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

In our reflection yesterday, we realized that our deepest yearning comes from God. It is the yearning for a mutual relationship between God and humans. This yearning is like a seed that, when carefully nurtured by us, God will ensure a hundredfold harvest for us. However, the envious devil does not want to see that we have an intimate relationship with our Heavenly Father. Therefore, it secretly sows countless weeds in our hearts, intending to kill the seed that God initially planted, that is, the seed of His desire to have the most intimate relationship with us. Thus, the devil employs schemes to sow endless desires in our lives, causing us to be distracted and too busy to attend to and cultivate the wheat that God has sown, thereby destroying our relationship with God.Our enemy has two main tactics. The first is to make us believe that God is not good enough and will not give us the best. The devil will try to make us feel that what God provides for us is not enough, so we must look elsewhere for everything we need and, as a result, gradually move away from God and His ways. In this way, the devil successfully suffocates and kills the wheat that God has sown in our hearts.The second common tactic that our enemy employs is to make us believe that we are not good enough and are not worthy of God's love. The devil will try to make us despair in our weakness, brokenness, worthlessness, and sinfulness, and make us believe that God's love is conditional and that we are not “qualified” to ask for God's love. Through these tactics, the devil will try to convince us that we cannot receive God's love and that we cannot establish an intimate relationship with God.Is this true? Is this really the God we know? The Gospel of the Second Sunday of Lent reminds us that each of us has such mountaintop experiences when we have encountered God and have received God's graces in our lives. But in our busyness, we often forget these graces, and when we encounter difficulties and challenges in life, we are easily tempted by the devil and fall into its traps, believing in its lies.Therefore, we must remind ourselves to constantly revisit these experiences of witnessing the Transfiguration on Mount Tabor and to firmly remember the words of the Father to each of us: "You are my beloved child, with whom I am well pleased!"With this declaration of the Father's love for us, our identity is affirmed! Is this not the most important treasure in our lives? What else do we need to ask for or search for? The God who created us knows our needs best and has already given us the best things in our lives. These past experiences are not fake, but they are our personal experiences. These graces are worth counting and being grateful for, and we must use this “evidence of love” to defeat the devil's schemes and its hidden temptations.We must remember that our faithful God is eternal and unchanging, including His love for us. We cannot make Him love us more with our actions, nor will our shortcomings make Him love us less. This is the true nature of our merciful Father!Today, let everyone of us make God the object of our love. Allow yourself to be lost in the experience of His loving affirmation as His beloved child.Today’s PrayerMy dear Abba Father, thank You for reminding me in this reflection that I should keep revisiting our encounters and count the many blessings You have granted me in my life. Please grant me a steadfast heart for You, just as Your love for me never wavers. Teach me to learn and understand more as I constantly reflect on the evidence of Your love in my life, I would be able to recognize more of Your true image, and how merciful You are! Father, I love You!The Collection of The “5L2F moment” Acts of LoveFountain of Love and Life intends to collect the acts of love from the Farmers of Hearts all over the world and offer them as spiritual bouquets to our Lord Jesus Christ who died for us on the Cross.We encourage you to respond to our invitation and share with us the fruits of your “5L2F Moments” acts of love. We will offer all the fruits of the charitable acts collected in this Lent to our Heavenly Father in the solemn mass of Easter, in return for the grace of our Lord Jesus who sacrificed His life to redeem us! Please visit lent.fll.cc/action and share with us your “5L2F Moments” acts of love.On every Sunday during this Lent, we will post on our social media selected sharing from those who consented to have them published, so that these testimonies of how God touches us will continue to inspire and encourage others and multiply the impact of these “Five-Loaves-And-Two-Fishes Moments”. Thanks again for your sharing! God bless! ★ Support this podcast ★

On this Friday, let us commemorate and meditate again on the passion of Jesus through praying, fasting, and the Way of the Cross. We also invite everyone to encounter our Lord Jesus through Eucharistic Adoration and observing the Holy Hour.As we reach the ninth day of our retreat, you might wonder why the retreat content from the eight previous days doesn’t seem to be closely related to the theme of the retreat. Instead, it seems to focus on promoting the acts of love. In fact, that is an intentional arrangement. On one hand, we hope to achieve a more balanced growth in our acts of faith through praying, fasting and self-denial, and charitable work during this Lenten season. On the other hand, while most Catholics place a stronger emphasis on their personal spiritual development, yet, acts of love are essential expressions of Christian faith and a crucial element of our journey towards holiness. We need to practice continually and carry them out in order to develop the right attitude for personal sanctification and evangelization as a community. Therefore, we hope to root ourselves in charity from the beginning of this retreat and have more time to perform our acts of love, so that they can bear more fruits.If you have accepted our invitation from the beginning and made different attempts in performing acts of love, you should have seen some fruits by now, for example, witnessing the works of God in yourself and others, as well as breakthroughs in personal and relational aspects. We invite everyone to continue trying and challenging yourselves, and not to give up easily in the face of any difficulties. After these forty plus days, you will find that not only will you have formed new habits, but also with the right mentality and with greater confidence, that you will be better equipped to carry out acts of love which require more thoughts and effort.Another reason we have spent a significant amount of time discussing the importance of acts of love is that, as mentioned before, the condition of "I thirst" has become a "pandemic" in today's society. In the extraordinary state of the world we live in, we cannot use traditional methods, but need to use unconventional methods to confront and combat the dire situation. The concept of "Five-Loaves-and-Two-Fishes Moments" and its exponential power can become an effective “remedy” and a “preventive measure” to combat this “pandemic”.The human desire constantly expands as time progresses. Endless desires constantly erode the mental and spiritual development of us humans. Our lives are filled with things of lesser importance, taking away our focus on the most important things in life. Just as "thirst" is a signal from the body reminding us to take in water, "I thirst" was originally God's reminder for us to pay attention to the dryness of our mental and spiritual state. Unfortunately, our sensitivity to this "thirst" has continuously been weakened by our insatiable worldly desires. This makes us unable to receive God's signals and revelations with greater sensitivity, leading to the waste of our lives in endless busyness.As we are made in God's image, our deepest and most primitive desire comes from our Heavenly Father. This desire nourishes our spiritual life. This most basic desire in our lives is embedded in our "genes" and is the lifeline that connects us to our Heavenly Father! Our enemy will try to cut this lifeline, making our lives no longer human, but rather, like animals in a mode of "instinctual reaction" and thus depriving us of our identity as children of God!As precious children of God, we must not only avoid falling into the enemy's trap, but also stay alert and do our best to remind our brothers and sisters around us not to fall into this trap. Sadly, humans are living in a so-called "boiling frog" state. As Christians, we need to take up the role of a prophet, shoulder our responsibility in this critical period, and not let Jesus down in the mission entrusted to us.To become a faithful prophet in this chaotic age, we must not sever our lifeline with our Heavenly Father. Without a solid prayer life and time spent in deep connection with God, we will gradually lose our sensitivity and ability to listen to Him. On the other hand, if we actively set aside time each day to encounter the Lord in His Word and strive to meet Him in the Eucharist, we will gradually become more receptive to His messages. Do not underestimate the impact these messages from God can have on you and those around you. The words of the Father can change the trajectory of your life and the lives of others, giving you more confidence and boldness to proclaim the Good News of the gospel and bringing endless joy and peace to your heart!Therefore, we encourage everyone to seek opportunities to attend Mass, receive Holy Communion in person, and find opportunities to talk to Him before the Eucharist, in the presence of Christ.ReflectionPlease examine your own desire of life in silence – how

In yesterday's reflection, it was mentioned that performing acts of love is not our Catholic strength. Some of us may disagree. Isn't the Catholic Church the largest charitable organization in the world? That is certainly true! However, on a personal level, we really need to put in extra effort. What is emphasized here is the culture of "giving".The world teaches us that it is important to save up, be prepared for the future or rainy days. Both the Eastern and Western cultures have such teachings. The culture of accumulating things and unwillingness to give has thus emerged and taken root in our thoughts and behaviour.However, the teaching of Jesus is just the opposite. He advocates that "blessed are the poor in spirit". (cf Matthew 5:3) He praises the noble character of the poor widow who gave all that she had. (cf Mark 12:41-44)Being willing to give up our precious time for others, which is equivalent to giving up a part of our lives, is a great sacrifice these days. However, to sustain this spirit of self-sacrifice in our lives, we need to constantly learn to let go of small things, beginning with the details in our daily lives, especially regarding our material possessions. If we are not willing to accept and learn to live out the spirit of "blessed are the poor," and continue to accumulate worldly possessions for ourselves, our hearts will never belong to God. As Jesus said in Matthew 6:21, "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."The concept of "blessed are the poor in spirit" can be considered as the core teaching of Jesus. To achieve spiritual poverty, we cannot lack the spirit of giving. Therefore, the spirit and action of giving are one of the most important expressions of faith for Christians. Our attitude towards sharing our wealth also reveals the overall maturity of our spirit of giving - in other words, am I someone who is willing to give and sacrifice myself for others? Am I poor in spirit? Am I someone who truly belongs to God?Therefore, although donating money is not the highest level of giving and sacrifice, it is an extremely important starting point that plays a critical role in determining whether we can achieve spiritual poverty. Because in the end, we cannot serve two masters: if we decide to choose Christ, we have to give up everything that is secondary, especially money and wealth.Lord Jesus, I choose You and I am willing to focus on serving the people You have called me to serve. Please reveal to me in my prayers, the brothers and sisters whom You want me to serve today, and their needs.Today’s PrayerLord Jesus Christ, I am willing to follow Your teaching of spiritual poverty, but You know that I am weak, I can fall and give up easily. Please strengthen my will once again, so that I am willing to learn to continually let go and learn the true spirit of giving. Lord, I am willing to offer the part which is the most difficult for me to offer to the brothers and sisters whom You have revealed to me today. Please accept my offering. ★ Support this podcast ★

When speaking of Lent, for most believers, what stands out in our minds are the practices of repentance and prayer, fasting and self-denial. These long-lasting traditions in the Church are ingrained in the hearts of the faithful. Therefore, during Lent, many churchgoers practice self-denial and fasting in different ways, such as giving up their favourite food or entertainment as an offering to God and as penance. Parishes and different ministries also arrange retreats and spiritual talks, which is an excellent tradition that is greatly beneficial to the faithful.On top of this, in this year's Lenten retreat of Fountain of Love and Life, we hope that everyone will make good use of these precious 40 days with a new mindset, not limited to the conventional ways. In addition to prayer, fasting and self-denial, we also hope that everyone will spend more time and effort on acts of love in their limited time. The reason is simple, because in this busy generation, our daily schedules are usually packed, leaving us with little time and space to care for our brothers and sisters around us. During the Lenten season, by letting go of some of our pleasures and entertainment, we finally have some time and space in our busy lives. We should not let these spaces be filled with trivial matters, but seize the opportunity to practise charity in our personal, family and community lives.As Catholics, we cannot deny that performing acts of love is not our forte! Particularly, when we are busy, we tend to take the easier route and choose to do good in the most time-saving way, or simply donate money to do charitable work. Donating money is good and important, but it is not as good as us also taking action and giving our time and energy to our brothers and sisters in need, and our community. Time is our most valuable asset, because time represents our lives. For many people, the greatest sacrifice we can offer them is to give of our time, and this is the most precious offering in this day and age. That is why Jesus said, "No one has greater love than to lay down one's life for one's friends." (John 15:13)Therefore, please do not be too stingy with your time. Humans are filled with "dryness" and various unsatisfied yearnings in the depths of their hearts, such as the desire to be cared for, understood, and accompanied and these cannot be satisfied by money or material things. We can say that the biggest difference we can make for ourselves and for the world in this Lent is to be willing to spend time with the people around us, especially those brothers and sisters who are most in need of our love and care! Just imagine, if every Christian does this intentionally, the world will become so beautiful! With the prompting and help of the Holy Spirit, it is not impossible to renew and change the chaotic state of the world!In this day and age, information technology and products are rapidly changing; coupled with information overload, they not only make us confused, but also waste a lot of our time and energy. We need to ask ourselves, are these technologies and information helping us to learn how to be a better person, or are they becoming stumbling blocks on our way to holiness? Especially now that artificial intelligence (AI) is developing rapidly, everyone is fascinated by it. While there are lots of discussions about whether people's jobs will be replaced by AI, we need to be more concerned about the impact of all these advancements on interpersonal relationships. The weakening and deterioration of human relations is a serious problem that we cannot ignore. We may rationalize it by saying that this is an inevitable consequence of progress in the society, and we are all passive and cannot change anything. Let us challenge this idea in this Lent. The biggest difference between humans and other animals is that we have free will to choose right from wrong. Yes, we are all part of this fast-changing world, and sometimes we feel powerless and don’t have a choice. But we must not let the prevalent culture and trends of the society take away our free will, given by God, to choose God and live out the Christian spirit. Our hands are not tied! When all Christians unite to choose Truth, to choose to live with the selfless love and the ways of Jesus, this world is still full of hope!ReflectionTime is our most precious resource. How would you like to properly allocate your time during this Lent?Please pray to God for inspiration and assistance in choosing more meaningful acts of love, and ask for faith and strength to complete them.Please ask God again how you can make choices in life to let go of the lower priorities, in order to make room to carry out the acts of love inspired by Him.Today’s PrayerHeavenly Father, thank You for being so patient with me, tolerating the wrong decisions I have made in my life and my wasting time on things that do not please You. Please forgive me for my lack of initiative in asking for and listening to Your holy w

The "Five-Loaves-and-Two-Fishes Moments" concept introduced in the past five days of reflection focuses on whether we can extend from self-centeredness to caring for the needs of others through our humble offering. If we do so as a community in Christ, with the participation of each member and through Christ, we can accomplish what is humanly impossible! Yesterday's reflection reminded us that the focus of this act of love is not about doing something big, but rather "doing ordinary things with extraordinary love". Furthermore, these acts of love do not have to take place in faraway places where there is war or poverty, but rather can be accomplished anywhere and anytime within our reach.In today's Gospel, Jesus teaches us how to pray to our Heavenly Father. The focus is on the first line of the Lord's Prayer, "Our Father". We need to learn from Jesus to call God “Father”. It is not just a title of reverence on our lips, but an "Abba Father" that we cry out from the bottom of our hearts! Since He is the Father, He will surely listen to the prayers of His children, especially when we fulfill God's commands of love for one another! And the five loaves and two fishes that we are willing to offer will surely please our Heavenly Father, and will be multiplied in the name of our Lord Jesus!Before Jesus performed the miracle of the multiplication of the five loaves and two fishes, He looked up and prayed to His Father in Heaven, setting a perfect example for us. Jesus has shown us that we cannot rely on our own strength, but must depend on the power of the Father to do every good work. Every time when we offer our five loaves and two fishes, let us also humbly surrender to our Father and trust that He will provide! We should not question the way and timing of how God will provide, for He has His plan. All we need is to have absolute faith in God, and our acts of love will surely be accomplished with results beyond our expectations!Yesterday's reflection also mentioned that those who need our attention may be close at hand. Sometimes, the needs of these people cannot be fulfilled by anyone else, but only by you and me!Dear Father, please reveal to me whom You want me to pay attention to today. Please show me why it is not someone else, but I am needed to fulfill the needs of the person whom You have revealed to me.Today’s PrayerHeavenly Father, thank You for showing me my role in Your divine plan of merciful love. You have reminded me of the things I should have done and the love I should have given, which I have neglected due to my busyness, negligence, and selfishness, and thus have not responded to Your invitation in time. Abba Father, thank You for Your gentle reminder today. ★ Support this podcast ★

Yesterday, we celebrated the first Sunday of Lent. In the Gospel, there is a recount of Jesus being led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. He had fasted forty days and forty nights, and afterwards He was hungry. Then, the tempter came to tempt Him.By abstaining forty days from earthly food, He consecrated through His fast the pattern of our Lenten observance. Even though Jesus knew no sin, He surrendered to the Father’s will to enter into the wilderness to fast and pray for forty days before being tempted by the devil. By overturning the snares of the ancient serpent, Jesus also taught us how to cast out the leaven of malice.Life is a journey of continuous conversion and sanctification. The Lenten season before Easter, as instituted by the Church, reminds us to learn from the example of Jesus, that by repentance, abstinence, prayer and almsgiving, we can repel temptations and strengthen our faith, thus preparing us to receive God’s grace of salvation.If people would diligently pursue self-enhancement by various means, we, Christians, in the season of Lent, should seize the opportunity not only to make it our shortcut to holiness and a virtuous life, but also speed up the process of becoming the person whom God has created us to be.In today’s Gospel, Jesus foretells the scene of the Last Judgment, aiming not to intimidate us but remind us of what the Kingdom of Heaven should be like, and reveal to us the deepest thirst of His heart. In the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 25, verse 40, Jesus said, “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.” Our Lord Jesus wants us to be His hands and feet in the world, the channel of His love, and He also wants us to see His face among those who are served. His desire can’t be clearer! He is only waiting for our responses!Maybe we would wonder: we don’t know anyone who is hungry or thirsty, homeless or naked, sick or imprisoned. Yet, there are always some people around us who are lonely or neglected, despised or unwelcomed, depressed or lost, helpless or without hope, and so forth. They are not far away from us but close at hand. These brothers and sisters of ours might have been waiting for our attention. We all could have our targets and start to serve them.The three acts of faith in Lent, namely, “prayer”, “fasting”, and “almsgiving”, have given us a clear reminder. “Prayer” reminds us to take seriously our relationship with God: set aside time to converse with Him, encounter Christ in prayers, sacraments, and spiritual practices, and through all these, build an intimate relationship with God. “Abstinence and fasting” targets ourselves. Through the practice of detachment, one can remove the excessive desires of the earthly things and open for ourselves the window towards holiness. “Almsgiving” undoubtedly targets others, and more importantly, includes all the people in the world who are loved by Jesus. Jesus desires us to repay His self-giving love for us by loving others selflessly. Jesus gave us the commandment of loving one another in the Gospel of John, chapter 15, verses 12 to 13: “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” Whether we would really give up our lives is not the focus, but rather learning the spirit of “self-sacrifice” in order to will the good of others is what our Lord Jesus asks of us.From these three acts of faith in Lent, we can see that the repentance emphasized is not limited to passive reflection, but rather a bottom up and inside out conversion process, which begins from the relationship with ourselves and with God, and then extends to all those around us.Therefore, this year, our Lenten retreat emphasizes that we should complement our continuous meditation and reflection with acts of love. Meditation and reflection help us adjust our intention and how we perform our acts of love, and the experiences and fruits of our acts of love in turn feed and nourish our meditation and prayers and become our offerings. Our acts of love help enhance our self-knowledge and the knowledge of God and His deeds. Because through our humble offering, we can witness the miracle of the “multiplication of loaves” performed by our Lord Jesus. These experiences play a pivotal role in strengthening our virtues of faith and hope!On Day 1 of our retreat, the concept of the “Five-Loaves-and-Two-Fishes Moments” (5L2F Moments) was introduced to remind us that our lives are filled with opportunities for our Lord Jesus to perform miracles, on which depend our five-loaves-and-two-fishes offerings. Let us not underestimate our 5L2F acts of love which could make a difference and have positive impacts on others’ lives. Our humble little "candle flame" can be miraculously multiplied through our Lord Jesus and spread widely without our knowing!"Do ordinary things with extraordinary love!

The day when Jesus called Levi, the tax collector, the Pharisees and their scribes were complaining to His disciples, saying, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?” Jesus answered, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick; I have come to call not the righteous but sinners to repentance.” (cf. Luke 5:27-32)In fact, we are all sinners, we are all sick, and we all need the healing touch of Jesus. We have all experienced different forms of dryness in our body, mind, and soul, and are in most need of Jesus’ love to nourish and to heal. But like Levi the tax collector, we are all called to join Jesus in healing others who are sick. Jesus taught us that the most effective way to heal is not like the Pharisees who criticize others for their mistakes, but through love. In the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 25 verse 40, Jesus clearly teaches us how to repay His love for us: “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.”Indeed, only love, either in receiving or giving, can heal the wounds in the depths of our souls. Let us learn how to love, to heal the broken-hearted, mend the wounded relationships, give a hand to the downtrodden, bear the crosses of the heavily burdened…In the Book of the Prophet Isaiah, chapter 58 verses 9 to 11, God says, “If you remove the yoke from among you, the pointing of the finger, the speaking of evil, if you offer your food to the hungry and satisfy the needs of the afflicted, then your light shall rise in the darkness and your gloom be like the noonday. The Lord will guide you continually, and satisfy your needs in parched places, and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters never fail.”This Lent, let us begin this journey of mutual healing and quenching each other’s thirst. We are all wounded souls, wounded soldiers, but through the mysterious work of the Lord Jesus, we are also wounded healers.Let us pay special attention today to those who have been wounded or traumatized physically, emotionally or spiritually. Lord, God, please reveal to me, who are the brothers and sisters whom You want me to pay attention to today?Today’s PrayerLord Jesus, now I understand that You desire to heal the deepest wounds in my heart through my willingness to follow You and as I heal others. It is just as when You called Levi the tax collector, when he left everything to follow You, his sins, his sicknesses, his spiritual dryness began to be healed. Lord Jesus, help me to learn from Levi! Let me respond to Your call today without counting the cost. And through the humble offering of my five loaves and two fishes, let me help satisfy the needs of the afflicted, so as to quench Your thirst and thus my own. ★ Support this podcast ★

We commemorate the Lord’s Passion on Fridays. Let us fast and pray, today, with a pious and reverent heart, and meet Jesus in Eucharistic Adoration.We hope you did have a chance yesterday to bring the light of Christ to the family member whom the Heavenly Father has revealed to you. No matter how it goes, do give thanks to the Heavenly Father for the inspiration and giving you the courage and opportunity to start your acts of love in Lent. Please don’t be discouraged if it turns out not as expected, but rather, offer your expectations to God and He will lead the way. Keep on praying for wisdom and perseverance, persist with your acts of love, and your family members would surely be moved by your love.Wisdom comes from the Word of God, and the wisdom of God far surpasses human wisdom. So, if you wish your acts of love would bear more fruits in this Lenten season, spend at least 15 minutes daily to encounter God through meditating on the Word of God, listen to Him in silence, and live out the inspirations and teachings He gives you.In addition, Lent is the best season of the year to help us develop an intimate relationship with God, and advance in virtues and holiness, while it also provides a good opportunity for establishing good spiritual habits. Please don’t let this, once a year, golden opportunity slip away easily.In order to succeed, we must first have a goal. For us Christians, our ultimate goal and greatest mission in life would be expanding God’s Kingdom on earth. The first step is to instill hope of the Risen Christ in people’s lives, and then, step by step, guide them to establish a real and personal relationship with Christ. During this Lenten season, let us fix our gaze on the paschal candle, which symbolizes the Good News of salvation and resurrection. Let Christ, who is the True Light, lead us on the path of personal sanctification and to becoming a true evangelizing community!Why should we evangelize as a community rather than as individuals?Let us focus back on the image of the Service of Light, the Lucernarium, at the Easter Vigil. Yesterday, we mentioned that in the Service of Light, the priest's candle was first lit by the paschal candle, followed by the candles in the hands of the faithful next to him. Thanks to everyone's participation, the light is spread to every member of the congregation in the entire church. Assuming that each church member passes the light onto two persons: one to two, two to four, four to eight, eight to sixteen, and so forth. In this way, if it takes ten seconds to light a candle, lighting the candles of more than 500 people doesn't take two minutes. If this candle-lighting responsibility were placed on the priest alone, even if it takes him only five seconds to light a candle, the whole process of lighting everyone’s candle would take more than 40 minutes! Even the most devout churchgoer won't be able to stand it!This example illustrates the reason why we need to evangelize as a community. This is also the main reason why our Lord Jesus Christ first called His disciples before He started His public ministry, and later on built the Church.We need to understand that only through exponential growth can the Kingdom of God be established and grow healthily in this world, and only in this way can we resist and counter the spread of evil forces in the world and the invasion of individuals, families, communities, and churches by dark forces. In the face of the chaotic situation in this world, and the state of spiritual and mental dryness of mankind, such as feeling lost, hopeless, disoriented, even suffering from depression or anxiety, etc., our only solution and way out is to unite and take responsibility together. This is also what the Lord Jesus Christ expects of us as His followers.The success of exponential growth completely relies on the active participation of everyone. Just imagine, if some members of the congregation refuse to pass the candlelight during the Service of Light, the ritual will not be complete, the liturgy cannot continue smoothly, and unnecessary disputes may arise.Therefore, we must understand that, under the “principle of exponential growth”, it is unnecessary and not recommended for us to either do our own things independently or to shoulder and complete all the missions God has entrusted to the community by oneself. We should not feel pressured, because it is the Holy Spirit who brings our missions to fruition, not by our own effort. But the Holy Spirit needs the active participation of every member of the Church to fulfill the mission entrusted to us by our Heavenly Father. Besides, what we are talking about here is not some great mission, or some grand ideas of evangelization. What we are advocating here is that we should not only expect God to solve all our personal and the world's problems, quench the thirst of everyone, and untie all the knots in the world for us. There is only one way to untie the knots, that is, we cooperate with the

Yesterday, we brought up the concept of the “Five-Loaves-and-Two-Fishes Moments”, how God desires us to collaborate with Him and how He multiplies those contributions which may seem insignificant to us. Through our active participation, God yearns to touch people’s hearts, ease their burdens, and bring positive impacts to their lives through us. You may also recall that today is the “Action Day” of the retreat. We will first use a beautiful image to lighten up your spirit!The Easter Vigil, celebrated on the night of Holy Saturday, is considered as the greatest and most noble of all solemnities in the liturgical year of the Church. While the entire celebration is beautiful and meaningful, the most memorable part would be the Service of Light, also known as Lucernarium, at the beginning of the vigil! The lit paschal candle brought into the church represents our Lord Jesus Christ. It is the only light source at the beginning of the liturgy, symbolizing He is the light of the world and the source of the true light. The priest lights his candle from the flame of the paschal candle followed by the candles of the faithful, who spread it, until all candles are lit.There had been darkness before Christ entered the world. The Service of Light symbolizes the true light of Christ breaking and dispelling the darkness of the world. The candles in the hands of the faithful represent our baptism candles, and the light symbolizes the light we received from Christ at our baptism. The most astonishing thing about this liturgy is that the lighting of everyone’s candle from just the flame of the paschal candle only takes an instant. In just a few minutes, the whole church turns from pitch-dark to flooded by candlelight. Anyone who has ever participated in the Easter Vigil surely shares this vivid memory.Darkness also represents the state of spiritual dryness of today's world. The light brought to the world by our Lord Jesus Christ has to be spread by everyone of us. Imagine how long it would take if all the candles were lit only by the priest! This is God’s way of doing things. He wills all of us to take part in His work of quenching the thirst and bringing light to the world.During this season of Lent, you are invited to make this stunning scene of the Service of Light alive in our daily life. Instead of keeping it for ourselves within the Church, may this touching yet heartening experience be shared with all those who are loved by the Lord.As you are invited by the priest to pass the candlelight onto the one next to you during the Service of Light, similarly, today, you are invited to ignite the people around you by your acts of love. Let’s start from those who are closest to you and the dearest to your heart, namely, your spouse, children, parents, siblings, and the like. No matter how your relationship with them is, do not underestimate the impact your words and actions would have on them.Heavenly Father, please reveal to me, onto which one(s) of the family members You will that I pass the light of Christ.Today’s PrayerAbba, Father, instead of using my way, please teach me to use Your way and Your heart to touch the heart of this family member whom You have revealed to me. Heavenly Father, please grant me the courage I need and accompany me when I take this important step. ★ Support this podcast ★

The Farmer of Hearts Lenten Online Retreat was first launched in Lent 2020, when the global Covid-19 pandemic began. Since then, we have already launched three online Lenten retreats, and we are about to begin our fourth! For those of you who are returning participants, thank you for journeying with us in the past 3 years! If you are new to this retreat, welcome on board!Together we have journeyed through a number of Lenten retreats with the following themes: “Farmer of Hearts” in 2020, “Our Journey Home" in 2021, and “Finding Order in Chaos" in 2022. We believe that this year’s theme: “I Thirst” will again resonate with many of you. It is because even though we are seeing the end of the tunnel of the prolonged pandemic, the whole of humanity, everyone of us, has suffered tremendously through this dreaded shared experience. On top of that, depressing events have been flooding the news, like the war in Ukraine, natural or manmade disasters, the mass migration of people due to geopolitical instability, the global inflation, the threat of recession and massive layoffs, etc. We are all wounded, in big or small ways, whether we are aware of them or not. We all carry in our minds, hearts and souls heavy burdens, unmet needs, anxieties about what the future holds, and so forth. The condition of “I thirst” has become an “epidemic” in the present age.Nowadays, not many people in developed countries have experienced real and prolonged hunger. But most of us, to different extents, have experienced the sensation of being thirsty. This body signal prompts us to take actions to prevent dehydration, which can be hazardous to our health or even our lives. Under normal circumstances, we will not allow our bodies to go without water/fluids for prolonged periods of time. However, we are not as vigilant towards our spiritual dryness. Sometimes, we would hide our spiritual conditions from others or even from ourselves, either knowingly or unknowingly. This situation is compounded by the chaotic and unpredictable conditions of the world around us, especially after the prolonged and dreadful pandemic. That is why Fountain of Love and Life has adopted the very words of Jesus on the Cross - “I thirst” - as the theme of this year’s Lenten retreat.This year, we have made some changes to our 40-day retreat program. Instead of offering it as the 10-minute 6-day-a-week guided meditation in previous years, we have added some new elements, but without requiring you to commit more of your time. Besides listening to and reflecting on the retreat content, you are invited to live out what the Spirit has inspired you through your meditation, and to share and witness for Christ in your social circle.This is how the above will be implemented: On every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, there will be a 10-minute guided reflection. As you follow the guided reflection, we urge you not to multitask, but fully immerse yourself in this sacred space. That is only 10 minutes of the 1,440 minutes in your day. Treat it as your little gift to God. On every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, the reflection content will be shortened to about 5 minutes. For the remaining 5 minutes, we invite you to reach out to a person inspired to you by God in your prayers. As you attend to that person, give your undivided attention to the needs of this person. If you give your all wholeheartedly, even a short 5 minutes can make a difference in that person’s life. On every Sunday, we encourage you to pray for ways to share with others your week’s experience, and if possible, in ways that maximize the impact of your witness! Also, offer all that you have learned, the fruits of your acts of love, and your own conversions to God at the Holy Mass.We suggest using a journal to write down your thoughts and feelings, your experiences and your conversions, then share them with as many people as possible. You will be surprised how, either through performing acts of love or through your genuine sharing, can touch and change people’s lives in amazing ways. If you are up for a challenge, we encourage you to fully dive in by offering 15 extra minutes daily to encounter God by praying with the Bible, and spending 30 minutes in Eucharistic adoration on a weekly basis. We hope that through this Lenten retreat, everyone will enjoy the fruits God has in store for them.Coming back to the theme of this year’s retreat “I Thirst”, we are not gathering here only to acquire the knowledge of how Jesus is thirsting for us and how much we are thirsting for Him. Knowledge and awareness are both important, but in the end, we also want to find a solution to the “thirsty” conditions, and we need to be part of the solution! The Spirit is stirring us to quench our thirst and the thirst of Christ by moving beyond our own selves and self-interests by caring for the welfare of others.You may have heard of, or even have personal experiences of how simple actions can make big differences in the lives of others: how a w

In addition to Jesus, the Son of God, the other main actor in the “theo-drama” is the Mother of God, the Blessed Virgin Mary. Both, having completely reverted Adam and Eve’s sin of “pride”, have become the Father’s perfect followers who have also perfectly fulfilled the mission bestowed on them by the Father. The collaboration between the Son and the Holy Mother is the fulfilment of the Father’s will; their seamless collaboration is the perfect fulfilment of The Lord’s Prayer: “Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven”. One can say that Jesus and Mary are the perfect partners in the “theo-drama”.In the same way, God also wants each of His children to become His partner in order to accomplish “the greater works”. How could we even consider not trying to learn and ask for help from Jesus and Mary? First of all, “humility” is not only a portrayal of the Lord Jesus and Mother Mary, but also the primary condition for being an actor/actress in the “theo-drama”. Furthermore, because the Father knows everything as the “director” of the entire “drama”, the Son and Mother Mary are intimately connected with the Father. Mary treasures and ponders every word in the script, that is, the word of God; she shows no fear towards things that she does not fully understand. When the appointed time arrives, Mary appears on stage and delivers a flawless “performance” of the “script”.Each morning commences a new episode of the play; it is also the time to communicate with the director. We need to dialogue with the Father in our solitude and quietude, so that we may receive His words and instructions in order to meet the requirements for our role on that day, and facilitate the development of the “plot”. First of all, we need to “stop and listen” to the director’s guidance, then “act”, and then “pause” to “treasure and ponder” every message received. The “learning from the reflection” can then be applied to the next act. This same process is to be repeated multiple times every day. The more “parts” we have in the drama, that is, the more work we have to complete that day, the greater the need to press the pause button and spend more time “consulting the director”!According to Ignatian spirituality, becoming a “contemplative in action” means: that our active life feeds our contemplative life and our contemplative life informs our active life.Ignatian spirituality is grounded in the conviction that God is active in our world.In addition to knowing what we should do in our life, that is, to fulfil the Father’s will, we also need to know how to do it; in other words, the proper means to accomplish God’s will.In the example of Martha and Mary welcoming Jesus, the focus is not what they do to attend to Jesus but how they do it, their attitude, and their motivations (ref. Luke 10:38-42). Many biblical scholars agreed that even if Martha had chosen to sit by Jesus’ feet and listen to Him, her mind would still be preoccupied with the “many things”; thus, unable to accept what Jesus has to tell her. Contrarily, if Mary chose to serve Jesus by preparing food for him while maintaining her attitude and mentality of listening to God, she would still be able to have a genuine encounter with Jesus through her active work and service. The core is that we need to know what is the "only necessary thing" in life, that is, " to listen to Jesus and do whatever He tells you". We should not let the "many things" disturb and "distract" us into a state of "chaos", thus losing "Order" and "Focus".If God is the director of every moment of our life, He is also an integral part of our life. If we allow God to enter into our life, we become family; He, our kind and gentle Father. Then, we will not have trouble recognizing His voice, and by listening to Him, we can discern His will. When we get to know His “temperaments” gradually, we will also get to know “how” God wants us to live out His will.When we follow this method to strengthen our communication and cooperation with the Father, we will not be easily swayed by our own motivations and external influences. Neither will our work nor our surrounding environment stand between us and our intimate communication and cooperation with the Father. In this way, our work and surroundings will be transformed from being obstacles into a time and space in which we may effectively encounter and pray to the Father, and support us on our path to holiness!St. Josemaria Escrivá once said: “Jesus, let my distractions be the other way around. Instead of thinking of the world when I am engaged in conversation with you, let me rather think of you when I am engaged in the things of this world”.Ultimately, the foundation of everything we discussed earlier is “humility”. This is echoed by what John the Baptist said in the Gospel of John, Chapter 3, Verse 30, “He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30). Though this proclamation does not come from Jesus,

The chaos in our individual life, family, society, and even the entire human history are intricately connected to our sinful nature; at the top of the list is our “pride”. Our human condition and struggles due to pride began with Adam and Eve, and continue to the end of time.A renowned theologian, Hans Urs von Balthasar, suggested that there are two different dramas we can live out in life: an “ego-drama” or a “theo-drama”. As the term suggests, “ego-drama” regards the self as the “lead actor”; it is the drama that I’m writing, producing, directing and starring in. In this drama, everything revolves around the “self” and all benefits are directed to the “self”; our honour and shame, and success and failure are all about the “self”. Contrarily, the story of a “theo-drama” is God-centred in which the plot is driven by God’s divine plan, and all the actors are chosen and invited by God. Since God wants the maximum number of people to participate, the plot development is distinct from that of the “ego-drama”. In this plot, both the benefit for individuals and the greater good are considered. The entire story progresses with harmony, collaboration, and a concern for the benefits of all. This stands in stark contrast to the “ego-drama” that is characterized by confrontation, competition, and egotism.When we only dwell in an “ego-drama”, we easily fall victim to emotional turmoil resulting from our obsession with individual accomplishment and honour and shame. When we encounter obstacles or challenges in life, we become worried, discouraged, angry, and even depressed. On the contrary, when we live in a “theo-drama”, our life feels easy and burden-free because we are no longer playing the lead role; thus, we don’t need to worry about success or failure. All we need is to accept God’s invitation to play the role assigned by God wholeheartedly; nothing more and nothing less. This allows each individual to become a part of the whole, seamlessly working with other actors, sharing the responsibilities as well as all honour and shame; thus, each offering their very best to this “theo-drama”. Indeed, God’s will and vision is that we live with one another in harmony and to make the communion and collaboration within Christ’s mystical body, and God’s kingdom on earth, a reality.This is the solution to the chaos and disasters brought on by our “pride”, and the remedy to the spread of the mental “epidemic”. It can improve relationships among individuals, communities, ethnicities, and countries; resolve divisions and stop wars. This sounds idealistic; however, if we begin with ourselves, shifting our thoughts and attitudes away from self-centredness to following Christ’s spirit of sacrificing oneself for others, we will be able to mend all relationships, one at a time.This can be likened to the Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday which begins in darkness; however, light begins to spread from one single candle, the lighting of the Easter candle. From this single candle, the fire is being passed on from one person to the next. In the blink of an eye, the church turns from complete darkness to being illuminated by the candle in everyone’s hand. What a fantastic image! When we feel discouraged or grieved due to the conditions of our personal life, our family, society, and the world, let us always remember this image. Any positive change begins with one person and one idea. As long as we remain steadfast with Christ’s spirit, remain faithful to our call, and persevere in all we do, with the help of our faithful God, nothing is impossible!This is our collective vision; our hope of salvation and resurrection granted by God! This conviction will bring about a new order, one that has been established by God since creation. The order has been squandered and lost due to our sins, but our hope for a new order has been reignited through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.However, this cannot be accomplished without our cooperation. The departure of Jesus raises the curtain for “the epoch of the Holy Spirit” in the “theo-drama”. Just as the power of the Holy Spirit is revealed in the creation of the world, the same Spirit moves us to accomplish the Father’s work instead of our own; not to be self-centred but deems Jesus Christ as the centre of all creation; making His teachings of “Christian spirit” the fire on the Easter candle, and through our new roles in the “theo-drama”, the light of “Christian spirit” can be carried forward until it reaches the ends of the world!The turning point of all holy men and women throughout history is often their realization of an imminent unhappy ending if they continue to direct and act in their own “ego-drama”. Therefore, when they accept God’s invitation and gradually discover their new roles in the “theo-drama”, with pleasure and great excitement, they abandon their self-determined role, and without hesitation, dive right into the new role assigned by God and begin to discover other companions on the j

In the reflection on Day 37, we considered the possibility of falling into the condition of “burnout” when our life is extremely unbalanced and disorderly; not only does this negatively affect ourselves but also those around us and the entire community to which we belong. Preceding this stage, we would experience the undesirable condition of living in a constant state of “hurriedness”. This is a common malady of people in today’s world, especially during a time of information explosion, and in a society that puts competitiveness at its forefront. This mental epidemic continues to spread throughout society. From the day little children start going to school, people are constantly kept busy without rest; even after their retirement, they fail to escape the clutch of a “hurried life”. It seems that no one can be spared from this fate. Everyone is affected by this condition; the difference is the varying degrees to which each is affected.Indeed, “efficiency”, or in other words, accomplishing the most in the shortest amount of time, is a source of our “addiction”. At the core of this problem is our “competitiveness” and our tendency to challenge ourselves and others. Thus, we cannot lay all the blame for this malady on social norms or society’s culture. In fact, the biggest culprit is “pride”. “Pride” tells us to only trust ourselves and rely on our own strength instead of relying on God and trusting others. This provides the perfect incubator for our enemies to build upon our “pride” by adding “many things”: distractions, preferences, attachments, and addictions, until there’s no more room for God and the grace that He has prepared for us!Does efficiency imply better? Does a lifestyle characterized by high efficiency and haste imply a perfect life? In our everyday life, it is not difficult to find counter-examples. For instance, chewing food slowly can improve our digestion; when we take time to consider all angles, we can make better decisions than when we rush into decisions.Under life’s pressure from different directions, most of us would simply yield to the clutch of “high efficiency” and willingly become slaves of “speed” and “efficiency”. As we attempt to accomplish the most in the shortest amount of time, we tend to make a series of unhealthy compromises, and as a result, pay a hefty price for it.In the first place, “hurriedness” takes away healthy and meaningful relationships; exchanging our “heart of flesh” with a “heart of stone”. When we are overwhelmed with our work, thus, attempting to avoid disruptions from others, we become blind and deaf to the needs of others. Our schedule doesn’t even allow for quality time with family and friends; or we may attempt to squeeze out our last few ounces of strength, only at the end of the day, to spend a few minutes with them. Unfortunately, we also insert God in those last few minutes of our spare time. Since we cannot see God, we often take advantage of His generosity and benevolence by placing Him as our last priority. God’s voice is gentle and only in silence that we may encounter Him. How could we nurture an intimate relationship with God in a less than ideal environment where our life is hurried? When we don’t have time to get to know and listen to God, how could we serve Him and fulfil His will?If we don’t understand God’s will and His mission for us, we are giving up a “meaningful life” for an “aimless existence”. We can find our life’s true worth by listening to God’s words as well as examining and reflecting on the ebbs and flows in our life and our relationships. However, it is easy to make “reflection” a sacrificial lamb amidst our “hurried life” since the fruits of the habit of “reflection” are often difficult to detect. Our inability to truly reflect on our life, coupled with the absence of God’s inspiration will make us like travellers without a compass; we lose our sense of direction and the road ahead of us becomes obscured. In this way, we are only surviving instead of living; exhausting ourselves as we wander aimlessly, missing out the wonderful life that God has prepared for us! In other words, such a life is superficial and worthless. In this condition, we can never be truly “confident” in ourselves, as the confidence only comes from God!Finally, the cost of efficiency is our ability to “live in the moment”; rendering us helpless to slow down and enjoy life, and missing out on the opportunity to discern the presence of God, His footprints, His concerns for us, and His gaze on us…In other words, over-exertion due to a “hurried life” has lasting and serious repercussions, such as stress or even depression.When we look at Jesus’ life, the pressure He faced must have been a thousand times more severe than ours, and He had to accomplish the impossible in a very short time; however, He refused to seek efficiency in an earthly sense but focused on the most important things in life, that is, the Father and His will. Following Jesus’ example, we know

Having a “balanced life” is central to all Christians. In addition to balancing all three aspects of ourselves, body, mind, and soul, it is crucial that we also strive to strike a balance in our spiritual life. For some sisters and brothers, they may have preferences for certain areas of spiritual life or habits, which in turn causes them to favour the development of those areas of their spiritual life and neglect the need for balancing all the areas. For example: some Catholics’ prayer life may only focus on reciting prayers; though reciting prayers is highly beneficial, this form of prayer lacks the element of “listening”. If we become too “obsessed” or even “addicted”, our prayer life will become too formulaic; thus we are only reciting the formulated words of the prayers mindlessly, but that is not what prayer is about. Another example: some Catholics choose to focus on liturgies and rituals, and spend all their devotional time participating in all kinds of liturgical celebrations and rites. However, their spiritual life lacks interactions with other people, like participation in faith communities or bible study groups, and other faith-based activities. Yet, other Catholics are so passionate about learning that they seek out all kinds of faith-related talks and courses, or enthusiastically research and consume all kinds of religious materials online; they are unwilling to miss a single learning opportunity. Their passion for learning is admirable; however, if their motivation is to simply expand their knowledge, they may be guilty of “accumulation of knowledge” and may fail to apply what they learn in their daily lives. This is less than helpful to nurturing their spiritual growth.There are those who are full of enthusiasm for service; they participate in many parish groups or ministries, especially those focusing on services. Their schedule is bursting at the seams with all kinds of service; they are physically and spiritually exhausted, and become “overexerted” under tremendous pressure. All these have an impact on their other needs in life as well as their relationship with others, especially their families. If the situation continues, in extreme cases, these Catholics may eventually become unwilling to offer help and participate in any services, and in the worst case, they may even leave the Church for good. This is a problem that cannot be ignored by us individually, and by the parish, faith communities, and the entire Church.In truth, “burnout” doesn’t only happen in the workplace, it is also very common in the Church. The reason is that the number of people who are willing to serve the Church is scarce, therefore, anyone who offers himself/herself to the service of the Church is often asked to do more, resulting in serious “burnout”. However, why does this happen?Dynamic Catholic Institute, an American Catholic organization, had surveyed some American Catholics. The results reveal that in most Catholic parishes, some parishioners are very active and highly engaged in all sorts of activities while others are disengaged and even distance themselves from the parish. The most surprising result of the survey is that the most driven and actively engaged parishioners only account for 6% to 7% of the parish registered population, but they are contributing to over 80% of the voluntary services and donations supporting the parish! The survey result is quite a shocking discovery for the organization, therefore, they wanted to find out what causes this staggering phenomenon. According to their further research, the highly engaged parishioners share four common traits - their deliberate efforts made on balancing the development of four areas of their lives: prayer, study, generosity and evangelization. This research has given us some very important insights. Individually, if we want to become a genuine Christian whose life has “order”, we need to balance the different areas of our life as well as the four aspects of our spiritual life previously mentioned; putting appropriate amounts of time and sufficient energy into each, allowing all to grow steadily and equally. On the community or the Church’s level, if we hope our Church can develop continuously and to be effective in evangelization, we, as active and engaged Christians, should encourage the faithful in our parish and community to have balanced development in the four areas.Since we are the mystical body of Christ, a part of the Church, we have the duty of offering ourselves for the benefits of the entire Church but cannot only concern ourselves. The growth of the mystical body of Christ and the fulfilment and presence of God’s kingdom among us are dependent on each Christian’s willingness to shoulder the responsibility to be “generous” and the mission of “evangelization”.The above analysis reveals that the development of a balanced spiritual life of each individual Christian is intricately connected to the development of the entire Church. Our spiritua

Knowing how to take care of ourselves according to God’s design implies the caring of not only our body but also our spiritual wellness and needs of our soul, since both our body and soul are God’s gifts for us; gifts that deserve to be cherished and protected. Self-care, in general, includes three areas of needs: body, mind, and soul; they need to be cared for holistically and individually. Self-care has a wide range of implications. Our holistic health extends to various areas, including physical, emotional, intellectual, social and relational, spiritual, environmental, vocational, and so on. To achieve a vibrant overall health, we need to provide balanced care to all areas of need. God is present in every aspect of our life and desires to bless us in each.Throughout scripture, we can see that Jesus often spends time with his friends; taking care of His social and relational needs. In addition, He also pays attention to the physical needs of His disciples and those who follow Him, for instance, their needs for nourishment and rest when they are hungry and exhausted. As well, Jesus is attentive to people’s spiritual needs, especially when they lose their spiritual freedom under the bondage of their baggage. Jesus releases them from their spiritual bondage with forgiveness, pardoning of sins, and expelling of evil spirits. Certainly, Jesus is also attentive to our other spiritual needs. He insists on teaching His followers the truth and wisdom of life with various methods, for instance, through parables, Old Testament scripture, sacraments, exhortations, new commandments, and many other ways to reveal the face of the Father; all these to boost the spiritual wellness of His followers. Therefore, when we say we need to keep returning to the true fountain, that is, the Father, where we may quench our thirst and rest, and to receive God’s grace and strength, we also need to know that God wants us to be completely fulfilled in Him, no matter what our needs may be. When we don’t know how to take care of ourselves, neither can we take care of others; thus, God cannot utilize us to our fullest potential, to care for the least of Jesus’ sisters and brothers and fulfil our life’s mission.It is crucial, therefore, that we persevere in learning to structure our life and set its rhythm, so that we will not lose our balance and fall into chaos. The key is knowing how much God loves us and how important our physical, mental and spiritual health is to Him. Indeed, we need to emphasize that the Father has our greatest benefits in mind; however, He still allows us to experience difficulties, pain, and even serious illnesses in life. These are our blessings in disguise. One of the best indications of our spiritual wellness is the degree to which we have achieved “holy indifference”. Though God desires us to be healthy physically, mentally, and spiritually, the definition of our wellness is not determined by us but by the one God who has created us and knows what’s best for us. Otherwise, we may easily fall into the attachment of “desiring health over sickness”, preventing us from accepting God’s message and instructions with the right attitude, and leading us to the wrong decisions in our life.If we fail to take care of ourselves according to God’s design and the way He cherishes us, He will warn us by sounding the alarm of our physical, mental, and spiritual health. Other than illnesses, another clear alarm is our utter physical exhaustion and tiredness to the point of losing interest in other people or things, having feelings of pessimism and resistance, and suffering from emotional turmoil. We cannot afford to ignore these symptoms and we need to pay attention to them and proactively take care of ourselves.To conclude, being able to master how to balance “doing” and “being”, as well as our physical, mental and spiritual needs, is an important foundation for us to build a healthy spiritual life. Such is a critical lesson in our life.ReflectionDo you tend to care about certain aspects of your physical, mental, and spiritual needs, while neglecting others?Now, examine your reasons for neglecting, intentionally or unintentionally, certain needs in your life.In your heart or subconsciously, are there reasons or perceptions that lead you to believe that the Father only cares for certain aspects of your life but not others?Today’s PrayerLoving Father, I don’t really know why, in the past, I had held the belief that Your concern and care for me is limited and narrow. This impression makes me fail to ask for Your help in certain aspects of my life. In truth, I have failed to recognize that my hidden needs are many. I now recognize that due to my “attachments” and “preferences”, in placing more emphasis on certain needs in my life, I have neglected the more urgent ones. Teach me to see through Your lens so that I may truly recognize and care for those areas of needs that have been neglected. Remind me that I can never resolve everyt

On Day 34, we reflected on the image of God as a giver without a bottomline; such is a unique trait of the Father. God willingly provides us with everything we need. In truth, He also wants us to participate in this work of giving.However, we are not God and cannot give without a bottomline. We are merely mortals, not God. Though we desire to offer our best to others, our family, and society, it’s impossible for us to give without limit. If God wants us to give without limit, He would have given us a different body; one that doesn’t need rest, leisure, or “fine-tuning”, and can maintain its top condition at all times. However, this is not the plan that God had in mind when He created us. Our limitations, in fact, are the best news and greatest blessings for us! We are not machines; robots that work for their master without rest! This is definitely not God’s intention for us; such is our God-given dignity!Our understanding of our own limitations is a sign of our maturity; a demonstration of our humility and the beginning of truly living our life. Everything hinges on our understanding that humanity is not the source of life, thus, we can never be completely self-sufficient without our Creator God; the one who has created us in the first place. Since we are not the source, we need to understand the importance of remembering and giving thanks to the source. We not only need to know that we have to be “thankful”, we also need to know that we have to keep going back to “the source of life'', “the source of wisdom” who created us, the One who provides us with the fullest measure of love and grace. Otherwise, we will look ridiculous in believing that a car without gas or power source and never needing any maintenance or repair can keep on running forever!If you agree that this is ridiculous, then it is imperative that we begin to examine our life’s mode of operation, and more importantly, our understanding of our “role” and “ability”, and seeing our body that is created by God, a gift from God. We cannot only focus on our work, but first, we need to learn to receive love; God’s infinite love.This journey of accepting the Father’s love is a necessary step that prompts us to learn “our limitations”. Such is God’s plan for creating humanity! As an infinite giver, God creates humanity to share in His love. The key to living our lives is to know God’s intention. Understanding this intention of God is the key to us being fully alive! Therefore, it is also God’s design for us to know how to take good care of our physical and spiritual needs. This is not only an invitation but a mandatory instruction, the first item printed in “the manual for being human”.If we have no knowledge of God’s purpose of creating humanity and how we lead our lives in order to achieve this goal, we are still immature and have yet to grasp the true meaning of life.A portable power bank that is not charged cannot provide power to other devices; a bank account without regular deposits cannot allow for endless withdrawals; if there is no sun, the moon cannot reflect light. One who doesn’t recognize the need to keep returning to the Father for His grace, strength and love can never make it too far.To reiterate, the Father wants us to know how to take care of ourselves according to His design; recognize the need of returning to the ultimate fountain to replenish our water and energy, as well, to “recalibrate”, and rest in God’s embrace. There’s no other source in life that can provide us with all our needs. This is a fact as well as a truth!As long as we fail to grasp what we truly need at the core, that is, recognizing that what we need is God instead of other things, it is impossible for us to receive the true power to help and fulfil the needs of others; it is impossible for us to live out the ultimate purpose we are created for and live to our fullest potential. Indeed, we are only surviving and have not begun living!Resting in God is a basic need, as well, it is a dignity that makes us human; it is the art of living, the rhythm of a beautiful life, the balance between receiving and giving, the starting point of the road to “order”, and most of all, consolation for God!In the Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 11, Verses 28 to 30, Jesus tells us, “Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30).ReflectionWhich part of this reflection stands out for you, has moved you or benefited you the most?Invite the Holy Spirit to come into your heart and let Him speak to you about the inspiration and message for you.Please take a few moments of silence: examine how you conduct yourself and handle things in life. Do these contradict God’s design and purpose for you?Today’s PrayerMy Abba Father who has created me, in the past I have missed so man

To achieve “order” in life, one must seek appropriate “priorities”. In yesterday’s reflection, we learned how to prioritize our lives through the words and examples of God the Father, Jesus, and Mother Mary. The Pharisees often say, “the most important thing to me is God”. If we say something is important, we cannot only talk the talk but we must also walk the walk; otherwise, like the Pharisees, we become hypocrites. However, do we truly deem Jesus Christ the core and centre of our life and regard our relationship with Him as the primary and most important one; or do we seek God only in our spare time when we have finished everything else? Only our heart would know whether God is the big rock, gravel or sand in our life.We need to recognize that God desires us to seek Him first and place Him at the centre of our life. Not only has He created us, wants us to share in His love, and accompany and live with us on our journey, but He also knows that we need to rely on His grace and power in order to overcome the challenges of our time with peace, joy, and courage! Therefore, we need to constantly seek God and listen to Him, for this will bring us the greatest benefits. What the Father wants for us reveals Him as a giver without condition or bottom line.For this reason, the busier we are and the more things we need to manage, the greater our needs of returning to God. Like our cell phone, the more we use it, the more battery it consumes; therefore, it needs more time to be recharged. Such is, indeed, a simple truth.You may have heard of this: We cannot give to others what we don’t have. How true is this! When we don’t have food, we cannot help the hungry; without clothes, we cannot clothe the naked. In the same way, if we have not received love, peace, and strength from God, how would we be able to serve the least of Jesus’ sisters and brothers (Ref. Matthew 25:31-46)?From the Old Testament miracle of God’s gift of manna, to Jesus’ miracle of the “multiplication of five loaves and two fish” in the New Testament; subsequently sacrificing Himself for us and offering His body to be our daily bread, God has never stopped caring for our physical and spiritual needs. In truth, God, who has also gifted us with free-will, does not force us to seek fulfillment of our physical and spiritual needs from Him. However, the Father’s heart is pained by our stubbornness when we continue to rely solely on our insufficient strength against our struggles.Indeed, the Father desires us to set appropriate priorities in our lives as we learn how to make better choices, so that we may find the necessary order in our life. Life’s natural rhythm constantly brings us back to the fountain where we may refresh our life with the living water. As we strive to return to our Father with a humble heart, we need to know our needs first, and have the humility to recognize our limitations and helplessness.In the Gospel of Mark, Chapter 1, Verses 30 and 31, it says, “Now Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they told him about her at once. He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up. Then the fever left her, and she began to serve them” (Mark 1:30-31).A life without Jesus is a life that is lacking and lost; a life that is constantly wasting away, as well, a life that doesn’t recognize its own disorders. If we constantly seek strength and healing in Jesus, like Simon’s mother-in-law, we will be empowered to serve Jesus and those who need our service and care, the ones Jesus described as the least of our sisters and brothers.Prayer is the most effective way to take care of ourselves; it is an invitation to let God dwell in us. As discussed earlier, we can’t give to others what we don’t have. If God is our best gift to others, we ourselves need to be constantly filled with God; such that our cup overflows and pours over others.Mother Teresa once said, "Prayer enlarges the heart until it is capable of containing God's gift of himself." — Mother TeresaReflectionDo you recognize the connection between the order in your life and God’s place in your heart? If today’s reflection has enlightened you in any way, how would you reorganize the priorities in your life?Do you think you could obtain what you lack in life through your relationship with God?Please take a few moments of silence and allow the Father’s generous gaze overshadow you; let your exhausted body be healed, and let His peace and grace overflow you.Today’s PrayerMy Abba Father in Heaven, today’s reflection has awakened me to see that Your deepest concern is not about how we may become Your instruments or to collaborate with You, but about our every need. You want me to be whole, body, mind and soul. You desire to sooth my pain, heal my wound, comfort my heartbreak, encourage me when I am in distress! You never remain indifferent to even my smallest concerns. Thank you for allowing me to truly understand Your concerns for me. Let me never forget that whatever awaits me in the f

There is only one goal in Jesus’ life: the object is the Father and His mission is to fulfil His Father’s will. Indeed, life is not that complicated; Christ, living for this one goal, freely lets go of all other less important things: things that are of this world. Throughout His life, He willingly offered up the most precious things in life, including time, friendship, security, desire to be loved, dignity, and even His own life; without any reservation, He freely handed Himself over as an offering to His Father. In the same way, God has also given Himself completely to His Son; the Father and the Son abide in each other. The Father sustains His Son’s salvific work on earth with His infinite love.At the beginning of each day, when He is busy, before making any decisions or taking any actions, and before facing various challenges and suffering, Jesus often “sits at the feet of His Father” to converse with and listen to His Father’s words and instructions for Him. Only then, Jesus commences His work! We can certainly learn from the example set by our Lord Jesus Christ: what true service is; what a true relationship with our Father looks like; who we are in God’s eyes, and so on. Through this constant communication, we will get to know our role with more clarity, to know our Father better, to love Him more, and to have a stronger desire to serve Him and to fulfil His will. Everything falls into place without resistance or design! Jesus our Lord is the perfect portrayal of what He has taught us in “The Lord’s Prayer”. When we pray the “Our Father”, we only need to fix our gaze on Jesus, looking down on us from the cross, to clearly understand the lesson behind this prayer.What delights the Father is not the Son’s doing things on His own, but first building a relationship with the Father. The constant communication between the two, in turn, allows Jesus to collaborate with His Father and fulfil His Father’s will. The Son, with full confidence in His Father, knows that only His Father can see and understand everything, and that His Father will give Him the best; thus He does not need to worry about planning but only rely on God’s direction on what to do and even what to say. Jesus, fully human, understands the constraints of time and space on earth; He also recognizes that fulfilling His mission in only three years is impossible if He relies solely on His own strength. He acknowledges that what is impossible for humans is possible for God. Jesus’ success in fulfilling the arduous mission commanded by His Father is directly related to His attitude and the ways in which He serves. The key is that Jesus knows the true spirit of service!When Martha and Mary welcome Jesus, each uses her unique ways to serve Him. From the depth of Jesus’ love for Martha, He persuades Martha to step outside of her own perspective and see things from a different lens, that is, the way that Jesus wants Martha to serve Him. It is the way Jesus welcomes the Father into His heart, to encounter His Father in solitude; listening attentively to the Father’s words and instructions before taking any actions.Therefore, the most beautiful service is not the work itself but listening. Such is the primary condition for serving the Lord: work always proceeds from listening. Work without listening is, at best, our own “preference” that is detached from the Father.In addition to Jesus being our role-model, teaching us the true spirit of service, God the Father Himself also teaches us how to serve Jesus His Son.In the Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 17, Verse 5, God declares, “This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him!” (Matthew 17:5). Just as the Son listens to the Father, in the same way the Father wants us to listen to His Son.Mary’s last message recorded in the Bible echoes the Father’s will. In “The Wedding of Cana”, the mother of Jesus tells the servants, “Do whatever He tells you” (John 2:5).In the same way, Mary fulfils the Father’s will in her life with the same attitude. Regarding everything concerning her son Jesus, she has “treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart” (Luke 2:19). This unique trait of Mary is fully manifested throughout her life. Sparse in words but rich in her attentiveness to God’s ways, she has completely offered herself and her will to God. Just as how angel Gabriel greets her, “Greetings, favoured one! The Lord is with you”, she is indeed the most “blessed [...] among women” (Luke 1:28, 42)! Inspired by the Holy Spirit who lives within her, Mary also foreshadows her own blessedness in the “Magnificat”.In the Gospel of Luke, Chapter 1, Verses 46 to 49, the Blessed Virgin Mary exclaims in the “Magnificat”, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour, for he has looked with favour on the lowliness of his servant. Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name” (Luke 1:46-49).This “

It is not surprising that God’s intervention in our lives requires us to make way. In addition to sweeping away our original plans and preferences, we also need to give up our time and will; offering our desires to make way for the expression of God’s will in our life and to allow God’s kingdom to be present on earth and in our hearts. As Jesus Christ our Lord has taught us in “The Lord’s Prayer”, “Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven”. Even before Jesus has introduced us to this prayer, His mother, Mary, has already fulfilled its teaching when she accepted God’s intervention and allowed God to enter into her life.When we are building an intimate relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ, the most beautiful aspect of this process is our willingness to accept and rejoice in Jesus’ unexpected visit. In the story of Jesus visiting Martha and Mary, it is evident that Jesus has never booked an appointment with them ahead of time. Yet, they welcome their Lord Jesus Christ with open arms, tending to Jesus’ every need, each in their own way, during His visit. Like Martha and Mary, we should seek to develop a deeper relationship with Jesus! Particularly, like Mary, who remains at Jesus’ feet to attentively listen and converse with Him. Luke’s portrayal of this event reveals that Jesus loves to spend some solitary time with us, especially as we present ourselves with a humble heart, and sit at His feet to listen and converse with Him. Such is our priority every single day. Our Lord Jesus Christ became man; this implies that He yearns to be with us always.In the Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 1 Verse 23, it says, “‘Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel’, which means, ‘God is with us’” (Matthew 1:23).Since one of the main goals of Christ’s incarnation is to fulfil our Heavenly Father’s desire to be with us, how could we refuse to make this goal our desire as well in our life? Our solitary time with Jesus Christ everyday is the pinnacle of our everyday life!Only if we nurture this attitude and habit that we may truly call ourselves Christians. We must let God take over and direct our heart and our dwelling place; and in our daily lives, lift high God and His Holy name and place Him above all things. During Jesus’ another visit to Bethany, while Martha serves Jesus, Mary takes a pound of costly perfume made of pure nard, anoints Jesus’ feet, and wipes them with her hair (ref. John 12:1-8). We can see that this event is highly significant as it is recorded in three Gospels (ref. John 12:1-8, Matthew 26:6-12, Mark 14:3-9). In all three narratives, Jesus has high praise for Mary, highlighting the importance of her action and sentiments. Particularly, in the Gospels of Matthew and Mark, Jesus solemnly declared, “wherever the good news is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in remembrance of her” (Mark 14:9). From this, we can tell what is important to Lord Jesus Christ.Our intimacy with God often triggers the devil’s jealousy. The devil will surely endeavour to hinder and interrupt our time and opportunity of meeting God, and distract us with every trick up his sleeve. To avoid his deceit, we must guard our time and habit for prayer everyday. In order to establish a good prayer habit, we need to persevere and refuse to give up too easily. We may find it a bit dull at the beginning; however, with the help of some prayer “tools”, such as reading and meditating on scripture, receiving sacraments, especially the Eucharist, as well as seeking spiritual companions, especially with Mary our mother in Heaven leading us; our prayer life will gradually become delightful and pleasing! Like the intimate sentiments reflected in Mary’s encounter with Jesus in Bethany, sitting by His feet and listening to Him, in a spiritual space where we encounter Christ everyday, our conversations with Christ are easy and sincere, and our relationship with Christ is above all things.ReflectionHow do you prepare yourself to let go of everything without hesitation - your work and original plans - when God decides to intervene in your life? How would you welcome God’s presence and unexpected visit?Now, I invite you to reflect on the delight and pleasure of sitting at the Lord’s feet, listening to Him. Enjoy your encounter with the Lord in this spiritual space.Are you willing to learn from Mary, who has sacrificed a costly perfume for Jesus’ sake, to sacrifice the most precious things in your life?Today’s PrayerDear Lord Jesus Christ, I know You cherish me and desire to speak heart to heart with me, but I know that due to my busy-ness and excessive distractions I have often given You the cold shoulders in the past. How I have kept You waiting! From this day forward, I yearn to learn from Mary so that I may welcome You and relish the solitary time with You; listening to Your teachings and words from Your heart. Change

Stephen Covey, a well-known American management guru, once did a demonstration during a business class. He started to drop a handful of rocks of various sizes about the size of a fist, one by one, into a one-gallon mason jar. When he could no longer fit another rock into the jar, he brought out a bucket of gravel and started filling the gaps between the rocks in the jar. Then, he brought out a bucket of sand and did the same; the sand filled up the gaps between the big rocks and the gravel. Finally, he filled the jar with water to the top. Then, he asked his students what this demonstration could mean? One of his students eagerly answered, “No matter how tight your schedule may be, if you make extra efforts, you will be able to put even more things on your plate!” Stephen Covey responded, “No! That’s not the point. This demonstration tells us that if you don’t put the big rocks into the jar first, you will never be able to fit them in at all.”The big rocks symbolize the things in our lives that are the most important. Gravel pieces represent things of secondary or medium importance, while sand represents everything else much less important in life. The order in which the different sizes of rocks and sand are placed in the jar is very important. If we put the big rocks in first, there is still a chance for the gravel and sand to be put into the jar. Otherwise, when the gravel and sand have filled the jar, it is impossible for the big rocks to be put into the jar.Isn't this a vivid portrayal of our life as Christians? If we fail to put first in our life “the better part”, or life’s “one necessary thing”, all the spaces in our life will be taken up with minor or frivolous “many things”. As a result, we will lose our opportunity to complete the most important things in our life.Therefore, not only should we strive to rid our life of all kinds of “attachment”, assuming that we have a variety of preferences and interests, especially those hobbies that drain our time, energy and financial resources, but also we should never make them the “big rocks” in our life. We need to learn how to prioritize; otherwise, our interests and hobbies will turn into our “idols”. Certainly, the “cornerstone” of our life is our Lord Jesus Christ, who needs to be “the largest rock” in our life, thus, has to be given top priority and placed at the centre of our life!In the Gospel of John, Chapter 15, Verses 1-2, Jesus said to His disciples, “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine-grower. He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit he prunes to make it bear more fruit” (John 15:1-2).Indeed, the “one necessary thing” in our life is to take refuge and live in Christ, allowing our Heavenly Father to prune us so that we may denounce our “many things” and focus on bearing fruits. When we are not distracted by “many things” in our life, the fruits we bear will be more solid and stronger. How well we fare can be judged by the fruits of the Holy Spirit in our life (ref. Galatians 5:22-23).When we have laid down all the unnecessary things in our life, we will be able to free up more space, and be more flexible and energetic to accept God’s invitation to collaborate with Him on “the duty of the moment” in the here and now. Furthermore, like Mary on the day of the Annunciation who graciously accepts God’s intervention in her life and welcomes the Holy Spirit as her guide in life, we will be able to respond to God’s “unexpected invitations” with more flexibility and prepare a space in which God may work through us.Let us yearn for this flexibility in our lives so that we may become God’s humble but useful collaborators, allowing the Holy Spirit to work in us in order to fulfil the “greater works” that God the Father has entrusted to us.ReflectionWould you consider God as the “big rock” or “gravel”, mentioned in this reflection, in your life?Do you prioritize your relationship with Jesus Christ our Lord in your life, the one that you will put into your “jar” first? Would you consider it an “important relationship”? Or, not only important, but first and foremost?Laying down “many things” can be painful. Are you willing to accept our Heavenly Father’s pruning so that you may be freed from all of your life’s “attachments”?Today’s PrayerDearest Abba Father, I feel that I may have too many attachments in my life; my reluctance and inability to let go of my preferences and stubbornness have prevented me from focusing on bearing rich fruits. I willingly put my life under Your pruning shears and let You trim away everything that displeases You, so that I may bear fruits in Christ. Strengthen my faith in You; I welcome Your intervention in my life, just as You had intervened in the lives of Mary and many holy men and women. Help me to become someone who yearns for You; a child who obeys Your will. I willingly lay down my “preferences”, and wholeheartedly, live in Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit! For this I pray, i

Before we know it, our retreat has arrived at Day 30, launching into its third part - the “Cornerstone of Our Lives”. In part two, the theme of “Priorities in Life” may have shocked you: Does it mean that everything in life, be it good or bad, is the same as the “many things” that come under the umbrella of “preference” and “attachment”; gradually evolving into “distractions”, resulting in “accumulation” and eventually becoming an “addiction”? Are we supposed to let go of everything? You may wonder, “Is everything in this world bad? Should we not do anything then? How could we make sense of all these?”First of all, the key lies in our “attitude”, that is, the way we perceive and tackle these things will determine whether these things are good or bad for us. Secondly, even if their nature is good and our attitude is appropriate, this does not imply these “good deeds” are what God wants for us. God has His own plan that is beyond human reasoning and understanding. Therefore, we must pray and discern with appropriate methods to fully understand God’s will.Everything in this world is God’s “gift” for all humanity. For some people, certain things can lead them to God; however, the same things might not be of help or could become stumbling blocks for others that lead them astray and away from God. Therefore, we should not over-generalize but should choose, with care according to our personal circumstances and needs, and more importantly, following God’s will, the things that can help us fulfil our “life’s purpose” as God’s creation. Perhaps for some, health and longevity are vehicles that lead them to be closer to God; while for others, sickness and a brief life are their journey to get close to God and live in Him. Therefore, if we live with what St. Ignatius of Loyola teaches, the spirit of “holy indifference” in everything we face, we will be able to hear and accept what God has prepared for us with a peaceful heart; a heart that never insists and is devoid of “attachment”. If we have the spirit of “holy indifference”, we would know that many seemingly “bad things” are actually “blessings in disguise”! This is the key to live freely and with ease. With this attitude, we will be further empowered to accept all the “bad things” that happen to ourselves, those around us, or in the world, and not be troubled by them or be subjected to emotional turmoil.When we are armed with such an attitude, we will be able to avoid falling into the trap of attachment. For instance, if we lack a spirit of holy indifference to “not desire health over illnesses”, we may be tempted to take measures that promote good health and prevent illnesses at all costs, including time and resources. You may ask, “Isn’t avoiding sickness part of human nature?” True! However, if we place our quest for health above our quest for God, spending more time and energy on health concerns, this goal of “staying healthy” will replace God and become our “idols” or “other gods”! You see, our health is really beyond our control because it is God’s. No matter how much time and energy we put into it, we will not be certain that we can sustain our health. Our only certainty is that when we seek God and “place ourselves in His hands”, God will take care of everything else.Jesus reminds us in the Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 6, Verse 33, “But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:33).This passage is, indeed, the anchor of this Lenten Retreat for us; therefore, let us engrave it in our hearts. If we follow Jesus’ commands to seek God’s kingdom and His righteousness, that is, to choose “the better part”, all other things, that is, the “many things” that demand our time and energy, will be added unto us under God’s perfect arrangement. Is this not the most perfect result? Why do we still hesitate?This has concluded our reflection on the theme of “letting go”, covered in the last 25 days. Let us lay down our “many things” and trade them in for the “one necessary thing”, that is, our Lord Jesus Christ who is the “cornerstone” of our life.ReflectionAmong all the gifts God has given humanity, that is, all of creation, which ones may lead you to God and which ones may “hinder” you?Do you recognize that you may have some attachments that do not seem to be problematic in nature, such as concerns with your health or appearance, but have cost you an excessive amount of time and energy?Now, we invite you to meditate on the Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 6, Verse 33: “But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:33). What is God saying to you through this passage?Today’s PrayerAlmighty and compassionate Abba Father, thank you for gradually revealing to me the most important things in life, distinguishing them from the less important and completely frivolous ones. In time, as the blinds over my eyes are gradually removed, I

The reflection on Day 27 focuses on God’s “everlasting promise” to us; one that empowers us to respond to God and God’s gift of life to us with an “unfading desire”. The reflection on Day 28 examines how our “attachment” to people and things other than God can become a stumbling block for us as we strive to live the most wonderful and abundant life possible. Today, we will focus on other types of attachment and their impact on us.Our enemy often takes advantage of our weaknesses; when it fails to tempt us with the usual “attachments”, it switches to the tactic of turning our good intentions into fetters that prevent us from seeking God.We need to understand one basic principle: God does not necessarily want us to do every single good deed. This is because the thoughts of God are not ours, neither are our ways God’s (ref. Isaiah 55:8-9). Therefore, before we decide to do a good deed, we must not assume that it is God’s will that we are the ones to carry it out. You see, we are not the only “instrument” in God’s plan. The same “good deed” may not be God’s will for us but perhaps, is His will for someone else. In fact, Jesus’ humility is revealed in His decision of not spending His time on earth on all the “good deeds”. Jesus understands that He could not do all the “good deeds” for everyone; therefore, He only focuses on the “good deeds” that His Father commands, which is the “better part” for Him! He has done everything according to His Father’s will; no more, no less.God has already endowed us with the necessary strength to complete certain good deeds; as well, He has laid out the scope and schedule for completing these good deeds. We cannot discern the mission that God has entrusted to us, or the duties of the moment, simply based on what we see on the surface. Otherwise, we may unknowingly fall victims to our enemy’s snare and go against God’s will. In addition, we must examine our motivation for doing these good deeds. For instance, our desire to be a “nice guy” or “nice gal” is never a valid motivation because this will lead us into the trap of “pride”. As well, we need to be aware that the “satisfaction” brought about by doing good deeds can also become an addiction for us. In fact, it is not uncommon to see many of us, as well as our families and friends, commit to helping others out of our “loyalty” to others; however, this often results in chaos or other unnecessary conflicts. Therefore, we must take heart of the considerations and discernment required for every good deed. For everyone who seeks “order”, this is one insight that cannot be overlooked.Therefore, we may observe that the cunning and crafty devil will utilize both bad and good things to “distract” us; blinding us and turning us away from the choice of the “better part”. Being deluded, we are living under the illusion of a “meaningful life”; spending all of our energy and time on “many things”; wasting our life away with our busy-ness.These other types of “attachment” often become our “preference” in life; even becoming our “idols” or other “gods”, that lure our gaze away from God. Therefore, we must nurture a unique sensitivity; an awareness that is imperative for us to “tame” our “preference”. One of the most effective ways is to practise an attitude of “holy indifference”. “Holy indifference” is key to the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola. Let us reflect on “THE FIRST PRINCIPLE AND FOUNDATION” of The Spiritual Exercises, #23:The goal of our life is to live with God forever. God, who loves us, gave us life. Our own response of love allows God's life to flow into us without limit. All the things in this world are gifts of God, presented to us so that we can know God more easily and make a return of love more readily. As a result, we appreciate and use all these gifts of God insofar as they help us develop as loving persons. But if any of these gifts become the centre of our lives, they displace God and so hinder our growth toward our goal. In everyday life, then, we must hold ourselves in balance before all of these created gifts insofar as we have a choice and are not bound by some obligation. We should not fix our desires on health or sickness, wealth or poverty, success or failure, a long life or short one. For everything has the potential of calling forth in us a deeper response to our life in God. Our only desire and our one choice should be this: I want and I choose what better leads to the deepening of God’s life in me. (St. Ignatius Loyola as paraphrased by David L. Fleming, SJ)Only when we fix our gaze on our Creator God as His creation and earnestly quest for our life’s purpose as such, we would be able to use the proper lens and attitude to tackle and face the things and choices that are presented before us. We should choose and use the things that help us achieve our life’s purpose and give up or renounce those that don’t. If we can maintain an attitude of “holy indifference” every moment of our life, we will be

A story goes like this: Two monks travelled on the road together. They met a lady on the road who needed help to cross a river. One of the monks carried her on his back, crossed the river, put her down, and continued on the road. After a while, he noticed that the other monk seemed to be upset. When asked, the other monk replied, "As a monk, you should keep a distance from women. How come you carried that lady across the river?" The monk replied, "I have put the lady down a long time ago. Why are you still carrying her?"Indeed, the unbearable burdens in our life are our “attachments”. This is one of the things we have been reminded to rid ourselves of in this Lenten Retreat, and is the second condition to achieve the goal of this retreat, that is, we must learn to “let go”. We have many “attachments” in our life that lead to our accumulation of “many things” physically, mentally, and spiritually; we are helpless under their powerful bondage. All these things distract us from focusing our energy on the more important things.These “attachments” eventually become our “idols”, above God, whom we worship. A simple test can reveal what our “idols” are: if the time and energy we spend on these “idols” are greater than the time and thoughts we put on God, these things or people are our “idols”.In the more severe situations, when our enjoyment of these objects, whether those be things or people, progresses beyond hobbies to obsessions, they will eventually become our “addictions”. Our addiction to these hobbies and obsessions, in fact, has replaced God as our “gods”. These “gods” also hold immense power over our decisions and our time; they render us powerless to walk away and focus on what we need to do. This is our warning of the “attachment-trap”!Our excessive attachment to material things, like the “accumulation” of material things, can be rectified easily, relatively speaking. Contrarily, mental attachments, such as our individual “desires” and “preferences”, require a greater willpower to resist. Other more severe mental attachments may include our being judgemental of others, biases, jealousy, and the most difficult one, our reluctance to “forgive”. The list goes on and on. All these attachments bind us, deny us of the freedom to love and to choose, and enslave us under these “idols” and “gods”.In the Gospel of Luke, Chapter 16 Verse 13, Jesus says, “No slave can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other” (Luke 16:13).No one can serve two masters. If we choose anything other than our Creator God as our “master”, we are abandoning the God, our Abba Father, our true master who has not only created us, but also loves and cherishes us. If we allow ourselves to be separated from God, we will lose touch with the fountain of all goodness and grace. As a result, we will fall victim to temptations in the hands of our enemies.Monkeys usually give us the impression of being witty, lively, fun-loving and naughty. Actually, monkeys are similar to humans in many ways. We can even identify some of the human weaknesses in monkeys. For instance, it turns out that a hunter can easily capture the monkey without much effort. All he needs to do is to cut a small hole in a coconut shell and use the monkey’s favourite snack as bait and leave it inside the shell. When the monkey sticks his hand inside the coconut shell, his hand, forming a fist that holds the food, becomes stuck at the small opening. The hunter, taking advantage of the monkey’s greed and stubbornness, is able to capture his prey with ease. The monkey loses his life due to his “attachment”.What does this story reveal to us? You may say laughingly, “I would never be as stupid as the monkey!” Incidentally, are we not also wasting our precious lives away due to our attachments? Remember God’s greatest gift for us, other than His love, it is our life; the gift of time in this world. If we willingly allow the insignificant things in life to rob us of our precious time to remain “focussed”, we are no different than the monkey who loses his life due to the small things. He has, indeed, lost sight of the big picture. Does the monkey’s decision sound worthwhile to you?Consider the God who created us, willing to do anything for us and for our greatest benefits, and even dying willingly in our hands; how hurtful He must feel as His heart is broken by us over and over again. Is this what we wish for? Can you bear it?ReflectionAre you like the monkey who is deeply attached to life’s many “stubbornness”, and ends up sacrificing some of the more important people and things in your life?This attachment to many idols and other gods, which one of these have imposed the firmest restrictions on you and paralyzed you?Are you determined to leave behind the “hunters'' in your life who are relentless in their chase for you? Now, you are invited to choose the most important master in your life.Today’s PrayerKind

The two ultimate goals of this Lenten Retreat are: firstly, to help us distance ourselves from and eliminate the burden and distractions brought on by the “many things”; and secondly, to seek and choose, together, what Jesus urges Martha, the “better part”.One condition must be met in order to achieve these two goals, that is, we need to maintain a strong aspiration in our heart; an aspiration that has been planted in the deepest recess of our heart by our Father in Heaven the moment we are created. This will help us to rediscover a place that belongs to us; a dwelling place where we can restore our true “self”, and are free to grow and flourish; a place we can call “home”.In this home, we can become the person whom God desires and to unleash our potentials to live the wonderful life that God wants for us. This aspiration can never be completely erased; however, it can dwindle over time through our weakening will, our hopelessness for the future, and many other distractions. Over time, we may begin to forget and bury it in the dust entirely. It doesn’t matter at what stage of life we are , where we are, or what challenges we are facing, we must not let this aspiration be extinguished, because this aspiration will eventually lead us home to our Father’s house.We often hear that when people reminisce about the past when they come across certain people or places, or when they are moved by scenes in movies, they would say, “I regret I didn’t seize the opportunity back then. It’s too late now. I can no longer make up for my mistakes.” Among Christians, one the the most persistent voices around us, coming from the older generation or those who were baptized many moons ago, often say that they feel that they are too old or it’s too late to be called and be useful to God. Such is not the nature of our Heavenly Father who is full of compassion. Like the father in the “The Parable of the Prodigal Son”, He has never given up on any of his children. Regardless of their situations, circumstances or life stages, nothing can get in His way of welcoming His wayward children home and let them become His vessels of love.This demonstrates the infinite love that God has promised us! Not only does this apply to those who have sinned against our Heavenly Father, but also those who might have missed the Father’s call for various reasons. Therefore, we should never feel that it’s too late for God to call us and thus, miss the opportunity to respond. Even if we have missed many opportunities to fulfil the “duties of the moment” in our life, our Heavenly Father, who never gives up on us, will never give up providing us opportunities for responding to His call. In turn, we have our whole life to live them out. Until the day we return to our heavenly home, we can still respond to and fulfil God’s will for our lives. Thus, despite the fact that certain duties are time sensitive, our individual life’s mission does not have an expiry date.In the Book of Romans Chapter 11 Verse 29, it is said, “...the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.” (Romans 11:29)Surely God will not alter His original calling intended for us, and He does not care for how many remaining years or days we can attend to this mission entrusted to us. In truth, are not our longevity and capabilities gifts freely given by God? It is not up to us, but God, to decide our longevity! If God wills us to offer more to Him, He will provide us with sufficient time and abilities to fulfil our earthly mission.Ultimately, our Heavenly Father is a generous and benevolent God. Do not be concerned about how far away you are, or have been, away from Him. Let us be resolute, get up and return to our Heavenly Father. At the end, we will discover that He has never stopped hoping and waiting for our return to His side. If we don’t give up on ourselves, He will definitely not give up on us. Though we have made many mistakes and wandered away from Him, if we return to Him with a repenting heart, God will not only “restore” our identity as His children, but also restore and pour over the blessings and inheritance that have been prepared for us!ReflectionDo you have regrets that you may have missed some opportunities of responding to God, filling your heart with self-blame and remorse? Offer all these regrets to God now.Do you feel that you lack courage and energy to respond to God’s call because you feel that you may be too “old”, you lack confidence in your capabilities, or for other reasons? Now is the time to run to God and take refuge in Him, for He will restore your courage and strength!Today’s PrayerMy Father in Heaven! Thank you for Your unfailing and steadfast love for me. It doesn’t matter how far I have wandered away from You, how much I have been obsessed with “many things” other than You, how many times I have given You the cold shoulders, how many opportunities of responding to Your call that I have neglected, how many times when I even refused to talk to You, and have com

The reflections in the past few days might have reminded all of us that living out our Christian identity is easier said than done. However, please do not be mistaken! It is not the intention of these reflections to make everyone feel overwhelmed; rather, they are vehicles through which we may gain some clarity of the truth. Just as Jesus deliberated the true cost of being a Christian to His disciples, we hope to encourage everyone to fully understand the meaning beneath this identity.Without a doubt, the contemporary world is drastically different from the world of the early Church over two thousand years ago. The first Christians, living in an ancient world, faced severe persecution and battled exceptional difficulties when they ventured out to evangelize. Not only did they lack easy and reliable means of transportation, but also efficient ways of communication. All these environmental factors have imposed extraordinary demands physically, mentally and spiritually on the disciples.You may think: “Today is certainly different from the days by-gone! Surely, the work of evangelization is now less challenging, and so, the demands on today’s Christians should not be as demanding as those of Jesus’ times. In that case, many of the teachings, like renouncing myself; carrying my cross everyday; selling everything that I owned; being sent like a sheep among the wolves, and so on, certainly would not apply to today’s situation”. Could this be true? Let us examine the question of what Jesus demands of Christians of the present generation.It is true that the methods of evangelization need to be adapted to the changing environment and new generations. To a certain extent, evangelization in this present generation may be more convenient and easier; we don’t even need to leave our home to reach out to a large number of people. However, today’s Christians face a different kind of challenge and trial when striving to achieve the same results as the Apostles did in their work of evangelization over two thousand years ago.Today’s social environment is much more complicated than that of the past. With people being more educated, and with the development of the internet, everyone has easy access to information. The spread of individualism and people’s overconfidence in their own knowledge have become barriers for the present generation to accept the truth of Christ. They won’t, and are unwilling, to surrender themselves to any brand of truth, particularly within organized religions or institutions.In addition, as the sentiments of antichrist continue to spread all over the world, evangelization in today’s hostile society is doubly onerous for all Christians. The challenges and persecution that we face today are certainly unimaginable to us ten or twenty years ago. How should we handle ourselves as Christians? Are we supposed to throw our hands up or simply put an end to our mission?Definitely not! Despite the challenges, modern Christians must make additional efforts, be more united, and avoid relying on our own strength and wisdom. We need to surrender ourselves to the Holy Spirit and let our every step be guided by the Spirit, so that we may truly fight the good fight in the spiritual battle. Although the methods of evangelization differ, the Christian spirit is immutable. Indeed, as Jesus taught His disciples, He wanted them to trust in the Lord and strive to live out the true Christian spirit.In the Book of Proverbs, chapter 3, verses 5 to 6, it says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own insight. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths” (Proverbs 3:5-6).Contemporary Christians need to have a clear understanding of what they believe in, their personal relationship with Christ, Christians’ identity, and how all these are related to our lives, etc. All these demand our thorough reflection and consideration. Only in this way would we be able to share what we genuinely believe to be the best with others.If we want to find order in chaos, our life needs a focus. Our most important mission as Christians is to live out Christ’s spirit and do whatever He asks in today’s world. If we don’t fully understand our mission, we will remain stuck in chaos; thus, unable to find order! However, if we are certain about our identity and fix our gaze on Jesus, we will have motivation, goals and direction in our life. Consequently, an orderly plan can be established.In the Book of Proverbs, chapter 16, verse 3, it says, “Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established” (Proverbs 16:3).During this Season of Lent, let us recommit ourselves to bear any burdens and sacrifices behind our Christian promise, affirm our efforts to overcome our sinful nature, offer up our preferences and baggage, rectify our life, and choose a Christ-centred path and direction; patiently awaiting our assignment and be ready to be sent!ReflectionWhat is the focus of your life? What is the rela

By this stage of our retreat, you can certainly understand the importance of its theme to all Christians who strive to follow Christ in all they do, especially those who have devoted themselves to evangelization, or those who serve in the Church. In truth, the brief dialogues between Jesus and his friends, Martha and Mary, have provided us a space for in-depth reflections (ref. Luke 10:38-42). This episode invites us to take a deeper dive into its meaning. If you have been following this retreat since the beginning, you may notice that your life has begun to change - in your interactions with others, your relationship with God, some adjustments in your daily habits; or even in your attitude towards others and life, and in your mentality. No matter how big or small are your improvements, let us give thanks and praise God! These are all evidence of the Holy Spirit working in you.However, if you have not noticed any changes in your life, please don’t give up. Perhaps you feel depressed because of the dire situation of the world and the society; perhaps you need time to deal with your own emotional baggage; or feel that you are not talented enough to do the “greater works” of God; or you may not feel a close relationship with God, which makes it more difficult to hear His personal invitation to you.Some Christians may have the misconception that God either does not use us, or when He does, He wants us to accomplish the “greater works”. We need to understand that since God is all-powerful, He really has no need for us to do anything; He can easily accomplish His entire plan. Indeed, it is not God who needs our strength and ability to accomplish His work, but He wants us to be “sanctified”, individually and collectively, through the work and our experiences of working through it. Therefore, it really doesn’t matter what our capabilities are. However, if we remain confused about this central idea, we will never be inclined, or dare, to accept God’s invitation of becoming His instrument.Let us examine this example: When God wants to lead a prodigal son home, other than the son’s family, God often works through his friends, who may be able to talk and share experiences with him. God may even reach out to the son through some seemingly unrelated people or things. Just as in “The Parable of the Prodigal Son” (ref. Luke 15:11-32), God works through the nameless “citizen of that country”, who hires the young man to feed the pigs, to give a nudge to the prodigal son. This clueless citizen turns out to be God’s powerful tool in saving the prodigal son who finally returns to his father’s house.This example reveals the truth that, though it is impossible for us to fully understand the entirety of God’s plan, this does not affect how God uses us to “serve” Him and His beloved. The key lies in whether we are willing to open our hearts to humbly welcome God’s commissioning for us and to complete whatever mission He desires, no matter how big or small. We should not worry about the results but put our best foot forward to complete the “duties of the moment”. You may be the 100th collaborator in God’s plan; however, without the first 99, you may not be able to fulfil your share of the responsibilities. Contrarily, if you’re unwilling to do your share, the 101st person may not even be able to commence his/her part. Therefore, any missing part in the process, that is, anyone who is unwilling to participate or put in their best efforts, will definitely stall God’s plan for completing the “greater works”.Each one of us is a piece of the puzzle in God’s “project of hope”. It only takes one missing piece to ruin the entire picture. Therefore, we can never underestimate ourselves and the role to which God has called us. In God’s eyes, each one of us is indispensable; we are precious, lovely, useful, and important! How blessed and honoured are we to be of use to God! We really have no reason to say “no” to God!ReflectionRegarding God’s invitation, do you feel that you’re over-qualified or under-qualified? For example, does your decision of accepting or rejecting the invitation depend on how big the job is or its nature?When God invites you, either directly or indirectly, have you ever rejected it because you feel that the “job” has nothing to do with you? Or, is your acceptance or rejection based on your personal preference?Reflecting on the work in which you had participated in the past, do you feel that you are one of the many collaborators in God’s plan, or a lone-ranger in your participation?Today’s PrayerMy beloved Father in Heaven, through today’s reflection, thank you for helping me understand Your reason for calling me and the ways through which You invite me. I admit that I have been too proud and believed that I could understand Your ways; because of that, I have often misread Your heart and have rejected Your many invitations, thus, missing the opportunities to learn and to be sanctified. I know that I need to learn from the

Yesterday’s reflection focuses on how we have gradually become attached to some of our overpowering preferences or likes/dislikes. You may wonder: What are my preferences in my life? Let us offer an example. Some may have unique preferences for food and drinks, and their choices are restricted to limited items. When the circumstances allow us to choose or make decisions, this may not be a problem. However, what about when we are guests in someone’s home, or imagine we are one of the seventy-two disciples sent by Jesus on a mission? In the Gospel of Luke, Chapter 10, Verses 1 to 12, Jesus’ instructions to the seventy-two have mentioned, twice, how they should take care of their needs for food. Jesus said to them, “Whenever you enter a town and its people welcome you, eat what is set before you” (Luke 10:7,8). How would a “picky” eater be able to fulfil the mission, given by Lord Jesus, with a peaceful heart? Or, how may this person, at least, try to focus on the work at hand instead of on the food that he/she can’t stand?Jesus also said, “Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals; and greet no one on the road” (Luke 10:4). Under the circumstances, how could someone, for instance, who often craves a sense of security and comfort, or who is obsessed with cleanliness, accept Jesus’ invitation to evangelize effectively and without worries? It would be impossible for Jesus to commission us, be it the “greater works” or even the small tasks, while trying to side-step our every qualm. Do we, servants, want to add to our master’s troubles, before we begin to serve Him?The most difficult challenge is the first thing that Jesus said during the commissioning: “See, I am sending you out like lambs into the midst of wolves” (Luke 10:3). Oh no, Jesus, what kind of mission is this? Are You trying to scare off everyone? Given what You said, who would ever dare to be sent out by You to evangelize?Do you think that Jesus is unaware of our fear? Or would He not anticipate our hesitation of following Him after He states everything upfront explicitly? In truth, Jesus does not intend to hide anything from us. He wants us to understand the price of being His followers, that is, His disciples: all the dangers and persecutions that come with it; the worries and stress resulting from the lack of resources; all kinds of discomfort, inconvenience, and dislikes. Jesus wants us to fully understand and be mentally prepared before we make the right decision. Unlike the disciples who have been prepared by Jesus’ teachings and formation, Mary, during her encounter with the angel Gabriel, does not have the benefit of mentally preparing herself, nor the clarity about the extent and gravity of her responsibilities, or how “terrifying” it could be, and yet, she has to make the decision right away. So, compared to Mary, how blessed are we!However, our Lord Jesus, the Son of God, does not merely send His disciples to complete seemingly impossible tasks. He walks ahead of them and shows them what to do by fulfilling every single one of His own teachings! Jesus, the Lord of all creation and the whole universe, the King of kings, chooses to be born in a lowly manger; isn’t this the pinnacle of humility? When a scribe approached Jesus and asked, “‘Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head’” (Matthew 8:19-20). What does this tell us? Jesus demonstrates the spirit of a true Christian by being a role-model Himself, and teaching His disciples the right attitude and the preparation required for following Him.As Christians, when we proclaim our desire to follow Christ, live in God, live according to Christ’s teachings and spirit, and to follow Christ’s instructions of evangelization, we need to be clear about the identity to which we identify and the responsibilities that we promise to fulfil; and more importantly, we must execute all these in earnest. Otherwise, we are only Christians in name!Therefore, if we want to live out our Christian identity, which implies our responsibility to evangelize, we need to recognize that learning the know-how and techniques of evangelization is only a small part of equipping ourselves. What is more important and fundamental is that we must equip ourselves with the right attitude and a strong will, as well, strive to offer God all our likes and dislikes, especially those frivolous ones and those preferences that prevent God from using us or sending us out. He will certainly accept these offerings!In the Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 19 Verse 21, Jesus said to the wealthy young man, “If you wish to be perfect, go, sell your possessions, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me” (Matthew 19:21).Let us embrace Jesus’ words: to “sell” everything that we have been carrying in our baggage of personal preferences and then follow Him!ReflectionCan you imagine, and acce

In order to fulfil God’s will in each of our lives, let us step into Mary’s shoes on the day of the Annunciation. Based on Mary’s reaction of being “much perplexed” when greeted by the angel Gabriel, it is highly unlikely that God has given her any hint or warning beforehand (ref. Luke 1:29). Therefore, it is reasonable for us to conclude that Mary is not psychologically prepared for such a shocking invitation from God. Since she is already engaged to Joseph, we can also conclude that she must have made a plan for herself. God’s unexpected intervention, indeed, has completely upset the original plan of Mary and Joseph. In fact, Mary was determined to remain a virgin for God, the rest of her life, when she was only a teenager. God interrupted her plan and asked her to bear a child, a difficult and awkward request indeed, and to raise not just an ordinary child but the Son of God. That seems like a responsibility beyond human ability! Yet, Mary says “yes” to God’s shocking invitation without hesitation nor delay! The equally shocking speed of Mary’s response has revealed one of her important characteristics.In the Book of the Prophet Isaiah, Chapter 55, Verses 8 to 9, God said, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:8-9).If the distance between God’s thoughts and ways and ours is so vast, knowing that He will invite each one of us, it is inevitable that throughout our lives, He will ask us to do something that may not be our preference. Whether we can hear His invitation and respond to Him positively is dependent upon our attitude. We can certainly learn from our Mother Mary.When faced with unexpected changes in life, if Mary was rigid and stubborn instead of being open, she would not be able to respond positively to God's unanticipated invitation! If we decide to “live for God”, we need to cooperate with God’s plan, follow His will with all our hearts, and allow Him to intervene in our lives according to His schedule. Such “flexibility” is the key to whether we are able to allow God’s plan to be fulfilled through us. When we allow for God’s intervention in our lives, we are also letting God intervene in our lives through other people, which may alter the short- or long-term direction and trajectory of our lives. This idea may seem terrifying; however, this is the key to whether we can become God’s “handy” instruments. Unfortunately, most of us are often unwilling to let God, His truth, and those who are sent by God, “disrupt” our lives and everyday life. This has created a barrier to promoting God’s plan on earth! If we are uncooperative or unwilling to compromise, we will become a barrier to progress!The culprit of our rigidity and stubbornness is our overpowering personal preferences and likes/dislikes. Such preferences have often become our “attachments” that prevent us from recognizing the truth and entirety of facts, and hinder us from receiving God’s prompts and messages for us. Since God’s thoughts and ways are often different from ours, it is difficult for us to hear God’s messages accurately; coupled with our personal preferences, it is even harder for us to hear God’s invitations, let alone responding positively to His invitations! If we want to be useful instruments in God’s hand, we must examine our life’s preferences, since these preferences can often prevent us from making decisions that are pleasing to God; hence, making it difficult for us to accept God’s invitation with a submissive heart, and causing us to miss the opportunity to collaborate with God and participate in His “salvific plan”. God will certainly be disappointed and His heart will be broken!ReflectionDo you consider yourself as someone who has overpowering personal preferences or likes/dislikes? How do these preferences affect your interactions with others?How do these overpowering personal preferences affect the way in which you respond to God’s invitations?Can you imagine how God would feel when we refuse to let go of our personal preferences and turn down God’s invitations?Today’s PrayerAbba, my Father in Heaven, thank You for opening my eyes to recognize some of the most powerful preferences in my life that have prevented me from receiving Your messages and prompts, which in turn has a direct impact on my ability to heed Your invitation, resulting in my failure to positively responding to Your will in my life. I know that I have disappointed You so many times in the past. Please forgive me. Teach me how to let go of my baggage of preferences so that I may be free to observe Your will in all I do. I am willing to learn from and follow the example of Mary, our Holy Mother, so that I may be able to say to You without hesitation, “Let it be with me according to your word!” (Luke 1:38) For this I pray in the Holy Name of Jesus Christ. Amen.Glory be to the Fath

In the Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 25, Verses 19-21, Jesus said, “After a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them. Then the one who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five more talents, saying, ‘Master, you handed over to me five talents; see, I have made five more talents.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’” (Matthew 25:19-21).Through the dialogue between the master and his servants in the Parable of the Talents, we can get a glimpse into God’s plan. It turns out that God wants to forge and refine us, starting with the small things. When He sends us to complete jobs of any size, He will, first, provide us with sufficient resources and ability, that is, “talents”. In the parable, the master’s “departure” reflects God’s trust for us, and at the same time, God also wants us to trust Him. When we encounter problems that are too difficult for us, God will never abandon us. In fact, when we cry out to Him for help, He will graciously hear our prayers. At the appropriate time, He will “return”. This may seem like the time to settle the account; however, He only hopes to encourage us in person, and to offer support or new directions to us. If we are like the diligent servant in the parable, He will be very excited and say, “Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things” (Matthew 25:21). He will then give us more support, especially more “talents”. We are nurtured through this endless cycle in which we grow in strength, maturity, and holiness. Such is our earthly journey; a process that refines and forges us, and prepares us for entering into God’s kingdom.God wants us to participate in His salvific work, not because He needs us, but it is we who need to be equipped through this work. As we grow in strength and wisdom through different trials during our earthly journey, our Father in Heaven empowers us to gradually reject our old “self”, separate ourselves from sins, and finally return to the Father’s embrace. If we can follow Jesus’ examples, make Him the centre of our lives, and allow the Holy Spirit to transform us, we will become more and more like our Father in Heaven. That is, in God’s image. This is the most important goal of our life.One of the keys in the entire process is that we need to set aside time. If the master asks us to be “in charge of many things” but our time has already been fully occupied with our own plans or with our preferences, how could we find time to accept this new mission? Thus, God’s plan to mold and form us will never materialize! When we are unwilling or too busy, we are “refusing” God’s good intention. This leaves God with no other option but to choose another person for the job.Imagine this: On the day of the Annunciation, if our Holy Mother had concerned herself with her own plans and desires and left no room to hear God’s invitation through the angel, or had turned down God’s invitation due to her reluctance to forgo her original plans, wouldn’t the history of salvation need to be rewritten?Therefore, we must stay “awake”, not only because of the need to guard against committing sins, but we also need to always have an open heart and be willing to accept any invitation from God, whatever it may be; even if we feel that the mission is beyond our strength and ability or is contradictory to our original plans, we should gladly lay down ourselves to follow God’s will. Our Lord Jesus Christ and our Mother Mary have devoted their entire lives for this purpose alone.Jesus teaches the crowd in the Gospel of Luke, Chapter 9, Verse 23, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me” (Luke 9:23)This teaching of Jesus succinctly summarizes how we should follow Him so that we may become true Christians. We need to lay down our own will, set aside time, be ready to be sent, be prepared mentally, and willingly endure sufferings for the sake of following Christ. This road of suffering leads us to our Father’s house where our Heavenly Father patiently awaits us; He will say to us, “Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master” (Matthew 25:21).ReflectionImagine this: If God invites you, rather unexpectedly, to lay down all of your current work and plans, how would you respond?Do you look forward to the work/mission to which God has called you? Or, would you respond with fear and try to hide from God’s invitation?Once you recognize the cost of following Christ, would you still be willing to accept more “talents”, go where God is sending you, and devote your life to serve Him?Today’s PrayerMy God and my Lord, though I often called you “my Lord”, I admit that

In the Parable of the Talents, we may be puzzled by one thing: Is God’s gift to us unconditional or conditional (ref. Matthew 25:14-30)?If we interpret this parable from a literal perspective, it appears that God can be quite calculating and shrewd, especially when it comes to the “talents” that He has given us, and at the end He will demand us to return everything to Him with “interests”! So, is God’s love and gift for us not unconditional? Doesn’t this contradict our image of God whom we believe?How shall we resolve this dilemma? Do we actually have freedom to choose how we use our God-given “talents”?We need to understand that, in fact, we are the stewards of God’s gifts, that is, the “talents” in the parable. We are asked to temporarily manage these talents and return them someday. So, when do we “return” them? On the day of our departure from this world and returning to our Father’s house, or when these “talents” are no longer beneficial and useful for us, they will be “taken back”. Therefore, we shouldn’t worry too much about how much “talents” are given to us as they don’t belong to us in the first place. The amount of gifts has no impact on how well we can utilize them to yield a profit for God. In fact, when we truly audit all the gifts that we received, we are richer than we think. One question remains: how shall we reconcile the fact that God demands us to return our “talents” to Him, principles and interests included?We may be able to find some clues from the scene that follows the Parable of the Talents in the Gospel of Matthew, when Jesus discussed “the judgement of the nations” (ref. Matthew 25:31-46). In truth, it is by serving the least brothers and sisters of Jesus that we can best use our given talents. If we use our talents of “compassion” and “love”, bestowed on us by our Heavenly Father, to care for the least of our sisters and brothers, the “compassion” and “love” we received will be multiplied through our acts of kindness, just as the “talents” being multiplied through wise investments. On the contrary, if we become a miser who refuses to use our “talents” on the least of our sisters and brothers, these “talents” will lose their purpose and become obsolete! Such “privatized” talents are no longer gifts and thus, have lost their intended purpose designated by God.Certainly, God wishes us to fully utilize these talents to serve “the least”, our sisters and brothers most in need. Their needs may be physical and material, or perhaps mental and spiritual. As we care for their needs, Jesus wants us to follow His example and bring the full measure of the Good News of salvation to them, so that they may get to know our Lord Jesus Christ, the Saviour who can lead us to eternal life. As a result, they, the least of our sisters and brothers, will not only receive God’s grace during their life on earth, but also share in the joy of eternal salvation at the end!This, in fact, is the true meaning of “living for God”; our earthly “work” that is most pleasing to God. Our God who gives unconditionally does not want us to be perfect in “reciprocating love for love”, rather, He only desires us to follow His example of sacrificing ourselves for others. In this way, we can truly live for the benefits of others in the name of “living for God”. Indeed, such is our only way to return God’s love for us.If every single Christian endeavours to fulfil this duty, we will be able to accomplish “the greater works” commanded by Jesus. Indeed, such is our lifelong lesson!ReflectionDo you yearn for “living for God”? How would you make this a reality in your life?How can you achieve the goal of being utilized by God? What would you like to do for God?Have you ever, consciously or unconsciously, buried some of the “talents” without fully utilizing them?Today’s PrayerLoving Abba Father, I recognize how inadequate my understanding of “living for You” and “labouring for You” is! I may be “living for You” and “labouring for You” in name only; in reality, I only live for myself and do what pleases me. My immature thinking has prompted me to, consciously or unconsciously, bury the ”talents” that You have given me. Thank you for opening my mind so I may begin to understand the true meaning of “living for You”. Instead of following my own idea of living and labouring for You, I should follow the example of Jesus, lay down myself and enter into others’ lives, in order to live and make sacrifices for them. From now on, I am willing to follow Your guidance so that I may live for others in You. For this I pray, in the Holy Name of Jesus Christ. Amen.Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.If you find this reflection helpful and have not registered to receive our daily email, we invite you to sign up here. If you have a Facebook account and would like to share your thoughts there, we invite you to join this Facebook group. ★ Suppo

Yesterday, we said that God’s plan is a Project of Hope. You may ask: what exactly is my role in God’s Project of Hope? Apparently, our identity is not only as ones who are saved. Jesus was taken up into heaven so that we can “take His place” to do ”greater works” according to His instructions, while He is seated at the right hand of the Father to intercede for us, and for our ministries (John 14:12). That’s why we cannot slack off or remain idle. We need to work hard, not for ourselves but for God, and for His people whom He loves.As Christians, each one of us plays a unique role in God’s salvific plan; a mission that is not interchangeable and is solely intended for each individual.In the Gospel of Luke, Chapter 12, Verse 48, Jesus said, “From everyone to whom much has been given, much will be required; and from the one to whom much has been entrusted, even more will be demanded.” (Luke 12:48)This passage inspires us to fully utilize the “talents” that we received from God, otherwise they will be taken away from us. However, some may think, “I’m definitely not as capable and talented as others. Since I have received fewer talents from God, He probably won’t expect too much from me; so, I could just take it easy as I won’t need to worry about not being able to account for my talents before God at the end.”In reality, we are not only given talents as we would normally perceive them, but also a lot of other visible and invisible gifts, especially the graces that cannot be accounted for. We should never reserve these gifts for ourselves only.In a broader sense, we can consider God’s LOVE and MERCY for us as part of those “talents” given to us. God's love for us is one of the greatest gifts. We often say that we are a “conduit of God’s love” to the world. Indeed, God’s love has been poured upon us and is overflowing. Such overflowing love should never be hidden but should be allowed to flow through us unto others, especially those around us, like our family members. Therefore, one of the organic and most important ways for us to use our talents is in the works of charity.Besides the generous gift of LOVE, we are also given an abundance of MERCY from our Heavenly Father, especially in the way God has forgiven our sins and absolved all our debts of sins owed to Him. Remember the parable of the unforgiving servant that Jesus told as Peter came and asked Jesus how often he should forgive others (ref. Matthew 18:21-35)? “Seven times?” Peter asked. “Not seven times, but, I tell you, seventy-seven times.” Jesus replied. Shocking? Indeed! But Jesus means it when He wants us to forgive without calculation. When we are forgiven more, God expects us to forgive others more generously. Therefore, let us be as compassionate and merciful as our Heavenly Father. May we make this our life’s work (ref. Luke 6:36)!Talents also imply the TIME entrusted to us on earth. We are not masters of the time we have at hand. We do not live for ourselves alone but for God as well as the benefits of others. In the end, we need to be accountable to God for whether we have used our time wisely!In sum, the talents we, as Christians, received from God have to be quite substantial! Therefore, if we are heavily laden by a multitude of earthly burdens, especially those that we impose upon ourselves, like amassing material and immaterial things, how can we attend to the “greater works” that Jesus wants us to do?Let us go back to the Bible verse, “from the one to whom much has been entrusted, even more will be demanded” (Luke 12:48). If we don't know what God has entrusted with and demanded of us, we won't know how we can better structure our lives and use the TALENTS entrusted to us in order to fulfil what is required of us. We can't afford to keep living as if we have a lot of time at our disposal; time that can be spent aimlessly and thoughtlessly. If we continue to think that we have an endless supply of time, we are either avoiding reality, or being misguided by secular values or by our egos! Therefore, Jesus warns us in the Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 25, Verse 13, “Keep awake therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour” (Matthew 25:13). See, now is the “acceptable time” for us to die to our old selves and put on Christ! Let us remind ourselves not to receive God’s grace in vain, but yearn to be God’s collaborators (ref. 2 Corinthians 6:1-2)!ReflectionBesides your natural talents, what are the gifts and graces that God has bestowed on you?In what ways are you called to be generous with all the gifts that have been given to you by God?Today’s PrayerKind and merciful Abba Father, thank you for allowing me to count all the graces and love that You have given me through today’s reflection. You have also reminded me that it is not for me that I live but for You and the benefits of all those around me. Forgive my past failings; the times that I have failed to cherish my life that is given by You, and failed to fully utilize the time and all t

At this stage of the retreat, it is important to reiterate that though God has a plan for each of us, He never forces it on us; instead He has given us freedom of choice. God never wants us to be His puppets; rather, He wishes us to choose Him freely, abide in and journey with Him!Very often, there is really no right or wrong choice. In fact, God never evaluates our every decision as a teacher would assess a student’s test, conferring penalties according to the “mistakes”. In truth, God desires us to make choices according to His Holy will because He wants the best for us; He knows what is best for us. If we strive to choose God and His will in our lives, we will bear the fruits of the Holy Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (ref. Galatians 5:22-23). By examining whether or not we are bearing these fruits, we can evaluate if we are abiding in Christ and living in the Spirit.Jesus explains in the Gospel of John, Chapter 15, Verse 5, “I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). If we fail to cooperate with God’s will, that is, being neglectful of life’s choices, we become detached from the mystical Body of Christ. Not only will we be denied of the nourishment from the Holy Spirit, but will also face the consequences of what Jesus described in the Gospel of John, Chapter 15, verse 6, “Whoever does not abide in me is thrown away like a branch and withers; such branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned” (John 15:6). Indeed, if we do not abide in the vine, we cannot bear fruit by our own power. If we do not live in God, we can accomplish nothing (ref. John 15:4). Subsequently, our enemy can easily take advantage of the situation to gather us and toss us into the fire to be burned.Some of us may think, “I am really terrible and am beyond help! Since I can’t possibly fulfil what God has asked of me, why should I keep pressing forward, wasting time and energy?” Rest assured, we must understand that God never demands perfection from us as it is impossible to be perfect by our human strength. God only desires us to follow the path of holiness, that is, to choose Him in every detail in our daily life, and become His faithful vessels of love. In this way, He will be able to accomplish, what Jesus Christ described as, “the greater works” through all of His children in this world, bringing forth His kingdom on earth, preparing the way for our Lord Jesus, and leading more sisters and brothers home to the Father’s house. Therefore, God’s plan for each of us is not to cause us pain and suffering, but is a plan of “love” and “hope” for you, for me, and all humanity. In the Book of the Prophet Jeremiah, God said, “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).Each one of us is part of God's salvific plan. It is God’s intention to save us since we are His children, and at the same time, God has also invited us to be collaborators in His salvific plan. Each one of us plays a unique role in His plan and can make unique contributions. Everyone is indispensable. Fortunately, we never have to confront our personal problems alone, nor participate in the work of salvation without support. In fact, we are different parts in the Body of Christ, and through the inspirations and empowerment of the Holy Spirit as well as the graces bestowed by God the Father, we can march forward together with confidence!Therefore, when we feel discouraged and deflated, such is the opportune time for us to come before God, seek refuge in our Father’s embrace, and cry out to Him for help. God has promised us that if we seek Him with all our hearts, He will answer our prayers!In the Book of the Prophet Jeremiah, Chapter 29, Verses 12-13, God our Father said, “Then when you call upon me and come and pray to me, I will hear you. When you search for me, you will find me; if you seek me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:12-13).ReflectionDo you believe that you are an important part in God’s “salvific plan”? With what attitude and actions are you responding to this invitation?Consider the connections among the following: “the duties of the moment”, “the greater works” described by Jesus, and God’s “salvific plan”. How do they relate to each other?When you feel discouraged and deflated, what would you do? Would you run towards our Father in heaven and cry for help?Today’s PrayerMy dearest Papa in heaven, I have never thought that not only am I precious but also of great importance in Your eyes! I am only dust, what am I that You are mindful of me? Thank you for helping me understand that each day of my life and every small decision of mine are intimately connected to Your great salvific work! Teach me to cherish each of these opportunities to choose You; knowing that the choices I make

Yesterday’s reflection explored the idea that if we habitually make the wrong decisions on life’s small things, these little mistakes will culminate into big mistakes with grave consequences. In the same way, if we fail to take care of our small things, we may find it challenging to handle bigger or more consequential things in life. According to traditional Chinese wisdom, one must begin with disciplining oneself, then the family, before managing a country and conquering the world. Discipline must begin with the smallest details before working up to larger things. Jesus affirmed in the Gospel of John, Chapter 14, verse 12, “Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father” (John 12:14).If we are willing to follow Jesus’ call to serve God, we must begin with accomplishing the smallest things faithfully.God’s will is present in all of our life’s decisions, whether the major or minor ones. God forges us by beginning with small things, hoping that we will learn to listen to His voice in everything we do, and to trust and follow His will, so that we may fulfil our mission that He has bestowed on us. Therefore, do not neglect these “duties of the moment”. The “greater works” are often the culmination of all these “duties of the moment”! When we ignore these duties, we are also choosing to ignore God. This demonstrates what Jesus described as being “faithful in a very little thing” (Luke 16:10).As the Chinese saying goes, “a day’s plan begins in the morning”! This saying is, indeed, full of wisdom. If we begin our work of collaboration with God, right at the crack of dawn, and endeavour to accomplish everything that God wants to accomplish through us, His grace and strength will overflow our lives right at the beginning of the day. In this way, we will be empowered and encouraged to fulfil life’s great and small demands and overcome all challenges. In addition to tangible rewards, we can be assured that God will grant us inner peace and joy if we follow His will in every decision we make. We will also feel fulfilled with our right decisions and celebrate a life that is wonderful and meaningful. On the contrary, as we make a wrong decision, it will begin to lead us astray from the path that God has planned for us and wanted us to follow; thus, sabotaging His original “plan” for us that day. One wrong choice can disadvantage us in making subsequent decisions; compromising our ability to make the right choice at the next crossroad.Since life’s small details are intricately connected, even one small decision can produce domino effects that are far and wide. Therefore, we must never neglect life’s minor decisions. At times, one wrong decision can completely change the course of our next day. Experts point out that our first decision of the day, that is, whether we get up or hit snooze, has much impact on our activities on the day. By the same token, our last decision of the day, that is, when we go to bed, directly impacts our activities on the next day.From a different perspective, our decisions often, directly or indirectly, affect those around us. God desires each one of us to become a conduit of His love for others. Our every single decision can have an immediate impact on our ability to be God’s channel to convey His grace to whom we serve. For instance, when we choose to say kind words to another person, we are also bringing tremendous benefits to him/her. Believe it or not, one kind word can save lives. The better option is always choosing kind words over hurtful words in our interactions with others; indeed, this is more akin to God’s Holy will.If we persevere in making the right choices, we will be able to establish appropriate and decent everyday habits. Gradually, this will have a positive impact on our lifestyle. Over time, our character traits and life will also be transformed, making it easier for us to bear good fruits a hundredfold. Such is the hope of our Lord Jesus Christ for us: to bear good fruits as He lives in us. This is also the greatest distinction between Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd, and our common enemy!In the Gospel of John, Chapter 10, Verse 10, Jesus said, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly” (John 10:10).ReflectionHow do you make decisions in life’s “small things”? Have you been hasty about them? Have you experienced any negative consequences because of making a wrong choice?At the end of this reflection, can you feel God’s tender loving care and see His plans for you?Among the finer details in your life, where can you begin to better equip yourself so that you may receive the “greater works” that God has prepared for you?Today’s PrayerAlmighty and compassionate Father, thank you for patiently revealing Your plan for me so that I may understand Your will and hope for me more clearly. Father, I am wi

The theme of this retreat offers some very important reflective materials, especially for those who serve in the Church, those who carry out special missions, or in general, all those who labour for God. In fact, our journey of becoming followers of Jesus Christ is intricately related with that of Martha and Mary.Perhaps, you may feel that the concerns and solutions discussed in last two weeks’ materials are easier said than done. They demand our tremendous effort as well as determination. You may ask: how do I find time to examine my life in order to make positive changes? How do I break through my current dilemmas?Indeed, the most difficult step is the breaking through! We all know that this is easier said than done; however, if we refuse to even take a first step during this Lent, all our introspection will be squandered. We will be, so to speak, back to square one; thus, the problem remains unresolved!If we want to improve the situation, we must be willing to take the time. As mentioned in previous reflections, we need to, first, make an appropriate plan for ourselves, and follow through with it, step-by-step. At this stage, the key to success is that we must not regress, thus, adding to our already heavy burden. First and foremost, we shouldn’t commit to any responsibilities that are beyond our duties. Secondly, we must identify the things in our everyday life that are “time wasters”. In general, the detection of these “time wasters” can be quite challenging. However, an effective starting point is to examine our day to day decisions, major or minor. Many people would think that we only need to be shrewd when making decisions on the “big things”, while the “small things” don’t really matter. However, the many “small” mistakes can easily culminate to “big” mistakes. Ultimately, our erroneous decisions will bring us agony.Most of the “time wasters” are rooted in our many wrong decisions on “small” things. For this reason, we need to pay even more attention to the smallest or most insignificant decisions. We may believe that God’s will applies only to great and important issues or situations; however, God desires us to follow His will even in the tiniest decision. In the Gospel of Luke, chapter 16, verse 10, Jesus said, “The person who is trustworthy in very small matters is also trustworthy in great ones.” (Luke 16:10) The path of holiness also begins with the small things. If we make every decision in our lives according to God’s will, not only will we not deviate from Jesus’s teachings, but also be able to fulfil the unique mission chosen by God for each one of us. You may ask: Most decisions in life are not simply about right or wrong, why should we care so much and be so particular about the process? Isn’t it better to take it easy in life?The story of Jesus, Martha, and Mary offers us some inspirations (ref. Luke 10:38-42). Firstly, we can be assured that the services chosen by Martha and Mary are deemed equally beautiful and good by Jesus; however, Jesus said to Martha, “there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her” (Luke 10:42). In all our everyday small decisions, God knows the “better” choices. This truth is, indeed, illuminated in this vignette for us.In truth, whatever God asks us to do right here and right now, we can only respond and fulfil it right here and right now. If we fail to seize the “here and now” to make the decision of responding to God, such missed opportunity can never be restored. Yet, these “better” decisions are the ones that can help us to “stop the bleeding”, so that we may stop feeding the “time wasters” in our lives.ReflectionHow do you usually make decisions in your everyday life? Do you habitually take pause before making decisions?Do you feel that you have a lot of “time wasters”? Please write them down and reflect on them now.Today’s PrayerLoving God, Abba Father, Your loving attention to me has rendered me speechless. You are even concerned about every single detail in my life and desire me to make the right choices. The ones that can make my life better and be free of trouble; a life that is meaningful and bears fruit abundance. Forgive me for my past negligence of your good intentions; my self-centredness has only led me to please myself and others instead of You. Grant me a heart that is radiant and renewed, so that I may remember You in every moment of my life. For this I pray in the Holy Name of Jesus Christ. Amen.Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.If you find this reflection helpful and have not registered to receive our daily email, we invite you to sign up here. If you have a Facebook account and would like to share your thoughts there, we invite you to join this Facebook group. ★ Support this podcast ★

In a society that puts efficiency on a pedestal, the more one can “multi-task” or juggle multiple things all at once, the more respect they will receive. These multi-taskers are often deemed more capable and talented. However, research has demonstrated that the human brain is not designed to handle multiple tasks simultaneously. When one tries to fulfil multiple duties concurrently, the overall efficiency suffers despite the apparent success of the multi-tasker, and the end results will be worse than when one focuses on thinking, planning and handling one task at a time.The more things we need to do, chances are, the greater our “worries” over these duties. These “worries” can evolve into potential mental stress; thus, adding trouble and burden to our “many things”. As a result, because we are unable to concentrate on things that demand our singular attention and focus, we fail to achieve the best outcome. Indeed, this is a great revelation to many of us who aspire to accomplish “many things” or delight in accumulation. Such tendency often makes it more difficult for us to accomplish what Jesus described as “greater works” in the Gospel of John, Chapter 14, Verse 12. (ref. John 14:12-14)Therefore, if we have a tendency to worry about different things, but desire to accomplish many things, not only will our ability to concentrate suffer but also the results despite our efforts. You see, on top of this, when we pile on our many emotional baggage and the emotional wounds resulting from negligence of our interpersonal relationships, problems will begin to plague our everyday lives. Under such circumstances, how could we remain hopeful in reclaiming our power of concentration to bear fruits? How could we take the initiative to choose "the better part" in this situation, as Jesus expected? (Luke 10:42)When we don’t have time, energy, and concentration to centre ourselves on the Word of God and prayers in order to build a steady and close relationship with God, our hearts, like a fishing boat floundering in heavy waves and strong wind, cannot perceive the presence of our Lord Jesus; a solitary heart that flutters and drifts with the ebbs and flows of the world. Our unstable emotional and mental states often lead to our failure to remain focused on our faith, family, and work. This certainly has various but serious impacts on different aspects of our lives. This vicious cycle will only persist and grow if we don’t do anything to escape. This is what concerns Jesus, and is the reason that Jesus grieves for Martha!As St. Mother Teresa and many other saints remind us, the more things that need our attention, the greater our need to receive nourishment and strength through prayers. Therefore, the more time we devote to work, the more time we need to devote to prayer. You may ask, how can this be accomplished? How do I find time? If we really think that we can’t do it, perhaps, it’s time to rethink and reorganize our work.“If you’re too busy to pray…you’re too busy.” — Saint Teresa of CalcuttaSimilarly, when our hearts and minds are completely occupied by “many things” or “thoughts”, it is time for us to stop and choose “the better part”.As discussed, our individual and collective obsession with efficiency has, indeed, a huge impact on us. We need to be aware of our tendency of proving our self-worth by doing more things; a belief that only through work that we may be valued and respected by others. As long as we cannot extricate ourselves from such tendency and temptation of doing more things, we will remain slaves to our work and trapped in the vicious cycle of work efficiency. As a result, our physical, mental, and spiritual well-being will be jeopardized!ReflectionDo you feel that you have become enslaved by your work due to your obsession with work efficiency? How has this tendency affected your life and relationships?Is your work an obstacle that prevents you from praying and being close to God? In which areas of your life is God inviting you to make adjustments and to overcome?Today’s PrayerAlmighty Abba Father, in the Gospel of John, Jesus Christ has promised us: “I will do whatever you ask in my name” (John 14:13). Now, I bow down before You and implore You to teach me how to cherish You over my work; value the time spent with You over the satisfaction that comes from work. Grant me a heart that hopes for You. Even when a mountain of work presses on me relentlessly, I am willing to put the work aside to be fully present in my encounter with You through prayer. For this I pray in the Holy Name of Jesus Christ. Amen.Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.If you find this reflection helpful and have not registered to receive our daily email, we invite you to sign up here. If you have a Facebook account and would like to share your thoughts there, we invite you to join this Facebook group. ★ Support this podcast

During the past ten days, we have been reflecting from various angles on our life’s priorities. We began with Jesus pointing out the “many things” that have kept us occupied and worried, and proceeded to examine the severe damages caused by the “many things” of our generation, mentality behind our habitual accumulation, trouble in making life choices, and our choosing of the master of our life. Then, we learned about a different kind of baggage, or another type of accumulation, that is, emotional baggage and spiritual bondage. Our emotional baggage and spiritual bondage are often resulted from our relationships with others; a phenomenon often neglected by all of us living in the contemporary world. This invisible baggage and bondage, like our endless accumulation of material and immaterial things, can only be shattered by our complete trust in God. In other words, if we hold firm in our belief that we are God’s children, and heirs to God’s kingdom, we will be equipped with the authority that comes from our Lord Jesus Christ, and be able to resist and banish the work of the devil in us; thus releasing ourselves from every baggage and bondage.However, if we want to obtain lasting freedom, we must begin by changing our habits and lifestyle. We have emphasized in the past two days that we needed to renew our commitment to place at the heart of life our interpersonal relationships, especially those with our family and closest relations. This can guard us against the tactics of the devil, who often lay down his traps among our relationships, to create heavier baggage and stronger bondage. The devil takes joy in deceiving us by hiding among every little detail of our lives, especially those that appear to be “good” or insignificant. Therefore, we cannot let our guard down in our interpersonal relationships. One of the keys is our mode of communication and attitude of interacting with others. Interacting with people around us with an inappropriate attitude and mode of communication will have a profound negative impact on our relationships, as well as impose a heavy emotional burden on the individuals involved.In the conversation between Martha and Jesus, Martha said accusingly, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her then to help me.” (ref. Luke 10: 38-42) Martha’s tone is laced with accusations against Mary, and at the same time, pointing a finger at Jesus. Her attitude is clearly judgemental. Doesn’t this bear the mark of the devil’s usual tactic of incitement? From Adam’s accusation of Eve, and Eve, the serpent (ref. Genesis 3:1-13), carrying through generations until the end of the world (ref. Revelation 12:10). This method of communication, characterized by mutual blame, is rooted in our selfishness and defensiveness. When we attempt to justify ourselves through blaming or accusing others, we are guilty of lifting ourselves by degrading others. In more serious situations, the accuser may even attempt to denigrate others in order to inflate his/her reputation. Though such accusatory behaviours have a wide range of degrees of severity, all of them are manifestations of our self-centredness and negligence of the needs and feelings of others, all of which are reprimanded by Jesus. Let’s not become the accuser by first, learning from our Father’s mercy and compassion that doesn’t judge nor condemn. Otherwise, we may never be able to get out of the bind even if we invest a lot of time and sweat into our interpersonal relationships; we may actually aggravate the situation!In the Gospel of Luke, Chapter six, verses thirty-six to thirty-eight, Jesus said, “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap; for the measure you give will be the measure you get back” (Luke 6:36-38).May we let the face of our merciful and gracious Father shine through us in all our interactions and relationships with others.'If you judge people, you have no time to love them.' — Saint Teresa of CalcuttaReflectionIn your past interactions with others, have you ever made accusations against others or faced accusations yourself? How did that end? How did that make you feel?When you interact with someone who has empathy, how do you feel? Does it strengthen your relationship with that person?In what areas can you improve your habit and mode of communication with others?Today’s PrayerMerciful and gracious Abba Father, I thank you from the bottom of my heart that You have blessed me through different relationships. For this, I praise You and give thanks! You allow all the ups and downs in these relationships so that I may grow and benefit from these experiences! Grant me Your eyes to see my family and friends as You do, a merciful and an empathetic heart like Y

Yesterday’s reflection explored the idea that the devil wishes to create the greatest chaos and harm in our lives, preventing us from fulfilling our true purpose in life. He will, at any cost, distract us from the more important relationships and things, and try to make us focus on other minor concerns. In truth, interpersonal relationships can be compared to a savings account to which we deposit regularly over a long time. Broken relationships with our loved ones often bring us the greatest injury. When the devil delivers his blows against us, his tactics are extremely effective. Firstly, he distracts us from our priorities. Then, he drives wedges in our relationships that result in broken marriages and families. All these broken relationships, piercing our hearts and contributing to our emotional baggage, can have severe effects on how we live afterwards and our lives in general. Regrettably, the problems that have broken up most marriages and families are not without solutions!We must acknowledge that no one can maintain perfect and harmonious relationships with everyone all the time; thus problems in interpersonal relationships are inevitable, especially with our family or loved ones. Therefore, let’s not lose heart and despair, or even completely give up, when problems or hurdles arise in our relationships with our family and loved ones. Otherwise, we fall victim to the devil’s trickery.Our family is a gift from God. Therefore, whether in good times or bad, we need to recognize that our family is a special gift and blessing bestowed by God and to be treasured. When we give up on this relationship, we are giving up on one of the greatest blessings in our lives. At the same time, we are also denying our loved ones of the same blessing from God through us. Unfortunately, we often only realize this life’s lesson when it’s too late. Knowing this, we must strive to avoid repeating this tragedy in our lives.We may ask, if human relationships are so beautiful and are gifts from God, why do they cause so much trouble for us and even bring us anguish? In truth, we all know and recognize that humanity is God’s great and mysterious creation. All mysterious and beautiful things are, to a certain degree, “complicated”. For instance, our five senses, thoughts, emotions, and so on, are all mysterious and complicated. Yet, our lives are made richer and fuller because of this. What makes life wonderful is the emotional exchange and interactions among all of us! We cannot welcome only the “good” in life and reject the “ugly”. We need to believe that our God who is good and kind will never intentionally instill in our lives the “imperfect”. All “imperfection” or “ugliness” result from our own free will.In fact, God has already provided us with all the ingredients that can make our lives wonderful. Our ability to truly make our lives wonderful depends on our mentality and attitude. An appropriate mindset and a positive attitude embolden us to respond and act positively. Unfortunately, the devil, who takes joy in opposing God, continues to distort God’s good intentions for us, and vows to lead us astray from God’s salvation at all costs!Therefore, we must recognize the true visage of the devil, and not be terrified and confused by the images depicted in movies. As well, we must be alert that Satan, a fallen angel, can pretend to be someone or something good in our lives. We may fall victim to his treachery unknowingly. Let us take heart and stay awake!In the Gospel of Matthew chapter sixteen, Peter innocently begs Jesus to avoid suffering and death. Jesus’ response to Peter is rather unexpected, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling-block to me; for you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things” (Matthew 16:23). Jesus reacts this way because He has detected the devil’s handiwork: Peter, unknowingly being manipulated by the devil, attempts to stop Jesus from fulfilling the Father’s will. This passage demonstrates that the devil is an opportunist who will even manipulate our good intentions to fulfil his treachery. We must stay awake and be alert, and observe each move of the devil, so that we may not be deceived by his sweet-talks.The devil is so cunning that he is careful not to reveal his true face, rather, he relishes hiding behind the seemingly “good things” in life, thus entrapping us. On the contrary, God patiently attends to and accompanies us as we confront life’s adversities. He has the power to bestow blessings on us even during our most difficult struggles and adversities, which in turn, inspires goodness.ReflectionHow has God blessed you in your God-gifted relationships?Do you often neglect to give priority to some of your significant relationships due to your busy “work” schedule?What are some of the significant relationships in your life to which God has invited you to pay more attention?Today’s PrayerMerciful and gracious Abba Father, I recognized that I have had many misunderstanding

Yesterday’s reflection focused on the necessity of having the appropriate mindset and positive attitude when confronting adversities and striving to fulfil our responsibilities as God’s children. The key lies in our willingness to trust God with all our hearts. As well, we now understand that there is nothing terrifying about the devil on his own but we must be cautious against his ploy. But what is his trickery on this topic of “many things”?On Day five of this retreat, we explored the phenomenon of busy-ness; most of us feel overwhelmed with busy-ness without knowing why and that we keep losing track of time for no reason. The devil’s scheme is that he wants us to live a life devoid of clarity and purpose while labouring day-in and day-out; making us blind to our identity as God’s children, thus unable to fulfil our unique mission bestowed by God. Just like that, we would have missed the most important purposes of life, that is, to walk the path of holiness, as well as accompany and lead more people to know and love God through evangelization and charitable works. However, we cannot possibly achieve these ultimate goals in life without a plan. The devil’s conspiracy is to prevent and disrupt us from making proper life plans.The testimonies of those who had come face to face with death have affirmed that the most important thing in life is not our work or accomplishments, but our relationships with others. However, since many people spend excessive time on work, they tend to neglect spending time on relationships with others, making these relationships vulnerable. Therefore, the primary target of the devil is this: to drive a wedge in and destroy our relationships; and certainly, he will, first, go after our closest relationships because that will affect and hurt us the most. The most obvious relationships are the one between God and ourselves as well as relationships in a marriage and family. This can explain why many people have left the Church, and the serious distortion and confusion in society’s understanding and definition of marital relationship.We need to recognize that the devil is the father of lies (ref. John 8:44); he is also the master of “accusation” and “division”.The devil often takes advantage of the situations when problems plague our relationships with our closest loved ones. He will try to incite misunderstanding and tear apart our relationships, and proceed in his work of creating further division. Our mutual accusations and arguments allow the devil to aggravate our unresolved emotional pains and baggage; giving him free-range of power to achieve his goal of fracturing our relationships with others. In this way, he keeps adding to our already heavy burden of “many things”; distracting us from achieving our ultimate goals in life. We can be certain that the devil will never ease up on his work of destruction; therefore, he will keep us busy and send us running in circles, until both our “self” and our most important relationships collapse. In extreme situations, we may fall prey to depression, or other emotional illnesses.Even the most difficult problem in our “work” will have a solution; however, when deep fractures appear in “relationships”, extra effort and thoughtfulness are needed to resolve and mend them. In addition, reconciliation also requires a lot of time. Similarly, the process of healing also takes a long time and lots of patience. In our impatient world, most people would choose the quickest and shortest way, leading to countless broken marriages and families. How our Heavenly Father has wept for us!Such is the meticulous work of the devil, to turn our priorities upside down. Therefore, we cannot afford to ignore it! If we are willing to devote more time on building and maintaining our relationships with one another, we will be able to avoid the devil’s scheme, save time and effort on reconciliation when problems arise, and avoid distractions from other important things in life.ReflectionWhat attitude and method do you employ to approach and tackle the problems concerning your relationships with your closest family members?How does this reflection help you to prioritize your time to balance “work” and “interpersonal relationships”?Today’s PrayerMerciful and gracious Abba Father, not only are You the God of love and life, but also relationships. Forgive me of the times when I neglected some important relationships and caused harm. Grant me a heart, just like yours, that is filled with compassion so that I may be able to nurture all the significant relationships in my life, particularly the relationship between my family and myself. Bestow on me sufficient wisdom and patience to tackle all the problems in my current relationships. Help me to persevere and learn from you, to be “slow to anger”. For this I pray in the Holy Name of Jesus Christ. Amen.Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world wit

Yesterday, we prayed for our Father’s guidance to release us from our spiritual bondage, and to grant us healing because our emotional wounds have brought us tremendous harm and repercussions. Our Lord Jesus Christ is our companion and the key to our healing; He has unlocked the door erected by the devil’s ploy, so that we may reclaim our confidence and courage to confront where it hurts, and gradually, unfetter ourselves from the bondage of the devil. In truth, our Father has been patiently waiting with a broken heart just beyond the hidden room of our wounds, awaiting for our permission to let Him in, so that He can comfort, cleanse, heal and bless us.Once we are on the journey of healing through our Father, and gradually let go of our hurts and emotional baggage, we will become empowered to confront the challenges before us. Indeed, phenomena such as pandemics, wars, natural disasters, deterioration of moral values, social unrest and oppression, and so many other challenges deplete our will power and force us into despair. As a result, we plunge deeply into grief, anxiety, pain and bitterness! Our helplessness in changing reality has blinded us only to see the dark clouds ahead of us, thus losing fundamental hope for our future. All these emotions are understandable, and, indeed, such is an accurate portrait of all of us living in the contemporary world.Our Father knows, and how that breaks His heart! We must recognize that we are not without hope. This is because our Lord is a God of compassion, truth, and justice. He never wants to remain a bystander, but He needs our cooperation.All adversities in history will eventually pass! Wars will be over; pandemics will pass; even powers of darkness will not last forever. This is not only a fundamental belief shared by humanity, in fact, particularly for all peoples of faith, this is also an irrevocable responsibility. We are children of the God of justice and truth, and we have inherited God’s kingdom and authority. Therefore, we have the duty to lift Jesus high in our hearts and every corner of the world; the Christ, one true God, who is the way, the truth, and the life, so that His mercy and justice may be manifested until all darkness in the world is dispersed! If we desire to fulfil this responsibility, we must be steadfast in upholding the right mindset and positive attitude.Let us imagine that the Son of light and the son of darkness are characters in a play: a theatrical piece about the struggles between God and the devil. Scenes of everyday lives, families, societies, and the world parade across the stage. When friendship, unity, peace, and justice are at centre stage, all the saints in the audience cheer; contrarily, when hate, division, war and injustice appear on stage, the devil and all his entourage cry out in unison.Many people may be afraid of the devil because he seems to be terrifying. Therefore, they avoid talking about him as if he doesn’t exist. However, this is exactly the devil’s plot! By staying hidden, he wants us to remain unaware of his existence so that he may do whatever he wishes in the dark. Let’s not take his bait! Let’s imagine: the devil can be likened to someone whose only goal is to terrorize the world. In fact, he doesn’t deserve our fear! The devil is only a fallen angel; a mere creature. His power is incomparable to that of the All-powerful God. Indeed, if we don’t give the devil permission, he has no power over us or to harm us. However, when we fall in our weakness, we grant power to the devil and the opportunity for him to control and manipulate us.Contrarily, we must caution against the devil’s trickery, for in darkness, his tricks cannot be easily detected. Therefore, we need to stay alert and pay attention to his power over our everyday life.We must pay attention to our tendency of stumbling into sins because we may not be as clever, or shall we say, cunning, as the devil! The devil often takes advantage of the times when we stumble in our weakness. On the other hand, if we accept our weakness and take refuge in God, He will descend upon us and manifest Himself in us. In other words, only when we trust and rely on God that His almighty power may be manifested in us, deterring the advances of the devil, so that he may not dare to come close to us and have his ways. Therefore, one must take courage when confronting the devil. We can never defeat the devil by our own power, but only the Creator of the Universe, King of kings, our God and Abba Father, whose infinite might, through our Lord Jesus Christ, can grant us the authority to defeat and banish the devil and all his entourage, so that God’s glory and kingdom can be manifested. Such is the perfect conclusion to the play as the thunderous applause of the saints cheering for the final curtain call of Christ the King, triumphant.ReflectionHave you been afraid of or avoiding the devil’s control and manipulation in your life and everyday living? Have you subconsciously d

In yesterday’s reflection, we have explored the severe impact of hidden emotional baggage on us. Among the different types of emotional baggage, some trauma in the past may have left deeper scars, thus, have a greater impact on us. For instance, when we are betrayed by our trusted friends, or even family members, feelings of rage, fear, insecurity, or abandonment overwhelm us. These negative emotions firmly take hold in our minds, thanks to our memories of these traumatic experiences. As a result, we may be unable to trust others, and begin to hide away and isolate ourselves; at the same time, we also lose faith and hope in others and the world around us. When we attempt to shield ourselves from harm, we tell ourselves, “There’s no one I can trust in this world”; “I can only believe in myself”; “I must be the problem and that’s why other people treat me like this” … All these are lies planted by the devil in our hearts, which can shape the foundation of our thought patterns. We may even attempt to seek out evidence that confirms our thinking. This is how the devil’s lies grow. In addition, we may even build a system of thought patterns to defend these lies and to prevent ourselves and others from dismantling the strongholds of our “self-preservation mechanism”. The devil takes advantage of our reactions to traumatic experiences to control, incite, manipulate and restrain us in our daily lives and interactions with others.When one is hurting, many will choose avoidance rather than dealing with the problems related to the wound and finding solutions. With the exception of some serious cases where one may need professional help, we, a people of faith, must, first, take refuge in Jesus Christ. He has endured the greatest physical, emotional and spiritual suffering for our sake. Therefore, He understands everything that we are going through. If He is willing to conquer sins and death through His own death and resurrection to gain for us the blessing of eternal life, bringing us a new life, He will also save us from the enslavement of the devil.Let us not repeat Adam and Eve’s mistake of succumbing to the devil’s bait, doubting God’s love for us and hiding from Him. May we put our trust in God; He, who has created us, has the power and desire to free us from all kinds of bondage!However, we must first recognize that we might have hurt God, others, and ourselves in the process, and the times when we fail to believe and abandon God. Therefore, let us humble ourselves, repent, and ask for our Father’s forgiveness. During the process of releasing ourselves from our spiritual bondage, as Jesus forgave those who persecuted Him on the cross, we, too, must follow Christ’s teachings to forgive those who have wronged us. Then, in the name and by the authority of Jesus Christ, we will be able to renounce and banish all the evil forces that have been gripping us, and regain our freedom. (Ref. Unbound: A Practical Guide to Deliverance, by Neal Lozano)St. Paul writes in his second letter to the Corinthians, chapter 10, verses 4 to 5:“... or the weapons of our warfare are not merely human, but they have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every proud obstacle raised up against the knowledge of God, and we take every thought captive to obey Christ.” (2 Corinthians 10:4-5)ReflectionAre you distressed by traumatic experiences in the past?Are you determined and willing to accept help from Jesus to be released from your spiritual bondage?Today’s PrayerMerciful Abba Father, thank you for awakening me from the shadows of all my emotional baggage. I understand that all my traumatic experiences in the past have had a severe negative impact on me, which have unconsciously bound me to the enslavement and manipulation of the devil. I am resolute to be close to You; know that only You can release me from my spiritual bondage. Please strengthen my will power, grant me a humble and forgiving heart, help me to trust You completely and to believe that in You, I will reclaim my freedom and receive a new life. For this I pray in the Holy Name of Jesus Christ. Amen.Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.If you find this reflection helpful and have not registered to receive our daily email, we invite you to sign up here. If you have a Facebook account and would like to share your thoughts there, we invite you to join this Facebook group. ★ Support this podcast ★

Over the last three reflections, we have been examining our tendency to accumulate things, including the amassing of material possessions, academic knowledge, things that inflate our ego, and so on. While we struggle with our decision to choose “things that belong to heaven” over “earthly things”, we need to pay special attention to the kind of accumulation that is more insidious, which is our emotional baggage. Since our emotional baggage has been accumulating unconsciously over the years and is hidden from our eyes, its impact is quite difficult to detect. As a result, we are often unaware of our tendency of holding on to our emotions or accumulating emotional baggage. Little do we know, the damage caused by our emotional baggage far outweighs the damage resulting from all other kinds of accumulation.Some examples of emotional baggage include: anger, emotional trauma, childhood trauma, experiences of being misjudged, harm inflicted by others or on others, failures, experiences of prejudice or being prejudiced to others, unresolved issues, negative memories, and so on.These negative emotional baggage can shape our impression of others and God, and most importantly, damage our own self-image. Such misjudgment can also sway or distort the messages from God and others, leading to a distorted relationship with God, others and oneself. All these can also have a direct impact on our understanding and acceptance of our own identity and role, and indirectly endanger our self-image and self-worth. Since our identity and role also shape the way we communicate and the way we act, this chain reaction, therefore, has a lasting impact on our personality as well as character development. Not only will this adversely affect how we relate to others and ourselves, but will also influence the basis and pattern of how we make decisions. Therefore, its impact is so vast and deep that we cannot afford to ignore it!Our negative memories and negative emotions are intricately connected, such that one reinforces the other, causing the negative memories to be firmly imprinted on our consciousness and extremely challenging to expunge. As a result, these emotional knots become tangled with the “many things” that are buried deep in our hearts. Not only our everyday functioning will be affected, but also our physical, emotional and spiritual wellness! Therefore, we must confront this problem head on.“Forgiveness” is one of the keys to resolve our negative emotions. Indeed, forgiveness is front and centre in the prayer that Jesus taught us (ref. Matthew 6:9-15). Jesus’ first prayer to His Father on the cross focuses on forgiving His enemies. “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34). Jesus reveals God’s image and essence through His words and deeds, as well, He affirms the centrality of “forgiveness” among all other virtues.The devil will always try to lure us into holding on to our emotional baggage, making us believe that we cannot let it go. He makes us keep replaying past episodes of hurt and failure in our minds, corners us into the delusion of shame and guilt, and entraps us in our hardened heart.Contrarily, Jesus invites us to reconcile with our Heavenly Father, each other, and ourselves through prayer and the sacrament of reconciliation, so that our hearts and minds can become free to embrace the peace that Christ has given us and the blessings of God our Father.ReflectionHave you noticed that you have been burdened by your emotional baggage? How does it affect your mood and behaviour?Do you believe that your inability to forgive others and yourself is connected to your unwillingness to lay down your baggage?Are you willing to cry out to God for help, lay down your baggage, and reconcile with those involved?Today’s PrayerLord Jesus Christ, thank you, through today’s reflection, for helping me understand that the emotional baggage that I’ve been shouldering is also, unconsciously, affecting me, and even dragging me down, leading me to hurt others and myself. I now know that I have hurt You the most. You have already forgiven us, and even died for us, while we were still sinners. Let me never forget and take Your kindness for granted. Help me follow Your example, not only to forgive those who have hurt me, but also reconcile with them and rebuild our relationship. Grant me strength to fulfil this mission. For this I pray, in Jesus’ Holy Name. Amen.Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.If you find this reflection helpful and have not registered to receive our daily email, we invite you to sign up here. If you have a Facebook account and would like to share your thoughts there, we invite you to join this Facebook group. ★ Support this podcast ★

In the reflections of the past four days, Jesus reminds us of the peril of troubling ourselves with life’s “many things” through his interactions with Martha and Mary. These “many things” rob us of our devotion to God and deceive us into solely relying on our own power. In addition, the devil often takes advantage of the ever evolving technologies and information to further distract our already chaotic hearts and minds, making trivialities or minor issues the focus of our life. The devil bombards us with endless information to confuse our senses and disrupt our concentration; to occupy our life with busy-ness and hurriedness, day in and day out. The devil, an instigator of troubles who understands human weakness, entraps us into an endless cycle of accumulation. Inevitably, a seemingly harmless habit turns into an addiction. As a result, we become imprisoned by our own possessions. In truth, the devil is a skillful trickster who willfully piles more things on top of our “many things”. He only has one goal: to create a rift in our relationship with God, so that we will distance ourselves from God by choosing to serve the false master; in the end, we will be separated from God. The devil’s strategy begins with our attitude to life, first, luring us to develop unhealthy habits, which then evolves into a lifestyle that endangers us. Eventually, we arrive at the point of no return and lose our footing, and end up in the devil’s trap.The endgame of the devil’s ploy and innovations is this: he wants us to doubt God’s unconditional love and desire to give us the best, and that God will provide us with everything we need. We are giving the devil’s ploy a boost when we lose our confidence in God.The Church cautions us against the “three enemies of the soul” — the devil, the flesh, the world — reminding us that we should not fall for their temptations.“... for all that is in the world — the desire of the flesh, the desire of the eyes, the pride in riches — comes not from the Father but from the world. And the world and its desire are passing away, but those who do the will of God live forever.” (1 John 2:16-17)Indeed, we cannot really take away anything from this world when we are gone, be it wealth, fame, social status, power, pleasure, or all the things that we have amassed. Everything will pass away, but only God and His Holy will will remain. Then, isn’t our choice crystal clear?We must remember that when we choose earthly things over God, not only are we separating ourselves from God and His love, but also from His grace. Contrarily, when we choose God and choose to do His will, His grace will overflow our life and the lives of those we serve.Indeed, life is short and fleeting; time is the most precious gift from God. Our most important life’s lesson and choice is this: whether we choose to devote our time to strive for the “many things” that are only temporary, or to relish God’s love and grace, as well as the eternal joy and blessings that God has in store for us.ReflectionHas your dedication to the “many things” ever brought you lasting peace and joy?What rewards from the “many things” are you expecting that could not be replaced by eternal joy and blessings?Would you be willing to change your course in life during Lent, so that you may make better choices?Today’s PrayerLord Jesus Christ, I recognize that in my life, danger and traps abound. The devil’s attack is relentless. I realize that now is the momentous time to fortify the boundary between the devil and me; but I also know that I am weak and passive. Do not allow me to surrender to my pride and believe that I can conquer the devil’s ploy solely by myself. Help me to be close to You with all my heart, all my soul, and all my mind, so that through Your Holy Name and authority, I may be able to vanquish the devil’s attack, one step at a time. Send forth Your Spirit to light my path, so that I may follow His guidance. I trust that within You, nothing is impossible. For this I pray in the Holy Name of Jesus Christ. Amen.Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.If you find this reflection helpful and have not registered to receive our daily email, we invite you to sign up here. If you have a Facebook account and would like to share your thoughts there, we invite you to join this Facebook group. ★ Support this podcast ★

In yesterday’s reflection, we explored how an unhealthy lifestyle could greatly impact us. While our lifestyle is built on our everyday habits, these habits are intimately connected to our attitude towards life. An attitude tainted with greed, urging us to increase our possessions, will result in a habit of accumulation. Once we have become addicted, we continue to amass more things which, in turn, cause us to stumble and fall deeper into distractions, worries, and chaos. Therefore, we need to tackle this problem with the right tool, that is, we must seek its root cause in order to resolve it.As we strive to live according to God’s will, we must, first, get rid of everything in our life that doesn’t please God. Simply put, we need to let go of or reject all things that cannot lead us to God. These excessive possessions could be the result of our greed or desire to take advantage of perks, or more often, our constant worrying, and such worrying is rooted in our insecurity. These possessions can only give us a false sense of security; a mirage that can never fix the heart of the problem. Knowing that if we place our complete trust in God, who will provide everything we need, we no longer need to feel anxious about life and amass things to appease our worries.Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life? And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? Therefore do not worry, saying, “What will we eat?” or “What will we drink?” or “What will we wear?” For it is the Gentiles who strive for all these things; and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things, but strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today.(Matthew 6:25-34)Today’s trouble is enough for today! Isn’t it right? Knowing all our efforts in accumulating things can never resolve our problems, why are we still wasting energy to serve this false master?“No one can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.” (Matthew 6:24)The “wealth” discussed in this Gospel verse implies not only money, material or immaterial wealth, but also the act of “serving oneself”. For instance, we may devote all our energy chasing success to fulfil our endless ambitions, as well as trying to achieve goals beyond our abilities and calling, boasting our social status, reputation or fame. However, these accomplishments which we try to attain at all costs to make us look good on our resume do not represent our true identity. They are not important in God’s eyes, nor can they help us to become the person whom God wants us to be.ReflectionWhy do you think you keep accumulating things? Is it because of greed? Or insecurity?Do you truly trust that God will provide everything you need?Other than God, what other masters do you serve in your life? Can you empathize with God’s feelings?Today’s PrayerAll-powerful and compassionate Father, who am I that You are mindful of me! My confidence in You is so weak and vulnerable that I often bow down before the authorities of the world. Where is my faith? Thank you for reminding me that my life is more than food and my body is more than clothing. In Your eyes, I am a hundred-fold more precious than birds of the air and lilies of the field! Strengthen my faith, as I realize that You, my Heavenly Father, already know what I need. Let me seek first Your kingdom and its righteousness, and find peace and joy in You. For this I pray in the Holy Name of Jesus Christ. Amen.Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.If you find this reflection helpful and have not registered to receive our daily email, we invite you to sign up here. If you have a Facebook account and would like to share your thoughts there, we invite you to join this Facebook group. ★ Support this podcast ★

Feeling distracted, worried, disorganized, busy, lost, restless, helpless, rushed, forgetful, absent-minded, insecure, losing concentration, losing direction and purpose in life… If some of the above symptoms resonate with you, perhaps, like Martha, you have troubled yourself with “many things”, as Jesus observed.Some may feel that there is no resolution to our condition; the burden of “many things” is simply our reality and that it’s impossible for us to reduce our workload, leaving us no choice but to accept and bear it without complaint. Without any apparent solution at hand, the easiest way out is not to think about it at all! Since we cannot change our reality, we just bury our heads in the sand and keep going.Difficult it may be, we should never neglect the issue nor remain passive; or worse, deny the problem as if it doesn’t exist nor applicable to our life. The more we try to neglect and ignore the problem, the bigger and more disastrous it will become. Thus, our negligence will fester into a disorder.It is understandable that our daily life cannot be rid of the “many things”. Often, we may not have a choice, as certain things are either beyond our control or difficult to change, for instance, natural disasters, war, pandemic, political situations, work and family obligations, just to name a few. Since these things are some of life’s non-negotiables, thus, inescapable and can never be subtracted from life, we need to counter these situations with a positive attitude.On the other hand, we do have a choice in a great deal of things in life. Often, we keep adding to our already full plate without even thinking about it, multiplying our troubles and worsening the situation.At the heart of the problem is our tendency to accumulate things, whether they are material or immaterial. Material things may include different possessions, like household appliances, electronics and technological products, clothing, books, decorations, memorabilia and collectors’ items, even everyday products, collecting points through shopping or discount programs, and so on. Immaterial things may include academics, knowledge, hobbies, news, including entertainment, sports and financial news, and even information about deals. A note of clarification: all the things listed are not necessarily bad; however, when we prioritize these things above all and become fixated on accumulating these insignificant things, we are allowing ourselves to be bound and become incapacitated. All these can distort our vision and hinder us from making the right choices in life. Accumulating things not only prevents us from following Christ, but also enslaves us to the “many things” that we accumulate. Ultimately, we are allowing the negative conditions — described at the beginning of today’s reflection — to continue multiplying and growing in our hearts and minds!Fortunately, God has granted us sufficient wisdom to resolve this problem. Lent is an opportune time to reconsider and seek solutions to this problem. Otherwise, we will have to pay a hefty price! We may also become casualties of our unhealthy lifestyle!In the “Beatitudes”, found in the Gospel of Matthew, chapter five, Jesus said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. [...] Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God” (Matthew 5: 3, 8).ReflectionWhen faced with the problem of being “worried and distracted by many things”, do you bury your head in the sand?Do you recognize that you are also plagued by the bad habit of accumulation?Would you be willing to make a commitment to resolve the problem during this Lent? How has Jesus’ teachings inspired you?Today’s PrayerLord Jesus Christ, I’m confronted by a problem against which I’m powerless. I wish I could run away from the heavy burden and stress in my life as I lack determination to overcome these obstacles. At times, I feel hopeless and helpless! But I also know that this is the time when I need You most. Help me with my unbelief; strengthen my faith. I believe that You desire to give me the best! In You, and through You, I can overcome all. Remind me, always, of the truth that Your grace is sufficient for me (ref. 2 Cor 12:9)! I pray in the Holy name of Jesus, Amen.Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.If you find this reflection helpful and have not registered to receive our daily email, we invite you to sign up here. If you have a Facebook account and would like to share your thoughts there, we invite you to join this Facebook group. ★ Support this podcast ★

As mass communications become more efficient and social media becomes ever more popular, the devil has found more effective ways to distract us. In the past, the devil had to pull out all sorts of ideas from his bag of tricks to lead us down the path of sins and drive us farther away from God. Now, the devil doesn’t even have to lift a finger to separate us from God. The devil often occupies our minds with chaotic thoughts and fantastical ideas, leaving us no space for contemplating things that belong to God and no time for prayers. We’ve become so preoccupied that we can’t even quiet down to hear God’s voice.The devil often tempts us with glamour that dazzles us. For instance, social media facilitates connections with friends, helps us to be informed about current issues, to learn new things, and to expand our horizons; or perhaps, the internet can be a source of relaxation and entertainment, opening us to a world of new knowledge through films or endless video links. These activities seem harmless enough on the surface; however, when we fail to moderate ourselves, we may fall into addiction and waste our life away. When we invest our time in trivialities, we are neglecting the most important thing.Further, when we are overloaded with too much information, we become easily distracted. Such is the very ingredient that diverts our attention from what we need to do: to care for the needy and to spend quality time with God.Therefore, Satan, who is conniving and treacherous, takes advantage of our pride, greed, curiosity, vanity, and so on, ambushes us to fall into his trap of distractions; using the excuse of life enrichment to deflect our attention. He wants us to feel so overwhelmed by our busy-ness that we can’t even breath! In today’s society, when we ask how each other is doing, most will respond in unison, “Very busy!” / “Too busy!”, as if those who are not busy are anomalous, losers, or worthless! Even retirees would claim that they are busier than before their retirement. However, when asked about what makes them so busy, most would say, “I don’t really know! Time just flies!” Such is Satan’s deceit, tricking us into wasting our time on frivolous things. During the pandemic, many Catholics have been spending more time on the internet, browsing through religious materials and participating in religious studies online. Their daily schedule is, indeed, jam-packed! They may feel intellectually satisfied; however, they may be filled with a spiritual emptiness that is devoid of peace and stalls their relationship with God. We are reminded that knowing and being close to God is not about quantity but quality. If we hope to have a high-quality encounter with God, we need to let go of the “many things” that distract us, so that we may attend to God’s voice and receive His love that is revealed to us in silence.“Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will hardship, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?” (Rm 8:35) None of the above! Unfortunately, in today’s world, what separates us from the love of Christ are our cell phones, social media, as well as our attention deficit!ReflectionAre you often reluctant to put down your cell phone and become enslaved by it?When you’re busy, do you feel that you are more worthy, confident and respected?Would you admit that you have been distracted by the devil and have fallen into the trap of neglecting the more important things?Today’s PrayerLord Jesus Christ, thank you for awakening me to see that I have fallen into the devil’s trap; one that diverts my attention to things that don’t belong to You, and condemns me to become a casualty of busy-ness and distractions. You have promised that nothing will separate me from Your love; contrarily, I’m the one who allows the frivolous things to come between You and me. Strengthen my determination to discard these poor habits, so that I may be with You always and dwell in You. I pray in Jesus’ Holy Name. Amen.Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.If you find this reflection helpful and have not registered to receive our daily email, we invite you to sign up here. If you have a Facebook account and would like to share your thoughts there, we invite you to join this Facebook group. ★ Support this podcast ★

Martha, perhaps feeling a bit neglected while busying herself with all the work, asked Jesus, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her then to help me” (Luke 10:40). Jesus, recognizing that Martha’s accusation and emotions come from a heart filled with chaos, said to Martha, “Martha, Martha, are you worried and distracted by many things …” (Luke 10:41). Jesus’ words succinctly pierce the chaotic heart of Martha and reveal what’s behind that chaos: she is “worried and distracted by many things”. However, living in this world, is it possible to be free of distractions? Jesus continues, “there is need of only one thing” (Luke 10:42). We may ask, “Who doesn’t need to labour? How could one abandon everything and only devote one’s attention to ‘the better part’ as Jesus wants of us ” (Luke 10:42)?In truth, Jesus is not demanding us to abandon all the work in our daily life, and only wants us to be like Mary, sitting by His feet, listening with an attentive heart. The problem lies in the “many things”.One of the reasons behind such chaos is that we often occupy ourselves with too many “things” which result in distractions, preventing us from recognizing the presence of our Lord Jesus. Or, perhaps, we may use our busy-ness as an excuse to avoid conversing with Christ, building a relationship, and becoming His confidante. In doing so, we have forfeited the opportunity to be empowered by Christ, and are left to battle life’s challenges by our own power. That’s what worried Jesus.Therefore, we need to pay attention to whether we are preoccupied with our “many things”. What are these “many things” for us?Chaos sets in when we are troubled by “things”, thus our emotions become easily disturbed, leading to huge ups and downs in our hearts and minds. If we allow ourselves to be troubled by “things” like a boat in the sea, the more troubled we are, the bigger the waves. When we anchor ourselves to Christ, we will be like a boat securely anchored. Contrarily, when we allow ourselves to be distracted by many unnecessary things, our heart will sway; aimlessly going off-course and following the currents.ReflectionWhat are the “many things” that concern you?Do you feel troubled by the “many things”? Do they cause huge emotional ups and downs, and even affect your relationships with others?During this Lent, what are the unnecessary things or “many things” that the Lord is inviting you to lay down?Today’s PrayerLoving Lord Jesus Christ, I finally understand the things that cause chaos in my heart and separate me from the peace that you have given me. I recognize your words for Martha are also for me; your concern for Martha’s busy-ness is for our busy-ness. Thank you for your unconditional love. I now know that I cannot earn your love by my own labour and power. Teach me to know your will so that I may be able to lay down the “many things”, finding peace and reliance in you. For this I pray, in Jesus’ Holy Name. Amen.Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.If you find this reflection helpful and have not registered to receive our daily email, we invite you to sign up here. If you have a Facebook account and would like to share your thoughts there, we invite you to join this Facebook group. ★ Support this podcast ★

Among all of Jesus’ closest friends, some of them can be considered His confidantes; Mary is definitely one of them. Mary is an introvert, contrary to Martha, an extrovert, who is more energetic and often excels in social settings. Her introspection, caring consideration for others, and tenderness offer Jesus the warmth of friendship and make him feel right at home.Both Mary and Martha have made Jesus feel welcomed, but each accomplishes that by different means. When a close friend like Jesus visits, Mary chooses to be with Him; hanging onto His every word and attending to His needs.During Jesus’ times, disciples learn from their master by sitting at his feet, listening to the master’s words and teachings. Mary is doing the exact same thing. Despite being a female, the custom of the time that prohibited females to sit with a male has not dampened Mary’s longing to listen to Jesus’ words and teachings. Jesus desires everyone to become His disciples and confidantes. Jesus understands that “Mary has chosen the better part”. Who can take this away from her (Luke 10:42)? It is not difficult for us to see that “the better part” means choosing Jesus - conversing with and listening to Him. Even busy people would agree with this and may take time to pray. However, what Jesus cares about is whether we know how to prioritize our time between work and prayer. Poor lifestyle and incorrect attitude may lead to distractions. More importantly, this may even put us in danger. Indeed, it is our choices that have broken Jesus’ heart.There is no doubt that Jesus loves both Martha and Mary; however, it is Mary who really understands Jesus, making her more receptive to Jesus’ messages. Therefore, this also makes it easier for Jesus to communicate with her. A strong relationship is built on the foundation of mutual understanding; and communication is key to promote mutual understanding. If we want to become Jesus’ confidante, we must follow Mary’s footsteps and learn from her. By Mary’s example, we, too, may establish an intimate relationship with God.To become Jesus’ confidante, we do not begin by offering our services and work; instead, we must begin by keeping Him company, listening to Him and “staying” with Him (Ref. John 1:39). That means, we begin by encountering Him.Are we willing to become Jesus’ confidante?ReflectionHow do you receive our Lord Jesus? Do you desire to be like Mary who “has chosen the better part”?Do you long to become Jesus’ confidante? Do you recognize that this is what Jesus referred to as “the better part”? Today’s PrayerLord Jesus Christ, I understand that my past choices have worried you. I thought you wanted me to do more good work and services, but I have forgotten the most important thing! I finally understand what has broken your heart. Help me not to be numbed by work; inflame my desire to encounter you in my daily life, accompany you, listen to you, and stay with you, so that I may become your confidante. For this I pray in Jesus’ Holy Name. Amen.Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.If you find this reflection helpful and have not registered to receive our daily email, we invite you to sign up here. If you have a Facebook account and would like to share your thoughts there, we invite you to join this Facebook group. ★ Support this podcast ★

John has taken great care to depict the death and resurrection of Lazarus. Not only does this scene prefigure Jesus’ death and resurrection and reveal a deep theological significance, it also portrays Jesus’ character and reveals the heart of Jesus. The Gospel of John chapter 11, verses 1 to 45 detail the dire situation of Lazarus, the dying brother of Martha and Mary. Jesus had not revived Lazarus in time. Lazarus had died before Jesus’ arrival. It is described that Jesus only left for Bethany two days later to “awaken him” (Jn 11:11). Upon His arrival at Bethany, Jesus, greeted by the Jews who were weeping and grieving with Martha and Mary, was “greatly disturbed in spirit and deeply moved” and began to weep (Jn 11:33,35).Indeed, Jesus knew that Lazarus would be resurrected; grief would pass and be transformed into joy. Why did Jesus mourn and weep for His friend’s death? This reveals Jesus’ humanity; He is truly human with full human emotions. Jesus does not place Himself above human sufferings. Indeed, He, too, experiences and understands our challenges and pain. Jesus “is the image of the invisible God” (Col 1:15). The face of God, so full of compassion, and His heart, pained by human sufferings, are revealed in this scene of Jesus weeping for Lazarus’ death.Therefore, Jesus did not only weep for Lazarus, but also for all of humanity beloved by God. He is weeping for you and me. Humanity suffers in the hands of the devil due to sins; hearts and minds bound; life grinded down by illnesses and physical hardships; enslaved by death. As our Heavenly Father is deeply pained by all these, Jesus is also grieved and angered.Indeed, the complicated emotions felt by Jesus can never be thoroughly portrayed nor fully comprehended by us. However, we can be assured that Jesus cares deeply for Lazarus, as well as the Jews, and all of humanity since the creation of the world. He cares deeply for me and for you!ReflectionCan you imagine what’s in Jesus’ mind and heart? Is He making grand plans for Himself or worrying about us and our conditions? Lazarus did not know how Jesus had wept for him. We, too, do not know how much tears Jesus has shed for us. At this moment, settle in and sit with Jesus. Notice how Jesus’ gaze on you is full of compassion.Imagine: What areas in your life are embraced and worried about by Jesus? Do you want to know? Will you ask Jesus?Today’s PrayerLord Jesus Christ, thank you for revealing your heart to us through the story of raising Lazarus. I know that I’m self-centered and have failed to pay attention to your emotions and needs, especially the areas of my life where your embrace and concerns are present. Thank you for revealing your emotions to us even though You are the Son of God! Let me not hide my face from your love! Remind me that You also need my love and understanding. I know that I’m in your embrace, and starting today, help me to return this embrace! For this I pray in the holy name of Jesus. Amen.Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.If you find this reflection helpful and have not registered to receive our daily email, we invite you to sign up here. If you have a Facebook account and would like to share your thoughts there, we invite you to join this Facebook group. ★ Support this podcast ★

Is it really possible to find order in chaos?For human beings it is impossible, but not for God. All things are possible for God. (Ref: Mark 10:27) Our best role model is Jesus, and his key is to know the will of God. Jesus is the perfect image of God, and when we learn about the true character of Jesus, we also start to learn the will of God.One of the best ways to know the true character of Jesus is through meditating on His interactions with friends. Besides his disciples, we can say that Jesus’ closest friends are Martha, Mary and Lazarus. Occasionally, when Jesus passed by the area on His missionary journeys, He would spend some time with them. The gospel of Luke recounts one such visit:“As they continued their journey he entered a village where a woman whose name was Martha welcomed him. She had a sister named Mary [who] sat beside the Lord at his feet listening to him speak. Martha, burdened with much serving, came to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving? Tell her to help me.” The Lord said to her in reply, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her.” (Luke 10:38-42)We often get the impression that Jesus favours Mary and Lazarus. This is not surprising because this story clearly depicts Jesus reprimanding Martha while praising Mary. Let’s explore this relationship between Jesus and Martha. Jesus is a master, a teacher, and Martha’s direct way of addressing Him reveals her straightforward character and her close relationship with Jesus. She was free to speak her mind. Similarly, when we interact with those to whom we are close, even if they are elders or members of the clergy , we tend to be frank and direct. On the other hand, when we communicate with those to whom we are not close, we are usually more polite and restrained. If Martha and Jesus did not have a close relationship, she would not dare to speak to Jesus like that. If we pay attention to Jesus’ response, we can see that our Lord Jesus wasn’t bothered by the way Martha spoke to him at all. He was not angry. He did not reprimand Martha for being disrespectful or rude. Instead, he was filled with compassion and patiently advised Martha, hoping that she would understand his thoughts. He was not showing favouritism to Mary, but feeling pity for Martha.Although it is not written in this scripture, since Jesus’ disciples always were preaching with Him in different places, it is quite likely that His disciples were present too. In Jesus’ time, for a woman like Martha who managed all the chores in the household and hosted a meal for a group of men at home was very unusual and commendable. Having to host so many guests, it is evident that she is not only hospitable but also very generous. These were qualities that Jesus appreciated. If no one attended to these chores, how could Jesus and His disciples feel at home?Indeed, it would have been a real treat for Jesus and His disciples to be able to take a break after a long day of travelling and enjoy the company of good friends and delicious food at their place. He must have been full of gratitude. Then, how could He be so harsh on Martha?Today, when our Lord Jesus uses different ways to teach us out of his love for us, would we be able to understand His true intention and see that He is showing pity to us rather than reprimanding us?REFLECTIONPoor Jesus is the most misunderstood person in history! Have I misunderstood Him or laid blame on Him?Think of a time when you were angry at God, perhaps because you thought He was unfair or didn’t understand you. Can you now understand His true intention?TODAY’S PRAYERLord Jesus Christ, I had been angry at you, and even threw tantrums at you, because I did not understand you, but you didn’t blame me. Instead, you patiently guided me. Please forgive me for misunderstanding you. I know that you love me and feel pity for me. Please teach me to better understand your thoughts day by day and appreciate your love for me. Please soften my heart and transform me! This prayer I ask in Your holy name. Amen!Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.If you find this reflection helpful and have not registered to receive our daily email, we invite you to sign up here. If you have a Facebook account and would like to share your thoughts there, we invite you to join this Facebook group. ★ Support this podcast ★

In this chaotic world, having inner peace has become a luxury. Yet, no one wants to live in a state of restlessness. Therefore, whether or not one has religious beliefs, he or she will intentionally or unintentionally seek some spiritual nourishment and anchor in order to obtain a sense of security that cannot come from oneself. Usually, this sense of security comes from a sense of order in life, and this sense of security ensures that people can have some basic control even when faced with uncertainties of the future.This need for security is usually fulfilled by one’s family and the society. For example, a society that is stable with a trustworthy government, a good healthcare system and job security; and in the family aspect: a happy family and marriage, a desirable living environment, a stable income, harmonious relationships among family members, good education for the children and so on.But in the current world and social environment, especially during the pandemic, can we really rely on these external factors to obtain the sense of security we need? So, is it impossible to achieve true inner peace in this day and age? In fact, there has not been a time in history when people did not face any local challenges or even persecutions. What we need is an interior order to achieve inner peace that cannot be taken away even if the external environment is not desirable.In this Lenten retreat, let us learn from Jesus together with Martha and Mary, to experience this interior order and to put it into practice. In the process, let us also learn from Martha and Mary, and from their experiences, how to serve God properly, how to make choices that please God, and the right way and attitude to serve others.“Strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Matthew 6:33)REFLECTIONHave you experienced a loss of inner peace because of the chaos in society and the world?In the past, how did you attempt to find order in chaos?When you felt you had lost a sense of order and inner peace, were you hopeless and ready to give up? How did you face it?TODAY’S PRAYERDear Lord Jesus, the state of the society and the world is so overwhelming that I feel hopeless and lifeless at times and have lost confidence in myself and have lost hope for the future. But I know You are here, You are in control, and You have a way to guide me to face these trials. Please don't let me lose faith in you! During this Lent, grant me the faith and perseverance I need to seek Your kingdom first and trust that you will give me everything I need. This prayer I ask in Your holy name. Amen!If you find this reflection helpful and have not registered to receive our daily email, we invite you to sign up here. If you have a Facebook account and would like to share your thoughts there, we invite you to join this Facebook group. ★ Support this podcast ★