desire of the Father, to be with us every day and to be one with us, is clearly revealed in Jesus’ prayer to the Heavenly Father. But the core of this promise is not just about His presence among us, but that He assures us that He will provide everything we need, granting us grace and strength to fulfill the mission He has entrusted to us.The second main promise of Christ is Salvation. This promise requires us to accept Jesus as our Saviour with a repentant heart, and to be reconciled with God through the cleansing of the Sacrament of Baptism, so that we can become the children of God.The third main promise of Christ is the promise of eternal life. Once we have received God’s salvation, we are no longer under the power of sin and death. Jesus, as our Mediator, reunites us with the Father and allows us to partake in the divine life of the Holy Trinity. He shares with us the glory He received from the Father, so that we, as believers, may share in God’s eternal life through Jesus.The fourth main promise of Christ is the promise of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is our guide and protector, leading us to the Truth of Christ. As the Spirit of Truth, He not only watches over us but also grants us spiritual gifts that sanctify us and empower us to live a holy life, as well as to respond to the call of our Heavenly Father. Through this process, we will be transformed by the Holy Spirit and become more like Christ, restoring our original image as created by the Father.Our understanding and trust in these promises of Christ become the source and the true foundation of our hope. By embracing them, we gain strength in our close relationship with God and will discover the purpose and direction of our lives.ReflectionDo you truly believe in the promises of Christ? Do you believe in them deep within your heart, or do you believe it in your head, intellectually? Please share with God in prayer what you still have reservations about.Do you long for the "Promises of Christ"? What do you most yearn for?In your prayer, invite the Holy Spirit to enlighten you on how to embrace these promises of Christ in your life.Today’s PrayerDear Lord Jesus, I am grateful for the insights the Holy Spirit has given me today. I now understand that Your incarnation was not only to free me from the bondage of sin and eternal punishment, but also to bring me new hope, showing me that the Father’s plan for me is filled with promise and purpose, giving me a future with hope.Thank You for Your promises! For being present in my life, for the gift of salvation and eternal life, for Your promise of sharing Your glory with me, and for the most precious gift, Your Holy Spirit. All of these reveal the depth of Your love for me in the most tender way.I realize that You want to ensure that I have adequate protection and support during my pilgrimage on earth, and that I am protected from harm by my enemies. Today, I really felt it... I felt that You have held nothing back for my sake! You have poured out Your heart and love for me completely.Lord Jesus, let me say to You once again: I love You!--------------------The following is the “Farmer of Hearts: Finding Hope in God’s Kingdom” team, including FLL staff and volunteers.Please kindly pray for them. May God protect them and sustain their physical, mental and spiritual well-being.Writer: Paul YeungProject Manager: Michael Lam, Rosa TseEditors: Bonny Chan, Rosa TseEnglish Editors: Bonny Chan, Paul YeungMandarin Editor: Anthony X.Cantonese Narrator: Margaret WooEnglish Narrator: J. JohnsonMandarin Narrator: C. ZhouAudio Ed

There was a passage in the reflection from two days ago:"God desires that this true love continue to be passed on through us. What is required is an unwavering hope, a hope that teaches us to be like Mother Mary, who does not question but simply believes, obeys, and follows, all the way to the foot of Christ’s Cross." This statement may cause discomfort, disagreement, or even rejection. Don’t ask anything, just believe, and even obey unto death. What kind of reasoning is this?Why do we associate "hope" with the cross? Wasn’t crucifixion one of the cruelest punishments in the Roman Empire, used to execute criminals and suppress dissent? Wasn’t there great injustice and even wrongful convictions behind it?Indeed, in human relationships, we often have a mindset of "speaking out against injustice." We strive to prevent unfairness, and when injustice occurs, we want to seek justice for the victims. This is a natural reaction, as we all have an innate sense of conscience. However, it is not God’s way.We noticed that neither Jesus nor Mother Mary protested against the injustice that Jesus suffered. Instead, they silently accepted it, revealing that God’s perspective and actions differ from ours.When feelings of unfairness take root in our hearts, they fuel our anger. This anger blinds us, allowing us to see only the surface of things, preventing us from handling unfair situations with a heart of mercy. When we are consumed by righteous anger, we act against people rather than addressing the issue itself. In the end, we resort to harming others to solve problems, falling into the devil’s trap!We must understand that if we firmly believe in the promise of eternal life and trust that our God is just, then we will recognize that fairness is not determined by earthly outcomes. Instead, we will be willing to leave the final judgment to our Lord Jesus Christ. Conversely, if our short-sightedness drives us to fight for fairness in this world, we may fall into the devil’s trap. The devil seeks to rob us of our peace and hope in the pursuit of fairness, stealing away our merciful hearts.Let us recall the parable of the prodigal son. The elder son, feeling his father was unfair, became estranged from both his father and younger brother. He sacrificed family harmony and unity, allowing himself to be consumed by anger and resentment. The devil thus successfully led the elder son away from his father.In contrast, Jesus suffered the greatest evil in human history and was condemned in the most unjust trial before being executed. Yet, He first pleaded with the Father for those who killed Him:"Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing." (Luke 23:34) These were the first words Jesus spoke from the cross!If God, out of love for us, was willing to give up His own right to justice, shouldn't we also learn from Jesus’ example on the cross to overcome the devil’s temptations?Ultimately, what most often causes us to stumble in this world is not misfortune or suffering itself, but whether we perceive a situation as fair. The devil wants us to believe that God is unfair to us! Only by having true hope in the Kingdom of Heaven and eternal life can we see through the devil’s deception and know that from an eternal perspective, God is the only one who is truly fair and trustworthy!ReflectionAre you someone who pursues fairness in everything in life? Have you ever lost your inner peace due to anger over unfairness?Do you think God is unfair? Do you trust that He holds the authority of final judgment and that He is absolutely fair?Through today’s reflection, examine whether you have true hope. In what areas do you need to make adjustments?Today's PrayerHeavenly Father, thank You for giving me the opportunity today to reflect on the question of fairness in life. You have helped untie some of the knots in my heart. I have been confused and angered by the unfairness in this world. Confusion makes me feel lost, anger makes me hard-hearted, and I feel disgust and hatred towards those who create unfairness!But what surprised me even more today is realizing that my anger stems from doubting whether You are a fair God. I have even blamed You for the painful experiences in my life, thinking that You ignored me or treated me unfairly.This makes me feel deeply ashamed. I am ashamed to stand before You. Please deliver me from this state. Do not let me drown in guilt or lack faith in You. Thank You for showing me Your loving face again! Please soften my heart and let Your merciful eyes restore my hope in You!--------------------The following is the “Farmer of Hearts: Finding Hope in God’s Kingdom” team, including FLL staff and volunteers.Please kindly pray for them. May God protect them and sustain their physical, mental and spiritual well-being.Writer: Paul YeungProject Manager: Michael Lam, Rosa TseEditors: Bonny Chan, Rosa TseEnglish Editors: Bonny Chan, Paul YeungMandarin Editor: Anthony X.Cantonese Narrator: Margaret WooEnglish Narr

On the fourth day of our retreat, we mentioned that "Pilgrimage is a time of conversion and renewal. A pilgrimage signifies not just a journey but a purposeful movement toward a destination and a higher goal.”If life becomes stagnant, it turns into a dead pool of water. It can no longer be called a journey, let alone a pilgrimage. Such a life is meaningless, and it would be in vain that Jesus died for us and did everything He has done for us.Yesterday, we discussed that the true driving force that propels us forward in life is the virtue of hope. You may ask yourself, "Is that really true?"Indeed it is easy to argue against this point because when life is smooth and trouble-free, we can move forward without needing much hope. Isn’t that so? But do not forget, although it is easy to move forward when things are going well, it is also easy to lose direction. In good times, we are more inclined to choose the broad and easy path rather than the narrow path.On the other hand, when we experience adversity, facing trials and hardships, hope shows its power. The driving force that moves us forward does not come from ourselves but from the foundation behind hope, that is, the "anchor", the "cornerstone", which is the promise of Christ. Also, because when we are in adversity, our own abilities are limited, we learn not to rely on our strength but instead to rely on the power and grace of the Holy Spirit.During difficult times, when we walk with God through our struggles, hope draws us closer to Him. It helps us focus more on the meaning of life, stay vigilant, find our sense of direction, and better understand the meaning of the narrow path. This makes it easier for us to choose the path that aligns with God's will.This is the Way of the Cross! It is not a road of punishment from God but rather the ultimate proof of His boundless love for us! Because the one who suffers most is not us; it is God. The one who pays the greatest price is not us; it is Him! In the end, the Way of the Cross is not a path that God forces upon us, but one that He first chose for our sake! Mother Mary also chose it! The saints throughout history chose it as well! Now, it is time for us to make our choice, for no one else can make this choice for us, not even God!Clearly, hope does not merely push us forward; it also helps us shift our focus from self-centeredness and self-reliance to centering our lives on Jesus Christ and depending on the help of the Holy Spirit. Hope helps us fix our gaze on the ultimate destination of our earthly pilgrimage, our heavenly home and eternal life. Because of this, hope can be seen as the navigation system of our life and the compass guiding us to our final destination.If we can grasp the true meaning of hope, we will better understand why God chose the Way of the Cross as His expression of love for us.ReflectionPlease look back at your life. In which situations did you need hope the most to guide your way? What was the source of your hope in those moments?During your darkest days, did hope shift your focus, drawing you closer to God and helping you rely more on His power and guidance? In prayer, reflect on how hope has brought you closer to Him.After today’s reflection, do you better understand why God chose the Way of the Cross as His expression of love for you? Will you also choose this path in response to His love?Today’s PrayerDear Jesus, thank You for today’s reflection, which has helped me better understand why You ask me to take up my cross and follow You. You first chose the way of the Cross, allowing me to recognize the true face of love, to understand what true love is, and to learn how to love.Please help me not only to be willing to carry my cross but to embrace it, for it represents Your love for me. Through this newfound understanding, I want to learn to appreciate the Cross and cherish the opportunity to draw closer to You through it.Help me, Lord, that when I face adversity again, I may steadfastly choose You and willingly accept the cross You have tailor-made for me. May I be sincerely grateful for Your companionship on the Way of the Cross.--------------------The following is the “Farmer of Hearts: Finding Hope in God’s Kingdom” team, including FLL staff and volunteers.Please kindly pray for them. May God protect them and sustain their physical, mental and spiritual well-being.Writer: Paul YeungProject Manager: Michael Lam, Rosa TseEditors: Bonny Chan, Rosa TseEnglish Editors: Bonny Chan, Paul YeungMandarin Editor: Anthony X.Cantonese Narrator: Margaret WooEnglish Narrator: J. JohnsonMandarin Narrator: C. ZhouAudio Editors: Cyan Cheung, Sander Lee, Margaret WooYouTube Editors: Arnold Chan, Cyan Cheung, Sander LeeGraphics: Francis Lai, Carmen Tsang, Rosa TseWebsite: Patricia Young, Angela WongPodcast: Angela WongSocial Media: Yollie Leung, Carmen Tsang, Rosa TseTheme Music:"3 MINUTES RELAXATION MUSIC | 4K Scenic View of Tuscany" by Introvert Pianist https://www.youtube.com/@introvertpianist“S

Yesterday’s reflection affirmed an undeniable truth: even the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of the Son of God, was not exempt from experiencing suffering and trials in this world. She, too, had to carry her cross daily and follow Christ.In fact, even Jesus Himself, being the Son of God, the most noble King, the revered rabbi, and the long-awaited Messiah, did not choose to save humanity with His power, glory, or majesty. Instead, He chose to stand before His creation, before His devoted followers, before His beloved apostles and women disciples, and even before His enemies, stripped of His garments, scourged to the brink of death, and ultimately crucified, naked and humiliated, for all to see. Imagine yourself in His place—what would that feel like?The way of the Cross is the way of God's love. The Father chose it. Jesus chose it. Mother Mary chose it. The saints throughout history have chosen it. What about you?This is the true face of love, completely unmasked, laid bare before us. God does not seek to prove to us how much He loves us; rather, He longs for us to experience His unreserved love. This love is what leads us back to Him. His ultimate purpose is not for Himself but for us, for our salvation and eternal happiness. This is a true loving relationship, and it cannot be conveyed in any other way. This is also the price of true love!God desires that this true love continue to be passed on through us. What is required is an unwavering hope, a hope that teaches us to be like Mother Mary, who does not question but simply believes, obeys, and follows, all the way to the foot of Christ’s Cross.In his message for the thirty-eighth World Youth Day, Pope Francis quoted a poem on hope by the French writer Charles Péguy. The beginning of the poem beautifully portrays the relationship between the three theological virtues, faith, hope, and love, as three sisters journeying together. Let us now savour the meaning of this poem:“Hope, the little one, walks beside her two older sisters, practically unseen.〔……〕Yet she, the little one, drags everything along.Because Faith only sees what exists.And Charity only loves what exists.But Hope loves what will be.〔……〕She is the one who makes the others keep walking;She is the one who leads them on,and makes them all walk together”(The Portico of the Mystery of the Second Virtue, 1977, pp. 17-19).This poem offers a delicate yet profound depiction of the interplay between the three theological virtues of faith, hope, and love. It makes us realize that although hope may seem small and insignificant in the eyes of many, it carries the crucial role of leading and driving both faith and love. This poem also invites us to re-examine our attitude towards and respect for hope, because by neglecting it, we will ultimately lose faith, love, and even our relationship with Jesus, who gave everything for us!ReflectionImagine yourself in the place of Jesus. Try to experience with empathy what He endured, bearing the Cross, suffering humiliation, and dying for us on the Cross while others watched and despised Him.Can you recognize the importance of hope in the lives of Jesus and Mother Mary? Imagine if their foundation of hope had been shaken, what would have been the result?After today’s reflection, do you have a deeper understanding of hope? How will you strengthen your hope?Today’s PrayerDear Jesus, where do I even begin… I know that Your love for me is real, unconditional, and immeasurable. Through today’s meditation, I can feel more deeply what it was like for You to die on the Cross for me. I know why You chose to do this for me, but I still cannot comprehend how You could make such a decision. For us... for me... was it really worth it?Please do not let me dwell on this question alone. Today, I understand even more that I must build and strengthen my hope. Let my hope drive my faith and love so that I will continue to accept the prompting and invitation of the Holy Spirit each day. No matter how many trials or hardships I face in life, I will not give up easily, nor will I lose hope or doubt Your promise to me.Lord Jesus, help me learn from Mother Mary, to take up my cross each day and follow You. I promise You that, every day of my life, I will strive to be a better pilgrim of hope.--------------------The following is the “Farmer of Hearts: Finding Hope in God’s Kingdom” team, including FLL staff and volunteers.Please kindly pray for them. May God protect them and sustain their physical, mental and spiritual well-being.Writer: Paul YeungProject Manager: Michael Lam, Rosa TseEditors: Bonny Chan, Rosa TseEnglish Editors: Bonny Chan, Paul YeungMandarin Editor: Anthony X.Cantonese Narrator: Margaret WooEnglish Narrator: J. JohnsonMandarin Narrator: C. ZhouAudio Editors: Cyan Cheung, Sander Lee, Margaret WooYouTube Editors: Arnold Chan, Cyan Cheung, Sander LeeGraphics: Francis Lai, Carmen Tsang, Rosa TseWebsite: Patricia Young, Angela WongPodcast: Angela WongSocial Media: Yollie Leung,

Yesterday, during our retreat, we mentioned that hope must be founded on God's promises. But does this mean that with this foundation, we are free from all challenges and temptations?Let us once again reflect on the experience of the Blessed Virgin Mary. When Jesus was born, there was no room at the inn, and so St. Joseph had to accompany Mary to give birth to Jesus in a manger. Would Mary recall at that moment how the angel Gabriel had announced that God would give this child the throne of His ancestor, David? Would she question if it was a true promise? Would she even doubt whether this child was truly the Son of God?And when Mary stood at the foot of the cross, would she have recalled God’s promise, that the Jesus whom she gave birth to would be great, be called the Son of the Most High, and that he would reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His Kingdom would have no end? Yet, before her eyes was her beloved Son, dying the most humiliating death. The revered rabbi was scorned by all; the throne that was promised to Him had turned into a cross on which He was executed; the eternal reign and the Saviour praised by all people turned into a death row criminal who was more disgraceful than a robber... And what about Mother Mary herself? As the Mother of God, she suddenly became the mother of a condemned man sentenced to death!Would Mary have asked herself, "When I presented Jesus in the temple, didn’t Simeon proclaim that in Him, he had seen God’s salvation for all people? Was this prophecy true?"This was the temptation that Our Lady faced. The devil wanted to challenge her faith, destroy her hope, and make her fall into despair, abandoning her trust in God. He wanted her to be so crushed by suffering that she would lose all her life’s merits. But the devil’s schemes failed!In the end, Mary chose to trust in the faithful God. She held on to hope, convinced that God would fulfill His promise, and she firmly believed in her Son’s words, that He would rise again on the third day! The foundation of her hope remained unshaken, and instead of being defeated, she defeated the devil by overcoming its temptations.This is why Pope Francis, praised Mary’s hope in his message for the 38th World Youth Day:“That was the hope of the Virgin Mary, who remained steadfast beneath the cross of Jesus, certain that the “good outcome” was near. Mary is the woman of hope, the Mother of hope. On Calvary, “hoping against hope” (cf. Rom 4:18), she never wavered in her certainty of the resurrection that her Son had proclaimed. Our Lady filled the silence of Holy Saturday with loving and hope-filled expectation, and inspired in the disciples the certainty that Jesus would conquer death and that evil would not be the last word. 〔……〕 Let us entrust our lives entirely to Mary, Mother of Hope. She teaches us how to carry Jesus, our joy and hope, within our hearts and to share him with others.”Jesus, who is faithful to His promises, did not disappoint Mother Mary. He conquered death and rose on the third day. Likewise, Mary did not disappoint God. Her faith and hope endured, even though, as Simeon had prophesied, a sword pierced her soul. She bore the pain and remained with Jesus until His last breath. In this silent exchange between God and Mary, love and hope prevailed.ReflectionIf you were in Mother Mary’s place, how would you feel when Jesus, your beloved Son, was dying on the cross?Do you think it was unfair for God to let Mother Mary endure such trials? Was the burden He has given to Our Lady too heavy?In your own life, do you ever feel that choosing God's path comes with overwhelming challenges and pressure? Take a moment of silence and learn from Mother Mary.Today's PrayerHeavenly Father, as I meditate on the challenges Mother Mary faced, I come to understand more deeply the “untold” loneliness and suffering she endured as the Mother of the Son of God. Her pain at the foot of the cross, witnessing her Son’s humiliation and agony, must have been more excruciating than a sword piercing her heart. And I realized, this suffering was caused by my sins...Thank You for redeeming me from my sins. Please save me from despair so that my hope will not be destroyed by the enemy.Help me learn from Mother Mary, to always have unwavering faith in You, and to anchor my hope in Your promises. I promise you that I will be a witness of hope and ignite the hope you have given me in my brothers and sisters around me.Mother of Hope, pray for us!--------------------The following is the “Farmer of Hearts: Finding Hope in God’s Kingdom” team, including FLL staff and volunteers.Please kindly pray for them. May God protect them and sustain their physical, mental and spiritual well-being.Writer: Paul YeungProject Manager: Michael Lam, Rosa TseEditors: Bonny Chan, Rosa TseEnglish Editors: Bonny Chan, Paul YeungMandarin Editor: Anthony X.Cantonese Narrator: Margaret WooEnglish Narrator: J. JohnsonMandarin Narrator: C. ZhouAudio Editors: Cyan Cheung, Sander L

As we begin today's retreat, let us revisit the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC 1817) regarding the definition of "hope": "Hope is the theological virtue by which we desire the Kingdom of Heaven and eternal life as our happiness"The "happiness" mentioned here can also be understood as the things we long for. Therefore, the intensity of our desire for the Kingdom of Heaven and eternal life is directly related to whether we truly possess the virtue of hope.The Catechism further explains “hope” as follows: “placing our trust in Christ's promises and relying not on our own strength, but on the help of the grace of the Holy Spirit.” This explanation clearly shows us that there are two essential conditions for having "hope"! We must build this theological virtue on these two "foundations"!The first is that our hope should not be placed in anything else but in the promises of Christ. We reflected on this in yesterday's retreat. Our hope should not be built on human assurances or worldly guarantees, no matter how much they may satisfy our earthly needs. For example, patients with critical illnesses should not place all their hope solely in medical advancements. Likewise, people in a troubled society should not solely rely on a new government to resolve all social problems, and so on. These are not the true source of our hope. Instead, the promise of Christ is as indispensable to us as an "anchor" to a ship or a "cornerstone" to a building.The second necessary condition is that we must not rely on our own strength but on the help of the grace of the Holy Spirit. We see this virtue exemplified in the Blessed Virgin Mary. When the Angel Gabriel announced God's plan to her, she asked: "How can this be, since I am a virgin?” The angel responded: "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God."You can imagine, with the limited wisdom of human beings, how could Mary fully comprehend this profound revelation? Therefore, we can infer that her faith didn’t equate to full understanding, but instead, it showed her trust in God and the Holy Spirit. This shows that she did not rely on her limited human understanding to comprehend God’s mysterious plan for her. Therefore, Mary did not argue with the angel, but responded to God's invitation readily with humility and obedience. She also didn’t use her own abilities or methods to resolve the crisis of unwed pregnancy, which was considered a mortal sin punishable by death at the time. Instead, she followed the prompting of the Holy Spirit and went to visit Elizabeth. Notice that the Holy Spirit did not abandon Mary to face difficulties alone. Rather, God sent an angel to appear to Joseph in a dream and revealed the truth behind the events, paving the way for Mary to fulfill God's plan for her.Mary’s humility and trust in God enabled her to confidently and boldly obey God’s will and fulfill God’s plan for her. The example of the Virgin Mary perfectly exemplifies the essence of hope, as expressed in the Book of Hebrews, chapter 10, verse 23, which was quoted by the Catechism of the Catholic Church: “Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who has promised is faithful.” (Hebrews 10:23) (cf. CCC 1817)ReflectionDo you rely on your human wisdom to understand God’s invitation and what is happening to you before responding with faith?When you cannot see the way forward, do you hesitate or refuse to take the next step? Can you learn the spirit of trust and surrender from Our Lady?Among the virtues of humility, trust, and obedience, which do you still need to cultivate in order to grow in the virtue of hope?Today's PrayerAbba Father, today, I recognized my attachments. I am attached to understanding why things happen in my life, and I insist on having things done my way. I realize that there were many things I wanted to control, but there were very few things I was willing to surrender to You.Thank You for allowing me to know myself better today, to recognize my weaknesses, my attachments, and my lack of trust in You. This realization humbles me! How could I treat You this way, despite all that You have done for me?Please grant me a repentant heart, willing to humbly admit my mistakes and acknowledge my limitations. Help me to rely not on my own wisdom and ability, but on the help of the grace of the Holy Spirit. Please accept my contrite heart, and teach me to follow Your holy will.--------------------The following is the “Farmer of Hearts: Finding Hope in God’s Kingdom” team, including FLL staff and volunteers.Please kindly pray for them. May God protect them and sustain their physical, mental and spiritual well-being.Writer: Paul YeungProject Manager: Michael Lam, Rosa TseEditors: Bonny Chan, Rosa TseEnglish Editors: Bonny Chan, Paul YeungMandarin Editor: Anthony X.Cantonese Narrator: Margaret WooEnglish Narrator: J. JohnsonMandarin Narrat

What is the true source of hope? This should be the ultimate question, not only for this retreat but for our entire life.If this source is only temporary, it certainly cannot be considered the true source of our hope. However, since only God is self-existent and eternal, the true source of hope must be Him.But if this God were not all-good or did not care for our well-being, we could not place our hope in Him. Fortunately, our God is not only omnipotent, all-knowing, and all-good, but He is also a God who is willing to give Himself completely for us. In fact, for our sake, there is nothing He would not do, even sacrificing Himself so that we may become His adopted sons and daughters and inherit the eternal joy He has prepared for us since the beginning of creation!This should have been a perfect scenario and should have given us perfect hope. However, because we do not know our God, or we have misunderstood His intentions, we fail to attain this perfect hope!First, we have hope because we believe that some of our deepest desires can eventually be fulfilled. If our ultimate hope is to attain "the Kingdom of Heaven" and "eternal life" (cf. Catechism of the Catholic Church 1817), then we must first ask whether our God is a trustworthy and faithful God who will grant us the Kingdom of Heaven and eternal life. The historical evidence of God's faithfulness, such as His fulfillment of promises to Noah and Abraham, and the Israelites' eventual entry into the Promised Land under Moses' leadership, demonstrates that this God, who acts in human history, is reliable.Equally important is how we personally experience God's faithfulness. Only then can we internalize our hope in our personal Saviour, our God, because the foundation of hope is “trust”. It is this unshakable trust that enabled Mary to firmly believe that what God had spoken to her would be fulfilled (cf. Luke 1:45). This was the source of Mary's hope! It explains why she had the strength to face the challenges before her, as well as the determination and faith to continue responding to the prompt of the Holy Spirit and move forward.In our personal experiences and interactions with God, whether we can witness His faithfulness becomes the key to building this "trust." With “trust” as the foundation of our relationship with God, we have the opportunity to establish a real and tangible tacit understanding with Him.Once we have this trust and tacit understanding with God, nothing in life can hinder our confidence as we journey through this earthly pilgrimage. Nor can anything block our mutual trust with God!With this, we can more confidently believe in all the promises God has made to us in the Scripture and in prayer, including the promise He made to us on the first day of this retreat, through the Book of the Prophet Jeremiah, chapter 29, verse 11:"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans for peace and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope." (Jeremiah 29:11)ReflectionWhat is the source of your hope? Where do you seek your hope?Do you see God as reliable and faithful? What criteria do you use to determine this?Do you desire to build a relationship of mutual trust with God? How much do you trust Him?Today’s PrayerMy dear Father in heaven, thank You for allowing me to reflect on the true source of hope in my life today. I admit that I have not given this question much thought! Perhaps that is why I often lack the virtue of hope.When I ask myself how much I trust You, I do not have a satisfactory answer. I realize that part of the reason is that my trust in You is built on an unstable foundation. It is a relationship shaped by what I heard from others rather than a genuine and intimate personal relationship with You.Abba Father, please help me to take You more seriously, to be more willing to spend time communicating with You, and to be more attentive to all that You do in my life and to the words that You speak to me. May I come to know You as my true personal Saviour and place my ultimate hope in You...--------------------The following is the “Farmer of Hearts: Finding Hope in God’s Kingdom” team, including FLL staff and volunteers.Please kindly pray for them. May God protect them and sustain their physical, mental and spiritual well-being.Writer: Paul YeungProject Manager: Michael Lam, Rosa TseEditors: Bonny Chan, Rosa TseEnglish Editors: Bonny Chan, Paul YeungMandarin Editor: Anthony X.Cantonese Narrator: Margaret WooEnglish Narrator: J. JohnsonMandarin Narrator: C. ZhouAudio Editors: Cyan Cheung, Sander Lee, Margaret WooYouTube Editors: Arnold Chan, Cyan Cheung, Sander LeeGraphics: Francis Lai, Carmen Tsang, Rosa TseWebsite: Patricia Young, Angela WongPodcast: Angela WongSocial Media: Yollie Leung, Carmen Tsang, Rosa TseTheme Music:"3 MINUTES RELAXATION MUSIC | 4K Scenic View of Tuscany" by Introvert Pianist https://www.youtube.com/@introvertpianist“Sea of Memory” by Aakash Gandhi https://www.youtube.com/@88keystoeuphoria ★ S

The greatest characteristic of being wholly attuned to God’s will, besides being able to respond promptly and positively to His call, is to take immediate action accordingly.According to the Gospel of Luke, after Mary accepted God’s invitation to become the mother of Jesus, the angel left her. Upon learning from the angel Gabriel that her elderly relative, Elizabeth, had conceived a son, Mary set out in haste to the hill country to visit Elizabeth in those days (cf. Luke 1:39-56). This action of Mary was quite unusual because her primary concern should have been the difficult situation she herself was facing, rather than the needs of others.Mary’s action reflects that she has an extraordinary power, which stemmed from a supernatural peace and faith. Her faith was rooted in the firm belief that God is faithful and would surely help her face and overcome the challenges ahead, and arrange everything for her. Therefore, Our Lady was full of confidence and completely trusted in the plans that the Holy Spirit had for her. Because of this deep trust, Mary could feel at ease to accompany and assist Elizabeth for three months before returning home.From this, we can see that Mary truly believed in what the angel Gabriel had told her: “For nothing will be impossible with God.” (Luke 1:37) She also firmly believed that the Heavenly Father would keep His promises and would not let her bear the responsibility of being the mother of Jesus, the Son of God, all by herself. This extraordinary freedom enabled Mary not only to calmly accept God’s astonishing invitation but also to joyfully follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit to visit and serve her relative, Elizabeth.Elizabeth was deeply moved by Mary’s visit. Filled with the Holy Spirit, she exclaimed in a loud cry: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy.” (Luke 1:42-44)Without the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Elizabeth would not have known that Mary was pregnant, let alone that the child she was carrying was the Son of God! Through Elizabeth, the Holy Spirit not only affirmed that Mary’s acceptance of God’s invitation to be the mother of Jesus was a blessing, but also praised Mary for her unwavering faith in God.Thus, Elizabeth concluded with these words:“Blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord!” (Luke 1:45)In this encounter between Mary and Elizabeth, we witnessed how Mary’s communion with God freed her from fear and prompted her to act immediately in response to the Holy Spirit’s prompting to visit Elizabeth. We also see how God continued to accompany and encourage Mary through Elizabeth after the angel had left her.The intimate relationship between Mary and God is once again fully revealed in her interaction with Elizabeth.ReflectionDo you have the inner freedom of Our Lady to respond to God’s call and take action promptly?Please reflect on your relationship with God. Do you have the same faith in the Heavenly Father as Mary did? Do you trust in the work of the Holy Spirit in your life?Do you have faith that what God has spoken to you will be fulfilled? Now, I invite you to share your feelings and expectations with God in prayer.Today’s PrayerDear Abba Father, as I meditate on the intimate relationship between You and Mother Mary, I am not only moved but also deeply yearn to experience the same closeness with You. I firmly believe that You desire this relationship with me even more than I do.In the past, I did not dare to hope that I could be so close to You. But today’s reflection has given me confidence because I realize that Your trust in me is not based on my merits or abilities but because of Your unconditional love and trust in me.I now call upon the Holy Spirit to come into my heart, to teach me to pray and to confidently call You “Abba Father”, and to strengthen my faith, so that I will have an unshakable belief that all You have spoken and promised to me will come true!--------------------The following is the “Farmer of Hearts: Finding Hope in God’s Kingdom” team, including FLL staff and volunteers.Please kindly pray for them. May God protect them and sustain their physical, mental and spiritual well-being.Writer: Paul YeungProject Manager: Michael Lam, Rosa TseEditors: Bonny Chan, Rosa TseEnglish Editors: Bonny Chan, Paul YeungMandarin Editor: Anthony X.Cantonese Narrator: Margaret WooEnglish Narrator: J. JohnsonMandarin Narrator: C. ZhouAudio Editors: Cyan Cheung, Sander Lee, Margaret WooYouTube Editors: Arnold Chan, Cyan Cheung, Sander LeeGraphics: Francis Lai, Carmen Tsang, Rosa TseWebsite: Patricia Young, Angela WongPodcast: Angela WongSocial Media: Yollie Leung, Carmen Tsang, Rosa TseTheme Music:"3 MINUTES RELAXATION MUSIC | 4K Scenic View of Tuscany" by Introvert Pianist https://www.youtube.com/@introvert

During this retreat, we have repeatedly mentioned the state of “communion between God and human.” What exactly does this state entail? What are the signs that indicate that we have entered this state? Let us continue to explore and learn through the Blessed Virgin Mary!Why do we use the Blessed Virgin Mary as an example? Besides what we previously mentioned, that Mary was united with the Word, the Eucharist, and the Holy Spirit in body, mind, and spirit, more importantly, this was an active invitation from God! Among all humanity, past, present, and future, God chose only the Virgin Mary to be the spouse of the Holy Spirit and the mother of His Son, Jesus Christ.Surely, no one would deny that among all human relationships, the bond between a mother and her child is unparalleled. There is no relationship more intimate than that of a child growing in the mother’s womb. This is precisely the relationship between Jesus Christ, who is God, and Mary. If we say that throughout human history, no one knows God better or has a more intimate relationship with God than the Virgin Mary, no one would dispute it.Through continuous intimate dialogue with God and complete obedience to and cooperation with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, Our Lady has become one with the Holy Spirit. She is wholly attuned to God’s will and has developed a profound spiritual connection with Him, with an unspoken connection. This connection stems from a deep communion and alignment with the Father’s heart. Mary trusts God, and God also trusts Mary. This intimate relationship with God explains the intriguing conversation between Jesus and Mother Mary at the wedding feast in Cana.When the wine ran out during the wedding banquet, Jesus' mother said to Him, “They have no wine.” Jesus replied, “Woman, what concern is that to you and to me? My hour has not yet come.” But His mother told the servants, “Do whatever He tells you.” (cf. John 2:1-5)Undoubtedly, Mother Mary put some pressure on her son Jesus, using this unique approach to invite Him to help the newlyweds. Here, we will not discuss Jesus' feelings or state of mind at that moment. However, one thing we can be sure of is that if it was not the will of the Father for Jesus to perform a miracle and help the newlyweds, Jesus would not go against the will of God the Father because of Mother Mary!From this small incident, we can observe the subtle yet intimate relationship between Mother Mary, Jesus, and God the Father. This relationship allowed Mary to have such a candid dialogue with Jesus with confidence and boldness, as they both deeply understood each other’s hearts and intentions, everything was communicated without words. As for what happened afterwards, you should have read it in the Bible, so we do not need to recount it here. (cf. John 2:1-12)Here, we witness that Mary not only understood her Son’s state of mind but also grasped the will of the Father! The profound relationship between parents and son is vividly portrayed in their brief dialogue. This is the “tacit understanding” that exists within a family! It also reveals the communion between God and humanity in the Blessed Virgin Mary!ReflectionDo you long to enter into a state of communion with God? Or do you have reservations about this deep relationship? Take some time to reflect on the reasons behind your feelings.As you reflect, can you sense the intimate mother-son bond between Mother Mary and Jesus? Take a moment to savour it.Have you ever experienced a deep, unspoken connection with someone? How has this mutual understanding helped you communicate and collaborate with that person? Does this help you appreciate the profound relationship between the Blessed Virgin Mary and God?Today’s PrayerMy dear Abba Father, I am filled with joy today as I reflect on the deep and intimate relationship between You, Mother Mary, and Your Son, Jesus! It fills me with longing! I truly desire to have this deep and inseparable relationship with You!I firmly believe that this intimate relationship with You will help me understand Your will and make sense of everything that happens in my life, whether it brings me joy or sorrow. I also trust that this relationship will allow me to fully enjoy this pilgrimage on earth!Abba Father, I know You will certainly grant my heart’s desire. Please do not let me be disappointed! During this journey, please help me imitate Mother Mary’s unwavering trust in You, never giving up in the face of difficulties! Abba Father, please hold my hand and guide me to form this unspoken connection with You.--------------------The following is the “Farmer of Hearts: Finding Hope in God’s Kingdom” team, including FLL staff and volunteers.Please kindly pray for them. May God protect them and sustain their physical, mental and spiritual well-being.Writer: Paul YeungProject Manager: Michael Lam, Rosa TseEditors: Bonny Chan, Rosa TseEnglish Editors: Bonny Chan, Paul YeungMandarin Editor: Anthony X.Cantonese Narrator: Margaret WooEn

From yesterday’s reflection, we have come to understand that if we wish to learn from the Blessed Virgin Mary and respond promptly to God’s calling, we must imitate Mary in loving and cherishing everything that God communicates to us. For us, the primary source of God’s message to us is the Holy Scriptures, as it is the most direct and certain message from God. We do not need to discern or verify the truth of what is written in the Bible. We can fully trust and follow the truth and the way that the Bible teaches.To cultivate a love for the Bible, we must immerse ourselves in it, allowing it to shape and renew us continuously. Through which we let God's gaze rest upon us, and our own vision will gradually become like His. Just as when we receive the Eucharist, it is not only Jesus entering us, but we also enter into Him. It is not that Jesus becomes part of us, but rather, we become part of Him. This is a truly astonishing reality! In Matthew 8:8-9, Jesus once praised a centurion for his words of faith: "Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof; but only speak the word, and my servant will be healed. For I also am a man under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes, and to my slave, ‘Do this,’ and the slave does it." (Matthew 8:8-9) Upon hearing these words, Jesus was amazed and praised the centurion’s faith.But now, Jesus has entered into us with His word as well as the Holy Eucharist, so that we may remain in Him and the Father! This should make us feel extremely honored, but at the same time we should also feel humbled. How could we ever be worthy of God’s presence? And yet, God Himself longs to come to us. Imagine if your most admired figure suddenly appeared at your doorstep, how would you feel and react?Though the Blessed Virgin Mary is the Mother of God, she deeply understood this truth. She did not take God's words lightly but treasured them, making it a habit to "ponder them in her heart" (cf Luke 2:19). By immersing herself in God’s word, she shaped her thoughts and vision, making herself more receptive to His messages.Even though Mary was filled with God’s word and could respond quickly to His call, this did not mean she had no fear of the future. The angel Gabriel’s words to Mary, "For nothing will be impossible with God" (Luke 1:37), affirmed and strengthened her trust in Him. With unwavering determination, she accepted the Father’s invitation through her response to the angel. At that moment, the Holy Spirit entered Mary and fulfilled God’s plan. Thus, she became the Mother of God!Mary’s fears about the future were instantly dispelled because she completely placed her trust in the Father and surrendered herself to the protection of the Holy Spirit, allowing the Spirit to take full control of her life.If we wish to follow Mary's example and cooperate with God's plan for us, we must first unite ourselves with Him through His word and the Eucharist. Then, we must allow the Holy Spirit to enter our lives and take the lead, uniting ourselves with Him. This is the perfect state of "communion with God," where we can courageously offer ourselves to be used by God for His greater glory.ReflectionDo you value God's word? Do you have a habit of reading and meditating on it? What attitude towards the word of God can you learn from Mary?Do you have the faith and humility of the centurion? Do you revere God, or do you take His love for granted?Do you believe that if you follow God's will and allow the Holy Spirit to take charge of your life, nothing will be impossible for you?Today’s PrayerHeavenly Father, thank You for allowing me to experience the power of Your word, the Eucharist, and the Holy Spirit through the life of Mother Mary. You reminded me to cherish these gifts You have given me to sanctify me, to guide me, to strengthen me, and to accompany me on this pilgrimage on earth.I realize how ignorant I have been. I failed to cherish and accept these gifts. I did not appreciate the meaning behind them and took them for granted.Through Mother Mary's example, I have learned how to unite myself with Your word, the Eucharist, and the Holy Spirit. By allowing the Holy Spirit to be the guide of my life, I can cooperate with the work He desires to accomplish in me, so as to fulfill Your holy will.I sincerely long to be like Mary, to surrender myself completely to You, and to attain true communion with You.Please transform and mold me, so that I may draw near to You with humility and reverence, fully believing that with You, nothing is impossible!--------------------The following is the “Farmer of Hearts: Finding Hope in God’s Kingdom” team, including FLL staff and volunteers.Please kindly pray for them. May God protect them and sustain their physical, mental and spiritual well-being.Writer: Paul YeungProject Manager: Michael Lam, Rosa TseEditors: Bonny Chan, Rosa TseEnglish Editors: Bonny Chan, Paul YeungMandarin Editor: Anthony

When we celebrate and praise how courageously the Blessed Virgin Mary responded to God’s call, becoming the Mother of Jesus, that is the Mother of God, do we ever reflect on her feelings and state of mind at that time? Some might question: Does this make sense? How could Mary make such an important decision without any hesitation? Did she truly think it through and carefully consider it? This is indeed a question worth exploring.You might also wonder: Does Mary’s immediate acceptance of God’s invitation through Angel Gabriel mean that those with strong faith do not need to go through a process of discernment, but can simply accept God’s call without hesitation?God has given us free will, as well as wisdom and the ability to think. Naturally, He does not want us to be mere puppets that He “manipulates”; rather, He desires us to choose Him and respond to His call freely from our hearts. Therefore, we can be certain that since the Heavenly Father granted Mary the same freedom of choice, He did not expect her to respond to His invitation without thinking. So, does Mary’s quick acceptance of God’s call mean that she did not carefully discern His invitation and made a rash decision?From the Bible, we can observe that God’s call to individuals often demands an immediate response. Many examples can be found in both the Old and New Testaments, such as Abraham, Moses, the twelve apostles of Jesus, and the rich young man. So, how much time should we take for discernment in order to make a wise and heartfelt decision? Let us learn from the example of Mother Mary.Someone once joked, “Ever since discernment became popular, no one has made a decision since.” While this is an exaggeration, it is a thought-provoking statement. This humorous observation suggests that if we become overly anxious about discerning everything perfectly, we might endlessly delay making decisions. As a result, we may paralyze our ability to respond courageously, miss the opportunity to answer God’s call, and fail to embrace His loving invitation He extends to us at the moment.Mary’s method of discernment was not about reacting impulsively or forcing herself to give a heroic response on the spot. In fact, God does not test our quick-wittedness, nor does He want us to make reckless and prideful decisions.Mary’s discernment had begun long before God’s invitation. This does not mean that she had the ability to foresee the future, but rather that she was always prepared to respond to God at any moment. Her way of preparing was through a habit of treasuring God’s words, “pondering them in her heart.” (Luke 2:19) This was Mary’s way of repeatedly “listening” to God’s voice because she understood that she could not fully grasp the meaning of His words and their revelation immediately. Because Mary cherished God’s words, she preserved all the material she needed for discernment, keeping them for the moment when she would need to respond to His call. More importantly, Mary did not merely remember these words, she continuously pondered them, connecting them with her life experiences and discerning God’s message and His will for her. This is how she was able to respond to God’s call with peace and clarity when the time came.ReflectionHave you taken God’s invitation or call in your life seriously? How do you discern and respond to it?What methods do you use to discern God’s calling for you? Do you tend to be overly cautious or too impulsive?Through today’s reflection, what inspiration have you gained from Mary that has changed your perspective and approach to discernment?Today’s PrayerMy Heavenly Father, thank You for today’s reflection, which has helped me review how I have responded to Your invitations in the past. I realize that at times, I have been fearful because the future seemed uncertain, and I lacked trust in You. As a result, I have been overly cautious, using the need for detailed discernment as an excuse to delay my response to You. I now recognize that this attitude and approach must have deeply disappointed You. I am sorry, Abba Father!I am grateful that through today’s reflection, I have learned from Mother Mary to treasure every word You speak to me, keeping them in my heart and pondering them carefully. By doing so, I can better understand the deeper meaning and revelation behind Your words for me.Please strengthen my faith and hope, so that I may prepare myself more earnestly. When You next extend an invitation to me, may I respond more promptly and wholeheartedly. I am willing, under the guidance and companionship of Mother Mary, to learn to say courageously: "Let it be done to me according to Your word." (Luke 1:38)--------------------The following is the “Farmer of Hearts: Finding Hope in God’s Kingdom” team, including FLL staff and volunteers.Please kindly pray for them. May God protect them and sustain their physical, mental and spiritual well-being.Writer: Paul YeungProject Manager: Michael Lam, Rosa TseEditors: Bonny Chan, Rosa TseEng

If we ask you: Who are the most hopeful people? Or: Who can give us the most hope? I believe that if we say the answer is “children”, no one would object! But why do children give us such a strong sense of hope?Think back to when you were a child. In your mind, there were no burdens or worries. The only thing you would think about was whether there was something or someone that made you happy. How wonderful it felt to be free from worries!Children also have many fantasies, many things they want to do. They are full of creativity, dreams, and boundless curiosity! These endless imaginations and curiosity free them from the psychological burdens that adults carry. They don’t worry about whether they have the ability to achieve their dreams or whether they are competent enough. They dream of growing up to do things that seem impossible in the eyes of adults. Yet, practical adults tend to dampen their enthusiasm:"You want to be an astronaut? You want to invent something? Just focus on studying first!"Only children radiate this pure hope for the future! And ironically, this is exactly what we adults lack and desperately need. Of course, many of children’s dreams are unrealistic, but this has also given rise to many heroes with super powers in children's stories, such as Superman, Batman, Spiderman, etc. These heroes are not just appealing to children but also have a special attraction for adults!One reason is that we, as adults, are unable to fulfill our childhood dream to become the perfect person we once aspired to be. So, we project our emotions onto fictional heroes in fairy tales or fantasy worlds.During the past few days of our retreat, we came to realize that, at the core of our lives, what truly matters is not material possessions but the most important relationships in our lives. Therefore, in our earthly journey, we should not place our ultimate hope in external things, but rather in a relationship. However, since no relationship in this world is perfect, we should place our ultimate hope in God, who created us and loves us to the end. This is our ultimate relationship, our ultimate goal, and our long-term hope. But this also means we must embrace a heart of waiting, trusting that this is the final and most fulfilling outcome!Therefore, we also need a tangible goal in this present life to guide us effectively toward that ultimate goal. We call this a “short-term hope” in this world. Instead of putting our hopes in superheroes from the fictional world, we should learn from the lives of saints and their childlike innocence. These saints kept their innocence despite the passing years; they never lost their dreams. They knew that God wanted them to become true heroes who could change the world—not through virtual superpowers, but by allowing the Holy Spirit to work in them. Through this, they gained true “superpowers” to accomplish the entrusted missions that seemed impossible from a human perspective. This experience of "man in complete union with God" enables us to fulfill the responsibilities and mission that God has entrusted to us in this world. It carries us from our short-term hopes in this life toward ultimate hope of eternity. This is not something that fictional superheroes in movies can help us achieve!ReflectionDo you still have a child’s sense of wonder and hope for life? What can help you regain that childlike innocence?What are your hopes in life? What is your ultimate hope?Just as God accomplished great things through imperfect saints, do you believe that God can also accomplish great things through you? Do you believe that there is nothing God cannot do in your life?Today's PrayerHeavenly Father, there are countless worries in life that have slowly blinded me, making me numb to everything around me. What pains me even more is that I have lost my sensitivity even toward those closest to me, including my family. I feel sorrowful and distressed about my hardened heart, and I believe this must grieve You even more.I don’t know what led me to my current situation, but I really don’t want to delve into it. I just want to break free from this condition of hopelessness and exhaustion as soon as possible.Abba Father, I invite You to come into my heart, heal me, and lift me out of this helpless state. Please grant me a soft and compassionate heart like Yours, to heal my hardened heart. Let me regain a childlike heart so that I may welcome You to dwell in me with a pure heart. I long for You to accomplish in me what I cannot achieve on my own, so that Your glory may be manifested in my life.--------------------The following is the “Farmer of Hearts: Finding Hope in God’s Kingdom” team, including FLL staff and volunteers.Please kindly pray for them. May God protect them and sustain their physical, mental and spiritual well-being.Writer: Paul YeungProject Manager: Michael Lam, Rosa TseEditors: Bonny Chan, Rosa TseEnglish Editors: Bonny Chan, Paul YeungMandarin Editor: Anthony X.Cantonese Narrator: Marga

In our reflection yesterday, we explored that the most precious and important things in life are not the pleasures and satisfactions that this world offers, but rather people and relationships. There is a saying: “A friend in need is a friend indeed.” This means that when we are in difficulties, those who reach out to help us are our true friends. It is evident that in times of adversity, what we desire most is not just material support but the presence of someone willing to stay by our side, walking with us through hardships. This is far more meaningful than anything else, and brings us comfort and strength.However, experience tells us that such friends are rare, as a Chinese saying goes “something that can only be encountered, not sought.” They are gifts bestowed upon us by God, not something we can earn. In fact, friendship is not a transaction, and helping others should not be done with the expectation of return; rather, it should be a gift given unconditionally. We are most likely to find this kind of unconditional love in our closest relationships, such as between parents and children or between spouses. True love is demonstrated when one remains steadfast in love even through hardships. If the relationships and love we build in our lifetime can reach this level, we can consider ourselves to have lived without regrets! This is the kind of fulfillment that no material thing in the world can provide, an irreplaceable treasure in life!How many in this world can truly experience this kind of transcendent love? Probably not many. Even if they do, it may only be temporary and “unreliable”. It is unreliable not only because people are fickle but also because every one of us has our weaknesses and limitations. Moreover, our ability to love, and to persevere in love is limited. Therefore, we cannot place our ultimate hope entirely in another person, not even our spouse, parents, or children!The only one we can truly rely on is God, our Creator, who always puts us first and loves us unconditionally in all circumstances. Even when we were still sinners, when we did not recognize our sins or have any intention of repenting, He had already forgiven us and loved us. He even went so far as to die for us, crucified on the cross!As St. Paul wrote in his letter to the Romans, chapter 5, verse 8: “But God proves His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)This God is the one we can completely trust, surrender to, and allow to take care of us. When our earthly lives come to an end, all our human relationships will not continue in the same form in heaven. The only relationship that remains constant will be our relationship with God. This is what we previously referred to as the “ultimate relationship.”Therefore, on our earthly journey, the relationship we should invest the most time and effort in cultivating is not any other relationship but our intimate relationship with God. This is the only relationship that is eternal and never-ending.The ultimate manifestation of this kind of relationship is seen in the martyrs, whose incredible and indescribable love for God transcended human limitations. They could endure physical, emotional, and spiritual suffering without fear because they had already entered into perfect union with God.ReflectionWhat is the most important thing in your life? What is the most important relationship in your life?Have you ever experienced “a friend in need is a friend indeed,” such as a friend helping you in a difficult time? What impact did this experience have on your life?Would you like to find someone in this world who, no matter how you treat them, or even if you mistreat them, would never abandon you, and would even be willing to sacrifice their life for you unconditionally?Today’s PrayerAbba Father, today I want to give special thanks to You. Not only have You granted me the grace I need, but more importantly, You have blessed me with the relationships in my life. These relationships have helped me through many difficult times.Today, I realize that these relationships are not something I am entitled to, but rather, they are carefully arranged by You! I realized how ungrateful I have been!While enjoying the blessings and relationships You have given me, I have forgotten You… I have forgotten that You are my most important, ultimate relationship. This realization fills me with deep shame. I feel unworthy to face You…Please grant me the courage to face myself and recognize that You are the ultimate relationship I can entrust my life to. Give me the courage to turn back to You and to receive the love You desire to pour out on me.--------------------The following is the “Farmer of Hearts: Finding Hope in God’s Kingdom” team, including FLL staff and volunteers.Please kindly pray for them. May God protect them and sustain their physical, mental and spiritual well-being.Writer: Paul YeungProject Manager: Michael Lam, Rosa TseEditors: Bonny Chan, Rosa TseEngl

Throughout this retreat, we have repeatedly emphasized that God allows us to experience various trials in this earthly life for our own good, to train us, to help us grow, to elevate us, to make us holy, and to prepare us for eternal life. Jesus has also instructed us to enter the Kingdom of Heaven through the narrow gate, to sell all we have and give to the poor, and then take up our cross and follow Him! Isn’t such a life incredibly challenging? Does God really want us to experience joy even in this earthly life?This is truly a thought-provoking question! Although Jesus has paved the way for us to enter the Kingdom of Heaven, while the devil connects us to the path to hell, it seems that the path paved by the devil might make us feel happier! At least it offers worldly riches and glory without the need to endure suffering. Isn’t it more desirable? Could it be that God really does not want us to be happy?First of all, as believers in eternal life, we should not seek the fleeting pleasures of this world at the cost of giving up everlasting happiness. Secondly, we must consider the ultimate goal of our lives: Are we solely pursuing eternal happiness, or are we striving to be with our most beloved ones forever?We have all heard countless true stories of people who, after spending their entire lives chasing wealth and status, ultimately lose the ones they love most. In the end, they desperately wish they could give up everything they possess in exchange for the life of their loved ones. These stories remind us that, in the end, what we truly care about is not material possessions but the most important relationships in our lives. Although we have many significant relationships in this world, none can compare to our relationship with God, the One who created us and loves us unconditionally. Our relationship with God is our ultimate relationship in the eternal kingdom!Many couples only truly experience the sweetness of their marital relationship when one partner goes through a serious illness or hardship in life. Not only does this elevate their relationship to a new level, but they also come to understand the true meaning of love. After overcoming tribulations together, couples often taste the profound love they share and realize the importance of each other in their lives. These testimonies tell us that being with the one we love, no matter the difficulties and challenges, is worthwhile and not painful.This also explains why countless martyrs throughout the ages, even when facing persecution or brutal torture, remained filled with peace and joy, unafraid of the physical suffering awaiting them. It was because they had God in their hearts and felt God’s undeniable presence with them. As a result, they were able to radiate unwavering faith and courage even amid severe trials and persecution!Indeed, no hardship or pain could take away the indescribable joy from the hearts of these saints, a true joy that the world can never offer!ReflectionHave you always felt that choosing God's path is a burdensome task? What is the reason behind that feeling?After today's reflection, do you find yourself having a deeper understanding and empathy for what God asks of us? Take a moment to listen to what God wants to tell you right now.Are you willing to endure some of life's pain for the sake of the people you love? And are you willing to let God, who loves you unconditionally, accompany you through the challenges you face?Today’s PrayerAbba Father, I have always focused on the pain that suffering has brought me. Although my mind tells me that these challenges You allow are for my good, deep down in my heart, I still have countless questions and endless confusion. I feel helpless, as if I must face it all on my own, and that feeling was overwhelming.But today, You made me realize that I am not facing it alone. You have always been by my side. I just never noticed Your presence, never allowed You to accompany me through these life's hardships, and never tasted the sweetness of facing them together with You.Please let me truly feel the sweetness of having You by my side, holding my hand. I desire to be like the saints throughout the ages, cherishing every experience of sharing both joys and sorrows with You, and encountering You in a deeper and more intimate way.--------------------The following is the “Farmer of Hearts: Finding Hope in God’s Kingdom” team, including FLL staff and volunteers.Please kindly pray for them. May God protect them and sustain their physical, mental and spiritual well-being.Writer: Paul YeungProject Manager: Michael Lam, Rosa TseEditors: Bonny Chan, Rosa TseEnglish Editors: Bonny Chan, Paul YeungMandarin Editor: Anthony X.Cantonese Narrator: Margaret WooEnglish Narrator: J. JohnsonMandarin Narrator: C. ZhouAudio Editors: Cyan Cheung, Sander Lee, Margaret WooYouTube Editors: Arnold Chan, Cyan Cheung, Sander LeeGraphics: Francis Lai, Carmen Tsang, Rosa TseWebsite: Patricia Young, Angela WongPodcast: Angela

Our life journey is a journey of searching for our family, a path that leads us back to our Father’s home. Jesus, as our most loving elder brother, took on the mission of bringing us, His long-lost brothers and sisters, back to our Heavenly Father and into His loving embrace.Thus, Jesus Christ is the mediator between God and humanity, the bridge between this world and heaven. That is why Jesus says to us: "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (John 14:6)In fact, the devil also plays the role of a bridge, but one that leads humanity to hell, the place of eternal punishment! The devil tempts us with worldly pleasures, riches, and honour, luring us to serve ourselves instead of God. It lures us to draw near to it and turn away from God.In contrast, Jesus teaches us to serve God by serving our brothers and sisters around us. He calls us to embrace the crosses in our lives to sanctify ourselves and thus draw closer to God. Jesus teaches us to follow Him and take Him as our role model. Since Jesus is the perfect image of the Father, the more we learn from and follow Jesus, the more we will resemble our Heavenly Father.On the other hand, the devil also wants us to follow it, to pursue and hoard earthly wealth, and to make worldly success our ultimate goal in life, in order to seek recognition and praise from others. The devil wants to bind us with wealth, honour, and power so that we cannot respond more freely to God’s invitation because we are unwilling to give up all our earthly possessions.How can we pass through the narrow gate into God’s kingdom if we are weighed down by so many earthly possessions? In such a case, we are like the rich young man in the Gospel, who, after hearing Jesus’ words, left in sorrow because he had many possessions (cf. Mark 10:17-31).Yet, Jesus gazes at us with love and says: "You lack one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me." (Mark 10:21) Would we really want to see Jesus looking at us with longing, only to watch us walk away toward the devil?As we reflected on the second day of our retreat, our earthly pilgrimage is both a journey from despair to hope and a spiritual battle that we must win.However, we must know that this battle is not ultimately between us and the devil, but rather, the devil's attempt to challenge God. This is a battle where the outcome should be clear, because satan can never defeat the Almighty God. But what is being fought over in this battle is humanity itself. As God’s creation, we originally belong to Him. Unfortunately, due to our pride and selfishness, we often fail to choose God and instead align ourselves with the devil. God desires to "win" us over, not for His own gain, but purely for our greatest good, so that we may be with Him forever. In contrast, the devil seeks to "win" us not out of love, but to destroy us and, in doing so, strike at God. The devil aims to cause God the greatest suffering by leading His beloved children away from Him.If we remain undecided, refusing to commit to God’s camp, failing to follow Jesus and to be led by Him, or simply delaying our decisions, we risk weakening God’s camp in this battle in which the Almighty God were supposed to win, and we are the weakest link in God's camp.ReflectionAre you willing to see God’s camp become the loser because of your wrong choices, and that God is mocked and hurt by the devil as a result?What obstacles in your life prevent you from choosing God and staying in His camp, giving the devil the opportunity to hurt us and our Heavenly Father?To walk the path God desires for you, are you willing to accept Jesus’ invitation to let go of worldly wealth, take up your cross, and follow Him?Today's PrayerHeavenly Father, today You have made me see clearly that I have been the main cause of Your suffering and sorrow. Not only have I failed to choose You in my life, but my pride and stubbornness have also led me to follow the devil’s path, exposing You to satan’s ruthless attacks. This fills me with deep regret and sorrow.I have not only disappointed You but also failed my loving elder brother, Jesus, who endured so much pain and humiliation for me. I have disregarded His earnest teachings and admonitions!I need to open my eyes and see the truth! I refuse to be deceived and manipulated by the devil any longer. I will no longer allow it to sever the intimate father-child relationship I was supposed to have with You. I am determined to follow Jesus, to let Him lead me, and to live well the precious life You have given me, not by accumulating earthly wealth, but by seeking the treasures of heaven, especially my relationship with You.Abba Father, once again, I say to You from my heart: I love You!--------------------The following is the “Farmer of Hearts: Finding Hope in God’s Kingdom” team, including FLL staff and volunteers.Please kindly pray for them. May God protect th

Today, we will look at the path God wants us to choose from a new perspective.On the night Jesus was betrayed, He had the Passover meal with His disciples. After the meal, Jesus personally washed the disciples’ feet to set an example for them. After washing their feet, Jesus said to them:“Do you know what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord—and you are right, for that is what I am. So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you.” (John 13:12-15)Later, Jesus told His disciples that He would return to the Father’s house to prepare a place for them. He said to them:“And you know the way to the place where I am going.” Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you know me, you will know my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.” (John 14:4-7)Here, Jesus specifically describes Himself as "the way." He also claims that no one can come to the Father except through Him. Jesus also reminds us that if we wish to know or even see the Father, the most effective way is through Him. Why is this so?There are many real-life stories where orphans wanted to find their biological parents, and they were certain that they had found their biological parents without having to do DNA tests. The reason is simple. It is because these orphans see themselves in the faces of their lost parents!If the ultimate goal of our lives is to be eternally united with our loving Heavenly Father, we must know how to find this "lost" Father, our Creator, during our earthly pilgrimage. We were created in the image and likeness of the Father, and we should naturally resemble Him in many ways. However, due to original sin and the sins we have committed, we have gradually lost the likeness of God. Yet, Jesus resembles His Father in every way because He is the perfect image of the Father. Therefore, when we see the Son, we see the Father.So, if we, like the Apostle Thomas, wish to know the way that leads us back to the Father’s house, we must continually seek Jesus, follow His teachings, and, most importantly, make the same choices He made in His life. We must walk the path He chose to walk.The path Jesus teaches us to choose is the one that He opened up, the path that He personally walked, and a path that no one had ever chosen before Him. Only by following Jesus and the way He has prepared for us can we ultimately attain eternal life.Therefore, if we call Jesus our "Teacher" and "Lord," we must follow the example He has set for us, renounce all sins, and strive to restore the original image and likeness in which God created us.ReflectionWhat do you follow as the guide of your life? Where do you get this compass of life?Who is your role model in life? Can this role model help you restore the image God originally created in you?In silence, invite Jesus into the depths of your heart. Ask Him to reveal the path you should choose and the changes you need to make in your life.Today's PrayerLord Jesus Christ, thank You for entering the depths of my heart today, rekindling a light within me, and awakening me from the confusion of my life.I admit that I have not spent enough time to carefully reflect on the direction of my life. I have not fully acknowledged You as my Teacher and Lord, nor have I earnestly followed the example You have set for me.Please grant me unshakeable faith to trust that the path You have chosen for me is for my greatest good. From today onward, I am willing to accept this path You tailor-made for me, along with the challenges and trials I will experience along the way. I desire to increase my likeness to the Father through You, Lord Jesus, day by day, for the rest of my life.--------------------The following is the “Farmer of Hearts: Finding Hope in God’s Kingdom” team, including FLL staff and volunteers.Please kindly pray for them. May God protect them and sustain their physical, mental and spiritual well-being.Writer: Paul YeungProject Manager: Michael Lam, Rosa TseEditors: Bonny Chan, Rosa TseEnglish Editors: Bonny Chan, Paul YeungMandarin Editor: Anthony X.Cantonese Narrator: Margaret WooEnglish Narrator: J. JohnsonMandarin Narrator: C. ZhouAudio Editors: Cyan Cheung, Sander Lee, Margaret WooYouTube Editors: Arnold Chan, Cyan Cheung, Sander LeeGraphics: Francis Lai, Carmen Tsang, Rosa TseWebsite: Patricia Young, Angela WongPodcast: Angela WongSocial Media: Yollie Leung, Carmen Tsang, Rosa TseTheme Music:"3 MINUTES RELAXATION MUSIC | 4K Scenic View of Tuscany" by Introvert Pianist https://www.youtube.com/@introvertpianist“Sea of Memory” by Aakash Gandhi https://www.youtube.com/@88keystoeuphoria ★ Support this podcast ★

During yesterday’s retreat, we caught a glimpse of the devil’s tactics from the description in the Gospel of Luke. No matter whether the devil’s schemes against us succeed or fail, it is always plotting its next opportunity to ensnare us in the traps it has carefully designed.Imagine two teams competing against each other. Both sides will try their best, not only competing with skills but also on strategy to outwit their opponent. Therefore, they look for the other team’s most vulnerable point and attack that weakness to break down their offense and defense, ultimately securing victory.The devil is not only cunning and deceitful but also extremely smart. We must never underestimate this opponent, because it hates God and hates humanity, so it will definitely be more diligent and better prepared than we are. If we are careless on our earthly pilgrimage and fail to guard against the enemy’s premeditated ambushes, we may easily fall into its traps without even realizing it! More importantly, this enemy does not only wait at life’s crossroads; it lurks in the small details of our daily lives as well. So what can we do to guard against it?First, we must acknowledge that it is a common human tendency to choose the easier path. This is human nature and there is nothing wrong with it. However, Jesus gave us a different teaching that is worth revisiting. Jesus said, "Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road is easy that leads to destruction, and there are many who take it. For the gate is narrow and the road is hard that leads to life, and there are few who find it." (Matthew 7:13-14) This teaching reveals not only Jesus' concern but also the deep sorrow in His heart. He foresaw that most people would head down the road to destruction, while only a few would find and enter the gate to life! As a loving God, how could He not be heartbroken?In the Old Testament, God led the Israelites out of Egypt, promising to bring them to the Promised Land. Though they had to go through the trials in the wilderness, God continued to provide all the needs of the Israelites and was always by their side. Unfortunately, they repeatedly turned away from God, relying on their own strength and worshiping idols. They broke God's heart and resulted in a 40-year journey before they could finally enter the Promised Land!Even today, God continues to accompany and guide us through our earthly journey. He has promised to provide for us and to safeguard our path. The most important thing is whether we will cooperate closely with Him throughout our life and not allow the devil to sabotage our relationship with God and destroy God’s plan for us. Only by doing so can we allow God’s promises to be fulfilled in our lives, ultimately leading us into the Promised Land!Today's reflection helps us understand what truly is the easy path we should take, not the one without struggles, but about choosing to walk with God, trusting and accepting God’s guidance and provision. Even if it requires us to pass through the narrow gate, along difficult roads, or even through the wilderness, we will ultimately enter the promised land God has prepared for us!Reflection Try to imagine yourself in the role of the Heavenly Father. How would you feel if you saw most people choosing the easy road that the enemy has set, leading them to destruction?After today’s reflection, do you think you have been choosing your life’s path based on worldly perspectives or heavenly wisdom?Have you gained new insights into Jesus’ teaching about the narrow gate and the hard road? How might this new perspective influence your life choices and direction?Today’s PrayerMy Heavenly Father, thank You for bringing me into the wilderness today, allowing me to reflect deeply on Your role in my life and all that You have done for me. I used to think that You placed harsh demands on us as Your children, requiring us to endure hardships in this life in order to be rewarded with eternal life!But today, I finally understand, Your desire is not just for us to be sanctified through trials. More importantly, You long to walk with us, to experience these challenges alongside us, and to personally help us carry our burdens. You want to suffer with us and accompany us into the Promised Land!Heavenly Father, thank You for this revelation. I now feel an overwhelming sense of peace and joy as I eagerly look forward to walking this journey hand in hand with You!--------------------The following is the “Farmer of Hearts: Finding Hope in God’s Kingdom” team, including FLL staff and volunteers.Please kindly pray for them. May God protect them and sustain their physical, mental and spiritual well-being.Writer: Paul YeungProject Manager: Michael Lam, Rosa TseEditors: Bonny Chan, Rosa TseEnglish Editors: Bonny Chan, Paul YeungMandarin Editor: Anthony X.Cantonese Narrator: Margaret WooEnglish Narrator: J. JohnsonMandarin Narrator: C. ZhouAudio Editors: Cyan Cheung, Sander Lee, Margaret WooYouTube E

The retreat has entered its eleventh day, and you may have a question in your mind: Why haven’t we begun to explore the core theme of the retreat, "Finding Hope in God’s Kingdom"?Before we enter this important theme, we need to clear away all obstacles that prevent us from embracing it, and adjusting our mindset is the first priority. With the right perspective and understanding, we can see the path ahead more clearly. This has been the focus of our retreat over the past ten days. Now, we should have a clearer vision of what this earthly journey is all about.Where there is a path, there will naturally be forks in the road, requiring us to make choices. Unfortunately, because God has given humanity unconditional love and complete freedom of choice, this has also given the devil an opportunity to exploit. The devil uses lies and sweet words to disrupt our relationship with God. It also targets human weaknesses, creates wrong paths in our lives, tempting and inciting us to make wrong choices and go astray. These wrong paths often appear to be broad avenues, filled with many irresistible temptations along the way, aiming to capture our hearts and lead us into its trap. We must not forget the warning given to us by our Lord Jesus Christ in the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 7, verses 13 to 14, in His Sermon on the Mount:"Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road is easy that leads to destruction, and there are many who take it. For the gate is narrow and the road is hard that leads to life, and there are few who find it." (Matthew 7:13-14)Jesus knew well the schemes of the devil. After His baptism, He was led by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness, where He fasted for forty days and forty nights. The devil took advantage of Jesus' hunger and targeted Jesus' weakest point at the time. It began to tempt Jesus by starting with physical comfort and pleasure. When that failed, the devil attempted to lure Jesus into submission by offering worldly power and material control, but Jesus was unmoved. Finally, the devil used the greatest weakness of human nature, pride, to tempt Jesus into testing God. But Jesus firmly rebuked the devil, saying: "Do not put the Lord your God to the test." (Luke 4:12)After all of the devil’s schemes were exposed and Jesus firmly rejected its temptations, the devil left Him. However, in the Gospel of Luke, chapter 4, verse 13, it clearly states:"When the devil had finished every test, he departed from Him until an opportune time." (Luke 4:13)If the devil did not even spare Jesus, then it certainly will not spare us easily. In fact, the devil will carefully plan and wait for the right moment to strike again.This helps us better understand why Jesus sternly reminded His followers: "Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road is easy that leads to destruction, and there are many who take it." (Matthew 7:13) Our enemy knows our weakness, which is the desire to complete life’s journey in the most comfortable and easy way. That is why the enemy will open up crooked paths that appear to be smooth paths in our earthly pilgrimage, leading us to fall into its trap, ultimately preventing us from reaching the final destination of life and obtaining eternal life.ReflectionIn your daily life, do you tend to choose the easier path? When making life decisions, do you consider comfort and pleasure as your primary considerations?Are you vigilant about the traps the devil sets in your life, or do you tend not to think much about them and remain unguarded?After today’s reflection, will you be more aware of your choices in life, especially the tendency to choose the wider and smoother paths? How do you prevent yourself from falling into the enemy's trap?Today's PrayerDear Heavenly Father, thank You for guiding me through the Holy Spirit today, allowing me to further reflect on the direction of my life, especially the criteria I use to make choices in life.You have made me realize that I should not underestimate the various temptations in life. Even something as simple as physical comfort and pleasure can become major stumbling blocks in my journey to holiness.Please help me not to focus solely on my own benefits in life, nor be blinded by the temporary power and desires of this world, weakening my determination to choose You. I want to follow the example of our Lord Jesus Christ, firmly rejecting all of the devil’s temptations and steadfastly choosing the path of Your truth at the crossroads of life!--------------------The following is the “Farmer of Hearts: Finding Hope in God’s Kingdom” team, including FLL staff and volunteers.Please kindly pray for them. May God protect them and sustain their physical, mental and spiritual well-being.Writer: Paul YeungProject Manager: Michael Lam, Rosa TseEditors: Bonny Chan, Rosa TseEnglish Editors: Bonny Chan, Paul YeungMandarin Editor: Anthony X.Cantonese Narrator: Margaret WooEnglish Narrator: J. JohnsonMandarin Narrator: C. ZhouAud

Over the past few days of our retreat, we have explored that when we view our earthly life from the perspective of an “earthly pilgrimage,” that is, when we view our earthly life as “pilgrims,” we can more easily face the various encounters and challenges in life from God’s perspective.Before we continue on our journey, let us take this opportunity to pause and examine the path ahead of us, so that we may develop the right mindset to face the difficulties of life.For this reason, over the past few days, we have reflected from different perspectives on the deeper meaning behind the challenges in our lives. These challenges are like examinations in our life journey, basic daily training for a "spiritual athlete," encounters with Jesus, especially moments when we experience His loving hand lifting us up, intimate opportunities to deepen our relationship as children of the Father, the opportunity to witness the mighty power of God's work in us, and the opportunity for Him to build our confidence. Most importantly, these challenges allow us to personally experience how our Heavenly Father loves us to the end!Our Heavenly Father continuously helps us grow and improve ourselves, narrowing the gap between us and Him, until we can finally be in perfect communion with the Holy Trinity. God's desire for a relationship with us is like a transcendent marriage, once united, it can never be separated! This is the greatest and most perfect gift God has given to human beings, His creation. The temporary sufferings we endure in this life are nothing compared to the infinite and perfect joy of eternal life we will experience!In short, God's ultimate desire is to be with us forever, even if it means giving up everything He has.On the other hand, the devil watches us closely, because its only goal is to separate us from our Heavenly Father forever. Therefore, it uses cunning deception and temptation to lead us into sin, causing us to doubt our worth, feel discouraged, and lose hope. It wants us to give up trying and to avoid challenges altogether. To completely defeat us, the devil uses every trick to make us feel helpless, hopeless, lonely, abandoned, and finally fall into despair. The moment we surrender and give up, Satan can claim victory before God!There are only two directions in our earthly journey: one leads toward God, the other toward the world. Since the devil is not on God's side, it can only lurk in this world, waiting for opportunities to ambush us. Therefore, we only have one choice in life: to walk with God and constantly strive toward heaven. Otherwise, we drift along with worldly values and may eventually succumb to them, unknowingly fall into the devil’s trap.Our time on earth is short, and its length is beyond our control. Therefore, we must make a wise choice as soon as possible, to stand with God and remain steadfast, without wavering, so that the enemy has no chance to attack us!ReflectionDo you realize that the choices we make in this life have a crucial impact on whether we can reach the final destination of our earthly pilgrimage? Through today’s reflection, will you be more careful and deliberate in making life choices?Have you spent a great deal of time planning for your earthly life while neglecting to prepare for eternal life with the same effort and dedication?Have you truly made a firm decision to choose God over worldly things? Or do you find yourself wavering, constantly changing your mind?Today's PrayerMy dear Heavenly Father, I realize that I have not thought deeply about life or understood its real value. Because of this, I have not recognized my precious worth in Your eyes. I have been easily influenced by worldly thoughts and swayed by others, causing me to fail in choosing You wholeheartedly.I now see that I have been blinded by the enemy, thinking that I was already doing well, content with fulfilling the most basic responsibilities, feeling self-satisfied, and believing that I was better than others. But in reality, I have treated this precious life You have given me with superficiality, missing many opportunities to learn and encounter You.Heavenly Father, thank You for awakening me again, allowing me to better understand Your will and to see my life and myself from Your perspective. Please do not let me remain indifferent to Your love or continue delaying my decision to choose You. From today onward, I want to belong entirely to You, forever and always!--------------------The following is the “Farmer of Hearts: Finding Hope in God’s Kingdom” team, including FLL staff and volunteers.Please kindly pray for them. May God protect them and sustain their physical, mental and spiritual well-being.Writer: Paul YeungProject Manager: Michael Lam, Rosa TseEditors: Bonny Chan, Rosa TseEnglish Editors: Bonny Chan, Paul YeungMandarin Editor: Anthony X.Cantonese Narrator: Margaret WooEnglish Narrator: J. JohnsonMandarin Narrator: C. ZhouAudio Editors: Cyan Cheung, Sander Lee, Margaret WooYouTube Edi

Every parent hopes for their children’s success. You can imagine that God looks upon us children in the same way, only to an even greater extent. God desires us to be ‘holy’ because that is the best for us; it is our original state, as we were created in the image of the Father and are meant to resemble Him in every way. However, due to our sinful nature, we have strayed from the right path and distanced ourselves from the Father’s heart. Our Heavenly Father cannot bear to see us go astray and lose the grace that was meant to be ours. Therefore, God spared no effort, even sacrificing His own life as the price for our redemption, to save us from eternal punishment and restore our freedom.However, because God has given humans the freedom of choice, we can accept or reject His salvation. On the journey from being "saved" to becoming "holy," we can choose to accept or refuse each invitation. Poor God! Because of His boundless love for us, He continuously endures immense suffering. The more He desires good for us, the more He longs for our holiness, the deeper His pain becomes.You might wonder: Couldn't God avoid such suffering by simply giving up on perfecting us, or even abandoning us entirely and letting us perish on our own? He would be free from all troubles! That is true! However, our Heavenly Father never had the slightest thought of giving up on us. Instead, He chose to love us to the very end!Imagine if a master loved his dog so much that he was even willing to become a dog himself, just to love and care for it more completely, how incredible would it be?Yet, God's love for us goes even deeper. Not only did He take on human form as the Son, forever uniting Himself with humanity, but He also strives to elevate our worthiness infinitely until we become one with Him. This raises a profound question: What is it about humanity that so captivates the Almighty Creator, that He would sacrifice Himself so completely for us?This Creator wants us to learn through life's ups and downs, yet He never lets us be tested beyond our strength. Thus His gaze never leaves us, not even for a moment. His deepest desire is to help us restore the image of Himself in which we were created. And despite this immense love and wishes, He made an astonishing decision, to give us complete freedom to choose whether to stay with Him or leave Him! Apart from "crazy", what other word can better describe God's love for us?In His relationship with humanity, the Father has chosen to stay. What about you? Have you made your decision?ReflectionHave you ever thought deeply about the depth of God's love for you? Take a moment to reflect on it seriously.Have you ever thought of God as distant and indifferent, allowing us to fend for ourselves? After today’s reflection, do you have a deeper understanding of how much God loves you?If you were God, would you love your creation in the same way? Would you allow them to make their own decisions, even if it meant rejecting your love?Today's PrayerHeavenly Father, how deep is Your love for me? How much else do I not understand? Please reveal it all to me! I don’t want to keep guessing, and I certainly don’t want to hurt You anymore.Honestly, I don’t know if I am ready to receive Your endless love, but I don’t want my ignorance to continue to pierce Your heart!Seeing how blindly You love me, sometimes I wish You would love me a little less, so I wouldn’t feel so guilty about my sins. But I know this is my selfish thinking! Please transform me, teach me to better appreciate and love You, and more importantly, to accept Your love for me...--------------------The following is the “Farmer of Hearts: Finding Hope in God’s Kingdom” team, including FLL staff and volunteers.Please kindly pray for them. May God protect them and sustain their physical, mental and spiritual well-being.Writer: Paul YeungProject Manager: Michael Lam, Rosa TseEditors: Bonny Chan, Rosa TseEnglish Editors: Bonny Chan, Paul YeungMandarin Editor: Anthony X.Cantonese Narrator: Margaret WooEnglish Narrator: J. JohnsonMandarin Narrator: C. ZhouAudio Editors: Cyan Cheung, Sander Lee, Margaret WooYouTube Editors: Arnold Chan, Cyan Cheung, Sander LeeGraphics: Francis Lai, Carmen Tsang, Rosa TseWebsite: Patricia Young, Angela WongPodcast: Angela WongSocial Media: Yollie Leung, Carmen Tsang, Rosa TseTheme Music:"3 MINUTES RELAXATION MUSIC | 4K Scenic View of Tuscany" by Introvert Pianist https://www.youtube.com/@introvertpianist“Sea of Memory” by Aakash Gandhi https://www.youtube.com/@88keystoeuphoria ★ Support this podcast ★

During the past two or three days of this retreat, we emphasized that life on earth is akin to a pilgrimage in this world. Every journey should bring us rich experiences that we can enjoy. However, life in this world is full of challenges. How do we resolve the contradictions within? The key lies in whether we perceive the hardships of this world as "calamities" given by God or as opportunities granted by Him for our "self-improvement."A mature and successful Olympic athlete does not view daily training as unbearable torture, but is grateful for the opportunity to receive training and improve his skills and standards to achieve greater excellence and perfection. Without this mindset, the athlete would not be able to surpass himself, let alone compete with others.As pilgrims in this world and followers of Christ, we must adopt this same mindset, or more precisely, see things with the eyes of faith, that allows us to face life's challenges fearlessly, thereby reaching the "perfect" state that God has set for us and ultimately receiving the crown of life, which is eternal life. In Matthew 5:48, Jesus said in His Sermon on the Mount: "Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect." (Matthew 5:48)It is impossible! How can we, as humans, be expected to be as perfect as our Heavenly Father? Indeed, for humans, it is impossible, but for God, all things are possible! This is also the will of the Father! Jesus became man, uniting His flawless divinity with sinful humanity, thus elevating humanity to divinity. This demonstrates the depth of God's love for us, which surpasses all imagination! Therefore, the primary purpose of life on earth is a journey toward "perfection" in God. All the trials and tribulations we encounter along the way serve as stepping stones on our path to holiness.However, when Jesus gradually raised the expectations for His disciples, some chose to give up, feeling that His demands were unreasonable, absurd, too difficult, or too harsh. In fact, on one occasion, when Jesus was teaching about eating His body and drinking His blood, which once again raised the bar, many of His disciples said, "This teaching is difficult; who can accept it?" (John 6:60). From that time on, many of His disciples turned back and no longer went about with Him (John 6:66). Then Jesus asked the twelve, "Do you also wish to go away?" (John 6:67).Indeed, choosing to persevere is not easy. It requires strong faith and hope, as well as the determination to endure challenges and difficulties. Only then can we reach our destination on this earthly pilgrimage and receive the crown of eternal life.We must recognize that while the cost of perseverance is high, the cost of giving up is even higher! It is not up to us to set the threshold, unless we choose not to be Christians at all, but whether we accept God's invitation and His assistance on this journey is entirely our choice.ReflectionDo you also feel that the teachings and demands of Jesus are too difficult to accept? Have you ever considered giving up or even leaving Jesus?If you accept Jesus’ teachings, have you actually put them into practice? What obstacles are preventing you from doing so?Did your heart ache when you heard Jesus ask His beloved twelve disciples, "Do you also wish to go away?" Do you feel the pain God felt when He saw so many of His children leave Him?Today's PrayerLord, God, thank You for allowing me to understand Your expectations for me more deeply today, as well as the meaning and struggles behind them. Even more so, thank You for letting me feel Your profound love for me.Please tell me, how many times have I broken Your heart and turned away from You. I cannot imagine the pain You endure every time I choose to leave You and make decisions that wound Your heart.Abba Father! I don’t want this to happen again! Please help me humbly accept the purpose of my life that You have lovingly planned for me and the trials You allow me to face. Please do not let me be self-centred anymore, and let You witness my departure once again and suffer from the pain I inflict upon You!--------------------The following is the “Farmer of Hearts: Finding Hope in God’s Kingdom” team, including FLL staff and volunteers.Please kindly pray for them. May God protect them and sustain their physical, mental and spiritual well-being.Writer: Paul YeungProject Manager: Michael Lam, Rosa TseEditors: Bonny Chan, Rosa TseEnglish Editors: Bonny Chan, Paul YeungMandarin Editor: Anthony X.Cantonese Narrator: Margaret WooEnglish Narrator: J. JohnsonMandarin Narrator: C. ZhouAudio Editors: Cyan Cheung, Sander Lee, Margaret WooYouTube Editors: Arnold Chan, Cyan Cheung, Sander LeeGraphics: Francis Lai, Carmen Tsang, Rosa TseWebsite: Patricia Young, Angela WongPodcast: Angela WongSocial Media: Yollie Leung, Carmen Tsang, Rosa TseTheme Music:"3 MINUTES RELAXATION MUSIC | 4K Scenic View of Tuscany" by Introvert Pianist https://www.youtube.com/@introvertpianist“Sea of Memory” by Aakash

Building on our reflections from yesterday, a pilgrim seeking personal and spiritual growth should not primarily rely on acquiring knowledge through taking courses. Instead, the most effective and direct way is to humbly accept the various trials and tribulations that God allows in our lives and seize opportunities to learn from them. In particular, we should learn from the words and deeds of Jesus, His role model, and His relationship with the Father, learning to let go of ourselves and place greater trust in God. This is the shortcut to virtues and holiness. It is far more effective than any self-improvement program offered in the secular world.Our Heavenly Father wants us to face life’s challenges with courage. When we stumble and fall on our journey, His gaze never leaves us; rather, He helps us silently along the way. It is much like how parents do not interfere with their children’s struggles in life but instead give them space to overcome difficulties, allowing them to take pride in the achievements they have worked hard to attain.If you are a parent, you may more easily understand and empathize with the anguish of seeing your child go through hardship or suffering. Parents know that such experiences are necessary for their children’s growth, and for their long-term benefit, they must not take away these valuable learning opportunities. If earthly parents feel such deep pain when their children suffer, imagine the piercing sorrow that our Heavenly Father must endure!Yet, the Father willingly bears this pain because His love for us is unconditional. At the same time, He will never allow anything beyond our ability to bear to happen to us.In his first letter to the Corinthians, chapter 10, verse 13, St. Paul says, “No testing has overtaken you that is not common to everyone. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tested beyond your strength, but with the testing he will also provide the way out so that you may be able to endure it.” (1 Corinthians 10:13)You may wonder: God is almighty and above all things. How could He possibly understand human weakness and needs?If Jesus Christ had not become man, this argument might hold. However, Christ, in His humanity, experienced the most difficult trials and sufferings. Therefore, more than anyone else, He understands our struggles, feelings, limitations, and needs. We can be assured that when we, like St. Peter, begin to sink into the water (cf. Matthew 14:30), Jesus will not hesitate to reach out and pull us up. If He was willing to die on the cross to redeem us and bear our sins, would He not be even more willing to carry our burdens?If there is one “attraction” that is a must-see on our earthly pilgrimage, it must be the scene of being pulled out of the water by the Lord during the thrilling adventure of “walking on water”!ReflectionCan you, through observing the relationship between earthly parents and children, come to understand the agony that the Heavenly Father endures when He sees us face difficulties and pain? And while pouring out your heart to our Heavenly Father, are you also willing to listen to His voice?Have you ever experienced God helping you directly or indirectly when you fell or sank into the water? Please revisit that experience, and let it affirm that the Heavenly Father’s love for you is real and certain.Our relationship with the Heavenly Father is a reflection of the relationship between the Son and the Heavenly Father. Can you draw some inspiration from the Son’s example of trusting and obeying the Father?Today’s PrayerMy beloved Abba Father, I am sorry... I am sorry... When I went through trials, I always thought that I was the most miserable, the most helpless and the most misunderstood. Yet I failed to realize that, for my sake, You were the one who experienced the greatest pain, the deepest helplessness, and the most profound misunderstanding!Today, I understand that if it were possible, You would rather be the one who suffers. In fact, for my sake, You truly endured the greatest pain in the form of Your Son! Once I saw this truth clearly, I fully understood that the suffering I must endure is an essential stage in my growth. It is a necessary part of my earthly pilgrimage.Please forgive me for my past ignorance and for all the misunderstandings I have held about You, which have aggravated the grievances and sufferings You have already endured because of me.Father! I truly do not wish to hurt You any further! Please help me to strengthen my trust in You, and enable me to follow the example of Jesus in loving and obeying You.--------------------The following is the “Farmer of Hearts: Finding Hope in God’s Kingdom” team, including FLL staff and volunteers.Please kindly pray for them. May God protect them and sustain their physical, mental and spiritual well-being.Writer: Paul YeungProject Manager: Michael Lam, Rosa TseEditors: Bonny Chan, Rosa TseEnglish Editors: Bonny Chan, Paul YeungMandarin Editor: Anthony X.Cantonese Narrato

You should still remember that on the first day of our retreat, we quoted from the book of the prophet Jeremiah, chapter 29, verse 11, where God speaks to us: “For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11)You may have doubts in your heart: Is this true? Is God's plan for me truly one of peace and free from disaster? Why do my experiences tell me otherwise? If God truly cares for me and has a hopeful future planned for me, shouldn’t He remove all the difficulties and sufferings I experience so that I could experience His love more directly?God indeed has a plan for us, but its ultimate purpose goes beyond our worldly concerns. It points toward the future, an eternal and hopeful future! God allows us to go through various trials and tribulations in this life for one main reason: to prepare us for eternal life.No one likes trials and suffering, but no one would object to self-improvement and becoming a better person. This desire is part of our human nature, given by God, to set life goals and seek a more fulfilling and meaningful existence. If we elevate our thoughts beyond worldly concerns, we can begin to understand God's desire for us: He wants to elevate our humanity so that we may share in His divinity, ultimately leading us to perfection, holiness, and eternal union with Him.This may seem impossible, but it became possible through Jesus Christ, who took on humanity by being born into this world. The spiritual transformation that we cannot achieve by human effort alone can be accomplished through the power given by God, through the Holy Spirit. However, for this divine plan to be fulfilled, it requires our active cooperation.Let’s use an analogy. Our learning process in this world requires us to take exams to ensure we understand and can apply what we have learned. The purpose of exams is to challenge us. Through taking exams, we improve ourselves and become better equipped for greater responsibilities and missions in life.Examinations come in different levels. As we grow, the difficulty naturally increases, otherwise, we would not achieve the expected results. This pushes us to study harder, step out of our comfort zones, challenge ourselves, and strive for a higher level of achievement.Similarly, God allows us to face different trials in life, not because He does not care or love us, but precisely because He does! God endures the pain of watching us go through suffering because He knows that only in this way can we learn and grow, improve ourselves, and become more like Him. Ultimately, this enables us to experience the fullness of joy in communion with Him.ReflectionGod has promised that His plan for you is one of peace, not of disaster, and that He has a future with hope for you. Have you ever doubted this promise?Do you believe that growth in life and faith require going through different tests and exams, just like our learning process in school?Do you wish that God would use other ways, ones that do not involve suffering or tests, to help you grow in character and virtue? Take a moment now to share your thoughts with our Lord in prayer.Today's PrayerHeavenly Father, thank You for listening to me today. I know that You understand my deep longing for a smoother, more peaceful journey in this life, free from disasters. But I also understand the message You want to tell me today. You want me to understand the reasons behind the difficulties and pain You allow me to experience.Father, I understand, but sometimes the difficulties of life feel overwhelming. Sometimes, I don't want to face them. At times, I even feel like giving up…I now call on the holy name of Jesus and pray to you. Please grant me the power and wisdom of the Holy Spirit. Open the eyes of my heart so that I may see my sufferings with the eyes of faith, and through them, become more like You and draw closer to You…--------------------The following is the “Farmer of Hearts: Finding Hope in God’s Kingdom” team, including FLL staff and volunteers.Please kindly pray for them. May God protect them and sustain their physical, mental and spiritual well-being.Writer: Paul YeungProject Manager: Michael Lam, Rosa TseEditors: Bonny Chan, Rosa TseEnglish Editors: Bonny Chan, Paul YeungMandarin Editor: Anthony X.Cantonese Narrator: Margaret WooEnglish Narrator: J. JohnsonMandarin Narrator: C. ZhouAudio Editors: Cyan Cheung, Sander Lee, Margaret WooYouTube Editors: Arnold Chan, Cyan Cheung, Sander LeeGraphics: Francis Lai, Carmen Tsang, Rosa TseWebsite: Patricia Young, Angela WongPodcast: Angela WongSocial Media: Yollie Leung, Carmen Tsang, Rosa TseTheme Music:"3 MINUTES RELAXATION MUSIC | 4K Scenic View of Tuscany" by Introvert Pianist https://www.youtube.com/@introvertpianist“Sea of Memory” by Aakash Gandhi https://www.youtube.com/@88keystoeuphoria ★ Support this podcast ★

During the past four days of this retreat, we have outlined the initial framework and image of the theme of this retreat, "Finding Hope in God’s Kingdom." We have examined the current state of both the world and our hearts, as well as our ultimate hope — our true destination. This has helped us establish both the starting point and the final destination of our earthly journey. Our loving God has already prepared a perfect navigation system to guide us through the various challenges we encounter in this life. This system helps us overcome obstacles and safely reach our final destination — eternal life, which is our ultimate happiness.This navigation system God has given us is called "hope," and it is something we can fully trust. However, the devil envies us and does not want us to attain eternal life, nor does he want God to be with us forever. As a result, it seeks to attack our hope, attempting to snatch it from our hands. Its goal is to make us lose our way on this earthly journey and fall into the many traps it has set. Our worldview and mentality towards our earthly life plays a crucial role in determining whether we will easily fall into the enemy’s traps.We then introduced the concept of our "earthly pilgrimage", as this perspective aligns more closely with how God sees our earthly lives. This understanding helps us establish a correct concept and mindset, preventing us from going astray or falling into the enemy's traps.Thus, it is essential to understand what it truly means to be a "pilgrim". As we mentioned earlier, a pilgrim is a "temporary resident" and a "traveller." This perspective shifts our focus from temporary matters to eternal ones, reminding us to let go of attachments, so that we can journey forward with greater ease.Most of us have experience travelling. A good journey allows travellers to enjoy the culture and scenery of different places, discover new and exciting things, meet interesting people, and enjoy the companionship of fellow travellers. All these experiences not only make the journey enjoyable and memorable but also broaden our horizons and increase our knowledge. When we are willing to step out of our comfort zones, we open ourselves to unexpected blessings. This should be the mindset we carry as we live out our "earthly pilgrimage."Every system requires fine-tuning, and our "navigation system in life" is no exception. Gaining a clear and firm understanding of our journey’s starting point and destination — along with cultivating the right and positive mindset as "pilgrims" — is a crucial adjustment process. This, in turn, enhances the effectiveness of our God-given navigation system, making our earthly journey smoother and more fulfilling.ReflectionIn your earthly life, do you identify yourself as a "pilgrim"? Are there areas where you can learn and improve?After today’s reflection, do you have a renewed perspective on life? Can you adopt the same excitement and curiosity that you would have when travelling to embrace this earthly pilgrimage?Can you approach life with a more relaxed attitude and an open heart? What adjustments does your "navigation system" need?Today's PrayerAbba Father, thank You for giving me a new perspective today to rediscover my identity as a "pilgrim" in this world and the mentality I should have.Please continue to enlighten me, so that I may see more clearly how my attachments and biases shape the way I approach life, and, in turn, affect my relationship with You.Please also forgive me for not cherishing the life You have given me, and for failing to cherish You and appreciate all that You have done for me!Please help me to embrace and enjoy life with a positive attitude, to make the most of the learning opportunities You provide through my life journey, and no longer take Your boundless grace and love for granted.--------------------The following is the “Farmer of Hearts: Finding Hope in God’s Kingdom” team, including FLL staff and volunteers.Please kindly pray for them. May God protect them and sustain their physical, mental and spiritual well-being.Writer: Paul YeungProject Manager: Michael Lam, Rosa TseEditors: Bonny Chan, Rosa TseEnglish Editors: Bonny Chan, Paul YeungMandarin Editor: Anthony X.Cantonese Narrator: Margaret WooEnglish Narrator: J. JohnsonMandarin Narrator: C. ZhouAudio Editors: Cyan Cheung, Sander Lee, Margaret WooYouTube Editors: Arnold Chan, Cyan Cheung, Sander LeeGraphics: Francis Lai, Carmen Tsang, Rosa TseWebsite: Patricia Young, Angela WongPodcast: Angela WongSocial Media: Yollie Leung, Carmen Tsang, Rosa TseTheme Music:"3 MINUTES RELAXATION MUSIC | 4K Scenic View of Tuscany" by Introvert Pianist https://www.youtube.com/@introvertpianist“Sea of Memory” by Aakash Gandhi https://www.youtube.com/@88keystoeuphoria ★ Support this podcast ★

Over the past few days, we have discussed that, as pilgrims on this earthly journey, we must first recognize where we currently stand and gain clarity about our final destination. Today, let us reflect on the journey in between.As we embrace this Jubilee with the theme “Pilgrims of Hope,” it is helpful to understand what a pilgrimage truly is in order to fully appreciate the meaning of being “pilgrims of hope.” When we think of a pilgrimage, we typically envision a devotional journey to a sacred place, often associated with a saint.The word “pilgrim” comes from the Latin word “peregrinus”, meaning a foreigner, someone on a journey, or a temporary resident. It emphasizes the state of “living abroad.”By connecting our understanding of pilgrimage with the definition of a pilgrim, it becomes clear that when we refer to life on earth as an “earthly pilgrimage,” we acknowledge that we are merely temporary residents here, journeying toward the ultimate sacred place—our heavenly home. This perspective helps us orient our lives according to God’s will and adopt the right outlook on our earthly existence. Such a perspective is crucial in navigating the maze of life.Pope Leo XIII urged the faithful “to raise their thoughts, now busied with worldly matters, to the contemplation of heavenly things.” This highlights the importance of shifting our focus from earthly concerns to eternal realities—the true essence of pilgrimage.Let us delve deeper into the meaning of pilgrimage to gain further insight into what our earthly life should be like, thereby making our journey home to the Father’s house—our heavenly home—easier.The teachings of the Church emphasize that pilgrimage is a time of conversion and renewal. A pilgrimage signifies not just a journey but a purposeful movement toward a destination and a higher goal. When we adopt the mindset of a pilgrimage, our life on earth becomes a spiritual journey—one that reflects the human search for purpose and a divine encounter.Genuine and intimate encounters with our Lord Jesus along our earthly pilgrimage not only help us nurture an ever-deepening relationship with God but also prepare us, as pilgrims, to remain steadfast on the path toward our ultimate encounter with God the Father. Our relationship with Jesus lifts our gaze from earthly attachments to the anticipation of eternal and everlasting joy in heaven.The theme “Pilgrims of Hope” rightly connects us with Jesus, our Lord, who is the source of salvation and hope for all believers.ReflectionIs your mind primarily occupied with worldly affairs, or do you make space to elevate your thoughts to heavenly matters?Do you find your life, your pilgrimage on earth, stagnant or constantly renewing? Aimless or purposeful?After today's reflection, do you have any new insights into the meaning and direction of your earthly life? What changes do you desire?Today’s PrayerMerciful Abba Father, thank You for giving me the opportunity today to pause and reflect on the meaning of my earthly life. You have granted me the chance to examine where my focus truly lies, whether it is directed toward You or merely fixed on the world. Please forgive me for not slowing down in life, for not setting aside worldly matters to contemplate heavenly things, and for failing to seek an encounter with You.Thank You for allowing me to see my true identity and the real purpose of my earthly journey. Thank You for helping me recalibrate the navigation system of my life so that my hope may be firmly anchored in my Lord Jesus.Holy Spirit, please guide me to live my earthly life well from this day forward and to prepare myself well to enter into Your eternal kingdom.--------------------The following is the “Farmer of Hearts: Finding Hope in God’s Kingdom” team, including FLL staff and volunteers.Please kindly pray for them. May God protect them and sustain their physical, mental and spiritual well-being.Writer: Paul YeungProject Manager: Michael Lam, Rosa TseEditors: Bonny Chan, Rosa TseEnglish Editors: Bonny Chan, Paul YeungMandarin Editor: Anthony X.Cantonese Narrator: Margaret WooEnglish Narrator: J. JohnsonMandarin Narrator: C. ZhouAudio Editors: Cyan Cheung, Sander Lee, Margaret WooYouTube Editors: Arnold Chan, Cyan Cheung, Sander LeeGraphics: Francis Lai, Carmen Tsang, Rosa TseWebsite: Patricia Young, Angela WongPodcast: Angela WongSocial Media: Yollie Leung, Carmen Tsang, Rosa TseTheme Music:"3 MINUTES RELAXATION MUSIC | 4K Scenic View of Tuscany" by Introvert Pianist https://www.youtube.com/@introvertpianist“Sea of Memory” by Aakash Gandhi https://www.youtube.com/@88keystoeuphoria ★ Support this podcast ★

During yesterday's retreat, we mentioned that the Global Positioning System (GPS) we commonly use today requires us to input both the starting point and the destination so that the system can successfully guide us to our destination. This serves as a reminder that our lives need a clear goal and direction, and we must be aware of our current position so that the navigation system can effectively guide us.You might have had the experience where you’re heading to a place you frequent, and you know the route that will get you there the quickest, so you don’t rely on the GPS for directions. But then, suddenly, you encounter roadwork, a traffic accident, or other unexpected events, which forces you to make immediate changes, such as taking a detour, and ultimately causing a delay. Many of us, like other GPS users, might regret not using the GPS from the start, which caused our plans being thrown off! This experience and feeling are probably familiar to you.Our lives are much like a journey. Once we set a life goal and decide to strive towards it, generally, we can follow many worldly methods and wisdom to help us reach that goal. However, life often presents unexpected twists and turns, requiring us to change our initial decisions or even alter the course of our lives!God knows that we will face many twists and turns in our lives, and He has specifically given us the virtues of faith, hope, and love to guide us. Among them, “hope” can be seen as our life’s navigation system. It is our guide, especially when we face obstacles in life. Hope can be the light on our journey, helping us find the way and overcome both internal and external struggles.Life indeed feels like a maze, especially in this rapidly changing era. Often, we fail to grasp what is happening around us and why events unfold the way they do because things happen so fast. We must respond quickly, much like making immediate decisions on a fast-moving highway. When we are at a loss, how can we make wise decisions and choose the right direction? In such circumstances, ordinary navigation systems are of little help!Does God want us to be lost? Absolutely not! He has already prepared a navigation system for our lives. Do we want to keep repeating the same mistakes, thinking that we have mastered the way ahead, and refuse to use the navigation system that God has "tailor-made" for us?Getting lost on the road may not cause much harm. At most, it will just delay our journey. But if we make the same mistake in our lives, the consequences are far more serious. Let us accept God’s deepest concerns for us and entrust the role of life’s navigation to Him, and let Him take the lead!ReflectionDo you think you can easily adapt to life in this rapidly changing era without getting lost? What do you rely on as your life’s navigation system?Have you ever felt lost or disoriented in your life? Reflect on that experience and how you felt.Do you trust the life navigation system God has prepared for you? Do you yearn for and are you willing to accept God’s loving concern for you, and give Him the guiding role in your life?Today’s PrayerAlmighty Abba Father, thank You for giving me an important reminder in today’s reflection, that is, no matter how bumpy or challenging life may be, or how many disappointments I face, I am not facing them alone. You have already prepared and blessed me with a tailor-made life navigation system, guiding me and being my light in the darkness, leading me when I am lost.Please don’t let me fall into the abyss of despair, but help me to always recognize Your care for me, even in difficult times. May I awaken from the stubbornness of self-navigation and turn to You for protection, so that the "hope" You have gifted me can be the navigator of my life.Holy Spirit, I submit myself to You. Take charge of my life!--------------------The following is the “Farmer of Hearts: Finding Hope in God’s Kingdom” team, including FLL staff and volunteers.Please kindly pray for them. May God protect them and sustain their physical, mental and spiritual well-being.Writer: Paul YeungProject Manager: Michael Lam, Rosa TseEditors: Bonny Chan, Rosa TseEnglish Editors: Bonny Chan, Paul YeungMandarin Editor: Anthony X.Cantonese Narrator: Margaret WooEnglish Narrator: J. JohnsonMandarin Narrator: C. ZhouAudio Editors: Cyan Cheung, Sander Lee, Margaret WooYouTube Editors: Arnold Chan, Cyan Cheung, Sander LeeGraphics: Francis Lai, Carmen Tsang, Rosa TseWebsite: Patricia Young, Angela WongPodcast: Angela WongSocial Media: Yollie Leung, Carmen Tsang, Rosa TseTheme Music:"3 MINUTES RELAXATION MUSIC | 4K Scenic View of Tuscany" by Introvert Pianist https://www.youtube.com/@introvertpianist“Sea of Memory” by Aakash Gandhi https://www.youtube.com/@88keystoeuphoria ★ Support this podcast ★

When promoting this online retreat, we mentioned: "In a world plagued by an epidemic of depression and hopelessness like never before, it’s clear that what the world offers is leading us in the wrong direction." But just how serious is this problem?In recent years, alarming statistics on mental health have continued to rise, particularly in the prevalence of depression and the growing sense of despair. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), over 264 million people worldwide suffer from depression, and more than 720,000 people die by suicide each year— with depression being a major contributing factor. Even more concerning is that hopelessness creates a vicious cycle—the more one feels lost in despair, the harder it becomes to seek help or make changes, leading to social isolation and deepening hopelessness.Studies and surveys have also shown a significant increase in depression among adolescents and young adults, which is deeply worrying. In fact, suicide is the third leading cause of death among 15-29-year-olds. Young people are the pillars of our future and the wellspring of hope for society. They are a group we must protect and care for at all costs.You might think: "I don’t want to hear more discouraging news." And it’s true—no one wants to be bombarded with negativity. But ignoring the problem won’t make it disappear. Instead, we must courageously face these realities and actively seek solutions. Just like when we are physically ill, we cannot refuse to accept and face the condition without understanding it, nor should we delay treatment.We must remember that “faith” and “hope” are deeply intertwined. When people lose hope, their faith often weakens, making it easier to abandon their belief altogether. Therefore, we have reason to believe that the rampant depression and anxiety are the devil’s despicable means of separating us from our Heavenly Father. They are traps that we, as children of our Heavenly Father, must guard against. Overcoming despair and embracing hope is a spiritual battle that we must win.When using a GPS, we must enter both a starting point and a destination so that the system can successfully lead us to our destination. Likewise, as pilgrims on this earthly journey, we must first recognize where we currently stand and also have clarity about our final destination. Without a clear goal, reaching our intended destination is impossible!Regarding our life’s ultimate goal, we find great insight in the Catechism of the Catholic Church on the virtue of hope:"Hope is the theological virtue by which we desire the kingdom of heaven and eternal life as our happiness." (CCC 1817)Our hope and ultimate destination—our eternal happiness—is everlasting life in the presence of God. Only by keeping this goal in mind can we cultivate true and unshakable hope, becoming true Pilgrims of Hope in this world.ReflectionAre you hesitant to face reality, whether due to your internal struggles or external circumstances? Why?Do you regard eternal life as the ultimate destination of your earthly journey? Do you still have doubts about the promise of eternal life?Do you have a correct understanding of the virtue of “hope”? Do you believe you possess a strong and living hope? Why or why not?Today’s PrayerHeavenly Father, thank You for inspiring the Holy Father to set "Pilgrims of Hope" as the theme for this Jubilee Year, reminding us of our identity and mission it entails—especially the call to strengthen our hope in You and to care for those who are lost, forgotten, or in despair.Grant me a compassionate heart, like Yours, that truly sees and understands the suffering and struggles of my brothers and sisters in despair so that I can care for them. Help me to face the growing crisis of hopelessness and to take action in fostering a culture of encouragement and hope in this world.Holy Spirit, accompany me, strengthen me, and grant me the grace and power to press on toward the goal on this earthly pilgrimage together with my fellow brothers and sisters. Amen.--------------------The following is the “Farmer of Hearts: Finding Hope in God’s Kingdom” team, including FLL staff and volunteers.Please kindly pray for them. May God protect them and sustain their physical, mental and spiritual well-being.Writer: Paul YeungProject Manager: Michael Lam, Rosa TseEditors: Bonny Chan, Rosa TseEnglish Editors: Bonny Chan, Paul YeungMandarin Editor: Anthony X.Cantonese Narrator: Margaret WooEnglish Narrator: J. JohnsonMandarin Narrator: C. ZhouAudio Editors: Cyan Cheung, Sander Lee, Margaret WooYouTube Editors: Arnold Chan, Cyan Cheung, Sander LeeGraphics: Francis Lai, Carmen Tsang, Rosa TseWebsite: Patricia Young, Angela WongPodcast: Angela WongSocial Media: Yollie Leung, Carmen Tsang, Rosa TseTheme Music:"3 MINUTES RELAXATION MUSIC | 4K Scenic View of Tuscany" by Introvert Pianist https://www.youtube.com/@introvertpianist“Sea of Memory” by Aakash Gandhi https://www.youtube.com/@88keystoeuphoria ★ Support this podcast ★

"Farmer of Hearts" was launched at the beginning of the pandemic. Over the past five years, “farmers of hearts” from all over the world have been cultivating their hearts. In addition to preparing their hearts to remember the suffering that Jesus endured for us and to celebrate His glorious resurrection, they have also been constantly straightening the path between Jesus and us, so that we can fully embrace Christ as the King of our lives and surrender to His lordship.However, the challenges we face—both externally and within—often shake our hope and faith in the future, trapping us in anxiety and despair. In such times, maintaining an inner peace, let alone joy, feels almost impossible. The world is filled with confusion, with distorted narratives and events that leave us bewildered and even gasping for air.But God, our loving Father, sees our struggles. This is why He inspired Pope Francis to set "Pilgrims of Hope" as the theme for this Jubilee Year. God wants to rekindle hope in our lives and encourage us on this pilgrimage of faith!We must firmly believe that the current state of the world is not the intention of our Heavenly Father, nor is He indifferent to our struggles. Although with our limited wisdom and vision, it is impossible to fully understand why He allows certain trials to happen in our lives and in the world, but we can trust that God allows these things to happen for a reason and for our benefit. We can confirm this from what God says to us in Jeremiah 29:11:“For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11) This promise of God to us is not empty words. In fact, this promise has been fulfilled in the Lord Jesus Christ, who became man and died and rose again for us. Jesus entrusted us with the torch of hope, passing it on through His teachings and the Church He established, and instructed us to pass on this gospel of hope from generation to generation. Yet, before we can share this hope, we must first reclaim and strengthen it in our own hearts.Whether you long to become a person of greater hope or a bearer of hope for others, God invites you to actively participate in this journey. Hope does not grow by chance—it requires our effort and openness.This Lenten season, let us cultivate our hearts, transforming them into fertile soil of hope—so that we, in turn, may be a blessing to others.ReflectionWhat external and internal factors are shaking your hope in life? Do you trust that God can rescue you from a state of hopelessness?Do you believe that God cares about the struggles you are facing? Take a moment to reflect on His promise to you:“For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope.”In silence, ask the Lord to renew your spirit and open your heart to follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit on this 40-day pilgrimage of hope.Today’s PrayerAs we begin this journey of hope, let us pray to our Father in Heaven with the Jubilee Prayer, “Pilgrim of Hope.”Father in heaven,may the faith you have given usin your son, Jesus Christ, our brother,and the flame of charity enkindledin our hearts by the Holy Spirit,reawaken in us the blessed hopefor the coming of your Kingdom.May your grace transform usinto tireless cultivators of the seeds of the Gospel.May those seeds transform from within both humanity and the whole cosmosin the sure expectationof a new heaven and a new earth,when, with the powers of Evil vanquished,your glory will shine eternally.May the grace of the Jubileereawaken in us, Pilgrims of Hope,a yearning for the treasures of heaven.May that same grace spreadthe joy and peace of our Redeemerthroughout the earth.To you our God, eternally blessed,be glory and praise for ever.Amen.--------------------The following is the “Farmer of Hearts: Finding Hope in God’s Kingdom” team, including FLL staff and volunteers.Please kindly pray for them. May God protect them and sustain their physical, mental and spiritual well-being.Writer: Paul YeungProject Manager: Michael Lam, Rosa TseEditors: Bonny Chan, Rosa TseEnglish Editors: Bonny Chan, Paul YeungMandarin Editor: Anthony X.Cantonese Narrator: Margaret WooEnglish Narrator: J. JohnsonMandarin Narrator: C. ZhouAudio Editors: Cyan Cheung, Sander Lee, Margaret WooYouTube Editors: Arnold Chan, Cyan Cheung, Sander LeeGraphics: Francis Lai, Carmen Tsang, Rosa TseWebsite: Patricia Young, Angela WongPodcast: Angela WongSocial Media: Yollie Leung, Carmen Tsang, Rosa TseTheme Music:"3 MINUTES RELAXATION MUSIC | 4K Scenic View of Tuscany" by Introvert Pianist https://www.youtube.com/@introvertpianist“Sea of Memory” by Aakash Gandhi https://www.youtube.com/@88keystoeuphoria ★ Support this podcast ★

As we come to the final day of the 40-day retreat, let us once again focus our attention on the theme of this retreat: "Finding God in All Things." At the heart of this theme is a relationship, an ultimate relationship with God. If the ultimate goal of Christians in this world is to "inherit eternal life", and if being with God forever is the meaning behind "inheriting eternal life", we need to prepare ourselves well in this life to be united with God eternally in the Heavenly Kingdom.It is hoped that this retreat experience not only deepens your understanding of God, sensing His presence in your life, but also enables you to feel His profound love for you and His expectations of you. Now, let us learn how to live out the goal of "Finding God in All Things"."Finding God in All Things" carries the meaning of "Choosing God in All Things". We must first look at things from God's perspective, and then make wise choices in life with His vision. The sacredness of the present moment lies in the fact that we can only make choices in the present. Good choices bring us closer to God, while bad choices lead us away from Him. Therefore, being able to make right decisions or choices in the present is crucial for whether we can ultimately "inherit eternal life"!To put it simply, the situations we encounter in life can generally be divided into two categories: those with opportunities for choice, and those without. Let's first explore the second scenario. This refers to things that happen to us, which we did not choose but can only accept. If things go our way, of course we gladly accept them. However, if unfortunate events occur, such as suffering or disasters affecting ourselves or our families, in these circumstances, although it seems like we have no choice, we can still choose how to face them.One thing we need to understand is that God does not actively bring disasters upon us. However, God may allow unfortunate events to happen to us because He knows that He can bring greater good out of these misfortunes. We should see these things that God allows to happen to us as part of God’s will. We must view them with the eyes of faith, helping us to discern the true meaning behind these events, as they are often difficult to understand in the present moment. But we must firmly believe that God, who loves us to the end, always puts our best interests first. When we submit to God's will and guidance, He will provide for all our needs in due time. We just need to patiently wait, knowing that greater good that God will bring will surely come. Moreover, our God desires to accompany us through life's trials, building a closer relationship with us. This explains why Jesus was willing to humbly dwell among humanity and spend thirty-three years with people.The second type of situation we encounter in life is those where we have the opportunity or space to make choices. As mentioned earlier, everything that God allows to happen to us is part of God's will. From this perspective, we should approach all things with a spirit of indifference, whether they are good or bad, because God has ways to bring blessings to us in any situation. St. Ignatius also pointed out that everything in the world is created out of God's love, and these are gifts from God to help us better know Him. Therefore, we should cooperate with God to make good use of these gifts, glorifying Him and benefiting others. Conversely, if we misuse the gifts God created for us, or prioritize them above God in our lives, they will go against God's original intention, becoming stumbling blocks in our relationship with Him. Therefore, anything that does not lead us closer to God must be firmly rejected or let go of.If in our lives, any event that happens and anything that appears can help us know and draw closer to God, or can inspire us to use these things to benefit others so as to return love to God, then we truly achieve the state of "Finding God in All Things". With this mentality, we will not be obsessed with desiring health over sickness, wealth over poverty, success over failure, and so on.The state of the world indeed unsettles us and makes us feel very helpless. In this Lenten retreat, God reminds us that He not only dwells among us but also deeply cares about the suffering and hardships we endure. God hopes that in both good and bad situations, we can recognize Him in all things and draw strength from Him. Only by trusting that God is with us in all circumstances can we find peace amidst the uncertainties and turmoil of this world."Finding God in All Things" is a lifelong learning process that requires continuous practice and application in our lives. Let this Lenten retreat open a new chapter in your relationship with the Lord and prepare you to be forever united with Him in the heavenly home!ReflectionAfter these forty days of retreat, what breakthroughs have you experienced in your relationship with God? Do you feel a greater need for Him? What are your expectati

Yesterday we learned that through the examination of consciousness, we can heighten our awareness of God’s blessings in our lives and become more grateful so that we can more easily find God in all things. But how can we be grateful if we find no blessings from God in our lives, but only pain and suffering? How can we find God in all things in such a life?First, let's challenge our understanding of the theme of this retreat, "Finding God in All Things". Have we romanticized the idea of "finding God in all things"? This means that in our impression, is God only present in things good and beautiful? So, is God present in pain, suffering, even persecution and sin? We need to understand that if God was only present in truth, goodness and beauty, the Son of God would not choose to be born as a human being, live in a world full of ugliness and evil, and choose to live and walk with people. While God cannot tolerate the sinfulness of human nature, He not only did not abandon or flee from us sinners, but willingly took on human nature and lived amidst sinfulness. We need to understand that it is the most unimaginable thing for God to do, for He is holy and perfect, the source of all truth, goodness, and beauty. But not only did He willingly live among sinful people, He even took on our sins and bore their consequences for us! As St. Paul proclaimed in his Second Letter to the Corinthians, Chapter 5, Verse 21: "For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." (2 Corinthians 5:21) Since God is willing to become sin for us, to become our sacrificial lamb, does He have any reason not to be present in our pain, suffering, trauma, humiliation, as well as all the ugliness, evil, natural or man-made disasters in the world?On this Good Friday, let us learn what it means to "carry the cross". First of all, we need to know that the so-called "crucifixion" was a capital punishment specifically designed by the Roman Empire to punish rebels, intended to make those criminals experience the most painful, cruel, excruciating, and torturous death possible. In addition to the process of dying on the cross, they also subjected the criminals to the most humiliating and helpless mental torment. The cruel requirement of forcing the criminals to "carry the cross" was to make those convicted of rebellion experience the defeat of being completely conquered, that the very last thing they were made to do before being nailed to the cross was to carry the instrument of their own death along a rugged path of suffering to the place of execution. This was done to demonstrate their complete and absolute obedience to the ruling authority. Jesus knew the torture He was about to endure was a form of punishment that was absolutely horrifying to the people under the rule of the Roman Empire, and it was certainly the most cruel means of governance that anyone had witnessed. Yet it was the will of the Heavenly Father that His only begotten Son should bear this torture innocently to pay for the sins of all of us!Jesus demonstrated complete and absolute submission to the will of the Father with the spirit of obedience demanded by this form of torture. This spirit of surrender is a reflection and hallmark of Jesus' entire life, and it is also through this complete obedience that He reversed the rebellion of our original ancestors against the Father.So when Jesus asks us, His followers, to deny ourselves and take up our cross daily to follow Him (Luke 9:23), He is asking us to learn from Him, to submit to the will of the Father. Therefore, "following Christ" means giving up our own desires, and instead, following the better arrangements made by the Father for us through faithfulness and imitation of Jesus. The greatest difference between us and the criminals sentenced to crucifixion is that they were coerced, while we can make choices and responses through the free will given to us by God.When we make a heartfelt choice to be loyal to Jesus, we allow Him to be the Lord and King in our lives. This requires us to give up being our own masters and allow Jesus to have authority over our lives.If these remarks were presented at the beginning of this Lenten retreat, they might have scared away many participants. But now, as we have a better understanding of the nature of God and the extent of His love for us, I hope this explanation will make it easier for you to accept what Jesus asks of us as Christians! Ultimately, whether we believe that God's demand for us is different from the cruelty of the Roman Empire is something for us to judge for ourselves!Now let’s answer the question we asked at the beginning, that is, if we cannot find God’s blessings in our lives, but only pain and suffering, how can we be grateful and find God in all things?If God is already the one you love most in your life, and while you experience pain and suffering, you have God who loves you most by your side, accompanying you and

We had mentioned before that the "present moment" is the only time when we can truly "find God" and "encounter God". When we are fully present in the "here and now", that is the time when we can best experience God’s presence. However, for us to be able to achieve this state of "living in the present" does not happen overnight. Fortunately, we can establish some spiritual habits to help us build and strengthen the spiritual muscles of "living in the present".St. Ignatius of Loyola developed a prayer practice based on his habit of daily reflection. It helps us recognize God’s presence and footprints in our lives by taking time every day to reflect on our life experiences and the blessings He bestows on us through the people and things we encounter on that day. This prayer method is called the "examination of consciousness", or the Examen, done once or twice a day, usually in the middle of the day and in the evening. St. Ignatius’ intention was to gradually bring the habit of examination of consciousness into our lives through this prayer practice. As we become more aware of and sensitive to God's presence and blessings, we can more easily find God in all things in the present moment.Jesus once reminded us that the first step in following Him is to "deny ourselves". In an earlier stage of the retreat, we mentioned that we are God's true opponents because we put ourselves and our pursuits and desires first in our lives. If we do not know what attracts and binds us, how can we know what we should renounce or let go of? However, if we have the habit of examining our consciousness every day, taking time to reflect on our desires, motives, and sinful tendencies, we can gradually get to know ourselves better and recognize areas where we are prone to stumble. By seeking God's help early on, we can deny ourselves more easily and overcome issues of pride and self-centeredness.Besides helping us review and acknowledge our shortcomings, the most important and primary focus of the Ignatian examination of consciousness is giving thanks to God for the blessings, big and small, in our daily lives. We often find ourselves in a state of ingratitude, even though we are not to the point of repaying good with evil. We rarely realize or acknowledge God's blessings in our lives. Instead, we feel that we deserve them, or even think that they are due rewards because of our abilities. Ultimately, we will regard ourselves as the masters of our lives. In this state, our focus is solely on ourselves, and we fail to find God in all things. Over time, we become numb to the various blessings in our lives and take them for granted. When we fail to recognize that the blessings in our lives are gifts from God, it is the same as denying God and His love for us.According to St. Ignatius, ingratitude is the root of all sins because one definition of sin is misusing the gifts God has given us. If we wish to repay God’s love, learning to express gratitude to Him is an effective way to show our love for Him. It is also a virtue that Christians who desire to "find God in all things" should develop.When we can recognize that our lives have been blessed by God, it will induce in us a desire to give back to God and to imitate His selfless generosity to bless others. This is the best way for us to "repay God’s love" as He desires!Just as Jesus said in Matthew 25:40, "Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me." (Matthew 25:40)The better we can imitate Christ, the more we can live according to His teachings, the more we will be like Him, and the more we will be able to reveal the face of God to those we encounter.ReflectionDo you take time for self-examination every day? Did today's reflection give you more motivation to develop or improve the habit of daily examination of consciousness?Do you recognize the blessings of God in your life easily, and do you express gratitude for these blessings? How can you make yourself a more grateful Christian?Now, invite the Lord to guide you on how to establish good spiritual habits in your life to help you achieve the goal of denying yourself and becoming more like Christ.Today’s PrayerLord Jesus, thank You for reminding me today to build the habit of daily examen. I realize that I am not sensitive to Your presence and blessings in my life. I often feel that the various gifts You have given me are what I deserve and I take them for granted.Lord, I apologize for my ungrateful attitude towards You. Please forgive me! Please grant me greater determination to take You more seriously and to fulfill my promises to You through action, so that I do not disappoint You again!Lord Jesus, I truly desire to find You in all things. Please do not let my self-centeredness replace Your primary position in my life. Teach me to surrender to You every day...--------------------Fundraising AppealThank you for participating in this 40-day Lenten spiritual journey. We ho

During the last ten days of the retreat, we kept mentioning that the relationship God wants to have with us is a marriage relationship. The concept of marriage originates from God Himself. Since we perceive God as a father figure and Jesus Christ also embodies a male identity, when we talk about our relationship with God being a marital one, it's easy for us to associate it with the imagery of the Church being the bride of Christ, with us, as the Church, being the body of Christ, assuming a female identity. Yes, from this perspective, the Church, which is us, indeed represents the bride, having a female identity in the context of marriage. Undoubtedly, many male believers may find this concept difficult to accept. The thought of being in a romantic relationship with Jesus Christ while assuming a "female" identity is indeed unsettling! No wonder men may find it challenging to fully engage in a relationship with God. However, whether you are female or male, please accept this reality. We should not confine our understanding of God based on gender when we consider accepting Him and His love for us. Compared to other more important aspects of our relationship with God, gender is relatively less significant. Therefore, please do not miss the point by focusing our attention on the lesser thing.In fact, we need to acknowledge that as creations of God, we do not have a "say" in the design scheme of God’s love towards us. Although God has given us free will to choose to accept or reject Him, once we choose to follow Him, we need to accept God's "relationship model". How God wishes to connect with us is part of His perfect design. He does not seek to coerce us into compliance because that is not the definition of God's love. In God's eyes, everything revolves around putting us first and foremost. Therefore, in the relationships He designs, everything is premised on what is best for us, rather than on God's own preferences.I believe many of us, when attending weddings, have asked the couple how their relationship started. Out of curiosity, we asked, "Who made the first move?" This question tends to be the most embarrassing question for the couple, especially if it was the woman who took the initiative, as it may seem she lacked dignity!Let's take a look at our relationship with God and see who takes the initiative, and who is more dignified. God, as the Lord of Hosts, should be exalted, but we can see that whether it is God in the Old Testament or Jesus in the New Testament, it is God who takes the initiative. From this perspective, in the eyes of God, we are precious, and this is something no one can deny. If by now we still do not believe that God puts us first among all else, then we are truly hopeless!Recall on the 26th day of our retreat, when Jesus comforted His disciples with these parting words: "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also." (John 14:1-3) Please picture this in your mind. These are the heartfelt words Jesus spoke to His beloved when He knew He was about to face suffering and death, when He was about to leave. And as you carefully ponder the words of Jesus, you will find that these are not just heartfelt words, but the most delicate, thoughtful, and sweet parting words, the solemn promises from the depths of Jesus’ soul.Jesus wants to comfort us, His beloved, when He briefly departs. He urges us not to panic, or mistakenly think that He will leave us forever. Instead, just like the custom of Jewish weddings at that time, Jesus wants to propose to us first. Then He will go to prepare a place for us and come back to marry us! This is indeed the attitude of our Saviour, not to save us with an army, but to redeem us in the most humiliating way, on the cross, showing His willingness to give everything for us!Even in His own time of great trial, not only did Jesus humble Himself to wash our feet, but He also pursues us and proposes to us to show that we are precious in His eyes. We have such a God who, out of love for us, is willing to humble Himself to this extent. What excuses or reasons do we have to reject this love from God?This indeed also tells us that it is not we who choose God, but God who chooses us!ReflectionIn your relationship with God, are there any feelings of discomfort or awkwardness that hinder you from further establishing a closer relationship with God? Can you trace the reasons for this, or perhaps some misunderstandings you have about this relationship?Have you ever deeply pondered the thoughts that God has put into pursuing you? Now, please try to look at your relationship with God from a different perspective and find evidence of God's love for you from past experiences.Do you believe that J

Yesterday we reflected on God's love, that is too much for us to bear. Do you have any new insights into the love that God has poured on you? Have you been touched by this overwhelming and inexplicable love? Did it pull your heart strings? Do you feel compelled to respond in some way? Or perhaps you think that you have already done your best to repay God's love, that you have already done everything you can to love God back and have given yourself fully?God's love for us is both endless and bottomless, something we can never fully repay, no matter how hard we try. So, to what extent should we love God? What does God require of us?I believe that from yesterday's reflection, you would have realized that God loves you, is willing to invest so much time and effort on you and to sacrifice His life and everything for you not because you possess any special qualities or outstanding merits. His love for you is unconditional. It is just because He loves you.If God loves us not because of our merits, we cannot earn greater love from God through our actions and behaviour. Similarly, we cannot repay God's love simply by responding to God's call to spread the Good News, or dedicating time to serve the Church, as these are not only our responsibilities but also natural expressions of genuine faith. These should not be seen as methods to "love God back". Otherwise, these will be like tasks or to-do lists that we try to fulfill or become transactional love. This is not the true essence of love, nor is it the kind of love that God desires from us.The ideal way to "love God back" is to spend time in prayer, encountering the Lord, getting to know this God who loves us unconditionally, and having heartfelt conversations with Him. If lovers would spend time getting to know each other and connecting emotionally to express their deep affection for each other, how much more should we invest time and effort in cultivating our eternal, intimate relationship with God? Shouldn't we put more thoughts and time on seeking opportunities to express our inner feelings, in order to deepen our mutual understanding, and genuinely admire each other?God has given us free will, ultimately hoping that we will freely choose Him, choose to love Him and love Him completely, choose to be with Him forever — not out of obligation, coercion, or helplessness from not having a choice. This is the essence of love, and it is also the essence of God, precisely because "God is love"!If prayer is an opportunity to have a heart-to-heart conversation with God, we cannot simply recite prayers mechanically; rather, we need to find a quiet environment to encounter God in solitude and silence. We shouldn't limit our communication with God through a human-to-God relationship, as God doesn't wish to interact with us from a distant, superior position. The depth of our conversation with the Lord should not be inferior to emotional exchanges between lovers; it shouldn't be superficial or apathetic, as that would show disrespect to God, and we would not be able to genuinely "love Him back" as a result.Just like all relationships in the world need time to nurture and cannot be rushed, a relationship that is meant to last for eternity requires even more time to nurture. God doesn't want us to force ourselves, nor does He want us to blame ourselves for not being able to emotionally connect with Him at the moment. Having said that, it doesn't mean that we shouldn’t be determined and take action to prove that we are serious about Him.We should start building a relationship with God on earth as soon as possible because we do not know how much time we have left to prepare our body, mind, and soul to commit ourselves eternally to the God who loves us unconditionally.God knows very well that we are unable to love Him the way He loves us. In fact, what God desires most is not for us to love Him back but for us to accept His love more fully. Many believers have yet to fully embrace their brokenness, as well as their dark and unlovable sides, which inadvertently or unintentionally prevent Jesus from entering the innermost chambers of their hearts. This is the same as not accepting God, and refusing His unconditional love for us. Unfortunately, this is one of the most difficult barriers for many believers to overcome.ReflectionDo you feel that you have already done your best to love God back, and that you have given everything you can for the Lord?Do you still find it difficult to accept God's love for you? Please seek the reasons for this in your meditation.After today's reflection, do you feel more motivated to seek ways and spend more time meeting with God in silence, and to engage in deeper conversations with Him?Today’s PrayerMy God, I always thought I was a believer that is up to par. I not only strive to obey the Ten Commandments but also try my best to serve the Church. I believed that I had done everything I possibly could. I had a clear conscience and didn’t feel like I was l

The question we asked ourselves in the previous day’s retreat about why we wish to enter heaven is one we really need to face. Reflecting on this question helps us understand the relationship between "heaven" and "earth", the connection between "eternity" and "the present moment". Our answers will become our life goals, helping us live each moment well to prepare ourselves to "inherit eternal life". If we constantly keep the goal of entering heaven in sight so as to live each "present moment" well, our worldview will be drastically different, and the choices we make that shape the trajectory of our lives will also be drastically different. This naturally affects the fruit we bear in our lives and ultimately whether we can enter heaven. This question is more important than many of the "life events” that we ponder on in this world because the successes and failures in this world are really insignificant compared to whether we can "inherit eternal life"!We probably all have had the experience of attending someone's wedding and asking the newlyweds what attracted them to each other, which ultimately led them to get married with each other. As someone beloved by God, what do you think attracts Him to you, leading God to choose you to be with Him forever? What outstanding qualities and exceptional merits do you possess that make God favour you? Looking at it from another perspective, do you think you deserve Jesus to sacrifice so much for you?As objects of God's love, we should be extremely amazed by God's actions, and we should also feel deeply ashamed. We should be amazed because this supreme and almighty God, who can create all things with His words and give us life with a breath, has lowered Himself and poured out His entire being, even His own life, just to love us, ungrateful creatures as we are. In the eyes of the Creator, we should be lowly insignificant beings. How could we humans be worthy of receiving such love from God and be regarded as treasures by Him? We should examine ourselves and ask, what is it about us that warrants God's humility, even to the point of begging for our love for Him? Seeing this pitiful God, we should cry out to the heavens: "What good do we have that makes you so unwaveringly devoted to us? Are you truly insane, or is there something that we fail to see clearly? Please tell us!"This kind of almost crazy and irrational love is something the world cannot understand or bear! Yet, this crazy lover continues to silently and helplessly knock on the door of our hearts, begging for our pity. God waits patiently for us, hoping that we will finally open the door and accept Him, accept His lavish love for us! What's even crazier is that we, creatures originally created from dust, shamelessly assume the role of masters instead of servants, as we should be, and treat our Creator with an attitude of arrogance and indifference! Shouldn't we feel utterly ashamed? How insane it is!Jesus once used this parable in Matthew 13:44 to describe the kingdom of heaven, saying, "The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which someone found and hid; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field." When we think that Jesus' description in this parable depicts an absurd and irrational behaviour, little do we realize that He, in an even more irrational and crazier manner, demonstrated that His actions indeed matched His words! Jesus took pity on us, these "treasures" buried in the ground, people enslaved by sin and deprived of freedom. He resolutely "sold" His own life to redeem us from sin and death!Now, would you be moved by God's crazy love for you? Are you brave enough to face your unloveliness, to open the door and accept God's pursuit of you, and to accept His unconditional and unreserved love for you?ReflectionDo you believe that God is attracted to you by some of your exceptional merits or outstanding qualities? Why do you think He loves you so much?If you desire to "inherit eternal life", can you bear God's infinite and unreasoned love? Can you accept your own unloveliness and embrace God's unconditional love?How do you feel about God's crazy and irrational love for you? Now, I invite you to face Him and express your feelings to Him!Today’s PrayerLord, facing You and Your crazy love for me, I truly don't know what to say! Do You really have nothing else more meaningful to do or handle? As the King of kings, as the Lord of lords, do You really have no greater plans to accomplish? Why have You spent so much time, so much thought, so much attention, such unconditional and unreserved love, such complete sacrifice on me...Do You really want to completely lose Yourself for me? Who am I? Am I worthy? Am I worth it? Why...How can I repay Your love for me? How can I give back to You? What do You want? Please tell me!Lord, facing You, I really can’t help but surrender. I am willing to open the door and let You in, to be conquered by Your love. Please fill me with Your b

As we enter the final seven days of the retreat, it's time to ask ourselves some very serious questions about life, especially those concerning life and death. These are the questions we often avoid or are afraid to face. However, it's only when we seriously face these core, essential, and ultimate questions in life that we can truly confront ourselves, understand our true needs, and get to know ourselves better.Now is the time to ask ourselves once again, why do we want to enter heaven? Why do you desire to enter the heavenly home? As the name suggests, heaven is our eternal home, our eternal dwelling place. For those of us who have faith, this place is a continuation of our earthly lives, an eternal abode beyond our imagination, the happiest, most perfect dwelling place. And Jesus is preparing a place for us, preparing for the day we return to the Father's house. But what God has prepared for us is not just a place, but a relationship that we shall enter into — an eternal relationship with God. This is the reason why we long to enter heaven.The relationship that God most desires to establish with us is not the relationship between the Creator and His creation, the relationship between the Savior and the mankind He has redeemed, or the relationship between the master and the servant. This relationship even goes beyond friends, beyond family, and beyond the relationship between father and child. It is a marital relationship, an eternal union, an eternal vow, a bond that once formed cannot be separated!The sanctity of marriage lies in the willingness of spouses to surrender themselves to each other unconditionally and regard each other as the most important person in their lives. God desires to have a marriage-like relationship with us, a perfect relationship that transcends this earthly marriage. Our life on earth is not only a time for us to prepare for eternal life, but it is also a time for us to prepare for this eternal ultimate relationship.If God must be our first priority in eternity, our earthly life is a journey of preparing ourselves to put God first in our lives. Just as all couples on earth need time to get to know each other, build intimacy, and eventually recognize each other as lifelong partners and enter into a sacred marital relationship; similarly, we only get to know and understand our God in this earthly life, build an intimate relationship with Him, and recognize God as the first priority in our lives and our eternal partner.Therefore, we cannot wait until we enter our heavenly home and participate in the heavenly banquet prepared for us before we begin to know and recognize our lifelong partner. In fact, our most important purpose on earth is to prepare for our own wedding banquet in heaven. God, who has been waiting by our side all along, is ready to establish this intimate relationship with us in our earthly lives. And the space where we can most intimately encounter God in our earthly lives is the "here and now". Therefore, "living in the present" and finding God and encountering Him in the present moment becomes the best preparation for us to enter the kingdom of heaven, and enter the most perfect relationship, a marriage relationship with God in which we will never be separated. This is something we cannot afford to miss out on!ReflectionNow, please take a moment in silence to reflect once again on why you desire to enter heaven.What is the most important relationship in your earthly life? Are you willing to put God first among all your relationships?How will you make good use of your "here and now"? Are you willing to invest time to seek God and encounter Him in the present moment, in order to prepare for your eternal relationship with Him?Today’s PrayerDear God, thank You for inviting me today to contemplate the ultimate questions in life: why do I desire to enter heaven; what is the primary purpose of my life on earth, and how can I make the most out of every moment in this world. I understand it is for my benefit, to let me know and understand as soon as possible the eternal significance of why I am created, so that I may seize every moment You have given me to prepare for my eternal life and my eternal relationship with You.Lord, I feel how serious You are about me. I sincerely hope I can also be more serious about You, more willing to spend time building an intimate relationship with You, in order to prepare my body, mind, and soul for the wedding banquet with You in heaven.Please grant me a more steadfast love, to love You every moment of my life!--------------------The following is the “Farmer of Hearts: Finding God in All Things” team, including FLL staff and volunteers. Please kindly pray for them. May God protect them and sustain their physical, mental and spiritual well-being.Project Manager: Michael LamWriter: Paul YeungEditors: Bonny Chan, Rosa TseEnglish Editors: Bonny Chan, Paul YeungMandarin Editor: Anthony X.Cantonese Narrator: Margaret WooEnglish Narrator: Bonny

We used the term "Unlimited Connection Plan" yesterday to describe the most ideal mode of communication between us and God. This “Unlimited Connection Plan” does not require signing any contract, does not charge any fees, does not have any unfavourable terms and fine prints, and is entirely user-driven. It is applicable for life, remaining eternally unchanged. I believe there is no calling plan in the entire world that can compete with this plan!The only thing users need to be mindful of is the features of this plan and how to utilize it to achieve the best results and maximize the benefits for users.First, this plan offers the best support and after-sales service: The party waiting on the other side of the line will definitely not be a robot, but the person in charge of this connection plan — God! He is absolutely loyal and responsible to every customer using this plan. He will wholeheartedly answer any questions and is willing to accompany the users until they are satisfied.Second, the communication line is not shared but dedicated. This means that the line will never be affected by multiple users using it at the same time. You always have a dedicated line to connect with God. When you converse with Him, you are His only focus. He will be entirely attentive to you without distraction. What you are most concerned about right now is also what God is most concerned about.Third, the more ample the time of each call, the faster the download speed and the less network congestion there is. Consequently, you will receive more messages, and the messages you receive will be more applicable. This is one of the greatest strengths of this plan!Fourth, the more frequently and extensively this plan is used, the more functions it will have. One of the main features of this plan is its hidden functionalities, which can only be activated through regular use. For example, the more often the communication line is used, the clearer it will become, leading to better information reception and less noise interference. Think of it like tuning into a radio station; the more frequently you tune in, the easier it becomes to accurately tune into the desired channel.Fifth, there are numerous ways to use this plan, all at your convenience. You can “talk infinitely”, and the responsible party for this plan, that is God, has infinite patience. He is absolutely willing to be the best listener, without interrupting or making judgments. Without your consent, He won't offer personal opinions and will totally respect your communication style. But having said that, God’s favourite mode of communication is when the user enters “listen and receive” mode. For users, this is the most beneficial communication mode for them.Sixth, what sets this plan apart from other calling plans and the main reason it easily stands out from its competitors is its unique reception method: the signal is guaranteed to be the strongest and most ideal. Users don't need to search for the strongest signal reception points; wherever users are located, that's where the signal is the strongest. This refers to what we've constantly mentioned before as "the present moment", or the "here and now"! There is no place in the universe that is more conducive to connecting with God than "here and now", with 100% guarantee of uninterrupted signal. This is why this plan has always been advertised as an "Unlimited Connection Plan"!Finally, there are two points to note when using this plan. Firstly, the less you use this plan, the more difficult it becomes to use! This is because some hidden features need to be discovered and utilized by the user. Although no special skills are required, the principle of “practice makes perfect” applies here. Secondly, there's a psychological barrier. Users shouldn't question whether "here and now" is the best place to communicate with God. If users rely on their own wisdom to judge and attempt to receive elsewhere, they will end up being counterproductive. This is something that this "Unlimited Connection Plan" does not advocate! All users please pay attention!ReflectionDo you believe that when you converse with God, you are His most important focus, and He will be entirely attentive to you without distraction?When communicating with God, do you tend to keep talking without listening enough? Have you reserved space for God to respond, or actively sought His opinion?Do you believe that the "here and now" is the ideal time and space for communicating with God? Have you started striving to find God and communicate with Him in the "here and now"?Today’s PrayerDear God, thank You for showing me today in a new way some areas where I need to pay attention to when communicating with You, prompting me to reflect on and examine the way I've been connecting with You.Indeed, I must admit that I've had some misunderstandings about how to communicate with You, which has led to a distance between us, a barrier that sometimes even led me to misunderstand that You didn

Yesterday, one of the reflection questions we asked was: "Do you have difficulty receiving God's messages?" I wonder what your answer was. I remember someone once asked me this: "You said you received messages from God. How did you receive them? Did you really hear His voice, or was it just a feeling? Under what circumstances did you receive these messages? Please tell me and describe it to me.” The person who asked the question had a deep desire to hear God’s voice and His will. However, behind these questions, there are some misunderstandings about the nature of God and some confusion about how to receive messages from Him.Firstly, one thing is certain: God is delighted to see the curiosity of the questioner and his desire to know how to receive messages from God. Why are we sure that God is pleased? Because we have previously discussed the nature of God in this retreat, that is, God is willing to do anything out of love for us. How could such a God not want us to desire to know His thoughts? God is eager to pour out His heart to us.The questioner then went on to say, "I am not as holy as you are. The power of your prayer must be greater than mine, so God will speak to you and not directly to me. Please pray to God to answer my prayers, as I am sure God will listen to your prayers!"This questioner has two serious obstacles. The first is that he believes that receiving messages from God involves very complex techniques. The second is that he believes God is closer to certain people He loves, especially those who are more holy. To put it simply, God is biased in how He loves His children. Is that true?Let's look at the second obstacle first. According to our understanding of the nature of God, when we were still sinners, God had already decided to sacrifice His life to save us. (cf. Roman 5:8) From this point alone, we can be sure that since we are all sinners, there is no difference between each of us in His eyes. God is willing to die for this one sinner, and He will also die for another sinner. If we insist that the Father is closer to some of His children and distant from others, it is really unfair to this God who loves us to the utmost! God loves us regardless if we are holy or even obedient to Him. God not only loves the disciples who accept His invitation to follow Him but also deeply loves the rich young man who chooses not to follow Him. Let’s look at how Mark 10:21 describes Jesus' feelings towards the rich young man: "Jesus looked at him and loved him." Have you seen anywhere else in the Gospel where Jesus expressed the same depth of affection for those who immediately followed Him? Please, let's not misunderstand our fair and merciful God! Jesus loves not only St. Peter and St. Paul but also the prodigal son, regardless of whether he returns or not!As for the first obstacle, which is God’s communication with us, does it require us to receive professional training or master some complex skills in order to successfully receive His messages?Remember, our God is a God who cannot wait to encounter us in the "here and now"! If we are still “alive”, we all have equal access to encountering our loving God. A God who has infinite "depth" and "capacity" of love will never hesitate to generously bestow His boundless love upon us, nor will He require us to overcome numerous obstacles in order to receive His messages. So, please do not second guess God’s love to us any longer. Even if we are unfaithful to God, He remains always faithful to us!On the contrary, let us imagine that when God is eager to meet us in the present moment, but we are distracted and have not “tuned into the channel” to receive His messages. When God desires to communicate with us and give us His messages, He finds us preoccupied and distracted by our surrounding noises. If you were God, how would you feel?ReflectionDo you have questions similar to those of the inquirer in this meditation? Do you have any new insights now or have you discovered any aspects that can be adjusted?Do you think God's love for us is fair? If you feel that the Father favours some of His children, are you willing to get to know your Heavenly Father again?Do you find it difficult or even complicated to receive God’s messages? What insights have you got from today's reflection?Today’s PrayerLord, in today's reflection, You have enlightened me that I have misunderstood You all along. I have always felt that communicating with You is difficult, and hearing Your voice and messages is even more challenging. In the past, I thought You were distant and that to communicate with You, I had to use sophisticated techniques. Now I realize how much You long to confide in me and connect with me.I have been using the wrong methods and mindset to understand You and communicate with You, and I haven't been earnestly seeking You in the "here and now", nor have I been making efforts to create a quiet environment to commune with You.Please help me once again, Lord, that with simpl

Based on yesterday's meditation, we understand that we are truly "alive" only when we are in a state of "whole-person presence", meaning that our body, heart, spirit, and mind are all present together. The only time we can truly "find God" and "encounter God" is in the "present moment"! This is an evidence of being "wholly alive" as Christians and is also the Christian version of "living in the present moment".Today, we will continue to seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit and learn how to "live in the present moment". Firstly, we need to understand what the "present moment" is. It means "here and now". We know that we are bound by time and space, so we can only live in a single point of time, which is "now"; and at this moment, we can only exist within a specific space, which is "here." For each one of us, there is no other "here and now" in this world. This time and space imply the idea of "once the time is gone, it never comes back", and which is "once in a lifetime", as we said before. Therefore, the "present moment" holds a unique and sacred significance. It is only within this sacred time and space that we can encounter other people, events, and things. Most importantly, we can only truly "encounter God" in the "present moment" because we do not exist in yesterday or tomorrow but in the “present moment". Therefore, what we have missed in the "present moment" is lost forever, and opportunities lost in this moment will never return.Next, we need to understand what it means to "live". This is equivalent to what we describe as "alive", which requires our "whole-person presence". When we are fully and wholly present in the “here and now”, it is when we are most capable of experiencing God. This is the state of "living in the present moment" that we speak of here.In this sacred space, we are sure to find God, and God is eager to meet us in the here and now. This state is like tuning into a radio channel; when we tune in most accurately, the reception is clearest! When we connect with God in the here and now, we can receive His messages most clearly. The "present moment" becomes a bridge between a person that is “alive” and the God that “exists eternally", a sacred and inviolable intersection. Therefore, as we mentioned earlier, our ability to "live in the present moment" becomes a prerequisite for whether we can find God in all things.In the process of “tuning in to God”, we need to create a "quiet" environment so that we can receive God's messages clearly and unmistakably. Achieving a state of tranquility involves many techniques, including minimizing the noise around us. One of the biggest sources of noise in our lives does not come from outside, but comes from ourselves!I am sure we have all watched movies in the theatre. When we watch a gripping movie, we are 100% focused, which is rare in our daily lives! When you're anxiously anticipating the next development in the plot, if someone starts talking nearby, you'll become impatient, or even angry. If it's a phone ringing, you'd want to rush over and turn off that person's phone!When we live well in the present moment, we ourselves are the "temple of God", sacred and inviolable. Therefore, when you are focused on receiving the message that God is giving you at this moment, if there are external or internal disturbances, you should be angry. This is your righteous anger! Just as Jesus displayed indignation when He saw the sacred temple defiled by people, as followers of Jesus, we need to learn to defend the sacred “present moment” and the “temple of God”!ReflectionIs your life filled with noises? Where do these noises come from?Do you have trouble receiving God's messages? Can you find some clues in today's meditation to address this issue?When you notice external or internal noises interfering with your ability to receive God's messages, how do you feel? Do you also experience righteous anger like Jesus did?Today’s PrayerDear God, today I finally understand on a deeper level why "living in the present moment" is so important, and why You want to meet me in the "here and now" to give me messages.Today, You have enlightened me on why I need to be fully alive; why I need to draw near to You in silence; why I need to be fully focused on You; why I should be angry at the evil forces that harass me when I get close to You; why I need to invite Jesus into my inner room if the evil forces come from within me, so that Jesus can take charge and command.Lord Jesus, I allow You to enter my inner room, to cleanse me thoroughly, to root out the evil forces living within me, those thoughts that do not align with Your holy will, those evil spirits that hinder Your reign over my life. Lord, I am willing to surrender to You!--------------------The following is the “Farmer of Hearts: Finding God in All Things” team, including FLL staff and volunteers. Please kindly pray for them. May God protect them and sustain their physical, mental and spiritual well-being.Project Manage

Yesterday we talked about the importance of "living in the present moment" which is the prerequisite for us to find God in all things. Although God is not bound by time and space, we cannot live outside of the "here and now". Therefore, the only time we can truly "find God" and "encounter God" is in "this moment"! This concept is important for Christians who want to "live in the present moment" and a reminder that we must keep in mind if we want to find God in all things!If you enjoy taking pictures, you may have had the following experience. When you were reviewing some photos taken during your travels, you were surprised to find that you were at a certain tourist attraction, but you have no recollection of it! This discovery can be quite startling! "Did I really visit this place?" "I am in the photo, but how could I not remember being there?" Sounds familiar? We may find excuses for ourselves, saying that our memory is really poor. But it could be because in our efforts to capture beautiful memories through taking pictures, our so-called "memories" end up only existing in the photos, rather than in our minds and emotional experiences.We often get carried away and are preoccupied with planning for the future, such as in the example above, where we hope to leave behind beautiful memories for the future. Ironically, the busy modern lifestyle leaves us with very few opportunities to reminisce about the good times of the past. Even if we have such opportunities, our memories of the good times would be very vague, or even non-existent, because we were "physically present but mentally absent" at the time of taking photos or for other reasons.The purpose of photos is to help us remember and relive the good times of the past, but for those times that left no memories, the photos lose much of their value. The result is that we only have "records" but no "memories". If the entire experience is devoid of experience or content, what good memories are there to relive? Such photographic records are not very helpful to us because they not only fail to bring back good memories but also deprive us of the precious experience of enjoying the good times then and there, an experience that cannot be replicated. If our goal is to capture some beautiful photos, aren't there plenty of more beautiful photos on the internet?There are many examples of this in life. The most concerning area is not the relationship between people and events or places, but between people themselves. In the relationship between people, the most important "recording" is not the pictures, but the interaction between people at the moment, the eye contact, spiritual dialogue, and heart to heart connection. These opportunities for physical interaction between people are often irreplaceable, and cannot be replaced by any new technology or artificial intelligence. What is needed is not external help, but our full commitment "with all our heart, all our soul, and all our mind". Jesus is waiting for us, to get to know and meet us. But when we are not "living in the present moment", we cannot listen attentively, and it is even harder for us to sincerely care for the person we are attending to, making it difficult for us to find God in others, let alone serve Jesus in the least of our brothers! (Ref. Matthew 25)A person can only be considered truly "alive" when they are both “physically and mentally present", consciously living according to the intention with which God created us, rather than merely existing as a body without a soul. As long as we are still breathing, we should strive to live in the "here and now", to be a real person, serving Jesus in the present moment, thereby also accumulating meaningful memories for ourselves.So, whether we are focusing on photos that are of little use, or temptations that can distract us from the present moment, we must make a resolute decision to let it go. When we live to this day and find ourselves with an amazing photo library and various unnecessary or even excessive accumulations, but because we do not live well in the present, we find our "relationship bank account" with God and others empty. How regrettable it is!This example illustrates how terrible it is not to "live in the present moment" because such a life is like we have never lived at all! Life merely hovers between the "past" and the "future", but does not linger in the "now", nor does it "save up" in the present moment! This is also the pitiful state of us who primarily live our lives through our "minds" and "work". Do we really want to waste our lives like this? On the contrary, our "hearts" instill in us a desire to experience what the “present moment” holds for us, so that as we face the person, the situation, and the environment before us, we are willing to be fully engaged, and to offer up completely this “present moment” of ours. What is more beautiful than to become fully human by living with our hearts, which is also how God wants us to find Him in ou

At this stage of the retreat, it’s time to ask about your current status. If you've been following along with the retreat, you may find yourself in one of two states, with two distinctly different mindsets. The first is that you're thoroughly enjoying the content of the retreat and the opportunity for meditation, to the point where you may have even forgotten the theme of the retreat. The second possibility is that you have been eager to learn more practical skills to help you more easily find God in your daily life. No matter which category you belong to, or if you find yourself experiencing both thoughts and emotions at the same time, I am grateful for your continued participation in this retreat. Together with “farmers of hearts” from around the world, you have been tilling the soil of your heart, allowing the Holy Spirit to lead you to encounter Jesus and learn to find Him in prayer and meditation.Indeed, even if you do not feel that you can find God in all things, if you follow this retreat seriously, you have actually encountered Jesus in meditation, which is equivalent to finding Him. Therefore, even if the retreat were to end today, your harvest should be rich. Even if you cannot immediately find God in the things right before your eyes, you will find Him in prayer more easily than before.If you have the first mindset, you should thank God because you are "present" in the retreat, let Jesus who is present touch you, and enjoy the time of "encountering God". If you have the second mindset, you may be someone who focuses on "doing things", valuing "fruitfulness and effectiveness" and measuring the value and benefits of work or tasks with tangible results. This is understandable. However, the drawback of this mentality is that it will take you away from the "present" and into the "future" state because the expected results are not in the present moment but in the future.When we depart from the "present" and live in the "future", we cannot encounter Christ in the here and now or find God in our surroundings and circumstances. So, if we live or operate in this way, even if we learn more techniques to find God in all things, we won't be able to live out what we've learned. Therefore, the techniques we will introduce later in this retreat will be of no use if we live like this.In fact, “farmers of hearts” with the first mindset have also experienced, within these short twenty-plus days, noticeable changes in their thinking. They’ve found themselves more capable of finding and experiencing God in all things, and life has become more substantial and peaceful.There are two main reasons for this. Firstly, their "presence" enables them to absorb and comprehend the content of the retreat more easily, making it easier to encounter God in meditation and receive His messages. Secondly, the insights and messages they have received bring about changes in their awareness and mindset, making it easier for them to sense and identify the presence of God and recognize Him in all things. This solid foundation will help them more effectively find God in all things as they acquire more skills.Please note that this doesn't mean that if you have the second mindset, which focuses more on efficiency, you are hopeless. The key is that we must first "be present" before we can "work" effectively. Without "being present", our efforts will be less fruitful. We are usually "present" with our hearts and "work" with our minds. Your heart must lead your mind, as the heart can help us stay in the present moment, while the mind may not. In order to live well, we cannot rely solely on our minds. A person who lives with the heart is more grounded and can live in the present moment more easily than someone who lives with the mind. This is also the key to whether you can get the maximum benefit from this retreat. Its importance cannot be underestimated!As we enter the final stage of this retreat, that is the last two weeks, I invite you to revisit any topics that you may have had difficulty understanding, accepting, or implementing during the retreat. Give yourself the opportunity to spend more time reviewing those topics, clarify, and incorporate the essence into your thinking and daily living, making them a part of your life and actions. More importantly, for those retreat contents that you find challenging to digest or accept, humbly seek the help of Jesus to release you from the things that are holding you back and to seek His will in them.ReflectionAre you someone who can "live in the moment"? What are the obstacles that prevent you from living in the present more easily? How will you help yourself?Do you tend to live more with your mind or with your heart? How would you make improvements to better "live in the moment"?Have you benefited from this retreat and found it easier to find God in all things? How would you adjust yourself to gain even greater benefits from this retreat?Today’s PrayerLord Jesus, in today's reflection, You have urg

Most of you are probably familiar with the concept of "life planning". There are many courses available that cater to this strong demand, especially among the younger generation. They are full of aspirations for the future, hoping not only to "get ahead of the starting line" but also to grasp sufficient information and skills to plan for and establish a better future and a perfect life. This is reasonable and also a hallmark of those who are idealistic.Why is the concept of “life planning” so attractive and so motivating that people will implement it regardless of the cost? For example, some people, having got off after a day of hard work, continue to study tirelessly to obtain certain degrees, qualifications, professional certifications, or licenses, etc. The biggest driving force behind all this is that they are all chasing dreams, dreams that require planning to be realized, dreams that fascinate them.Dreams have no age limit; every "living" person needs to have dreams. Those without dreams and direction in life can only be said to be surviving, not truly "living." Dreams can be divided into two levels: one for oneself and one for others. One cannot live solely for oneself, so pursuing dreams for oneself is of a lower level. Since the "Christian spirit" is about living for others, it is naturally the direction every Christian should embrace. And Christ's dream should also be our dream.What is "Christ's dream"? Christ's dream is the highest level of dreams. He looks after our personal good and the good of others. In terms of fulfilling each of our own good, Jesus hopes that we can receive and preserve the salvation He freely gives us. In terms of fulfilling others, Jesus hopes that through our response and participation, the Good News of salvation He has given us will be widely spread, so that the greatest number of people can benefit from it together with us. And through everyone's participation, Jesus hopes that we can all sanctify ourselves, so that we can gradually become like God and restore ourselves to the way we were created. When all of us can become more and more like God, we can forever be in communion with the perfect God and fulfill the Heavenly Father’s ultimate dream, which is to be united with His beloved children forever and enjoy eternal happiness!From the moment we were born, what lies before us is a road to "return to our Father's house". This path will not only fulfill God’s dream, but also fulfill our own dreams. The more closely our dreams match God’s dreams, the smoother our journey “back to the Father’s house” will be. And God's dream is to ultimately achieve unity between Himself and His people through the ultimate relationship He has with us, a marital relationship in which each person would become selfless for each other, and is willing to offer up oneself completely to the other person. This is the dream we should strive for throughout our lives!Our life on earth is like a drop of water in a vast ocean compared to our eternal life. If we are willing to spend our whole life making "life plans" for our transient life on earth, shouldn't we start investing more time and effort as early as possible to plan for our eternal life?ReflectionHow did you make a “life plan” for your life? Have you taken the time to make similar plans for your eternal life? Why?What is your life's dream? Is this dream about yourself or others? Have you dreamed about your eternal life?Now I invite you to come before God and ask Him to give you a Kingdom dream and give you direction to start planning for it.Today’s PrayerLord Jesus, thank You for inviting me to examine my own perspective today, making me realize that I have been short-sighted and self-centered, failing to include You and the others You love in my dreams.Thank You for giving me Your vision today, allowing me to begin to understand Your dreams and the differences between Your dreams and mine.Please instill in me a humble heart and fill me with Your spirit, so that I may gradually make Your dreams my own and spend time planning for my eternal life, for our future together, and for our ultimate relationship.--------------------The following is the “Farmer of Hearts: Finding God in All Things” team, including FLL staff and volunteers. Please kindly pray for them. May God protect them and sustain their physical, mental and spiritual well-being.Project Manager: Michael LamWriter: Paul YeungEditors: Bonny Chan, Rosa TseEnglish Editors: Bonny Chan, Paul YeungMandarin Editor: Anthony X.Cantonese Narrator: Margaret WooEnglish Narrator: Bonny ChanMandarin Narrator: Mel LoAudio Editors: Fonte Ip, Sander Lee, Margaret WooYouTube Editors: Fonte Ip, Sander Lee, Arnold ChanGraphics: Francis Lai, Rosa TseWebsite: Patricia Young, Angela WongPodcast: Angela WongSocial Media: Yollie Leung, Carmen Tsang, Rosa TseTheme Music:“Friends Only” by Introvert Pianist https://www.youtube.com/@introvertpianist“Watercolor Lilies” by Aaron Kenny https://youtube.com/@contact

In yesterday's reflection, Jesus made a promise to you that He will hold a wedding feast with you in the Kingdom of Heaven, and He has already begun preparing for this wedding. What about you? Have you started? How will you prepare?We often use the term "the wedding of the century" to describe those wedding banquets where the brides and grooms spare no effort and time to make their wedding a celebration that impresses their relatives and friends and leaves unforgettable memories for themselves. Isn't the wedding banquet in heaven between Jesus and us more than just a wedding of the century? Jesus, the groom-to-be, has begun to prepare for the wedding banquet, so we shall not slack off!Apart from the arrangements for the wedding banquet, spiritual preparation is even more crucial. The Church requires couples preparing for the sacrament of matrimony to attend marriage preparation courses and undergo a final evaluation by the clergy before they are considered ready for the sacrament. Those who do not participate or have poor attendance cannot receive the sacrament of matrimony within the Church. Imagine if either the bride or groom-to-be were absent from the course, can they get away with it?If we must prepare for earthly, temporal marriages so seriously, how much more should we prepare for our eternal marriage? Can we afford to be absent from the "marriage preparation course" that our Heavenly Father has prepared for us? Of course, preparing our hearts for the wedding with Jesus isn't about going through a course, but rather through private sharing and communication with Him to deepen our personal relationship with Him.The focus of many marriage preparation courses is to enhance the understanding between the engaged couple, especially concerning their views on marriage and ways of interacting with each other. These preparations are extremely important for promoting communication, reducing conflicts, and increasing mutual acceptance and understanding. Many couples fall into the trap of not understanding each other's thoughts and emotions, harbouring hidden resentments or frustrations. These suppressed emotions can easily lead to mutual distrust, which cannot be ignored!Have you ever had the experience of being misunderstood or misunderstanding others? The feeling of being misunderstood is quite unpleasant, isn't it? The feeling of not being understood and feeling wronged is not something others can understand! And this misunderstanding can cause varying degrees of wounds for both parties involved. What's even more unfortunate is that these misunderstandings, which may seem small at first, can have significant and far-reaching negative effects, even leading to relationship breakdowns, and should not be taken lightly.Because Jesus cannot physically converse with us, we should imitate how He communicates with the Father, to encounter and know Him in prayer, especially listening attentively to the love messages that the Lord wants to tell us. While our God listens to our grumbles and complaints, He doesn't actively express His own hardships to us. Thus, if we are unaware of the difficulties He faces, we won't know how to empathize with and treat Him. This can easily lead to misunderstandings in our relationship, which in turn can lead to the negative conditions we have discussed in this retreat.As we mentioned before, if we don't understand the nature of God, there will be a significant gap between our expectations and demands of each other. Understanding the pain that God experiences for the sake of loving and saving us and His unspeakable hardships is crucial for us to understand God and His nature! This further illustrates how important it is for us to spend sufficient time in prayer every day, to listen to and meditate on the messages God wants to give us and attend to His feelings, in order to better prepare us for the heavenly feast He has promised us!These foundations also pave the way for us to more easily find God in all things!ReflectionHave you ever thought that returning to the Father's house is like a marriage, an eternal union with God and never to be separated from Him? Now, I invite you to experience this scene in meditation.Are you ready to enter into a covenant with God, to be united forever? Do you think you know God well enough? What will you do to better prepare yourself?Do you feel you have given God enough time to express His love for you, His feelings, and His sorrows? I invite you now to welcome God into your heart and let Him speak to you.Today’s PrayerLord Jesus, I've always seen You as my God, or as the Master whom I follow, or at best, a friend, according to Your wish. But when I learned that You desire to be my other half, and that You are sincere and serious about it, it really surprised me. Frankly, I'm not used to it...Please give me some more time to adjust. I know I need to prepare myself. When the appointed time comes, in the Father's house, at the banquet You have prepared for

Our theme for yesterday's retreat was: When “Selfless Love” Meets “Senseless Love”. If this situation occurs between a man and a woman, it is not hard to predict how the story will unfold. This "encounter" will not have a positive outcome. Unfortunately, for believers in general, the description is quite fitting when it comes to their relationship with God.Our understanding of how much God loves us and how He loves us is usually limited to head knowledge and quite superficial. When asked, it's not difficult for us to say that God loves us. But how deep is the love of the Lord, how much has He secretly sacrificed for us behind the scene, how has He faced dilemmas and struggles, encountered difficulties that no one would be able to comprehend, and things that can never be shared, stories that are left untold… for all these, how much do we really know? And if we know, how deeply do we feel it? Faced with our Father’s selfless and almost "blind love" for us, do we really want to respond with our selfish and senseless love? If such a state occurs in temporal human relationships, for sure that relationship will not last. Why do we believe that our eternal relationship with God can develop in this way? Shouldn't we take some time to reflect on how we can break this unequal relationship? Let's consider it from another perspective.In Jesus' farewell discourse, in the Gospel of John, chapter 14, verses 1 to 3, He said to His disciples:“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also.” (John 14: 1-3)Here, Jesus clearly expressed His and the Father's desire. He eagerly looks forward to living with as many children as possible in the Heavenly home. How can we tell that God is excited? Let us first imagine that if we want to invite a good friend to our home for a gathering, we would certainly clean our house thoroughly. This is not just being polite to our friend but also to provide the best hospitality, making them feel at home! Isn't Jesus making similar arrangements for us? Hmmm... Is the heavenly home really so messy and dirty that it would require Jesus to spend so much time preparing a place for us?If we believe that Jesus is not lying, and with His serious attitude, He must be extremely excited, and looking forward to our arrival in the future, and thus meticulously preparing everything for us. We would prepare pleasant surprises for important guests to delight them. Similarly, can we imagine that Jesus' excitement and the degree of importance He places on us far exceed our ways of entertaining important guests here on earth?After saying that He is preparing a place, Jesus also states that He will come again to take us to Him! This is no longer a simple welcoming of guests but a gesture of welcoming one’s bride! (cf. John 14: 3) It is obvious that God wants to prepare a wedding feast for each one of us in the Heavenly home, to solemnly receive us and have a grand celebration of our union. Jesus further declares, "where I am, there you may be also." (John 14: 3) This is a clear proclamation of His love for us!Are you flattered? Are you nervous? Are you starting to feel excited too? Would you doubt that the person whom Jesus is eagerly looking forward to welcoming and marrying is not you but someone else? However, Jesus assures us, "In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places." (John 14: 2) He takes each of us equally seriously! Do you understand?ReflectionDo you feel that your current relationship with God is an equal relationship? What areas in this relationship do you want to improve?Imagine that Jesus is in front of you, solemnly saying to you the words He said to his beloved disciples in His farewell discourse. Can you feel the deep affection He has for you?Have you noticed a stark contrast between the seriousness and affection you have for God and the seriousness and affection He has for you? What feelings do you have in your heart that you want to tell Jesus?Today’s PrayerLord Jesus, the words You spoke to me today personally have truly left me astounded! Are You serious? Have You thought it through? Do You really want me? You must know my heart! How I have treated You over the years, You must be well aware... Are You out of Your mind? Why... I just don't understand.You clearly know that my affection for You is far less than Your love for me! I know Your wisdom is way higher than mine. But I truly can't comprehend why You have loved me to this extent. Aren't You being a bit impulsive?I really don't know how to face You, how to respond to Your inexplicable love for me. What do You want me to do?Lord Jesus, please tell me...--------------------The following is the “Farmer of Hearts: Finding God in All Things” team, includi

I hope that at this stage of the retreat, you will better understand God’s feelings and His helplessness. If we had not sinned, betrayed Him, or deviated from His righteousness and teachings, Jesus would not need to endure the crucifixion for us, and the Heavenly Father would not have to agonize and be torn in seeking a way to save us, given His own nature of justice and mercy. There is absolutely no parent in the world who suffers more miserably than our Heavenly Father!The contradiction between our sinful nature and God’s nature makes it extremely difficult for our Heavenly Father to discipline us, and extremely difficult for us to accept His discipline. Although we are created in the image of God, our selfish desires and sinful nature cause us to drift further and further away from this perfect image. Originally, as we make decisions based on our free choice, all consequences are supposed to be borne by us alone and have nothing to do with God. However, because of God’s nature of "loving us to the end", He innocently bears the consequences of our choices! And because our sins create an immense gap between us and the perfect nature of God, this endless chasm and debt of sin make it impossible for us to overcome and repay. Ultimately, this God who loves us to the utmost but is also absolutely just by nature takes the most inconceivable step – by personally assuming human nature. In the most humble and lowly manner, He has endured humiliation and suffering, dying on the cross to bear and redeem all debts of sin for us. The Lord's suffering and death not only secure for us complete absolution of our sins which deserve death, but through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, we also regain freedom, no longer imprisoned and enslaved by sin. Yet, our Heavenly Father, who loves us to the end, watches with anguish as His beloved only begotten Son is shamefully insulted and crucified on the cross.But the story has not come to an end! Because God cannot bear to see us lose the salvation earned by Jesus for us because we continue to sin, He does not hesitate to use all means, including sending the Holy Spirit into our midst, establishing the sacraments and the Church that administers the sacraments, entrusting the Church to the protection and companionship of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and most importantly, continuing to be present among us through the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist. All of this is to fulfill Jesus' promise to us: "And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age." (Matthew 28:20). Everything that God has done is to enable us to preserve salvation and not lose the eternal life He has promised us.Can we see that God, out of love for us, first created us, then died for us to redeem us from sins, and finally, exhausted every means to ensure that we can ultimately attain salvation? In short, for you and me, God spared no effort, in ways imaginable and unimaginable.What baffles us the most is that God is well aware of the ugliness and weakness of human nature, as well as our sinful nature. He knew early on that not only would we fail to learn from Jesus to obey the Father, but we would continue to betray and forsake Him. Yet, He continues to silently endure our indifference and rebellion, tolerating our heartlessness and unrighteousness. He even bestows upon us the title of adopted sons and daughters, desiring to be with us forever in our heavenly home!In the face of such a God, can we still be so heartless as to not accept His love and continue to hurt Him cruelly? Will we continue to disregard God's passion, approaching this relationship with a utilitarian mindset and responding to Jesus' requests and invitations with indifference, causing God more distress and pain?ReflectionHave you ever taken the time to meditate on everything that God has done for you? Why? At this moment, are you willing to savour everything that God has done and all the sacrifices He has made for you?Can you feel the sentiment of God, who, out of love for you, spared no cost? Can you find any love on earth that can compare to the love God has for you?Now, I invite you to stand before God, experience His feeling of not being understood, feeling the grievances He endures out of love for you, and witness all His struggles.Today’s PrayerHeavenly Father, I have always tried to understand Your love for me in my head, but I have failed to fully appreciate Your indescribable selfless love with my heart. Today I really feel the hardness of my heart. How heartless and callous I am towards You! I feel really sad, guilty and ashamed.Faced with Your love and my heartlessness, I cannot fathom how I have allowed myself to deviate so far from Your goodness, from the plans You have intended for me. I thought to myself, am I not created in Your image? Why have I become like this?Father, I implore You to transform me. Give me a tender heart. Let me feel what You feel, and truly experience Your love for me. Just as You have chosen me,

Yesterday, I invited you to explore why you follow God. In the reflection, I also asked about your ultimate desire in life: is it the joy of eternal life or the Father Himself? You might wonder, aren't they the same? If there's the Father, there's eternal life, and vice versa, right? Yes, but that's not the crux of the question.The crucial point lies in whether there are correct motives and attitudes behind this desire. The focus of our reflection yesterday was to rectify or purify the "utilitarian" mindset within us – the impure attitude that focuses on our own interests.Our focus and goals should be centered on God Himself, rather than the benefits He brings to us. Only when our focus is on God can we have the correct motives and drive to establish a relationship with Him. Otherwise, our attention remains on how to meet the basic requirements of being a Christian using our own abilities, without focusing on cultivating a relationship with God, or simply establishing a superficial relationship. This is a common pitfall that many Christians easily fall into.Therefore, when setting life goals, we need to figure out what we truly desire in our hearts. Is it the relationship itself, or the benefits gained through the relationship? If our ultimate goal is to attain eternal life instead of longing to be with our Heavenly Father, not only is it unfair to God, but our original intention is also misguided and somewhat selfish. This mindset will lead us away from God's will and His teachings, and will ultimately harm or even destroy our relationship with God. In serious cases, our choices will cause us to lose the eternal life that God desires to give us.In the eternal kingdom, we have only one ultimate relationship, and that is with God. The establishment and cultivation of this relationship must begin in the present life. If we have no relationship with our Heavenly Father, why would we have a reason to return to the Father's house? When we understand that eternal life means being with the Father forever, it becomes easier to comprehend that we should not wait until our return to our heavenly home to build a relationship with God. Instead, we should strive to establish an intimate relationship with God in this life, preparing ourselves well to dwell with the Father in the eternal heavenly home after our brief existence in this temporary world comes to an end.I believe no one will deny that there is no shortcut to building relationships between people. Time, patience and selfless love are the most basic and important elements. Since God wants us to put Him first, He certainly wants us to have a closer relationship with Him than any other relationship between humans. Therefore, we should understand that if fleeting relationships in the earthly realm require a substantial effort to cultivate, how much more does the eternal relationship between God and each one of us require our attention and tender loving care?ReflectionIs your relationship with God the centre of your faith and spiritual life? Why?Now, please take a moment before the Lord to examine the motives behind your relationship with Him. Are there areas that need correction or purification?In your communication with God, besides various requests, do you engage in inner dialogues with Him? How would you go about deepening your relationship with God?Today’s PrayerAbba Father, thank You for giving me the opportunity today to examine my relationship with You. Whether it's my motives or expectations of You, I realize I have many impure intentions that seriously deviate from Your will. I feel ashamed of my selfishness and ask for your forgiveness for all my trespasses.Please, once again, help me purify my thoughts and motives, so that I won't only consider my own interests but also be mindful of Your feelings. Grant me a new perspective and mindset, so that I may be more willing to set aside time and space to encounter and commune with You in prayer, preparing myself to live with You forever in the heavenly home.--------------------The following is the “Farmer of Hearts: Finding God in All Things” team, including FLL staff and volunteers. Please kindly pray for them. May God protect them and sustain their physical, mental and spiritual well-being.Project Manager: Michael LamWriter: Paul YeungEditors: Bonny Chan, Rosa TseEnglish Editors: Bonny Chan, Paul YeungMandarin Editor: Anthony X.Cantonese Narrator: Margaret WooEnglish Narrator: Bonny ChanMandarin Narrator: Mel LoAudio Editors: Fonte Ip, Sander Lee, Margaret WooYouTube Editors: Fonte Ip, Sander Lee, Arnold ChanGraphics: Francis Lai, Rosa TseWebsite: Patricia Young, Angela WongPodcast: Angela WongSocial Media: Yollie Leung, Carmen Tsang, Rosa TseTheme Music:“Friends Only” by Introvert Pianist https://www.youtube.com/@introvertpianist“Watercolor Lilies” by Aaron Kenny https://youtube.com/@contactkennya ★ Support this podcast ★

We acknowledge that the reflections of these past few days have been challenging, much like the challenging requirements Jesus sets for being His disciples. Jesus wants us to face our relationship with Him, to understand who He truly is for us, and not just establish a relationship based on hearsay or imitation of others’ relationships with God. He also prompts us to reflect on our identity as His followers, so as not to waste our precious Christian life. While the opportunity to be a Christian is an honour, we must ask ourselves: do we genuinely feel honoured, or do we feel reluctant, or even burdened?Let’s recall why the rich young man ran up to Jesus to seek counsel from the one whom he called "Good Teacher". He seemed clear about what he needed – he earnestly sought salvation, to "inherit eternal life". What about you? Why do you run up to Jesus and follow Him? Is it a thirst for divine blessings? A desire based on a fear of missing out? Seeking inner peace, and peace of mind? Pursuing the joy and the reward of eternal life? Or perhaps specific and individual reasons? Regardless of your original purpose or intentions, now is the time to dig deeper into your motivations and goals.Without a clear and convincing goal, life lacks direction, let alone any motivation to move towards a worthwhile life goal. Such a life becomes a mere routine, surviving day by day, dealing with challenges as they come, or spending a lifetime constantly pursuing the next achievement or opportunity for pleasure. Without goals or ideals, life becomes mere existence, devoid of meaning and value. If the goal of life is limited to the present world, the efforts to accumulate our "treasures" will also have an "expiration date". Therefore, it is worth spending time reflecting on why we choose to be Christians and why we exist in this world.As Christians, if we don't know what goals we are striving for, it is impossible to understand why Jesus has such high expectations of us. Without understanding, there is no trust, and we cannot have a good relationship with the Lord, let alone enjoy the life and identity of being a Christian! Everything becomes futile and dull, and even painful and bitter. Do you have such feelings or experiences?Suppose we also share the rich young man's desire, earnestly hoping to "inherit eternal life". We need to further ask ourselves, why do we wish to attain eternal life? Is it the same as longing for “eternal happiness”? We need to be honest with ourselves and with God. If we desire to "inherit eternal life", the only way is that we long to return to the Father's house. This "Father's house" is the dwelling place that Jesus promised to prepare for us, where we can eternally "dwell with the Lord".On the contrary, if what we long for is not eternal communion with God but the "eternal joy" and "eternal abode" that God promises to bestow upon us, then our hearts will focus solely on pursuing those gifts and rewards, disregarding and neglecting the God who gives us these gifts out of love.If this is the case, no wonder we feel puzzled, frustrated, and even disgusted by the requirements of our Lord Jesus, who has given us great gifts! It’s no wonder that we don’t take these demands seriously, and even feel that Jesus is harsh and unreasonable and intentionally making things difficult for us, without realizing the painstaking efforts of Jesus and the deep love behind it all.At this moment, we need to ask ourselves: is our eternal goal the gift itself, or the One who gives the gift? If it is the former, shall we re-examine this intention? Is it fair to our God, who gives us gifts and loves us deeply? How would our Heavenly Father feel?ReflectionBeing a Christian should be an honour. Now, please ask yourself honestly, do you feel honoured? Or do you feel a sense of reluctance and helplessness, or that it is a burden?The rich young man ran up to Jesus, seeking salvation with an expectation to "inherit eternal life." What about you? Why do you run to Jesus and desire to follow Him?Now, in the presence of the Lord, sincerely face and examine yourself: Is your eternal goal the gift of "eternal life", or is it the God in front of you, the One who "created you, loves you, and saves you" and presents you with gifts?Today’s PrayerFather in heaven, how have You endured my contempt, indifference, and even disrespectful treatment towards You? How could You bear it? I have consistently approached You with the wrong mindset and attitude, insulting You as my God and even as a gift-giver! I have never taken the time to truly understand or appreciate how much You have given me and how deeply You love me. Before You, I have been incessantly demanding this and asking for that, like a creditor seeking repayment from a debtor! How on earth did You endure it?From today onwards, I hope You will feel a little better! Thank You for Your tolerance and boundless patience, enduring my rudeness, selfishness, pride, and my abuse of the freedom Yo

In yesterday's reflection, we realized that the image of God in our hearts is also influenced by how we understand His requirements for us as disciples. If we misunderstand the underlying reasons for these requirements, it will greatly affect the image of God in our hearts, as well as our mutual identities and roles in our relationship with God. In serious cases, this can become an obstacle in our relationship with God and a stumbling block to becoming a disciple that is up to Jesus’s standard. It is evident that having a correct understanding of this aspect holds great significance for a Christian who takes their relationship with God and the fulfillment of the disciple's mission seriously!In the process of establishing a relationship with us, God's focus is not only on forming an emotional bond or attempting to win our favour by any means, as this is not the focus of His love for us. God's greatest desire is that we can receive salvation. This involves how we make good use of our time on earth, how we live according to the teachings of Jesus, how we actively respond to the evangelizing mission that He has entrusted to us, and the individual callings from the Father. Throughout the process, God hopes that we continually sanctify ourselves, becoming more and more like Christ, ultimately entering heaven in a state of holiness, forever united with God and never to be separated from Him.In the process of establishing a relationship and obtaining salvation, our responses and actions play a crucial role. Whether it is faith or our relationship with the Lord, it is not merely about intellectual knowledge or the cultivation of emotional bond, but it also takes practical actions for the manifestation of a faith that is both genuine and mature.Therefore, to fully live out one’s faith, it is not enough to meet the minimum requirements of being a Christian. Avoiding sinning or strictly adhering to rules and creeds alone cannot fulfill the conditions and requirements set by Jesus for us as Christians. We also need to understand that "Christian" and "disciple" are synonymous. As Christians, we cannot deny that we also play the role of disciples. All followers of Christ are His disciples.Therefore, in the Gospel that we reflected upon yesterday, when Jesus presented the conditions for being His disciple to the crowd, He was speaking to each of us as His followers. In Luke 14:28-32, Jesus continued His teaching on this topic, saying: “For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not first sit down and estimate the cost, to see whether he has enough to complete it. Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it will begin to ridicule him, saying, ‘This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.’ Or what king, going out to wage war against another king, will not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to oppose the one who comes against him with twenty thousand? If he cannot, then, while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and asks for the terms of peace.” (Luke 14:28-32)Here, Jesus painstakingly gives us two examples to illustrate that, just as in any undertaking, we must first calculate the cost and be aware of the sacrifices needed to achieve our goals. Similarly, as Christians, we need to earnestly understand and practice the various requirements that Jesus commands, being prepared to make the necessary effort and pay the cost. The prerequisite is that we must possess an unwavering spirit of sacrifice to consistently implement Jesus's demands without giving up halfway.We can sense the seriousness of Jesus, which is equivalent to cautioning us not to take on the role of a Christian lightly. The meaning between the lines is: "If you want to follow me, don't do things halfway without completing it wholeheartedly! If you're not going to do it seriously, you might as well not do it!" It's that clear.This aligns with the description of God’s sentiments in Revelation 3:15-16: “I know your works; you are neither cold nor hot. I wish that you were either cold or hot. So, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I am about to spit you out of my mouth.” (Revelation 3:15-16)Let us all take this to heart, and understand that the nature of God's love for us is not to condone our complacency but rather to express a sentiment of a Chinese saying “One who loves deeply rebukes earnestly.”ReflectionIn your relationship with God, do you tend to focus on pursuing knowledge, emotional connection, or do you also earnestly take action to fulfill the requirements Jesus has for you as a disciple?Do you find Jesus's requirements for disciples reasonable? Why?Now, I invite you to open your heart before the Lord and feel God’s genuine love for you once again.Today's PrayerLord Jesus, today You've allowed me to sense the fatherly affection You share with the Father, and it truly makes me understand the challenges You face. While You desire emotional c

From yesterday's reflection, we learned that God, who seeks our greatest good, knows very well how we can obtain the greatest strength and grace from Him. He has graciously given us two pieces of divine wisdom, assisting us in fulfilling the mission of being Christians, so that God's plan may be fully realized in us.The first wisdom teaches us to "seek heavenly things first," entrusting other matters and worries to God for Him to take over and care for on our behalf. The second wisdom instructs us not to rely solely on our own abilities to follow God and fulfill our God-given mission, recognizing our own weaknesses. We must live within the Church and partake in the sacraments administered in the Church, especially the Eucharist and the Sacrament of Reconciliation, in order to obtain heavenly strength and spiritual nourishment. This is essential for us to have the heart, strength, and endurance needed to faithfully follow Christ.With this foundation, we can further understand the conditions and attitudes required to be a disciple in the eyes of Jesus. In Luke 14:25-27 and 33, it is recorded:“Now large crowds were traveling with him; and he turned and said to them, ‘Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not carry the cross and follow me cannot be my disciple... So therefore, none of you can become my disciple if you do not give up all your possessions.’ “(Luke 14:25-27, 33).Let's try to imagine that Jesus needed to "recruit and enlist" for the Church He was establishing. He was like an employer, and the passage above was His public recruitment advertisement, the method of attracting disciples! In this Gospel passage, Jesus outlines the conditions and costs of being His disciples. To put it simply, you must be absolutely loyal to God, possess a spirit of generosity and total dedication, and be willing to sacrifice everything in order to qualify! Jesus wants us to clearly understand and agree to these terms before we "sign the contract" and begin working! In this regard, Jesus, as an employer, is indeed very fair and even-handed!However, let us not forget that "this job" does not come with wages, at least not wages on earth. If you were an applicant, would you choose this job? By earthly standards, Jesus could be considered the worst employer in the world. But God's standards are not earthly standards. The followers He seeks are not petty, or even workers who seek reasonable compensation. But we know that such workers do not exist! Therefore, we cannot view this relationship with an employer-employee perspective, nor should there be conditional exchanges or expectations of any reward. We should not even treat the conditions outlined by Jesus in light of Him recruiting His disciples.After all, unless we admit from the bottom of our hearts that we are recipients of God's immense favour and we desire to do everything we can to repay the favour, no one in the world would be so foolish as to willingly follow Jesus according to the conditions listed by Him! No?In the face of the demands from Jesus, a more appropriate attitude for us, besides repaying love with love, is to willingly and sincerely acknowledge that those conditions are definitely not for the benefit of God but are reminders given by Jesus for our greatest good. If we confess that God's plans for us are the best, then the path He guides us on is the only way for us to inherit eternal life (Mark 10:17), to embark on the journey to holiness, and to open the door to receiving God's power and grace!Our attitude adjustment in this regard is crucial for whether we can successfully become a disciple that is up to par or, more simply, become a child willing to reciprocate love to our Heavenly Father.ReflectionIn what perspective and mindset have you adopted to understand the conditions for being His disciples that Jesus laid out in the Gospels? Have you ever wished, in turn, to receive reasonable rewards when following the Lord?In your journey of following Jesus, do you tend to focus solely on your own benefits, such as the reward of eternal life or inner peace, without considering how much you are willing to give to meet the requirements set by Jesus?Now, I invite you to examine your relationship with the Lord in the presence of God. Do you acknowledge yourself as someone who has received immense favour from God and is deeply loved by the Lord?Today’s PrayerLord Jesus, I acknowledge that in my journey of following You, I indeed had selfish desires, hoping to gain certain benefits. In my heart, I thought that was understandable!I've held an attitude, even unnoticed by myself, viewing my relationship with You as a reasonable exchange of conditions. I never realized that, in reality, You owe me nothing. On the contrary, You bore the countless debts of my sins. The conditions You outlined for me are not meant for me to repay my debts, but are f