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

From the moment Jesus’ Heart was torn apart by the accusation of the Pharisees and scribes, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them” (Luke 15:2) which had also set the stage for our 40-Day Lenten Retreat, we have now come to the last scene. The Pharisees and scribes were also the lost sheep, which Jesus loved as well. Their pride and hardened hearts pierced the Heart of Jesus, who was Himself the icon and face of the Father to them. Piercing Jesus' heart is piercing the heart of God the Father.Sins scatter, while the Father gathers. He wants to gather us in, into His House, into His Heart! Our true identity as His adopted children was smeared by our sins. Jesus came to save us and free us from our disfiguration! Jesus came to show us the Heart of the Father towards the sinners, who represent ALL OF US, with no exception! We are all lost sheep. We are the lost son! We are all spiritually dead to different degrees! God does not only “welcome sinners and eat with them” as the Pharisees accused Jesus, but He also seeks and chases after us. He carries and embraces all of us… In order to bring us back to life, He would do anything, including a complete GIFT OF SELF, unreserved, naked, on the Cross. He is a just God overpowered only by His mercy!Fast forward to the “end”, when these Pharisees and scribes successfully nailed Jesus to the Cross. And Jesus, who is the only BRIDGE between God and human, finally said His last word, “It is finished” (John 19:30) before He expired. What was finished...when hearts were still hardened, and sins were still abound? How did Jesus feel when He knew that for generations to come, His total self-giving gift would not be appreciated, let alone accepted by those whom He loves most? What for? But “despair” wasn’t the last word for Jesus. He has hope! And so must we! But His hope lies upon us. Jesus’ work as a true human has indeed been completed. And now it is our turn! We are His extensions in the world!We are not as helpless as many of us think. Although in this world, we recognize the suffering faces of Jesus everywhere —— injustice, persecutions, violence, wars... —— sin does not shy away from showing its ugly face, yet we are to be there to bring Jesus back into the picture! And during this pandemic, we are not simply waiting for the pandemic to go away. We should actively prepare for a whole new world, a new springtime! We are to become a new bridge. We are to become Christ to one another!The GATHERING Heart of the Father wants all of His children to be UNITED in spirit and in action! The Vine and the Branches (John 15:1-10), the Body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:12-31), and the Holy Communion all symbolize the all-important UNITY that God desires! There is no division in the Father’s House! So, we’d better reconcile with one another before we are admitted to Heaven for eternal peace! It is not too late, but we need to take actions now. Jesus has gone back to the Father to prepare for us many rooms, but whether those rooms will be taken eventually depends on us. As Christians, we are entrusted with one Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20; Mark 16:15-16; Luke 24:47-48) to bring as many people back home as possible. But we cannot do that alone! Jesus knew...Jesus spent His whole three years of public ministry to institute the Church for us! It is meant to accompany us till the end of times. It is the boat that carries us to the Father’s House. Don’t abandon the Church. It is Jesus’ inheritance for us and is one of His greatest gifts for the world! Jesus gave us His Church because He knows human limitations and frailty so well. He knows we are too weak to go home alone on this earthly pilgrimage. He does not want us to be like the prodigal son going home by himself. It is too risky! We need companions. And most importantly, we need divine power, from the Holy Spirit.Jesus said to them, “Thus it is written that the Messiah would suffer and rise from the dead on the third day and that REPENTANCE, for the forgiveness of sins, would be preached in his name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. And [behold] I am sending the promise of my Father upon you; but stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.” (Luke 24:46-49)That promise, the power from on high, is the Holy Spirit. While Jesus is the BRIDGE to the FATHER’S HEART, the Holy Spirit can be seen as the SPRINGBOARD to give us power and guidance to do the Father’s will. We need to first REPENT and RETURN, and then to be baptized and REBORN in the Spirit, and then we should move on to the third stage, RECRUIT.Today, we should move beyond the images of the younger son and the elder son. We should move on to become the Father —— to become the Father’s face for the world to see. Jesus invites us to extend the BELOVEDNESS to the world by following the NEW Commandment He has given us: “I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should

Yesterday we said that God shows no partiality. You may wonder, is that really true? Didn’t Jesus have His favourite friends and disciples? The first ones who come to our minds could be Jesus’ friends, Mary, Martha and Lazarus. As Jesus was also a human being bound by time and space, He could not be there for many people at the same time during His short three years of public ministry. He needed to focus and grow some deeper relationships rather than being everything for everyone. Apparently, time spent on selected relationships would nurture closer friendships.Speaking of the concept of BELOVEDNESS yesterday, one prime example of Jesus’ beloved disciple was John. What made John “attractive” to Jesus? Why not Peter, whom Jesus chose to be the leader of the Twelve? Indeed, Peter, James and John were all closer to Jesus than the other Apostles. They could all be called beloved disciples of Jesus. But John was special...If you recall, when Jesus chose His Apostles and when He picked John and James, Jesus gave them the nickname of “Boanerges”, meaning “sons of thunder” (Mark 3:17). That should tell us that the two brothers were not good-tempered, if not fiery. So, why did Jesus choose John to be His beloved disciple? Let us take a closer look at how John approached Jesus. Instead of treating Jesus as Lord, master, teacher or someone way up high and unapproachable, he treated Jesus as his best friend, whom he also loved. “Belovedness” is mutual in nature. It is not that Jesus preferentially chose John to be His beloved and so treated John with favouritism. That would be against the nature of God. The difference lies in how we approach this greatest lover of all time, Jesus! When Jesus was deeply troubled at the Last Supper (John 13:21), John was at His side...One of his disciples, whom Jesus loved, was lying close to the breast of Jesus. (John 13:23)As John stayed close to Jesus’ Heart, he knew what Jesus needed and so he stayed close to Jesus through His Passion. He followed Jesus closely to His Cross, where he stayed also close to Mother Mary. With John’s gift to Jesus by remaining close to Him and the one Jesus loved most, His mother, Jesus also gave John the best gift...“Behold, your mother.” Jesus said to John. And from that hour John took her into his home. (John 19:27)Based on Church’s tradition, John was the unnamed disciple who acted immediately and followed Jesus after hearing the word from John the Baptist: “Behold, the Lamb of God”. He and Andrew asked Jesus the question, “Rabbi, where are you staying?” As Jesus answered them vaguely, “Come, and you will see.” They went and stayed with Jesus. (John 1:35-40)Through his desire to be close to Jesus and to stay with Him, John was gradually tamed and he surrendered himself completely to Jesus for the rest of his life. That is why he was always described in the Gospel as the disciple whom Jesus loved. We should be convinced by now that God shows no partiality, so when it is said that Jesus loves someone in particular, the only reason is that the person is willing to be loved and engaged in an intimate relationship with Jesus. Jesus reacts to our response to His invitation for love!That is the invitation of today, Good Friday. As we relive the most “devastating” moments of Jesus’ life, let us ask ourselves, “How much am I willing to dive into a deeper relationship with Jesus?” How inclined are we to stay at zero-distance next to Jesus’ Heart like John (John 13:23)? Are we willing to embrace Jesus as our beloved the same way He embraces us as His?REFLECTIONHave you been waiting for God to take initiative in reaching out and speaking to you? Compared to St. John, have you been too passive in your relationship with God?As John was so close to Jesus, he could ask Jesus questions and get answers from Him directly, just as Jesus disclosed Judas’s betrayal first to John. Does this reveal to you the secret of hearing God’s voice more easily? Would this new understanding change how you would relate to God?As you have heard the reason behind the belovedness of John in Jesus’ eyes, what is the Spirit’s invitation to you moving forward?TODAY’S PRAYERDear Jesus, it dawns on me that I haven’t been taking enough initiative in reaching out to You and following You closely. Now I understand why St. John was Your beloved disciple. I have a lot to learn from him! Jesus, I realize that You cherish me more than I cherish You. Help me to learn from John to be at Your side and by Your Heart always, to tend to Your needs and to quench Your thirst as You continue suffering for all mankind. As I commemorate Your crucifixion, help me abstain from any form of evil to ease your pain, and to stay close to You to give You comfort. I ask this 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 em

God the Father spoke three times in the New Testament that could be heard. We will talk about two of these incidents today. The first time was at Jesus’ baptism, After Jesus was baptized, he came up from the water and behold, the heavens were opened [for him], and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove [and] coming upon Him. And a voice came from the heavens, saying, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:16-17)and the second time on the Mount of Transfiguration. Behold, a bright cloud cast a shadow over them, then from the cloud came a voice that said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” (Matthew 17:5)On both occasions, God the Father clearly indicated to us His relationship with Jesus, that Jesus is His Beloved Son.At Jesus’ baptism, God’s voice was like a public announcement to everyone present, declaring the identity of Jesus to all. As we are baptized, we share in the divinity of God. God the Father also declares to the world that we are His Beloved children. Just as God was well pleased with Jesus even though he had not begun His public ministry, God is well pleased with us, needing no proof of our fidelity and worthiness. The gift of our status as a Beloved child is truly unconditional.The second time God spoke was at the Transfiguration of Jesus. His voice came from the cloud, which represented God’s presence. It was closer and thus more intimate. In that incident, clearly God was speaking to the three apostles, who represent us. It happened after Jesus’ first prediction of His Passion. Through that out-of-the-world experience, God the Father wanted to strengthen both Jesus and the disciples, to provide them with a deep consolation to ride out the upcoming trials and persecutions. God the Father has a particular instruction for us, “Listen to Him.” This affirmed the “Conditions of Discipleship” instructed by Jesus to us, His followers. If you may recall, the same instruction was given to us through Mother Mary at a wedding in Cana. His mother said to the servers, “Do whatever He tells you.” (John 2:5)This commandment for all Christians has become the most important instruction of all time, given to us by both Jesus’ Father and Mother. “Listen to Him!”Holy Thursday marks the beginning of the climax of the Holy Week, the Lenten Season, and in fact the whole liturgical year for various reasons. The obvious reasons are Jesus instituted the Holy Eucharist as well as the Holy Order during the Last Supper. It was also the most intimate time Jesus had with His Apostles. We are all familiar with His washing of the disciples’ feet during the Last Supper, showing His deep affection for them, while demonstrating the model of a servant leader for them to follow. Mind you, Judas was there during that most humbling feet washing ritual. Even during His most painful time, Jesus did not exclude Judas from receiving His love for him. This most intimate relationship excludes no sinners. There is no exception to the rule, as long as you accept His love. Simon Peter said to Jesus, “Master, then not only my feet, but my hands and head as well.” (John 13:9)Look at Peter, who showed Jesus such an affectionate response when Jesus told him, “Unless I wash you, you have no share with me.” (John 13:8) This kind of love is what quenches the thirst of Jesus for our affection. The telling of the parable of the Vine and the Branches (John 15:1-10), and in particular, the Prayer of Jesus to His Father (John 17) in the presence of His Apostles, unmistakably show us how much Jesus and His Father want to be completely united with us, His Beloved. Shortly before His arrest, Passion and death on the Cross, Jesus’ last words and prayer for us are not to be taken lightly!REFLECTIONHow much can you relate to being identified and called by God the Father as His “Beloved child”?By showing us how He related to His Beloved Son, Jesus, God the Father also shows us the extent He wishes to intimately relate to us. Take a moment to taste and feel the sweetness and tenderness of our Heavenly Father.Do you believe that God’s love for us shows no partiality, that an intimate relationship with Him is possible with no exception?TODAY’S PRAYERDear Abba Father, in the past, I was not fully aware of Your tender love for me. How ignorant was I! And how little had I paid attention to Your attentive love for me! As I prepare myself to embrace the sacredness of this holy season, please enlighten me with Your holy love. Grant me the eyes of faith to find You in all things, and to respond with an affectionate heart. I resolve to start showing up to Your presence as You seek me out in my daily life. I ask this in the 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.

As we are invited to remain close to Jesus, we will be able to witness clearly and firsthand how much Jesus has suffered for us. This is done through meditating on the Gospel. This is crucial as we strive to build an intimate relationship with God, which will then sustain our spiritual growth. If we do not know how much God is willing to suffer for us, we do not know how to appreciate God’s love. This lack of appreciation weakens the awareness of our identity which results in a distortion of perspectives and values in our lives. The life of Jesus was filled with trials, temptations, sufferings and persecutions, which were out of proportion in his short three years of public ministry. For whom did He embrace all those pains and sufferings. If not for us, His sacrifices would have been in vain! If Jesus, being God Himself, took on all those hardships and struggles in life, should we be exempted?We have heard so many people praying for a smooth and non-eventful golden age with a happy death without sicknesses and pain. Humanly speaking, no one loves sufferings. Yet, is a life without sufferings the best route to Heaven? Yesterday, we mentioned that being close to Jesus holds the key to heaven. But being close to Jesus also guarantees pain and sufferings. Jesus said, “If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” (Luke 9:23)These are called the “Conditions of Discipleship” for being genuine followers of Christ. Life is much easier for fake followers of Christ. They reject suffering and enjoy status and comfort of living. They lay burdens and look down on others while lifting themselves up to be glorified. That is the path of the Pharisees. As Jesus told them the parable of the lost son, He intently warned them of their role as the elder son to highlight their hypocrisy. Yet, Jesus also wanted to tell them that they were equally loved by the Father.The father said to the elder son, “My son, you are here with me always; everything I have is yours.” (Luke 15:31)The elder son must have thought to himself, “It is not right for this wayward son to receive more than what I deserve. I have worked so hard over the years! If I had known that it would be so easy to receive the same reward, I would have done what he did and just enjoyed life! There is something wrong here!”The blessings lie not only in the final rewards, but also in being with the Father. The blessings are also given along the journey, through labours and sufferings, which are part of the conditions of discipleship mentioned above. There is a saying “Blessings in Disguise”. Let us taste and see what it means and to fully embrace this perspective in our lives. This beautiful concept invites us to treasure every learning opportunity from God, to accept our own weaknesses and limitations, to embrace our sinfulness and brokenness, to abandon our preferences and personal ambitions, to offer up our sacrifices and vulnerabilities, and to be naked without shame before God!With the eyes of faith, the curses and ugliness we experience in life have transformed into blessings. Our sufferings and our brokenness beg for God’s compassionate mercy and His tender love to heal our wounds and soothe our pains! From this we know there is no limit and boundary in His abundant graces! His mercy is like a vast ocean. No human conditions can escape this powerful stream of love only if we allow it to flow into our lives. The blood and water that flow from His opened side cleanse and purify us, overwhelming us with His Divine Love and Mercy!Let us all LIFT JESUS HIGHER so that His merciful love will flow like a broken dam flooding the whole mankind to draw all people to Jesus. (John 12:32)God knows that we cannot repay His love for us. He settles with the offering of our labours and pains, sacrifices and vulnerabilities, and most importantly, our will and our sins to our Lord! As we enter into the climax of the Holy Week, let us also put on the armour of Christ to accompany and stand by Jesus through His Passion, and dive into the Heart of the Suffering Jesus!REFLECTIONAre you avoiding sufferings and pains at all cost? Can you look beyond and see the blessings behind each opportunity to suffer for Christ?Do you know that our rejection of our own sufferings is to deny the values and meaning of Christ's suffering and death for us?Would you choose to endure earthly sufferings so as to enjoy eternal joy and reward, or to indulge in earthly pleasures only to endure eternal punishment?TODAY’S PRAYERDear Jesus, thank you for pointing out to me that the focus in life is not on what I have given but what I have been gifted, not on my sufferings but on the hidden blessings, not on the rewards of my labour but on the joy of Your companionship throughout the journey, and not on my sinfulness but on Your infinite mercy! How this shift of my perspective changes the whole world for me! The lens through which I looked at the world was so distor

Like all the apostles who promised Jesus not to desert Him as He went through His Passion, we know that in reality, most of us will. When you were asked yesterday whether you would choose to be a deserter or a faithful follower, what was your choice? None of us want to be identified as a deserter. But why, in reality, only so few of us are found at the foot of the Cross? What is going on here? Let us turn to Mother Mary, who has always been following Jesus closely, both physically and spiritually, especially during the Passion of Christ. She was connected with Jesus; she was in solidarity with Him in spirit. No circumstances or external threats could deter Mother Mary from following Jesus, let alone convince her to desert Him. We can be sure that she was constantly confronted by Satan, who also “followed” Jesus closely to prevent people from getting close to Jesus. Satan knows Jesus is the BRIDGE to God the Father. So, Satan is determined to burn that bridge! It does not only try to destroy Jesus, but it also vows to destroy anyone who commits themselves as His disciples throughout history. Anyone who gets close to Jesus, it will attack, using countless tactics previously described in this retreat. But let us not be gripped by fears and fall into despair as that is a trap as well. Let us learn from Mother Mary. If she has been able to conquer Satan to remain with Jesus, we have hope too! Like Mary, whoever keeps minimal distance from Jesus holds the key to Heaven, to the Father’s House. It is as simple as that! And who else other than Satan would be trying so hard to trick and motivate us to keep a “safe” distance from Jesus! We should be sure that if Peter did not fall into the trap of Satan but followed Jesus closely, the history of his three denials of Jesus would have been rewritten.Let us turn our gaze to Our Creator and Our God to find out His approach in relating to us. First of all, God has created us in His image. He has taken us as His bride and cares for our every need in minute details. Then in order to redeem us, He was born of a human, the virgin Mary, to become a human being like us so that He could dwell among us. In doing so, He experienced all forms of human sufferings, and at the end, He died the most shameful death on the Cross. Before Jesus returned to the Father, He left us His Body and Blood to live among us and to accompany us until the day we are forever united with God in Heaven. Imagine for a moment. If you have created robots, will you become a robot to die for them in order to save them? Can we see that God’s approach is a “zero-distance” approach? Unfortunately, His “zero-distance” approach is met with our “keep-a-distance” approach. What a gap!If you agree that the father in the parable is “unreasonable” and lavish in his love and sacrifices for his two sons, how much more generous is our heavenly Father’s love for us! How is it possible that God cares for us so much more than we care for Him? In fact, it is we who need Him the most. Where is the missing link?Nurturing a relationship requires great effort. On Day 15, we mentioned that our RELATIONSHIP with God helps us to find our IDENTITY, which defines and shapes our MISSION on earth. Relationship with God is the most worthwhile “investment” of our time here on earth. Here we can borrow some insights from the famous Aesop Fable “The Turtle and the Rabbit” to shed some light for us regarding our relationship with God. In the story, the proud rabbit believes that it is well ahead in the race and still has lots of time, so it slacks off and remains idle, until it is too late to catch up. Our relationship with God, which is equivalent to Our Journey Home, requires consistency and persistence. In order to arrive at our destination ahead of time, we cannot afford to be idle, to make unnecessary stops, or to take on a wait-and-see approach like the rabbit. At the end of the day, the humble ones win the race. Jesus said in Mark 10:31, “Many that are first will be last, and the last will be first.”Even though the younger son went astray, yet once he had woken up, he did not allow anything to stop him from returning home to his father.His humility, determination, and perseverance helped him to win the proud rabbit in successfully arriving at his destination safe and early.REFLECTIONHow different is your approach in relating to God and His approach in relating to you?What can you learn from Mother Mary in relating to, following, and loving Jesus?Are you a rabbit or a turtle, the elder son or the younger son?TODAY’S PRAYERDear Abba Father, I am overwhelmed by how close and connected You desire to remain with me. Your zero-distant approach to love has deeply touched me and made me speechless. How could I ever resist Your love? But I notice that my stubbornness gets in the way as I want to stay close to You. I have also realized whenever I neglect others, or decide to walk away when others need me badly, I am in fact deserting Jesus like

We should humbly accept that we are still far away from our Father’s Heart, like the two brothers in the parable. We have, to different extents, deviated from the right path. We are all in some forms of a distant country. Whether we like it or not, we are all like the elder and the younger sons in different ways. Aren’t we stubborn and tied up by our bad habits and attitudes, wrong beliefs, prejudices and judgments, and deviated behaviours and actions? Our images are disfigured by our sins, and we have lost our original beauty given to us by Our Creator. Our potentials are locked up as a result and we all have some work to do.Our journey home is like taking a road trip. First of all, we need to know our destination. We also need to know where we are right now. GPS does not work without start and end points. Likewise for our life’s GPS! We also need to know our desired arrival time to know whether we have time to stop over at certain places. You may ask, “If I don’t know how much time I have on earth, how would I know the arrival time?” That is very true. But the key point is that we want to arrive well ahead of time. The Kingdom of God is what we are called to build on earth. And whenever we have established the Kingdom of God in our hearts, we are home with the Father, which is the Father’s will for us. That is our destination for this pilgrimage on earth. Once we know our destination, our current position, and when we want to arrive, the rest is simple mathematics. We can easily calculate the speed required to get us there in time. There are many among us who believe that we still have lots of time. There is no big rush! But if you look around, especially during this pandemic, you know this assumption is wrong. Besides, none of us know when Jesus will return for the Last Judgement. Let us not take any chances. It is not worth the risk.As mentioned in a previous reflection, in His short three years of public ministry, Jesus had a lot to accomplish to fulfill His mission on earth. Unless Jesus remained focused, His mission would not have been accomplished in time. Like Jesus, we need to stay on course and remain focused on what we are called to accomplish in our lives —— to bring ourselves and more people back to the Father’s House. This is our common mission regardless of our stages in life. Just as Jesus sent two apostles ahead of Him to prepare for the Passover before His Passion, we are also called to prepare the way of the Lord, for ourselves and for others. We all have a role to play in this “Holy Week” of our lives. We can be like Peter, who followed Jesus at a distance, close enough to watch like a bystander, yet far enough not to be identified and caught. While this comfort zone seemed to offer him safety, it had in fact put Peter into a dangerous position to be tempted by the Devil to deny and walk away from Jesus whenever he was confronted. Spiritually, we need to be prepared ahead of time before sufferings and persecutions come our way. Otherwise, when all these strike, we will be like sheep without a shepherd. Scared and scattered, we will all become deserters like Peter and the other disciples.While Jesus has promised to prepare a place for us in the Father’s house, He has entrusted us with a role similar to the role of John the Baptist in His time, “A voice of one crying out in the desert, ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths.’” (Matthew 3:3) That is hard work, no doubt! Reward is great too! Let us remind ourselves that there is no shortcut to Heaven. To be a deserter or to be a faithful follower, the choice is ours to make.REFLECTIONIf you have been taking a wait-and-see approach in committing yourself to this journey home, would you consider making a radical change during this Holy Week?Do you believe that you still have lots of time left and there is no rush? If so, why are you so sure?Do you find yourself resisting changes in life even though you know those changes are good for you?TODAY’S PRAYERDear Jesus, I know I have forsaken You numerous times in my life. I have kept a distance from You. I want to keep myself safe from any criticisms and persecutions as a result of my identity as Your follower. Like Peter, I acted against my own will. My will and my flesh are so weak. Like Your apostles and disciples, I also left You and fled. How I have hurt You, Lord! I turned my face away from You when You looked out for me. I watched You suffer and ridiculed at a distance. O my Lord, grant me the strength and courage to be like Your mother, to be by Your side always, to never forsake You, even when troubles and persecutions come my way. This I ask the Father 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

Yesterday, we talked about the Father’s Pain, the Father’s Passion... Nothing is more devastating to the Father than to see His children drifting away from the source of life, entrapped in sins willingly or unknowingly, killing and trampling on one another along the way, intoxicated and suffocating by the venom of the snake, and unconsciously entering the dark valley of death, slowly passing away… By trusting in ourselves rather than in God, we are following the wrong path deviated from the WAY. We confuse our minds by believing in lies and acting in ways opposite to the TRUTH, and trusting and following the master of deception that leads us to eternal damnation, instead of trusting in the author of LIFE. If we are not vigilant enough, we can easily become an anti-witness of Christ to the world, a manifestation of anything but a Christ follower, a total rejection of who Jesus identifies Himself as in the Gospel of John Chapter 14 verse 6:Jesus says, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6)Leading a dissolute lifestyle is totally against the will of the Father, who sent His only begotten Son - the WORD INCARNATE - to the world, to dwell among us, to marry His Divinity with our humanity, to die for us to redeem us from our sins, to give us new life, to elevate us and embrace us as His adopted children, to breath in us His Spirit, to commission us to save one another, and at the end, to be reunited with us forever in the new Eden, to enjoy eternal happiness in the Father’s House. We need to respond to the Father’s will by leading a spirit-filled lifestyle, knowing that the Father’s House is our final destination!Now is the time to discern God’s WAY and stop moving away from Him, to rediscover the “true north” in life by following the only absolute TRUTH instructed by Christ Jesus, and to repent from our past sins by redefining and reshaping our LIFE in Christ, and not in Satan. Jesus, not Satan, is the BRIDGE to the Father’s House. Embrace Jesus, renounce Satan. Friends, regardless of where you are in life, no matter what you have done in the past that has offended God, no matter how harsh you have treated others, trust that our Merciful Father knows everything. He is ready to absolve all your sins and to take you back to His embrace. He is only waiting for you to REPENT, to rediscover His love for you, and to love Him with all your HEART, with all your SOUL, with all your MIND, and with all your STRENGTH; and to love your neighbour as yourself (Mark 12:30-31).Whether we are like the younger son, the elder son, or a combination of both of them, it doesn’t matter a bit to God the Father! To Him, all of us are equal, and He loves us all the same. We are in the same boat. We are fellow-sinners on the same journey home. Whether or not we can be home safe and sound depends on how united we are in helping and supporting one another along the way. We should not be mistaken to treat one another as rivals as we have only one common enemy —— Satan.Whether we like it or not, ever since our birth, our pilgrimage on earth has been a journey towards death. To Christians, death is the doorway to eternal life. Coming Home requires us to be brutally honest with ourselves, with God and with others. Instead of being fearful, we should face our sinfulness and brokenness with COURAGE. During the Easter Vigil, we hear these lines:O truly necessary sin of Adam,Destroyed completely by the Death of Christ!O happy fault that earned so great,So glorious a Redeemer!Lord, Your Grace is sufficient for us! REFLECTIONDo you believe that Jesus is the only gateway to God, that no one can go to the Father except through Him? If you do, what are you doing to live this out in your life?Do you think you are honest enough with yourself, with others and with God?Do you believe that God’s grace is sufficient for you? Or are you still frantically trying to hold onto something to feel secure?TODAY’S PRAYERDear Abba Father, thank you again for inviting me to come home to You. Instead of being discouraged, I now see light at the end of the tunnel. You are this LIGHT in my life. You are my HOPE. You are my DESTINY! You are EVERYTHING I should aim for! Let me not be absorbed in anything less! Grant me the courage to face myself. I desire to be totally honest with You. And I know that it requires me to be totally honest with myself and others. Jesus, take my hand. I know You are the only bridge through which I can arrive home safe. Don’t let me let go of You. You are my only Lord and Saviour! To whom shall I count on along this homecoming pilgrimage back to the Father’s House?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 though

Through the previous reflections, have you gained a better understanding of the nature of our Heavenly Father? He prefers collaboration to competition. He desires mercy over justice. Even though He is THE JUDGE, He withholds His anger to give us chances to repent. Instead of demanding from us, He likes to give unconditionally and abundantly. And in order to save us from eternal damnation and to be with us forever, while we were still sinners, He sacrificed His only Son so that everyone who believes in Him might not perish but might have eternal life (John 3:16). With this kind of love, imagine how much it hurts our Heavenly Father to see us fighting with each other, and killing each other with all sorts of visible and invisible weapons. All these have pierced His Heart... There has not been a single moment since the creation of us human beings when Our Heavenly Father is not in pain because of our sins. Not a single moment! The lance of our sin has never stopped piercing His Heart. Can you imagine what kind of pain Our God suffers as He witnesses His children fighting against and killing each other? Can you imagine that you and I are the soldier who broke open the side and pierced Jesus’ Heart?What pierces the Father’s Heart? It is when His children do not appreciate His love, do not trust Him but decide to leave home, wander aimlessly in dangers, become rotten apples of the society, forgo their identity as God’s children to pursue other idols, misinterpret His love for us, etc., etc. There are millions of reasons that can break our Father’s Heart, but there is one thing that hurts Him most. That is when He witnesses the fighting and killing of one another among His beloved children. We might have experienced our parents telling us that their final wish on earth is that their children will love one another and be united even in their absence. That’s our Father’s Heart!Look at our families and the society, what are all those fights about? For wealth, power, status, fame, pleasures,...? If you say “no” to all these, then what? Let us take a deep breath and face this question! For what? What are the benefits of all these fights on earth?Our salvation matters most to our Heavenly Father. His ultimate wish is to be united with every single child. Every single one of us that He has created, because He loves each one of us! Our killing and fighting against each other, in whatever form, is one of the most destructive sins that will eventually suffocate and kill our souls. That is the opposite of the two most important commandments of all: Love Your God and Love Your Neighbor As Yourself. By fighting with and killing each other, what can we gain after all? “What profit would there be for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? Or what can one give in exchange for his life?” (Matthew 16:26)REFLECTIONTake a moment to feel the pains of our Heavenly Father witnessing all the hatreds, accusations, injustice, violence, persecutions, killings, and all forms of merciless attacks against one another on earth. In what ways are you participating in these violent acts directly or indirectly? In what ways are you like the soldier piercing the Heart of Christ with a lance? What are the behaviours and habits, in deeds or in words, that keep breaking the Father’s Heart?TODAY’S PRAYERDear Abba Father, thank you for allowing me to feel Your pains. I have never imagined how painful You have been ever since You have created us. Who are we? We are only dust. Yet, Your love for us is so incredibly deep! I used to think that You were immune to all the pains and sufferings of this world. Now, I have come to realize that not only is it painful for You to see all the fights and killings among us, but You are also most affected by all of our sufferings, especially those caused by our sins and hatreds against one another. Lord, save me from my sins and deliver me from every evil. Please turn me into an instrument of peace and Your holy love to this broken world!I ask this in the 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 ★

While the two brothers in the parable have very different personalities and they have followed very different paths in lives, there are a lot of similarities between them. While the younger son is addicted to pleasures and sinful activities, the elder son has clinged to status and personal achievements and is obsessed with following rules. Both are forms of slavery. As the younger son demands his share of his father’s property, the elder son slaves for his livelihood and inheritance, seeking compensation, rewards and praises from his father. He has mistaken his father’s unconditional love and turned it into a transactional relationship. The younger son desires to be free and independent, while the elder brother desires another form of independence by demonstrating to his father that he is capable and loyal. In doing so, he tries to earn his reward and inheritance from his father. With a calculating mindset, he believes that the better his performance, the more rewards he deserves. And the rewards given by his father become his entitlement. As the younger son took off to a distant country, the elder son lives in his own distant country even though he is physically home with his father. Both are wandering and are indeed very distant from the father’s heart. Both are blinded and suffering from hardened hearts that prevent them from seeing and feeling their father’s love. So, while it seems that only the younger son has forgone his identity as his father’s son, the elder son has also given up his identity by perceiving his father as the master of his own slavery. Just as the younger son hired himself out to one of the local citizens who sent him to his farm to tend the swine (Luke 15:15), the elder son has hired himself out to his imaginary slave master, his father. Sadly, all three main characters of this parable suffer immensely because of the flawed mindsets, attitudes, behaviours and actions of the two sons. This parable has revealed the costly impact of a dysfunctional and broken family. The biggest victim is the father, who has essentially lost both of his sons, while he attempts to mediate between them. Although both sons are physically alive, they are spiritually dead.When the elder son refused to enter the house, his father came out and pleaded with him. (Luke 15:28)The father bent over backwards to plead with his son. His love for his son caused him to do anything he could to relate to his son and to restore the trust between them. Can you imagine how painful the father feels, seeing the enmity that divides his two beloved sons? Hastened to come out to check on his elder son, the father spoke from his heart to explain the situation to alleviate his son’s anger. With such animosity toward his brother, the elder son would need a long time for his frustrations to subside. We can imagine how long it would take the father to show empathy to his son and to appeal to him to reconcile with his brother. Jesus did not tell us the ending of the story, but that is beside the point. The important message to us is that our PRIDE causes troubles not only for us, but for our Heavenly Father. He has to do a lot of work behind the scene to take care of the mess and mend the brokenness we have caused, as well as to smoothen situations and even to mediate between people for us. All this mess is a direct result of our abusing of the freedom gifted to us by God. It is God who has worked miracles while we naively believe that things are under our control. It is as though God has become our servant as He helps us to take care of the things we cannot handle in life. Can we begin to appreciate this God who lets nothing separate us from His love?REFLECTIONDo you believe that God’s love cannot be earned, is not performance based, but is freely given to us as God’s grace?If someone has sinned against you, can you adopt the father’s approach rather than the elder son’s approach in treating them?Witnessing how the father mediated between the two sons, do You believe that God’s love for you is personal and attentive?TODAY’S PRAYERDear Abba Father, the father in the parable of the lost son once again reminds me that nothing can separate me from Your love. I used to think that You would not go out of Your way to attend to all the details of my life. But Your personal and proven love has proved me wrong. If You did not spare Your own Son but handed Him over for us all, how would You not also give us everything else along with Him? If You do not condemn my sins, how can I not forgive anyone who has offended me? O God, grant me Your Heart so that I can be Your mercy to those around me. (Ref. Romans 8:32, 38-39)I ask this in the 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 an

In our society, we often ask, “What is my fair share?” “What is my entitlement?” It is as if the world and others owe us many things that should rightfully be ours. How much is enough? Our wants seem to be endless. We often ask, “How can I protect my rights so that I am not taken advantage of?” But where should we draw the line? Instead of asking, “Am I getting enough?” How about asking, “Am I giving enough?” When we are in a GIVING mindset instead of a GETTING mindset, everything changes. Our lens, our attitudes, our emotions, our actions, and our relationships with others will change for the better. We will shift from the two sons’ demanding mode, to the father’s generous giver mode. From bitterness to joyous; from doubting to trusting; from comparing to caring. The world changes for the better because of the change of our perspective. Our inability to change our lens leads us to a competitive mentality. We perceive the world as not having enough resources to share. We fight our way to access more resources and benefits. We see everyone along the way as rivals who threaten us instead of companions who build us up. Envy, greediness, and all sorts of evil spirits take hold of us, and we are enslaved in our little and limited world. But in God’s Creation, there is only abundance, nothing good is lacking. This widens rather than constrains our minds, hearts and spirit. How we see things really matters!The common belief is that COMPETITION leads to improvement. However, it cannot be achieved without a huge price. As we strive to outperform others, we get into a competitive mindset. That fosters egocentrism and selfishness that puts us into a FIGHTING mode instead of a SHARING and COLLABORATIVE mode, which results in huge negative consequences. It causes division rather than promote unity, which threatens to tear our human fabric apart in the long run. That is why the more advanced our society is, the faster the pace of development, the more crooked our morality and spirituality are. This applies to both individual and collective or social structural levels. On a personal level, in order to get ahead and to prove that we are superior, we are inclined to deflate others in order to inflate ourselves. We take every opportunity to engage ourselves in activities like gossiping, judging others, putting down or speaking ill of others. Satan keeps raising its ugly head in every circumstance of our daily lives. We often fall into the temptation warned against by Jesus that we tend to notice the speck in other’s eyes but not perceive the wooden beam in our own (Matthew 7:3). We become impatient; we refuse to listen; and we jump to conclusions. The underlying factors of this mentality and behavior originate from PRIDE. Pride arises when we do not know our IDENTITY and our BELOVEDNESS and worthiness in God’s eyes. When we do not know our true identity, we cannot feel our worthiness. We become insecure, and we have low self esteem. This condition will once again trigger our JUDGMENT and COMPETITION mechanism. This vicious cycle will eventually destroy our final stronghold —— our TRUST in God and in others.Judgment is the trap the elder son has fallen into, which entrapped the Pharisees in Jesus’ time as well. Judging blinds our minds, corrupts our spirit, and robs our hearts of the ability to be merciful to others.“If you judge people, you have no time to love them.” ― Mother TeresaREFLECTIONWhich question do you ask more often, “Am I getting enough?” or “Am I giving enough?”Do you often perceive people as rivals or threats rather than friends and collaborators?How competitive are you and how merciful are you? Are these compatible with each other?TODAY’S PRAYERDear Abba Father, You have granted me companions on my journey but I have mistaken them as my competitors. You have granted me gifts and graces but I see them as my entitlements or my personal accomplishments. You have showered me with abundant resources but I only see scarcity and deficiencies. How distorted is my vision and how unreliable I am in perceiving things clearly as they really are. How I need You, Lord in clearing my clouded mind, in replacing my heart of stone with Your merciful heart, and in breathing in me Your Spirit so as to expel my judgmental and competitive spirits. May I embark on a new journey today as I resolve to see things differently by seeking Your vision and Your heart! I ask this in the 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 ★

Yesterday we learned from the Catechism of the Catholic Church the definition of the virtue of justice: Justice is the moral virtue that consists in the constant and firm will to give their due to God and neighbour (CCC 1807). This is a concept that not many people are aware of or consciously practicing. The lack of this mentality leads to all sorts of conflicts among individuals and groups who are trying to protect and fight for their own interests. Conflict resolution requires us to wear a different lens, on top of the ability to put ourselves in other people's shoes. The concept of giving to God and others their due is more important and powerful than what most of us might think. The Catechism continues to state that “Justice towards men disposes one to respect the rights of each and to establish in human relationships the harmony that promotes equity with regard to persons and to the common good.” (CCC 1807) The focus here is on the common good versus individual interests; respecting the rights of others rather than focusing only on our own rights. And the result is the establishment in human relationships the HARMONY that promotes EQUITY and the COMMON GOOD. It is a paradigm shift to say the least. The inability of our society to maintain harmony is due to the lack of this noble insight. The result is the breakdown of human relationships and rapport that are paramount in sustaining the "human ecosystem" for continuous growth and development. And this is happening all over the world! Ironically, as we strive for economic development, our society is now more torn, polarized and divided as it has ever been. Accusations, divisions, wars, revenges and violence have become the new norm of the current very tragic human condition. And we have become desensitized to this trend. Sadly, we are all contributing directly and indirectly to this self-destructing pandemic! What instead are we called to do? What should be our role? We should see ourselves as “stewards", and not "owners". We are the stewards of this world and all the things that are entrusted to us. We are to distribute these resources which are given freely to us to those in need. That is the "equity" and true fairness we should promote! This equity leads to rapport and solidarity among human beings. If we do not share with others what is rightfully theirs, to give their due to our neighbours, we are actually robbing them of their properties. At the end, when Jesus comes again, we will need to prepare a full account of our stewardship (Luke 16:2).The Catechism tells us that “The just man, often mentioned in the Sacred Scriptures, is distinguished by habitual right thinking and the uprightness of his conduct toward his neighbor.”(CCC 1807)This is a wake-up call for all of us Christians not to be misled by Satan to engage or indulge ourselves in all sorts of accusations, laying blames on others, and judging and condemning others in the light of protecting our own ideologies and rights. At the end of the day, what really matters most is human relationship. It is the UNITY and COMMUNION that our Lord calls us to aim for even here on earth. Let us not focus on our differences but our shared humanity and universal virtues. Let us reflect on our true identity as stewards and do away with the owner mentality. Let us be prepared to give a full account of our stewardship before Christ."If you are not trustworthy with what belongs to another, who will give you what is yours? (Luke 16:12)REFLECTIONDo you identify yourself as the owner or steward of what is given to you by God? What is the evidence that supports your claim?In what ways are you depriving others of what are due to them?Are you engaged directly and indirectly in activities that have brought about divisions and conflicts among people?TODAY’S PRAYERDear Abba Father, how narrow-minded and selfish I have been when I only saw myself as the sole owner of Your gifts and graces. I cannot bear to reflect on the numerous occasions that I have deprived others of what were due to them! It is painful for me to even think about it now. Restore to me the joy of receiving Your providence and Your call to be a steward, and sustain in me a constant and firm will to give their due to my neighbours. To You, Lord, I desire to give You what is rightfully Yours, as my humble offering to You. I ask this in the 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 ★

“Look, all these years I served you and not once did I disobey your orders; yet you never gave me even a young goat to feast on with my friends. But when your son returns who swallowed up your property with prostitutes, for him you slaughter the fattened calf.” (Luke 15:29-30)The elder son felt very defeated to know that the Father was celebrating the younger son’s return. Not only did he feel unappreciated and casted aside, but he also felt that he was unfairly treated by his father. He couldn’t help but put under the microscope the difference between the father’s treatment of him and his brother. Collecting evidence not only helped him to justify his thoughts and actions, but it also serves as a convincing accusation against the people who had "offended" him, in this case, his father and his brother. It helped to build up his case before the court, so to speak. So, he tended to remember every detail of the incident and the events that followed. He kept a perfect record of every word spoken. He tried to analyse the case to his favour, oftentimes through laying blames on others by finding faults in them, in their words and their actions. That is why the elder son tried to remind his father of what had happened as if the father had memory loss or did not know what he was doing. And to make his case more convincing and his justification stronger, he made assumptions about others’ intentions and tried to interpret things that helped build up his case. These are some common behaviours of those who believe that they are victimized and justice was not upheld.We tend to mix up fairness with justice. “Fairness” is subjective and relative by nature. We often take sides when we talk about fairness. It is rarely presented fairly and objectively. Fairness to one side is oftentimes unfairness to the other. What is “fairness” then if it is biased? On the other hand, justice should be perceived and exercised objectively. The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines the virtue of justice this way: Justice is the moral virtue that consists in the constant and firm will to give their due to God and neighbour (CCC 1807). What is due to our neighbours depends on what are rightfully theirs, which ties to their needs or interests. Without this concept we tend to protect our own interests instead. Justice, when perceived and exercised in this light, should detach us from judging others. It should elevate us to look beyond. It should liberate us from all sorts of bondages and chains manifested in the elder son. It should enable us to see from the father’s and the giver’s perspective.Besides, graces and gifts are freely given to us by God unconditionally. They are not earned. It is not transactional in nature. As such, those gifts and graces are to be freely received by us. In the spirit of “freely receiving those gifts”, we should not fixate our eyes on the reasoning behind the giver’s choices which we are unable to comprehend and we do not have the right to cast any doubts. Whenever we receive such gifts, we should not challenge how the givers handle and distribute their riches. They have the full right as to how they use their possessions. It helps to remind ourselves of the morality behind the parable of The Workers in the Vineyard in the Gospel of Matthew Chapter 20 (Matthew 20:1-16). It talks about the story of a generous and merciful landowner paying the last labourers who worked only one hour the same as the fist labourers who worked for the whole day. It is a very controversial parable that brings about debates between the landowner’s and first labourers’ camps of thought, yet it offers us Christians valuable spiritual enlightenment about the nature and beauty of God's graces for us.REFLECTIONDo you have a tendency to keep a perfect record of how others have offended you?Do you find yourself enslaved by unforgiveness which you are unable to break away from?Would you like your Heavenly Father to set you free from the prison of unforgiveness?TODAY’S PRAYERDear Abba Father, the more I understand the beauty of Your graces for us, the more I appreciate Your ways which are much higher than our ways. I have begun to realize that my concept was so mixed up and I was locked up in my own little world. It has incapacitated me from moving beyond my own ego to embrace others and empathize with their situations. I am like a prisoner of my unforgiveness. Lord, it is You who have enlightened me. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence, and do not take Your holy spirit from me. (Psalm 51:12-13)I ask this in the 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. AmenIf 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

Now the older son had been out in the field and , on his way back, as he neared the house, he heard the sound of music and dancing. He called one of the servants and asked what this might mean. The servant said to him, ‘Your brother has returned and your father has slaughtered the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’ He became angry… (Luke 15:25-28)“What is happening here in the house? I hate this sound of music and dancing! What for? What are you celebrating? Father, are you having memory loss or what? Didn’t you teach us to obey the rules and the laws, to be loyal, to discipline ourselves, and to work hard to earn our livelihood? I have done all those you have taught me to do! But look at this crazy son of yours. Has he ever followed your teaching or your rules? Has he ever subjected himself to your discipline? He never had any respect for rules and laws; he did not work; he slacked off; he has had absolutely no respect for you or anyone; he betrayed you and all of us; he put the whole family to shame by his infamous dissipated life with prostitutes, and he squandered all your property! How can all these be tolerated? Tell me what this is all about! Now this son of yours comes back to you, and you throw a big party to celebrate?! He deserves punishment, not celebration! Father, are you too old to understand this simple logic? Remember the day when this insane son demanded from you his share of the inheritance? He was out of his mind! It was unthinkable, ridiculous and absolutely insane! Did he respect you as his father, or even as a person? He was basically saying you should hurry up to die, right in your face! Didn’t you remember? I saw all that happening and everything is still fresh in my mind. I can recall every single word that came out of his mouth! How disrespectful! How insensitive he was! And how devastated you were at that moment! You told me that it was like a sword piercing your heart and your soul. I was there with you and cried with you when all that happened… And even after that day, didn’t I see you being miserable every day because of this wayward son of yours? You became lifeless, silent, and so beaten up... It seemed nothing in life interested you anymore. But I was there when you needed me to support you and to soothe your pain. Do you remember? It is fine you have lost that son. You still have me around! Didn’t I tell you to let go? But you have never listened to me. Now that this crazy son comes back, you become so happy that you put up such a feast! How can you trust this ridiculous person? He is only coming back because he is broke and is in dire need of money! Don’t be so naive to trust him. He is a liar! You can’t trust him! Let go of him. Shouldn’t I be the one, not this liar, who deserves your trust? I really can’t stand this! Do you know how I feel, father? Have you lost your mind? Can you see the real picture? I have been working hard day and night to help build your wealth while he indulged himself in an obscene life and wasted all your hard earned money. I have tended to your call while he disregarded it. I have strived to bring honour to the family while he has put our whole family to shame. I am always here for you while he left you behind in devastation. But now I realize that even after all these, it is he who has earned your love, not me. Father, where is your mind? Where is your heart? Do you know that I should be the one who deserves all your love, not him? What is my reward? Where is the justice?”REFLECTIONDo you find yourself struggling like the elder son who feels being unappreciated and misunderstood, when you believe that you have done your best?When facing a person like the father in the parable, who weighs mercy over justice, will you feel mad if justice is not upheld?Do you find yourself struggling between exercising justice and being merciful? TODAY’S PRAYERDear Abba Father, today, I have found the image of the elder son in me as I tried to put myself in his shoes to understand his mind and feelings. Sometimes I must admit that I cannot comprehend Your logic. There are so many things happening in my life that I cannot explain. I know when You allow those things to happen there must be a reason. But You know, it is really hard for me to get through the internal struggles of trying to sort out what is right amongst the seemingly right. Wisdom is what I ask of You, Lord. I know that I do not see the whole picture. I need to see through Your eyes. O let the evil of my wicked mind come to an end, and put in me a heart of mercy, Lord!I ask this in the 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 .

Yesterday, we witnessed the huge change in the younger son. In him, we see what true repentance should be like. It is his determination and the resulting actions that moved his father’s heart. The father looked beyond his sinful past in order to receive this penitent son with wide open arms. The father understood that it was much easier for this son to permanently walk away from him. Facing the huge damages done which required extraordinary effort to make up, the younger son could have simply chosen the easy way out by escaping from his sinful past. Instead he chose to face it head on, and to face it every day of his life in his father’s house. By choosing to come back, the son not only needed to submit himself to his father, but he would also likely be under his brother’s rule or even some of the hired workers he ill-treated before. His life would be miserable to say the least. All these did not deter deter him from mending his relationship with the father. That moved his father. His father treasured all these and his son’s humility and contrite heart. The brother, however, perceived things differently. Imagine how he felt when he witnessed his younger brother demand his share of the inheritance and how his father surrendered to that absolutely outrageous demand. The elder brother must be furious! This wayward brother did not work but he got the reward which he did not deserve in the first place. He must be mad at both his brother and his father. To him, the whole situation was totally absurd and made him sick. His anger confined him in the past. He could not move beyond this unresolved history. He was incapacitated by his self-righteousness and resentment. To him, this kind of sinful action should not be allowed to happen, let alone tolerated and forgiven! From the moment this incident occurred, this elder brother must have been living in bitterness and grudges. He was only sustained by his loyalty to his father and by following the rules. He could barely go through each day by swallowing his anger resulting from that grave injustice in his eyes. The whole situation bothered him so much that he needed to be buried in his work in hopes that one day his years of labour would finally be paid off with his share of the inheritance, the remaining wealth of his father. That is why he paid so much attention to the whereabouts and news of his brother even though his brother was in a distant country. Notice that he knew his brother wasted all his father’s property with prostitutes! (Luke 15:30) How would he know if he did not spy on his brother? Knowing all these were happening, he harboured intensified anger against his younger brother. He could not stand to think about it, let alone seeing his brother’s return to the father’s house and was accepted without any consequences. “What?! Celebration?! That is insane!” he exclaimed. “Will this crazy son threaten my share of the father’s property?” he thought to himself. At this point, you might also share the anger and sentiments of the elder brother, which is understandable. That is why this parable is also known as the "Parable of the Prodigal Father". But imagine what would happen if the father felt the same as the elder brother did. What would have instead happened to the younger son when he returned home? How would the story be different? And would the resulting story be a parable Jesus would use to illustrate the Father’s Heart and His lavish love for us? That is something for us to ponder...REFLECTIONIf you were the younger son, what would have prevented you from finally arriving at the father’s house?Are you like the elder brother being trapped in some form of bitter past or resentment against someone?Are you disturbed by the unfairness the father displayed towards the elder son by forgiving the wrongdoings of the younger son?TODAY’S PRAYERDear Abba Father, I have found myself struggling between identifying with the younger son and the elder son. I see myself sometimes behaving like the younger son, and sometimes like the elder brother. In any case, I know I am lost. I am like a lost sheep without You, Lord! I am lost and trapped within my own limited and bitter thinking. Please enlighten me with Your Light and Your Wisdom! I desire to see what You see —— the ability to look beyond all the sinfulness and brokenness of the younger son, of me, and of those who offended me. Inspire in me Your Spirit of forgiveness so that I too, will be able to let go of any past wrongs against me. Set me free, O Lord! I want to be free again!I ask this in the 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 you read this parable, an objection might pop up in your mind: the father’s action upon the return of his son does not make sense. Being a rich and successful person, the father was not naive enough to spoil his recovered son upon his return. The father who knew his son well also knew what was best for him. He knew it took his son great courage, determination, and perseverance in order to make it home from the distant country! While his son did not understand his father, the father was aware of the character of his wayward son. He knew what it meant for his son to come back to him. He wanted the son to feel a complete acceptance of his return by his father. Unconditional forgiveness and mercy inspire corrective actions on the part of the penitent more effectively than punishment based on justice. Having said that, there are a lot of good qualities we can learn from this remorseful son.His repentance is genuine and complete as he turned away from his evil ways, turning from darkness to light. It must have taken him tremendous courage and determination to renounce his dissipated lifestyle and fight against all sorts of temptations and addictions. Being guilt-ridden, he must dread to face his own sinful past and to face his father. So by making a long trip back home, it spoke volume about his strong will to stay awake and remain sober, while taking up courage to be responsible for his past mistakes. He had also overcome his inaction by getting out of his comfort zone in order to steer clear from his sinful past.We should also applaud his turning away from being egocentric and selfish; from disregarding his father’s feelings, taking things for granted and going his own way, to reaching out to his father with a sincere effort to mend their relationship. He used to not believe that his father would give him the best. Now, he entrusted himself to his father’s will by submitting himself to be his father’s servant, doing his father’s work instead of focusing on his own. There, we can see a significant change in his personality from being a person of ingratitude to be more content and grateful for what he would be provided.Willing to humble himself, he had found his new purpose in life. He turned away from being pleasure driven and not willing to work, to learning to assume responsibility in earning his own livelihood. From a misguided perspective on his life purposes, he had learned how to lead an honest and simple life. From his realization of his father’s goodness in treating his hired workers well, he began to see the beauty of his father.Finally, he turned away from harbouring an untamed heart to nurturing a tamed and obedient heart. He learned to surrender himself completely to the father’s will, submitting himself to his discipline, rules and boundaries. He chose not to let his ego and ambition run wild as he did in the past in his own distant country.All these changes were treasured in the heart of the father. He knew that his son had truly repented from his sinful past. Instead of punishing him to be his servant, the father chose to embrace him again with love and mercy. It was something that his elder son did not agree with, which led to his bitterness and grudges.REFLECTIONIn what ways are you like the younger son before his repentance?What can you learn from the penitent son? Can you appreciate his effort on his journey of repentance?Can you relate to the father’s heart in embracing his long lost son with open arms?TODAY’S PRAYERDear Abba Father, I see Your image in the father in the parable of the lost son. A contrite and humbled heart, you will not despise. No matter how long I have gone to my distant country, and how far away I have been turning away from You, You are always there for me, waiting for my return. Your patience and gentleness have moved me to tears. How can I run away from Your love, Lord! Please grant me a heart of true repentance, and the necessary determination to stay on course until I am back to Your embrace! Let me learn from this younger son to muster up courage to fight against all evils to win my prize that is in You!I ask this in the 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 ★

While he was still a long way off, his father caught sight of him, and was filled with compassion. He ran to his son, embraced him and kissed him. The younger son said to the father, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you; I no longer deserve to be called your son.” But his father ordered his servants, ‘Quickly bring the finest robe and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet.” (Luke 15:20-22)Finally, the younger son was back home. His reward was an unexpected welcome by his father that he had never imagined. What was going on there? While the father didn’t expect to see his son again because of his son’s determination to leave and his insensitivity to his father’s heart, the father did not lose hope. Not only did the father not lose hope, but he also waited for the son’s return, every day! That caught the son by surprise! Imagine what was going on in the son’s mind and how he felt when his father greeted him with embrace and kisses, instead of reprimand and condemnation. That was totally unexpected. But despite being shocked by his father’s action, without further delay, the son quickly delivered his prepared speech and sincerely confessed to his father. Surprise again! His father didn’t allow him to finish his confession! He hurried to put on his son the finest robe, a ring and sandals that symbolized the restoration of his identity! That was before the son had the chance to tell his father to treat him as his servant. Instead of taking on the servant’s role, the son was instantly restored to his original but forgone identity. His honour was reinstated and was immediately served by his father’s servants, even though his appearance was so despicable! The dreadful odor of his body from tending the swines, his disfigured face, his wounded and bruised body, and his weariness due to the treacherous journey home did not bother his father at all. It was as if the single most important thing in the whole world was to restore the identity of this lost son! Even though this wayward son had yet to prove himself to be trustworthy, that did not trouble this lavish father a bit! Incredible!Why didn't the father allow his son to finish his confession? Didn’t he want to hear what his son had to say? Or at least to savor the moment to be consoled by his son’s sincere apology and the opportunity for his pierced heart to be healed? Apparently, the father’s focus was not on himself but on the son. This long lost but newly found son was everything in the father’s eyes!REFLECTIONFor a moment, put yourself in the shoes of the son to feel the tender and lavish love of the father.Below is the English translation of the lyrics of the song “The Beauty of Love” 愛的美麗I am filthy due to my sinsAshamed beyond wordsMy sins have caused me to close my heartAnd feel undeserving of your mercyBut your arms have always remained openWaiting for my return one dayAnd you will baptize me with your loveTelling me you love me above all thingsYou have transformed my ugliness to beautymy lowliness to dignityReinstating my identity as a child of the FatherGiving new lives to sinners, without regarding Your pain and sufferingThrough Your forgiveness and consolationI let go of all my regretsSo that I can reunite with You with a pure heart(I shall reunite with You with a pure heart. From this day onward, I will offer my pure heart as a Holy sacrifice to God the Father)TODAY’S PRAYERDear Abba Father, of all the years You have adopted me into Your family, You have never ceased to amaze me with Your Divine Love! Your love for me is really beyond measure. I cannot comprehend the height and depth of Your love for me. How I wish I can fully understand Your heart. I know I will never be able to do so. I only pray that by immersing myself in the ocean of Your mercy, I will be completely soaked in Your saving love; and that I will be transformed into Your image for the world. Lord, please replace my heart of stone with a heart of flesh. May this new heart of mine be flooded with Your life-giving water that it will become fresh again! I ask this in the 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. ★ Support this podcast ★

Yesterday, we were faced with an invitation to choose between two extremes: good vs. evil; heaven vs. hell. Even though the choices and their consequences are presented before our eyes, our fallen nature can still drive us to make the wrong decisions. We have also seen that Satan, the master of deception, seizes every opportunity to devour us. While Satan can tempt us into actions that are obviously against God’s will, yet, it employs many other cunning and subtle methods to trap us. One of which is Inaction.Rather than actively making choices for our lives, there is a tendency for many of us to wait for things to happen. Unfortunately, those unplanned events are often unfortunate or even tragic in nature, which throw us way off from our life's original trajectory. And the shock oftentimes incapacitates us from responding positively to these tragic events. This can be as destructive to our lives as those obvious wrong choices in life.Imagine what would happen to the younger son if he did not muster up the courage to go back to his father. His life would have been completely different. Away from his father, that represents our Heavenly Father, his life and our lives would not just be different, but miserable. Sadly, inaction is a common bad habit among the believers that we all need to address.That brings us back to one of the most famous Bible passages, which is in the Gospel of John, Chapter 3: For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him will not be condemned, but whoever does not believe has already been condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the verdict, that the light came into the world, but people preferred darkness to light, because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come toward the light, so that his works might not be exposed. But whoever lives the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be clearly seen as done in God. (John 3:16-21)This Bible passage illustrates the intensity of God’s love for us in an absolute and unconditional way, with no strings attached. However, because we are given our free will, not everyone chooses to receive this gift. Those who gladly receive this gift will be supremely blessed and overwhelmed with the never-ending joy awaiting them in heaven. Those who choose to reject it will perpetually deprive themselves of this supreme joy! And to those who ignore, doubt or procrastinate in their response to receive this supreme gift, they are at the mercy of the “time’s up” moments that suddenly arrive, like the unexpected hour the master returns catching the servant by surprise (Luke 12:35-48). Their inaction determines the verdict. It is not God’s anger that lays the judgment. It is our lack of response that delivers the final verdict on us, leaving us with the one-way ticket to the place devoid of love and filled with the wailing and grinding of teeth.Our inaction, that is, being laid back, remaining in one’s comfort zone, passive, and unresponsive to God’s prompts will eventually “condemn” us. Believing in Jesus, the only Son of God is the first step. Knowledge of God without following His teachings is also a form of inaction. This Gospel passage reminds us that spiritual life should be a dynamic and growing process, from darkness to light, from light to more light! It is all about our preferences and choices in life, of what we choose and what we avoid choosing. It is a continual conversion process from hiding our self motives in the dark, to exposing God’s love, His way, His truth and His life through our surrendered life in Christ.REFLECTIONFor any inaction in your life, can you trace the root cause of it?Are you bothered by the lack of spiritual growth in your life? If the answer is “no”, why not?In what ways is the Holy Spirit inspiring you to address your inactions and being lukewarm in your faith?TODAY’S PRAYERDear Abba Father, I used to believe that my spiritual life is good. That made me take on a laid-back attitude, and wait for things to happen without taking a proactive approach. Today’s reflection has prompted me to dig deeper to realize the blindspots in my spiritual life. It dawns on me that by avoiding to choose, I have given more room for the devil to sneak into my life. Please grant me the desire to follow You closely and do not allow me to make up excuses not to respond to Your prompts. In the quest of knowing, loving and serving You, inspire in me a burning zeal! Let me not be content with only head knowledge, but also instill in me greater thirst and conviction to drop everything secondary in order to follow You. I ask this in the name of Jesus. Amen!Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was

The deeper we enter into our distant country, the further away we are from the true Light. It is like entering into a jungle by yourself, you will easily get lost and risk being devoured by wild beasts, that is the devil. It is also like a one-way-ticket into a black hole, devoid of light, love and every goodness, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth, as described in the Scriptures (Matthew 13:42, 50; 22:13; 24:51; 25:30; Luke 13:28). We know very well that symbolizes the conditions of hell.The opposite is what Jesus is preparing for us, the many dwelling places that He assured us of in His Father’s House. However, Jesus didn’t just leave us on earth to do His own things in heaven. We know that He cannot wait to be united with us eternally in heaven. Jesus does not want to leave us orphaned on earth either. He wants to remain with us and in us. He desires to provide us with the best while we are still en route to the Father’s House.Jesus spent three years of His public ministry not only to prepare His Apostles but also all of us for our journey back home. Besides His teachings, He created a whole support system for us before He ascended to the Father. He instituted the Sacraments to grant us special graces, and more importantly, the Church to perpetuate and administer those Sacraments to us. He gave us His beloved Mother to accompany this Church of which we are a part. He left us His Word through the Gospels to guide us and to remain with us spiritually. But He wants to go even further. His love for us is beyond measure. He wants to dwell in us physically so that He abides in us and we abide in Him. And so, He humbles Himself to stay with us in the Eucharist. It is a sign of a complete abandonment of Himself to us. At the end, He also leaves us His Spirit, His very breath, His everything! “Behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20)Through all these, He wants to give us a foretaste of heaven, to give us hope and to sustain us on this tough earthly journey. The Church, and all the Angels and Saints, are our aides and companions, offering us all the necessary support we need for a safe trip home. They provide a lifeline to us in the form of a community!Jesus has really done everything He can for us! His love and sacrifice is a complete one. We must then ask ourselves, what more can we ask of Him? It is now our turn to respond, whether we accept His offer to be with us, to lead us by hand back to the Father’s House, or not. Without forcing His will on us, He has given us the free will to respond. Everything hinges on our decision to choose Him, or otherwise.We can be sure that our heavenly Father has exhausted every means reaching out to us, and will continue to do so. He is not a passive God as many of us might think He is. Of His own accord, Abba Father chooses to break open His Heart to offer us His only begotten Son, whose Heart was in turn pierced by the lance of our sins. Whether we respond or not, our Heavenly Father is waiting for us on the other side, arms outstretched. Instead of condemning us, He desires to baptize us with His Spirit, which means an outpouring of all His love and graces without reserve.Our exile is over the moment we respond positively to His invitation to go home. With our “fiat”, our hidden, naked, and shameful self will be destroyed and our forgone identity restored. To be where we should be, that is, home, or to continue to be homeless is a decision for us to make.REFLECTIONCan you truly appreciate what our Heavenly Father and Jesus have done for us?If what God has already done cannot move you to saying YES to His invitation to go home, what else does it take to bring you home? Are you waiting for something to happen in your life for you to take your next move? Do you find yourself too passive or weak to respond to God’s call?TODAY’S PRAYERDear Abba Father, today, I have found myself to be like many characters in the Bible, because they could not face their sinfulness and brokenness. They kept running away from Your love and Your calling. How weak am I in facing myself and You? But You have told me the other side of the story, Your story, of how hard You have tried to reach out to me, but only to find Your effort in vain when it comes to my decision. While I have tried hard to confess to You how worthless I am, You press on to show me more of Your love! Your persistence to chase after me makes me speechless. Your love has melted my heart and my soul! Abba Father, take me as I am as this is what You desire of me. I surrender to You, Lord. I am all Yours!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. ★ Support this podcast ★

Yesterday we said that our earthly pilgrimage is in fact our journey back to the Father’s House. We also described how treacherous and full of dangers this homecoming trip can be. Imagine how the younger son left home “rich”, and after squandering all his inheritance, he found himself empty, wasted, defeated...returning home broken and “stripped”. Beauty and glory no more. In such a vulnerable condition, we can easily fall prey to the devil’s traps. During this time, Jesus is our anchor, and our brothers and sisters in Christ, that is our Church community, is our refuge. Our Church is the vessel that will eventually bring us back to the Father’s place, safe and sound. And Jesus is the head of our Mother Church, the Body of Christ. Jesus, our Saviour, is the bridge between heaven and earth, the mediator between God and humans. His role in this homecoming trip is irreplaceable!“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You have faith in God; have faith also in me. In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If there were not, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back again and take you to myself, so that where I am you also may be. Where I am going you know the way.” Thomas said to him, “Master, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you know me, then you will also know my Father. From now on you do know him and have seen him.” (John 14:1-7)Jesus shows us the way back to the Father’s House. Jesus is the WAY. While Satan leads us astray to our distant country, Jesus, the Good Shepherd brings us back home. As Satan tries to attack us along the way, Jesus offers His own life to save us. This is the Lord that we have! His mercy should subdue the doubting Thomas in us. He is the Light, that is, the TRUTH, that shines on our path, and He gave us His very own LIFE to restore ours! What else should we yearn for in our lives except for this sweet Jesus? What is worth more in our lives than this Saviour? Who else can we count on as we make our way home to our Father in heaven?Our distant country is also our comfort zone. We dare not leave our comfort zone for fear of facing challenges in an unknown territory. Yet, we have no choice but to start this journey, treacherous as it is, that will lead us back to our permanent home. Our distant country will one day fade away. It is an illusion created by the Devil. The longer we remain in our distant country, the more we become weary, frail, and alienated from God. Our broken physical and spiritual conditions will make it harder for us to muster up the courage to set off on our journey home, and make our chances of arriving home safe slimmer.What this world can offer us will eventually dry up. On the other hand, endless joy awaits us in our Father’s House. Let us not sacrifice heaven for hell. Remember, Jesus has promised His disciples that there are many dwelling places in His Father’s House and He is going to prepare a place for us! This promise of Jesus should not be taken lightly! He means what He says!The hardships in returning home are much easier to bear than the perpetual emptiness in our distant country and eternal separation from the source of all goodness, our Heavenly Father!As you can see in the last couple of days, the short verse in Luke 15:20, “So, he got up and went back to his father” involves much more than we thought. We need to take heart as we embark on this journey home. The earlier we set off, the sooner we will return home safe to enjoy the festive celebration the Father has already prepared for us.REFLECTIONGo deep into your heart to feel Jesus’ compassionate love for us, and Satan’s craftiness.Do you believe what Jesus said is true, that He is preparing a place for us in our Father's House? Does this make you more determined to return to your Father's House?Are you still clinging to your comfort zone and holding back from returning home to the Father?TODAY’S PRAYERDear Abba Father, I feel that a lot of attachments in my life are holding me back from going back to You without reserve. I know my condition has pierced Your Heart. I am like the rich young man in the Gospel. I know You are good and You love me, and I even know that I should turn to You and follow You. Yet I lack the willpower and the determination to let go of all my attachments and dreams that prevent me from following You and responding to Your love. Help me to be released from all these bondages. Set me free from my cares and my comfort zone so that I can embrace You into my life. I ask this in the 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. ★ Support this podcast ★

Yesterday, we talked about the spiritual warfare in which we are engaged in. Nobody wants to lose in a battle. The coach of a sports team requires the players to understand and analyze the strategies of the opponent so as to maximize the chance of winning. As the Chinese proverb says: “Know the enemy, know yourself, and in every battle you will be victorious.” How well do we know ourselves and how well do we know our enemy? We need to have the humility to learn from our opponent. That’s right! We have to learn from our enemy! The devil excels in being diligent, disciplined, well-prepared, smart, and strategic. It knows its mission well and remains true to its mission. It works tirelessly until it achieves success. Let us ask ourselves, do we have all these strengths and qualities?“The journey home” is a rugged path filled with obstacles because Satan does not want us to return home to the Father. In fact, our earthly pilgrimage is our journey back to the Father’s House. The devil would trick and attack us at any time along the way. We might be killed on our way home unless we remain vigilant! This is what the younger son needs to face.We talked about “addictions” on Day 19 of this retreat. Addictions are often developed while we are alone. That is why it is dangerous to be alone in our “distant country”! Remember how we did things prohibited by our parents behind their backs when we were little? Those were often done in dark and hidden places. When our secret business was uncovered, we would cover up by lying and deny all that we had done. We felt ashamed. We had neither the courage nor the will to face the consequences. Since we knew what we did was wrong, we obviously did not want others to find out about our secret business. We gradually learned to do these things in even more hidden ways so as to avoid exposure. Sadly, that is how we learn to excel in lying. After lying for the first time, we began to get used to it. And we constantly cover up our deeds and wrongdoings by seeking excuses and lying. What makes lying so horrible is that even we ourselves can be deceived by our own lies. In order to find excuses for ourselves, we become habitual liars that we lie not just to others but also to ourselves. We become masters of lying. This is the evil plan the devil has for us!We cannot be followers of the sons of darkness! We must renounce the devil and its lies, and refuse to let it have dominion over us. The only way to escape the snares of the devil is to run to Jesus to become “children of the light”.“For all of you are children of the light and children of the day. We are not of the night or of darkness. Therefore, let us not sleep as the rest do, but let us stay alert and sober.” (1 Thessalonians 5:5-6)Forces of darkness fail to survive in the light, so do our addictions and other secret business. We need to cultivate good habits in a community environment and refuse to nurture bad habits alone in the dark. It is important to know that “community” plays a crucial role in our earthly pilgrimage, that is our journey back to the Father’s House. Families, friends, and the Church are indispensable in our faith journey and our quest for holiness. Just imagine how foolish it is to walk through a journey full of traps and dangers all by yourself! If we believe we can attain holiness by ourselves and insist that we do not need the support of the Church and any faith communities on this quest, we are guilty of pride! Pride can lead us to a perpetual wandering in the “distant country”, to indulge in our vices and addictions, and to continue to be under Satan's yoke. Is that what we would like to see happening to us? We need to wake up and choose light over darkness, to refuse to remain foolish, and to become children of the light!“And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one who does evil hates the light, and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does what is true comes to the light, that it may be clearly seen that his deeds have been wrought in God.” (John 3:19-21)REFLECTIONDo you have the tendency to stay in the dark and indulge in bad habits by yourself?Do you act like a lone wolf, that is, do you enjoy doing your own thing without worrying about others’ opinions? Or are you willing to be nurtured in a community environment?Are you determined to choose light over darkness and be “children of the light”?TODAY’S PRAYERDear Abba Father, You have told us to become Children of the Light, and to walk in the light. Your teaching is simple and easy to understand. Yet, in the past, I chose to walk in darkness and was easily fooled by the devil. I have developed many bad habits and have offended You in many ways. Pardon me, Lord, and cleanse me with Your blood. Revive my spirit and keep me vigilant to never walk again in darkness. I ask this in the name of Jesus. Amen!Glory be t

Whether we like it or not, we are engaged in spiritual warfare. It is also a necessary path through which we sanctify ourselves and others. It is how we can put our faith to test and to practice, and so it becomes a gateway to heaven —— back to the Father’s House. However, Satan does not want us to know that we are at war with it. Satan wants us to believe that everything is fine, and nothing is urgent. Satan camouflages as our friend and companion on this earthly pilgrimage. Nothing is more dangerous than to befriend our enemy. This fallen angel uses every means to trick us into thinking that nothing is more urgent than enjoying and advancing in life. Yet, those are not the essential conditions to lead us back home! We must then ask ourselves: what are we doing now? This is indeed a thought-provoking question we always need to ask ourselves!Let us first start with understanding the strengths of this common enemy of ours. This is crucial if we can get ahead in this warfare! We can see that Satan is very hardworking. And while it wants to weaken our discipline, Satan itself is highly disciplined because it knows what it takes to win! Most importantly, Satan is very serious about its mission, and it lets nothing deter it from advancing its mission!Besides, Satan has done its homework well. The Devil knows the Father and His Heart better than we do. That is why it can still strike the Father’s Heart despite the power disparity! We are way behind Satan in our knowledge of the Father and His Heart! And it is not hard to find proofs from the Bible. Ironically, we are God’s children, and Satan is God’s enemy! Satan’s edge in this battle is that it has mastered the identity of Heavenly Father and its own identity, and also understands the characteristics of each of us. As such, Satan is very successful in cheating us and manipulating us to fall into its traps, and in particular, in leaving God’s army to join the Devil’s camp. Everything is done in secret without our knowing! Are we aware of our role in this battle? We are the soldiers in this spiritual warfare! But we need to belong to the right league, which is God’s and not Satan’s. Otherwise, we mistakenly team up with the Devil to fight against the God who created us and loves us most. As members of the army, we must be clear about our role and the One who gives orders —— Jesus Christ —— the commander-in-chief who has already won the battle against Satan, and will help us defeat Satan in our lives. If we want to know our identity, we must get to know our commander-in-chief. This commander-in-chief not only obeyed the Father’s will, but He also revealed to us the face of His Father, allowing us to know His Heart. Knowing the Father and His Heart enables us to recognize our true identity.All of these are the main factors for our victory in this spiritual warfare and a smooth return to our Father's House. In this spiritual battle, we must know our identities and stick to our posts, and must not become traitors by teaming up with the devil to betray our God. You may ask: "How would I betray God?" In fact, when our lives are undisciplined, we are at the mercy of the devil. We are giving the devil the opportunity to attack our heavenly Father. We end up taking part in the scene of "Judas betraying Jesus". Are we really willing to be devil’s pawns?That is why we put so much emphasis on learning about the devil's plot in this Lenten retreat. That also explains why Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil for forty days before His public ministry. When we understand the tactics of the devil, we will remain vigilant in fighting a good fight with Jesus and the Holy Spirit, winning as many souls for God as possible to share in the eternal joy.REFLECTIONDo you focus on personal ambitions or missions from God?Do you believe that you are engaged in a spiritual warfare? Do you see Satan as your enemy?Do you feel the urgency to join the army of Christ?TODAY’S PRAYERDear Abba Father, thank you for letting me see more clearly the face of Satan and its tactics. I have never imagined that the battle between the devil and me is so real. Many times I have fallen into its traps by focusing my attention on my personal ambitions. I am sorry that I have let my blindness lead me astray. Lord, do not allow my heart to be hardened. I want to listen to Your voice! Let me bow down in worship, let me kneel before You, Lord, my Creator and my Shepherd! (Psalm 95) 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. ★ Support this podcast ★

Even though the younger son has repented for his past sins and made up his mind to return to his father, the journey home would not be without obstacles. In fact, we should expect that it would be as difficult as the initial hurdle of facing our own transgressions and those we had hurt. Our journey home from our distant country will not be as easy as the path we used to leave home. Besides, who does not want us to go home? No one is more eager than Satan to “accompany” us along the way, to discourage us, play tricks on us, and persuade us to go the Devil’s way, rather than God’s way.We might not be aware of it, but the hostile and desolate state of our distant country has conditioned us in ways that make it hard for us to reverse course. The distant country is full of illusions that please our senses and make us happy on the surface. Yet, those are the things that get us hooked without satisfying the deepest desires in our hearts. We have a name for those things. They are called “addictions”. We should be familiar with some of these: endless entertainments and games, sumptuous meals, material goods, sexual desires, and going after wealth, popularity, status and power. All these things give us temporary happiness without fulfilling our deepest thirst. Therefore, we are enslaved to these addictions with deluded expectations. And these delusions fuel our addictions because what the world can offer can never fill the void within us. But Satan keeps reassuring us that this condition is fine, by saying, “You certainly will not die!” (Genesis 3:4)On our journey home, Satan will surely speak silently to our mind, tempting us with pleasures and desires. He wants to weaken our determination to go back to the source of all goodness, where our hearts will truly be fulfilled, where our souls will find rest. We are like the Gerasene demoniac in Luke 8:26-39, possessed by evil spirits through our many addictions and possessions. Unknowingly, we are also wandering in deserted places without a home, naked, and unashamed of our self-indulgent life of dissipation. Such a lifestyle is like a body without a heart, skeleton without flesh. This is the condition in which Satan wants us to remain, forever.We need to be determined enough to stay the course on our journey home. We need to turn to Jesus, asking Him to order the unclean spirits to come out of us. If a demoniac with thousands of spirits could be driven away by the name and power of Jesus, we ought to have confidence that nothing is impossible for God! With our submission to God, He will surely cure us of our sicknesses and we will be brought to the feet of Jesus. Clothed and in our right minds (Luke 8:35), we can shrug off the chains and bondages of Satan. We can once again be free as we return with confidence to our Father’s House. Just as Jesus told the possessed man, He is also telling us, “Return home and recount what God has done for you.” The man went off and proclaimed throughout the whole town what Jesus had done for him. (Luke 8:39)REFLECTIONWhat are the addictions in your life? Are you aware of the damages they have done to you? Are you determined to get rid of them? To whom are you turning to for help, Jesus, or yourself?What messages does the Holy Spirit want to convey to you through the story of the possessed man in the Gospel?TODAY’S PRAYERDear Abba Father, it has taken me by surprise that I am like the possessed man in the Gospel. My addictions and possessions have gripped and choked me. How could I have allowed these things into my life all these years? Father, I am sorry that I have let these addictions and distractions divert my attention from You. Lord, send out your command to cure me of all these illnesses and order all the unclean spirits to come out of me. Teach me Your new statutes and strengthen me to observe them diligently. Never permit me to deviate from my path returning to Your Heart!I ask this in the 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. ★ Support this podcast ★

I shall get up and go to my father and I shall say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I no longer deserve to be called your son; treat me as you would treat one of your hired workers.” (Luke 15:18-19) To face someone whom we have hurt is very difficult. Excuses, emotions, and pride prevent us from mustering up the courage to face that person. In this parable, the initial awakening of the younger son appears to be self-serving in nature. However, regardless of what had caused him to wake up, the most important thing is that his reflection led him to a true repentance. He showed remorse for his sins and wrongdoings. In the end, his repentance was from his heart.The path from repentance to action is a long one often filled with hurdles. For the younger son, going back to reconcile with his father was not easy at all, especially when he had to face the hurt and damages that he had caused his father and the whole family. This guilt-ridden son could have easily chosen to hide from his past. For someone like him, it might seem easier to start a new life elsewhere away from his shameful past. In that case, the reconciliation with his father and his family would never happen, and healing of the wounds both in him and his family may never occur. That would create a huge void in the hearts of all the people involved causing a huge regret to the whole family down the generations. Some of us may be faced with similar situations, to different extents. To hide is easy, but it is also selfish. To face our past and be accountable for what we have done takes courage. It is a sign of our faith maturity. First we need to be aware of the extent of the inflictions we have caused and own the responsibility to heal the wounds and mend the damages. We should not try to find excuses for ourselves, or to accuse others for their wrongdoings. We need to only focus on our own sins instead of the sins of others. Mixing them up clouds our conscience in face of our wrongdoings. Then, with a contrite heart and a sincere and humble attitude, it will be easier for us to muster up the courage to acknowledge our mistakes and to reconcile with those we have hurt.Acknowledging one’s mistakes is one thing, making up for the harm our sins have caused is another. Like the tax collector Zacchaeus whom Jesus met in Jericho (Luke 19:1-10), who made up his damages by repaying all those from whom he had extorted, we should also be prepared to embrace the consequences of our sins, and the responsibilities of making up for the damages our sins have inflicted on others. Most importantly, we should learn from this younger son that our sins do not only offend others, but they also offend God in the first place. As we prepare ourselves to reconcile with those we have hurt, it is important that we come to reconcile with God the Father. Through the Sacrament of Reconciliation, we reflect and examine our conscience; we repent and confess our sins; we resolve to never commit them again; and we receive special graces and strength from God to do penance and mend the damages we have caused.So he got up and went back to his father. (Luke 15:20)REFLECTIONDo you lack the courage to face someone whom you have offended or hurt? What is holding you back?Are you somehow hiding from your shameful past, believing that your sins and wrongdoings will not be forgiven?Are you brave enough to face and acknowledge your most shameful and hidden sins in front of God?TODAY’S PRAYERDear Abba Father, in my life there are broken relationships that I cannot face. The fears within me have led me to my hiding place. Make known to me your ways, Lord; teach me your paths. Humble me, Lord, to bear the consequences of my own transgressions. Give me the courage to come back to You, to reconcile with You, and to mend those broken relationships. In Your mercy, Lord, come and restore me. Show me Your steadfast love so that I will never forget Your goodness. (Psalm 25) I ask this in the 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. ★ Support this podcast ★

In our previous reflection, we talked about how important it is to learn from Jesus to routinely retreat from work in order to spend time with God the Father in silence and in solitude. In silence, we begin to reflect on many things, especially on ourselves. It is like seeing our own reflection in a mirror. We need to face ourselves as we see more clearly our weaknesses and brokenness. That is why people do not like doing reflection, facing oneself in silence. It can be quite “threatening”. It also explains why so many people are dreadful about going to confession because reflection is the important first step to prepare oneself for the Sacrament of Reconciliation. We really need to ask God for courage as we begin this very first step.No other virtue is more important at this stage than our humility. It helps to remind ourselves that we are from dust. We are nothing to begin with. Everything we have, who we have become, and what we can accomplish in life are all gifts from God our Creator, without whom we can do nothing. Unless we recognize this most important fact, reflection can be a torture. It can be extremely humbling or even defeating because it is like preparing oneself to face a judge. It breaks our hearts to see how fragile we are.Even with this mindset, it is still difficult to accept how weak, how broken, and how sinful we are in our daily dealings with ourselves, with others, and with God. At that moment, submitting ourselves to the Holy Spirit who lives within us will help us find strength and regain peace.It is important to know that how brave we are in facing ourselves determines how honest we are in recognizing our frailties and sinfulness, which in turn determines how thorough we are in preparing for confession and how determined we will be in repenting from our sins. And this determination to repent will give us the courage to persevere in returning to the Father’s House to be reunited with God the Father. During this whole process, we need to allow ourselves to be vulnerable, as it is through this vulnerability that we can become strong. For God said, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9)On the other hand, Satan does not like that! And it will try its best to shatter this process of true repentance. Being “the accuser of our brothers” (Revelation 12:10), it attempts to first accuse us to make us incapable of facing ourselves. This blow can be fatal if Satan successfully makes us ashamed of ourselves instead of being shameful of our sins. Satan can also lure us in turning ourselves into the accuser’s role, pointing fingers at others in order to find excuses for ourselves. Sometimes we catch ourselves saying, “It is him who first sinned against me. What I did was just a defensive move. What’s wrong with that?” In either case, we are avoiding facing the truth which will lead us to true repentance and set us free.As we reflect, and as we face ourselves “in the mirror”, we need to be able to see God’s divinity in us, instead of seeing the Devil’s image and focusing on human frailties, which inevitably lead us to despair. Aren’t we made in the image of God, and not Satan’s? If we firmly anchor ourselves as children of God, no matter how broken and sinful we are, we will then have the confidence to fight against those evil forces that act upon us on our journey back to our Father’s House.REFLECTIONAre you afraid of facing yourself, especially your brokenness and sinfulness?Have you ever fallen into the Devil’s trap in accusing yourselves or others? Are you determined to avoid falling into this same trap as you begin to make your way home to the Father’s House?How firmly do you believe that you are made in the image of God?TODAY’S PRAYERDear Abba Father, thank you for reminding me that I was created in Your image and no one can take away from me my true identity. O send out Your light and Your truth; let them lead me; let them bring me to Your holy mountain and to Your dwelling as I begin my journey of repentance. As a deer longs for flowing streams, so my soul longs for You, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and behold the face of God? (Psalm 42, 43)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. ★ Support this podcast ★

Coming to his senses he thought, “How many of my father’s hired workers have more than enough food to eat, but here am I, dying from hunger.” (Luke 15:17)Yesterday, we talked about the magic moment of our awakening. That is the aha moment that awakens our senses to know how restless and helpless we are in our distant country. And we begin to realize that our Heavenly Father that we took for granted is the best. We recall the time when we were dependent on Him and He provided for our every need. How foolish were we to wander away from this loving Father.The process of setting off to our distant country and then returning to the Father’s House is not as dramatic as it seems to be. In fact, we are constantly wandering between the two places. The drifting away, the awareness, and the homecoming are part of our faith journey. It is a growing up process that no one can escape. However, not everyone is “lucky” enough to make their journey home. You may ask, “How then, can I make sure that I can return home?” Maybe a better question is, “how can I make sure that I stay awake?” Let us turn to Jesus for the answer. As the Son of God, Jesus often withdrew from His public activities as well as the people He ministered to, in order to be alone with His Father. Spending time with His Father was never a secondary priority to Jesus. By retreating to a quiet place, sometimes a mountain or by the lake, Jesus rested in His Father’s embrace and listened to His voice in order to do the Father’s will with renewed focus. This is exactly the model that we should follow. In our hurried life, our body, mind, and spirit are all crumbled. We need to rest and “reset” ourselves in God. In silence and solitude, not only can we examine and rediscover ourselves, but we can also know God better which helps us better listen to the Father’s voice. That is when we know how to respond to Him and to every situation presented to us in life. This habit is not just an option for us Christians. It is a must that we practice returning to the Father, and to enjoy an intimate relationship with Him.Jesus drew strength and courage from His Father. Through this direct connection with His Father, He made the right choices in life which allowed Him to be laser sharp in His mission. This explains why Jesus could accomplish all that His Father had entrusted Him to do during the three short years of His public ministry. Life is demanding and we are often caught off guard having to respond to different situations or even crises. As the Son of God, Jesus stayed awake by staying close to His Father. If Jesus needs His Father, so much more do we need Him! During this Lent, let us cultivate a prayer life that is life-giving. Enter into our own heart daily to meet Abba Father in solitude. Jesus reminded the people in His time to stop turning His Father’s house into a marketplace (John 2:13-25). In the same way, Jesus also reminds us, being temples of the Holy Spirit, we should discipline ourselves in order to cleanse our own temples. Through Jesus’ resurrection, we are to become a new temple through which God appears and His glory shines. Would you also keep the temple of your body in order and clean to create a dwelling place for Abba Father in your heart?REFLECTIONAre you bombarded by noises and distractions of all kinds as if you are in a marketplace?Do you desire to encounter God in silence, to pray to Him and to draw strength from Him?Would you rather wander aimlessly in life, or to find peace and strength in God through which you will become who you are meant to be?TODAY’S PRAYERDear Abba Father, my life is so filled with distractions and surrounded by noises which clouded my mind and kept me away from You. My busyness also prevents me from listening to Your voice. Father, I want instead to be close to You, to rest in You and draw strength from You. I know You love me, Lord, and so, please also discipline me. I desire to encounter You daily, in silence and solitude, to feel Your holy presence in me. I ask this in the 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. ★ Support this podcast ★

Coming to his senses he thought, “How many of my father’s hired workers have more than enough food to eat, but here am I, dying from hunger.” (Luke 15:17)Whether we admit it or not, we are all wandering in our own distant country, away from home, in different ways and to a different extent.We have received from God countless gifts like our talents, time, and treasures. But instead of using them the way they are intended for, we have “squandered” our inheritance on selfish motives and interests. Without the source of all graces and providence on our side, every resource we have and every satisfaction dry up quickly, evaporating into nothingness, leaving us empty.This emptiness and brokenness within us should eventually lead us to realize that our God is the only one we can turn to for healing and fulfilment. If we persist in digging deeper, we will begin to realize that we are made by and for God. Therefore, we are meant to be in a relationship with Him, which means we need to mend that broken relationship.Either purposely or unintentionally, we are in search of our own identity — which we might loosely define as “who I am in the eyes of those around me”, or “how I define and differentiate myself”, or “how I should look and behave in front of others”. If I base my identity on how I would like others to perceive me, I lose sight of my true identity in God’s eyes.Our “distant country” is a hostile place that corrupts us and robs us of our true identity. It is especially true as we pursue worldly goals and base our identity on our own accomplishments, possessions, popularity and power. The more successful we are in attaining these worldly desires, the further away we may be from our true self. We have subconsciously put up a false self, wearing a mask without our knowing. Even if we base our identity on our purpose in life, or even on our mission, we can easily be misled to measure ourselves based on our performance, or on how successful we are in terms of our mission. That also, is a false identity.The only way we can find our true self is when we base our identity on our relationship with God, that we are our Heavenly Father’s beloved sons and daughters. It assures us that our identity will never be changed or shaken — we are loved no matter what. Whether we are successful in life or whether we are respected and loved by others will never change our Father’s love for us. Even if we are at our worst, our rock bottom, or in our most sinful condition, God still loves us all the same! This realization should change our lives forever. This new lens allows us to see ourselves, others and the world through the eyes of God.When that magic moment finally comes, our eyes will be open and we will realize that we are in our distant country. We will be surprised how far away we have been from the Father’s House in a spiritual sense. The awareness of our true identity as children of God further awakens our senses that the one who loves us most is waiting for us to return to Him.REFLECTIONHow do you perceive yourself? Do you base your own identity on how others see you or how the world defines you?What is your anchor in life?TODAY’S PRAYERDear Heavenly Father, how naive have I been to allow others and the world to define my own identity, and how misled I have been to believe that my accomplishments define my worthiness. Now I have realized that You are my true anchor in life. It is You who have remained faithful all these years when the world has deserted me. Lord, help me set my priorities right, to put the most important relationship first, that is, my relationship with You, my Father! Never allow me to take You for granted but to cherish Your love every day of my life! I ask this in the 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. ★ Support this podcast ★

When we take gifts given to us from God and wander away from Him, we lose the tie and the relationship with the Giver. The gifts that come from God ought to be connected to Him, the Giver. A gift away from the Giver “loses” its meaning and power and ceases to be a gift. It is reduced to a mere possession. It loses its life! And this also happens to the person possessing it. Losing its life-giving quality, the gift, now a possession, ceases to satisfy. It dries up. Then we desire to go find satisfaction elsewhere, trying to get our hands on other things, and pursuing one satisfaction after another. This process never ends, repeating for as long as we are in our distant country.One may ask, how would I know if I am in my distant country? Besides being always wanting, we may feel isolated, lonely, that nobody understands us, restless, empty, and we may also suffer from big mood swings, between being super excited and extreme sadness and anger, a lack of inner peace, and the list goes on and on. In this distant country, we will starve even though we are surrounded by pleasures and riches, fame and power. It seems that all the world cannot satisfy our thirst. A thirst for something bigger that we do not comprehend. And even if we know that it is God we thirst for, we may lack the motivation and the drive to come to Him, or we simply cannot let go of what we currently possess. This is how it feels to be in our distant country.The story of the Rich Young Man gives us a lot of insights into a person who is in his distant country wanting and thirsting. He wasn’t content, even with all his possessions. He was thirsting for something bigger, and he knew he had to go to Jesus for a solution to his inner struggles. He made the right move, yet, the story ended with him going away sad, for he had many possessions. The story of the Rich Young Man invites us into a deeper reflection. (Matthew 19:16–30, Mark 10:17–31, Luke 18:18–30)Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said to him. “You are lacking in one thing. Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.” (Mark 10:21)As we hold onto what we possess, we can easily miss the higher goals in life. God has given us the gifts to help us achieve higher goals. Every gift given has a purpose, and it has to be outwardly oriented. If we turn a gift inward for selfish motives, the gift will lose its purpose, leaving us sad like the rich young man.On the other hand, in terms of finding God, instead of looking outward, we should look inward. God is not in the distant country, He is in our hearts. He is waiting for us, wanting to seek us out. He is the one who feels helpless witnessing us drifting away and wandering in our distant country, subjecting ourselves to the yoke and temptations of the Devil. Just as Jesus looked at the rich young man and loved him, our Heavenly Father also looks at us and loves us, and He awaits us to respond to His call, “Come back to me.” REFLECTIONWe need to know, deep inside our hearts, what we are really thirsting for. Think deeper, what is your heart’s desire?In your life, are you hopping from one pursuit to the next, from one satisfaction to the next? Do you feel that you are in your distant country?In what ways are you like the rich young man in the Bible?TODAY’S PRAYERDear Heavenly Father, I feel that I am like the rich young man in the Bible. When you called me to go out to use the gifts You have given me to serve others, I ended up closing into myself serving my own interests. And when you called me to enter into my own heart to find You and be with You, I aimlessly went out to seek other things but You. My life is so filled with blindspots that I am not even aware of. Please grant me a new and clear vision. Set before me a new direction to go after You. Do not allow me to get lost in my own preoccupations and possessions. I believe that in my life nothing other than You is more worthy of my attention. I pray that I will fix my gaze on You from this day onward, and to never turn my back on You anymore! I ask this in the 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. ★ Support this podcast ★

After a few days, the younger son collected all his belongings and set off to a distant country where he squandered his inheritance on a life of dissipation. When he had freely spent everything, a severe famine struck that country, and he found himself in dire need. So, he hired himself out to one of the local citizens who sent him to his farm to tend the swine. And he longed to eat his fill of the pods on which the swine fed, but nobody gave him any. (Luke 15:13-16)In Jesus’ time and tradition, requesting for inheritance when one’s father was alive was unheard of. And in this younger son’s case, he was not only requesting it, but was demanding for his share. That was insane! And he went a step further to assume that he had the right to dispose of it as he wished. He was not supposed to do this when his father was still alive, because his father still had the right to live off his distributed assets as long as he lived. This shows how disrespectful and how ungrateful he was to his father, and how untamed his heart was, taking everyone and everything for granted. All those things that were supposed to be gifts became entitlements in the younger son's eyes.When we perceive those gifts as entitlements, we automatically see ourselves as owners instead of stewards. That makes a huge difference in how we view and use those gifts freely given to us.In the younger son’s case, he squandered his entire inheritance on a life of dissipation. His inheritance was not small at all. He was unbelievably lavish, and because he was away from his father, he was subjected to more temptations from the Devil. Pleasures were the Devil’s traps for him and he wasted every penny he had received.In reality, we also see the opposite extreme. We are oftentimes too fearful of losing our possessions. So we invest our whole lives in protecting them, to the point that we become slaves to our properties. People with this “owner” mindset tries their best to guard their possessions, and use them mainly for their own needs and interests. Fearing that they do not have enough for themselves, sharing will be limited, and only after their current needs are fulfilled and all their future needs are covered.On the contrary, God wants us to be good stewards of the gifts freely given to us. He wants us to share as much as we can, so that His love can be channeled through us to those in need. Our God cannot be outdone in generosity. The more we share and give, the more He will bless us with His providence!God is able to make every grace abundant for you, so that in all things, always having all you need, you may have an abundance for every good work. (2 Corinthians 9:8) If we remain in the Father’s House, we will have an abundance for ourselves and others; if we are on our own in our distant country, we are left wanting.REFLECTIONDo you see yourself as the owner or a steward of all that you have and possess, both materially and spiritually?Are you living in fear of not having enough for your future? Would you like to be set free from all those worries?Do you find yourself enslaved to material possessions? Do you find yourself still in your distant country, away from the Father’s abundant graces?TODAY’S PRAYERDear Heavenly Father, sometimes I feel that I am insecure and feel wanting. I believe that is because I am still in my distant country, far away from You, the source of all goodness and graces. I long to be free from all the bondages of material attachments. I long for the freedom to find and become my true self, and to return to You. But I lack the courage and I am fearful. Please help me to overcome this internal struggle so that I can boldly respond to Your call to come back to You. I know I can never find home in my distant country and my heart is restless until I rest in You. Father, bring me home!I ask this in the 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. ★ Support this podcast ★

On His way to Jerusalem, Jesus travelled through Samaria and Galilee. Ten lepers met Jesus there. Jesus had compassion on them, healed them as He sent them away, asking them to show themselves to the priests. However, out of the ten lepers, only one of them came back to thank Jesus and praise God. Jesus said, “Ten were cleansed, were they not? Where are the other nine?” (Luke 17:17)Few of us would identify ourselves with the nine ungrateful lepers. Indeed, when we are asked, oftentimes we tell people that we are grateful to God for what has been given to us. However, thankfulness is not merely an acknowledgement in words. Genuine and sincere thankfulness should transform us in both our attitudes and actions. God has never stopped providing for us and giving us every single gift in our lives. He is the source of all the goodness of the world that we can find. To give is His nature and it gives Him great pleasure that we receive His gifts. They are freely given to us without price. The only way we can “repay” Him is to be grateful to Him, and to remain in Him so that He can continue to provide for us. He is such a GIVER! And to be grateful to Him and to remain in Him is the best way we can “return” His love. Unfortunately, we are forgetful and we are ungrateful. We only take delight on the gifts and we forget about the Giver!This is what happens when we give a little child a gift. He will say thanks and then off he goes, hiding in a corner, and being carried away by the fascination of opening a gift. Can we not identify with this little kid at times when God gives us presents? Aren’t we like the younger son in the parable of the lost son? Are we also lost in our ungratefulness?Focussing on the gift and not the Giver is a sign of immaturity in our relationship with God. God has given us all the gifts of the world so that we can enjoy the gifts with Him, and not to enjoy them privately. Through these gifts, God wants to reveal Himself to us. We can get to know Him better through these gifts and to know how much we are loved. As a response, we know how to relate to Him and love Him, and we return His love by sharing those gifts with others. This is the circle of giving that God has originally designed. However, with our immaturity, we take ownership of all the gifts, instead of being a steward of those gifts. We want to guard what has been entrusted to us and turn those gifts into our private possessions. When we enclose ourselves in our greediness and ingratitude, we wander in our distant country.REFLECTIONCan you identify yourself with the nine lepers, the little child mentioned in the reflection, and the younger son?How did you relate to God, the unconditional GIVER? Have you privatized the gifts God has freely given and entrusted to you, or do you see yourself as a steward of those gifts?TODAY’S PRAYERDear Heavenly Father, I am shocked to realize how ungrateful I have been to You all these years! I can imagine how disappointed You are as an unconditional giver and lover! I really feel ashamed to face You and I kneel before You, my God. Yet, I feel Your tenderness and Your forgiveness are embracing me, telling me gently to stand up like the leper who returned. I know You want to reassure me of Your everlasting love. Lord, I will not leave you anymore, and I desire to remain in You just as You remain in me. Father, I love you!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. ★ Support this podcast ★

Most people do not like to be told what to do, to follow others’ ideas. We like to express our own ideas, styles, and characters. We want to show ourselves and others that our ways are unique and better. That is how many people choose to build their self confidence. This pattern can slowly mold us to become competitive in nature, and to win in life. As a result, we tend to think about "me" instead of "we". Satan does not only want us to compare with one another, it even tempts us to compare with God! You might say, "No way! I have never thought of that!" Unfortunately, that is the way we behave. Think of the times when we tried to dictate how and when God should provide for us and respond to our prayers. What we are telling God is, “God, I know better. Follow my way.” And if God doesn’t listen, we may be mad at Him, then ignore Him, and then go our own way. Isn’t that how we normally behave? We are competing with God, and doubting what God has in store for us is really the best. In doing so, we try to be the god of our own lives. Sounds familiar? Yes, that is the story of Adam and Eve! Satan tricked them, luring them to be gods themselves. This is what the snake told Eve when it tempted her to eat the forbidden fruit."You certainly will not die! God knows well that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened and you will be like gods, who know good and evil." (Genesis 3:4-5)Indeed, God wants us to know good from evil, to know what we believe in, to have our stand and not be easily misled by others. Yet, that does not prevent us from submitting ourselves to God. In fact, "let go and let God" is our safest bet because God is divine in nature, He knows everything, and He wills us nothing but the best! Seriously, who else can we turn to? Yet, that requires the eyes of faith. We need to look beyond what the world and our situations are presenting to us.We will use an analogy to better understand this concept.. Who else knows the functions and performance and how to take care of a car better than its designer? And who knows best how to care for His Creation other than God the Creator Himself? While God has created each one of us to be unique, we are also created in His image. Being our "image provider", God's "copyright" needs to be respected! Let's not infringe His very right to bring out our full potential according to His design. We know very well that God's way is higher than our way. But whenever our pride rears its ugly head, we repeat the same mistake, doing things our way. When we do not read or believe in the Bible, when we stay away from the Church, or do not spend time listening to the prompt of the Holy Spirit, we are in fact wandering in our distant country.REFLECTIONAre you often skeptical about others' ideas and find it hard to follow their ways? What could be the underlying reasons?Are you afraid of listening to God's voice, fearing that His way is different than your way?Are you exhibiting any signs of rebellion against God, the Bible, or the Church?TODAY’S PRAYERDear Heavenly Father, today I realized that my lack of trust in You has been hurting You as much as Adam and Eve did. My heart is filled with remorse for having hurt You! Thank you for tolerating me for so many years. Please help to change my heart and my attitude in order not to offend You again. I ask this in the 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. ★ Support this podcast ★

In the past few days, we have looked at some of the major factors at play in our lives pulling us away from God, mainly our self-centeredness and selfish ambition (egoism), our doubts in God who provides us with the best, and allowing oneself to fall prey to different daily temptations.Our lives are a tug of war between the good and the evil, between choosing God or Satan. Satan, the master of deception, prides itself by pulling us as far away from God as possible, thus also winning as many souls over to hell as possible. As a creature itself, Satan knows that God has the final triumph. Jesus has already won the battle by dying on the Cross and rising from the dead. The edge Satan has over God lies solely in the free will God has given mankind. The strategies Satan employs are to accuse, cast doubts, distort, deceive, and divide. Its goal is to break the Father’s Heart by luring His child one by one away from Him. Yet, on the surface and in front of us, Satan disguises itself as an angel of light (2 Cor. 11:14).Just as it did for Adam and Eve, the greatest deception Satan planted in our hearts is to doubt the goodness of God — that God wills the best for each one of us. Consequently, we begin to count on ourselves. And we turn to rely on the material goods and every gift from God for self-serving purposes instead of using them to serve others, as originally intended by God. All those goods and gifts then become our possessions, which in turn possess us. We cling to all these gifts from God for fear of losing power, wealth, popularity, relationships, personal achievements, and independence. Satan tricks us in using God’s gifts we hold dear to corrupt our minds and hearts, pulling us towards itself, away from God. This is how cunning Satan is!That is exactly what happened with the younger son in the parable as he demanded from his father his share of the father’s property he believed he was entitled to. And the result was, after he had got what he wanted, he ran as far away from his father as possible to a distant country. Tragically, many of us, God’s children, have wandered too far away. And we may have even mistakenly found ourselves home in a distant country and settled there for good, away from God. This distant country is a place where distractions and other voices are loudest, and God’s voice is faintest. It is a place where we can hardly taste the Transfiguration of the Lord experiences in our lives (Mark 9:2-10). But these are the experiences that the Father desires to let us know our true identity as His Beloved child, and that we really have nothing to fear!REFLECTIONWhat are you clinging on to and fearful of losing? What is binding you? Have you experienced such spiritual dryness that you cannot hear God’s voice in your life?Would you also believe in Satan’s deception that God does not have your best interest in mind? Would you also leave God?TODAY’S PRAYERHeavenly Father, I know on the surface I may seem like a good child of Yours. Yet deep down inside, I know I have unknowingly believed in Satan's deception and have doubted Your love for me. And I have wandered further away from You. I know You know all these, but You have allowed me to make my choices. Lord, please help me to be faithful to You! Help me to stay awake! Help me to never add to Your pain and suffering through my selfishness and disobedience. I know and now acknowledge that I am Your beloved child and this identity will never change.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.Then a cloud came, casting a shadow over them; then from the cloud came a voice, “This is my beloved Son. Listen to him.” (Mark 9:7) ★ Support this podcast ★

In life, we make a lot of decisions. While some are important, life-changing decisions, most are small choices that we make daily. According to some researchers, an average person makes about 35,000 decisions a day! So, we can say that our whole life is made up of decisions, and that these choices shape our lives.When we make important life decisions, we normally take more time to evaluate, to do research, and for us (Catholic) Christians, we discern God’s will before making our final decisions. This is because these important life decisions can change our direction and thus fundamentally change the trajectory of our lives. That’s why these are called life decisions. We just cannot afford to be careless!However, we seem to be less careful, or less vigilant, when it comes to making smaller daily decisions. It is understandable that we cannot afford spending too much time on making small decisions, or else our life will be paralyzed. And you know what, Satan knows that too! And that is where Satan sneaks into our lives, into our daily routines, to play tricks on us. But don’t be deceived by small tricks that seem trivial.There is a saying: you are what you eat. Similarly, making lots of little poor decisions, daily, will affect your well being. These little choices we make and the way we make them slowly mold us over time, and would come to influence the way we make our bigger life decisions. The things that seem inconsequential can eventually lead our lives astray. Our lives are a summation of our daily choices, and the Devil is in the details.If we are not vigilant, the Devil will sneak up on us in the minutiae of everyday life without our knowing. Again, we need to remember that Satan knows us well. It knows what we love or hate, and how to attract or trigger us. We make our decisions based on what we like or dislike, and our emotions. So, if Satan knows that we are impatient, it takes advantage of that by making us feel rushed so we become more prone to making careless decisions. Satan takes great delight in tricking us here and there in order to slowly win us over! It knows how to use small little baits to lead us towards its embrace. Before we know it, we are already in the Devil’s trap!And watching all of this unfold from a distance is the Father, who feels so helpless. The Father’s unconditional and non-possessive love makes Him so vulnerable, so painful!REFLECTIONAre you, like most of us, making small decisions without much thought? After today’s reflection, will you make some changes in how you handle small daily decisions?Examine, in what ways are those small decisions that you have made in the past shaping your life or your approach in making those more important decisions?Do you think you have unknowingly been tricked by the Devil over the years? Did the Devil seek your consent?TODAY’S PRAYERDear Heavenly Father, I know nothing is more painful than watching our loved ones being deceived. Now, I realize how sad you feel all these years watching me making all those wrong decisions against you, which has led me slowly away from You. I confess my instances of negligence through which I have offended you! Be my light, Lord, and do not allow my arrogance and ambition to rob me of my conviction to follow your way. Seek me, Lord, and lead me! You are my one and only Lord. To whom can I turn to? I trust in You!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. ★ Support this podcast ★

In yesterday’s reflection, we examined our consciousness to discover the image of the younger son in each one of us. We have realized that our self-centeredness and associated attitudes and traits are some of the key factors motivating us to break ties with God. Today, we go one level deeper to find the culprit.When we were born, we trusted our parents in every aspect of our lives. We relied on them, learned from them, lived with them, and trusted their guidance. This is what it should be like for our relationship with the Heavenly Father. But someone doesn’t like that! That is Satan. This should not be a surprise to us. Who on earth would want to break our relationship with God? By casting doubts in the minds of Adam and Eve, Satan successfully caused them to trust in God no more. This same tactic of Satan has kept repeating itself throughout history. Satan wants us to shift our trust away from God to ourselves so that we can be easily manipulated by its evil plans on us. By fueling our ego, Satan effortlessly leads us away from God so that its goal to divide will succeed.Unfortunately, Satan knows us very well. It knows we love success. Cunningly it finds ways to silently tempt us through pleasures, popularity, power, etc. Satan will provide all the fuel we need to drift away from the Father’s House! That is why we need to be vigilant. Otherwise, we can be easily tricked by the Devil unknowingly.In his apostolic letter Patris Corde, when Pope Francis describes one of the characteristics of St. Joseph being “a father in the shadows”, he says, “In his relationship with Jesus, Joseph was the earthly shadow of the heavenly Father: he watched over him and protected him, never leaving him to go his own way.” The Pope has so beautifully described the relationship between Jesus and St. Joseph. How humble Jesus was to subject Himself to Joseph, who was God’s creation. If Jesus, being a God-man, also subjected himself to the guidance and boundaries by His earthly foster father, how much more should we also stay in the Father’s House to be watched over, be protected, and be guided!Our Father’s love for us is not possessive. He allows us to choose Him, or not. His love for us is so unconditional but that makes Him so vulnerable! The choice is ours to make, to stay with Him, or to leave Him; to love Him, or not to love Him; to trust in Him, or to trust in the Devil.REFLECTIONTry to relive those moments when God took care of you, protected you, and guided you as a faithful God through the years.Reflect upon the times when you set off to go your own way, and how God has come to your rescue as you called for His help.Reflect on how Jesus had chosen to remain faithful and obedient to His Father. Will you follow Jesus’ footsteps in choosing your future path?TODAY’S PRAYERHeavenly Father, I know I have drifted away from You. I have not been a good and faithful child. And I realize that I must have broken Your Heart by choosing the evil ways! Yet, Your love for me is so constant, so unconditional, and so beautiful! Help me to stand firm in my trust in You and never again allow me to partner with Satan to hurt You. I renounce Satan and all its works on me. If I am to choose again, I will choose You, my Lord!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. ★ Support this podcast ★

“After a few days, the younger son collected all his belongings and set off to a distant country.” (Luke 15:13)What motivated the younger son to leave his home, to leave his father?Believe it or not, either knowingly or unknowingly, we all seek opportunities to leave home, whether it is a physical or a spiritual departure.A part of us always hopes to explore the outside world. We are in search of something better, something bigger, something more unique and original, something more adventurous and exciting,... It is true that the unexplored territories are oftentimes very appealing. It also symbolizes a “freedom” that few can resist. This is especially true when we are young. We have the “capital” we call “youth” to spend. If we have a chance and the resources, many opt to leave home to be independent, either for school or for work. At least for an experience, we think to ourselves. We desire to try more things and exhaust all opportunities before we settle down. All these seem to be a part of our human nature and are so ingrained in our culture.On the surface, we are motivated by our curiosity and our ambition. But we need to be aware of some underlying dangers. As we dig deeper, we might discover something more subtle that is pushing us to do things one way or the other. Attitudes like taking things for granted, being discontent with what we have, resisting to be told what to do, rebelling against authorities, rules and boundaries; desiring to try things out that are not allowed “at home”, and wanting to do things our way,...the list goes on and on. We may not be aware of the danger of these attitudes but it is something that we need to pay attention to. This kind of self-centeredness often leads to arrogance in how we behave and act, which can be very hurtful to others and harmful to ourselves. This mentality also subjects us to short-sightedness and self-serving blindness, making us an easy prey for temptations, essentially opening doors for Satan to enter into our lives.Needless to say, egoism is a more serious pandemic infesting this world than any other viruses. As we subconsciously grow our ego, we become increasingly insensitive to others, acting and speaking in ways that “kill” others without our knowing. In the parable of the lost son, we have already experienced the blow to the father’s heart just to hear the sudden demand of his son. Yet, the more serious blow was to see his son putting his words into action! The younger son left in just a few days, indicating his determination to leave as well as his brutal insensitivity to his father’s feelings. He collected every possession that he deemed entitled to and off he went to a distant country. This kind of determination revealed to his father his underlying intention not to come back again; that he desired to have no more relationship with his father. The father knew that he would probably not see his son again ever, nor did he know any way to retain his son. Imagine for a moment that you are the father. Isn’t that like a sword piercing your very heart?REFLECTIONCan you recognize the younger son in you? In what ways are you hurting those closest to you?What are the things and attitudes that are motivating you to set off for a distant country?What are the attachments in your life that break your ties with God?TODAY’S PRAYERDear Heavenly Father, thank you for making me aware of my hidden nature as a prodigal son. Please forgive me for staying away from You and unknowingly hurting you in the past. I am deeply sorry for being so insensitive to You and for all the occasions that I have rejected Your love for me. Take away my prideful attitudes and remove all attachments that lead me astray. Nurture in me a softened and sensitive heart, for You and for those around me. Never permit me to hurt You and others again. May your tender love fill me and make me whole again. I ask this in the 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. ★ Support this podcast ★

A man had two sons, and the younger son said to his father, “Father, give me the share of your estate that should come to me.” So the father divided the property between them. After a few days, the younger son collected all his belongings and set off to a distant country…(Luke 15:11-13a)Imagine for a minute what flashes through the father’s mind the moment the son demands his share of his father’s estate. A heart-wrenching pain struck him as he listened between the lines of what his son said to his face.“I don’t care about you, whether you are alive or dead. Just give me my share of the inheritance I will be entitled to when you die!” “I no longer want to have any relationship with you. I want no part of you nor this family!”“I can’t stand staying with you any longer! I can’t wait until you are dead to leave you!”“What you have done for me over the years means absolutely nothing to me!”“I have no time to speak with you and I don’t love you anymore. Just divide your property, give me my share, and let me go!”Judging from the character of the father in the parable, one can hardly believe there is any valid reason that would justify the son’s action. You can imagine how shocked the father was when his son made such a demand on him. No words could describe the pain in his heart.If you were the father, how would you feel? And how would you react to your son’s demand? What would have gone through your mind? “What happened?”“What have I done wrong to deserve this cruel treatment from you, my beloved child?” “What can I do to make him stay?” “Why don’t you understand, my child? Will you ever understand my heart for you?”“What… why…Suddenly, years of sacrifices are worth nothing! The father’s heart is broken, and he wonders why this would ever happen to him. Logic stops making sense... Time seems to have frozen… No word comes out of his mouth, and their gazes find nowhere to meet…“What happened to my beloved child? I know I am losing him...”A million years seemed to have passed within a split second. “What should I tell him?” the father asked himself.Feeling his heart pierced and shattered, he divided his property and let him go…And there, he left!REFLECTIONDo you feel the pain of the father’s heart? Can you relate to him?Do you wonder why the father let his child go? Why did the father allow his son to have his way?Can you relate to this story? Sounds familiar? Someone you know, someone you hate, someone you love, someone… you?TODAY’S PRAYERMy Lord, and my God, my heart aches just to think about what You have experienced all these years since You have created mankind, and since You have created me. I don’t know how you could tolerate all such nonsense from me all these years… from a thought that offended you, silently going through my mind, to any of my actions that pierced your heart! I can hardly imagine nor comprehend just how much you have suffered because of me, and of all humankind throughout history! Help me to connect with You once again, my dear Father, and allow me to soothe your pain. Father, I love You!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. ★ Support this podcast ★

Perhaps we have noticed the common theme of REPENTANCE among the three parables that Jesus told in the Gospel of Luke chapter 15.After telling the parable of the lost sheep, Jesus said, “I tell you, in just the same way there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need of repentance.” (Luke 15:7) And after telling the parable of the lost coin, Jesus also said: “In just the same way, I tell you, there will be rejoicing among the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” (Luke 15:10)Based on what Jesus said, we can be assured that God never despises us as sinners. He knows that we are weak. His love for us never changes even as we sin against Him. What matters to Him is whether we REPENT or not. Repentance is a vitally important gateway to our Father’s House. Without this awareness, we would continue to, unknowingly, stay or drift away from our true home and wander aimlessly in the wilderness.We cannot help but notice that one of the central themes of Jesus’ teaching in the Gospels is repentance. After Jesus' baptism and being tempted for 40-days in the wilderness, He began His public ministry by proclaiming, ”The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.” (Mark 1:15)Jesus invites all of us to repent, to have a conversion of our heart and mind. Jesus spent 40 days praying, fasting and being tempted by Satan, to prepare Himself for the mission entrusted to Him by the Father. As such, it is also important for us to prepare ourselves to properly carry out our own mission from God!As we continue this Lenten journey, it is fitting for us to focus on our repentance. Receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation allows us to get on the right track. It is important to get a head start in this process. A good beginning is half the battle won!Jesus said, ”Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick do; I have come to call not the righteous but sinners to repentance.” (Luke 5:32) While we should be ashamed of our sins, we need not be ashamed of ourselves as we turn to God for forgiveness. He knows we are sinners and He knows our sins. He cannot wait to heal our wounds and bring us back to His embrace!REFLECTIONWhat is holding you back from turning to God to receive forgiveness and healing? If fears are holding you back, would you ask our merciful Heavenly Father for courage?Do you believe that you are as precious as all the saints and holy people in God’s eyes? TODAY’S PRAYERMerciful Father, I know that Jesus is appealing for my repentance. But oftentimes I lack the courage and I am afraid to face You, and even myself. Please fill me with Your love so that my fears will be taken away. I desire to come back to you, my dear God! Do not let me drift away from You again! I ask this in the 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. ★ Support this podcast ★

Yesterday, we talked about how Jesus handled the complaint of the Pharisees and the scribes. He responded by telling them three parables in a row, emphasizing the importance of the message He was trying to get across —— that is, our compassionate Heavenly Father loves all sinners to such an extreme extent that He would take incomprehensible or even irrational actions by human standard to seek, to accept, and to forgive all those who have offended Him. The Father does not take pleasure in simply pursuing “a recovery of the loss” for its own sake. Instead, it is His deepest desire that all His children would wake up from their slumber, return to the Father’s love, and receive the best of all the blessings the Father has prepared for them! The Father has no self-serving motives nor does He play favourites among His children. Jesus patiently used the three parables to reveal His Father’s Heart so that we would realize the depth of His love for us. This realization awakens in us the need to respond to Him.We should pay special attention to the inter-relationship among the three parables. First, we should notice that the “loss ratio” illustrated in the three parables progresses from 1 percent, to 10 percent, to 50 percent. Another point worth noting is the progression in the intrinsic value of the loss, from a lost sheep, to a lost silver coin, to a lost child. This serves as a reminder to us that no matter how insignificant we think we are, in the eyes of the Father, we are of utmost importance to Him. We are precious, His beloved ones, and each of us matters to Him! This is the Father’s Heart. That explains why the moment we are found, it brings Him exuberant joy beyond measure, which is so out of proportion by human standard!This also reveals the difference between our Heavenly Father's perspective and our secular perspective. It reminds us not to use our human standard to measure love, especially the Father’s love for each of us. This also reminds us of the importance of knowing the Father's Heart! Otherwise, we are ignorant of our value in His eyes, let alone knowing our way back to the Father's house, and accepting all the amazing graces that He wills for us!REFLECTIONDo you want to know God’s compassionate Heart?Immerse yourself in the three parables. Do you notice the difference between the Father’s love and the earthly love that we know of?Are you thirsting for and ready to receive the Father’s love for you?TODAY’S PRAYERHeavenly Father, I have just come to realize how deep and amazing your love is for me! I feel that I was blind before. Thank you for touching my heart with yours, allowing me to get a glimpse of your great love! Let not my heart be hardened, but let me embrace your sacred heart wholeheartedly. Never permit me to be separated from you. I ask this in Jesus’ 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. ★ Support this podcast ★

In the last couple of days, we saw the compassion of God for sinners and how important and precious each child is in His eyes, no matter how sinful and broken we are. We now have a glimpse of how deep our Heavenly Father’s love is for each and every one of us. His ultimate wish is for us to be with Him forever. And our repentance begins our journey home.Our life experiences make it hard for us to comprehend the Father’s love. Oftentimes we have doubts about His fairness and impartiality towards each of His children. Truly, it is hard for us to comprehend when we witness all the unfairness in this world. As humans, we try to make sense of what is happening around us. There seems to be a huge gap between what the world is telling us and what Jesus is revealing to us about His Heavenly Father’s love.Indeed, it is hard to believe that the Father’s love is so unconditional and impartial in nature. Unfairness in this world aside, it is as incomprehensible that we cannot make God love us more by behaving better or working harder, nor can we make God love us less by our failures or sinfulness! His love for us is constant and without cost! It is freely given and is to be freely received.A vivid example is St. Peter. Regardless of what Peter had done to Jesus, that is, betraying God’s friendship by denying Jesus three times, God still loves him all the same and has pity on him. Not only did Jesus forgive Peter, but He also restored Peter’s identity as the rock upon which the Church would be built, by appointing Peter as the first Pope and giving him the keys to the kingdom of heaven! Incomprehensible? Yes! Yet it is real!As we continue this Lenten journey, we need to have the basic trust in the God whom we claim we believe in. We need to believe in what Jesus, our Saviour, tells us from His own mouth (that is, through the Scripture). Without this foundation, our journey home will be a guaranteed failure. It is as if we have opened the door for Satan and its lies to mercilessly sever our relationship with God. Ask yourself: To whom can we go? Who else is more trustworthy than God? Let us boldly take our first step to trust in Him, and allow Him to prove His love for us this Lent!REFLECTIONImagine Jesus turns to you and asks, “Who do you say that I am?” What would you say? If you confess that He is Your Lord, are you proclaiming that from your heart, meaning you trust in every word that comes out of His mouth through the Scripture?Examine your heart again. Do you really believe from the bottom of your heart what Jesus has revealed about His Father’s unfailing love for you through the three parables (Luke 15) is true?TODAY’S PRAYERDear God, I long to be with You and I long to come back to You. But I know I have doubts both in myself and in You. I am deeply sorry to have hurt You by my lack of faith in You. Come to my aid, Lord, and please help my unbelief! I desire to take the first step to offer my trust in You and allow You to prove Your love to me during this Lenten season! Fill me with Your holy love, Lord!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. ★ Support this podcast ★

For a brief moment, imagine yourself as one of the Pharisees and scribes who grumbled, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” (Luke 15:2) Then you hear Jesus tell the parables of the Lost Sheep, the Lost Coin, and the Lost Son (Luke 15), and reveal the nature of God’s concern and merciful love for the lost ones (sinners). How would you feel when you hear this ridiculous question from Jesus: “Which one of you, having a hundred sheep and losing one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the one that is lost until he finds it?” (Luke 15:4) Logic tells us that no person in their right mind would ever leave the ninety-nine! It simply does not make any sense. What if he doesn’t find the one? What if the one sheep refuses to re-join the ninety-nine? What if he loses the ninety-nine? Why did Jesus present a losing argument to those whose intent was to find fault with Him? What was Jesus trying to do? Is Jesus out of His mind? Everyone of us at times would find ourselves mindlessly saying something silly or irrational, for which we would regret after the fact, beating our breasts. Going back to Jesus’ case, as if He were not dumb enough to present a losing argument before His enemies, He repeated the same losing argument three times by telling similar parables, only being progressively more ridiculous.In doing so, it was as if He were inviting His rivals to “stab” Him.Do you believe that Jesus, as a Rabi (teacher), would repeat a losing argument three times? No! Jesus was revealing His deepest concern and love, and His identity as a good shepherd for the lost sheep, He was also revealing the Father’s compassionate Heart and the reason why He was sent into the world.Needless to say, the Pharisees and the scribes did not understand what Jesus was trying to say. Nevertheless, that same conviction and radical love shown in these parables foreshadowed Jesus and His Passion, His dying for the lost, for the sinners! Thus, in the end, these were no longer just parables, but a true story - the Father’s Love, manifesting before our very eyes.This sets the stage for what we are going to experience together during this Lent as we allow ourselves to dive deeper into the Parable of the Lost Son, into Jesus’ Heart.The Compassion of Jesus (Matthew 9:35-36) Jesus went around to all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and curing every disease and illness. At the sight of the crowds, his heart was moved with pity for them because they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd. REFLECTIONImagine: how did Jesus feel when He told the Pharisees and the scribes those three parables?Do you, in any way, find yourself in doubt of the reckless love of our Heavenly Father as revealed to us by Jesus?Are you willing and ready to allow Jesus to speak directly to you? Do you know how intense His love is for you? Are you ready to receive it?TODAY’S PRAYERDear Lord, You have expressed Your love, not once, not twice, but numerous times to me over the years, and it seems to have fallen on my deaf ears. I now realize that Your Sacred Heart has been aching for me, thirsting for me to come back to You. This Lent, as I allow myself to pause and reflect on Your love, my Lord, I give You permission to enter into the depth of my heart to reveal to me this intense love You have for me. Grant me, Lord, patience and a softened heart as I let you dwell in my heart, just between you and me. I ask this in Jesus’ 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. ★ Support this podcast ★

This is the second Lenten Season in an unprecedented global pandemic. This pandemic has disrupted our lives while awakening us in the process. As we continue to till the soil of our hearts, let us examine the wisdom of the Church’s liturgical calendar. Basically, why Lent, and how is it related to our spiritual life and growth?Advent and Lent are the seasons of preparation, symbolized by the colour “purple''; Christmas and Easter the seasons of celebration, symbolized by “white”; and Ordinary Time the season of growth, symbolized by “green”.As we look back at the theme of the Parable of the Sowers of our last Lenten Retreat, we come to appreciate more this rhythm of life — to prepare, to grow, and to celebrate. The more important part that requires so much of our attention is TO PREPARE.“Preparation” is what we are called to do now during Lent. And preparation requires WAITING, a lot of it, which is not a popular concept especially in this fast-paced world. But if we dig deeper, it is not hard for us to realize that all good and lasting things require much waiting. When we were children, we used to save money to buy something we longed for; and that waiting heightened that joyful anticipation and made the purchased item more treasurable in our eyes.This Lent, as we contemplate on The Parable of the Lost Son, also more well-known as the “Prodigal Son”, we will come to learn more about the beauty of waiting, our true identity, and to experience the Father’s Heart and the joy of joining the circle of celebration of our own rebirth in the Father’s House.If you, like many, are dreadful about Lent because of the many rules and restrictions like fasting, penance, offering sacrifices, etc., please treat all these as shortcuts to acquiring the virtue of patience. Tilling the soil, watering and fertilizing, and all the labours in the field require lots of hardwork and perseverance, and oftentimes take the longest time in the grand scheme of things. As the late US President Theodore Roosevelt put it: “Nothing worth having comes easy.” Patience pays off at the end in the season of the harvest, as we celebrate together in God’s presence! This Lent, let us learn to Await in Joyful Hope as we journey with our Lord from His Passion, to His Death, and His glorious Resurrection.REFLECTIONIn your life, is WAITING your enemy or your friend? Do you have the openness to embrace a waiting attitude into your life?Have you ever experienced fruitfulness as a result of your patience? TODAY’S PRAYERDear Lord, thank you for accepting me as I am, a sinful and broken child of yours. It is You who have shown the greatest patience to me, and yet, it is me who have shown the most impatience to you and others. Help me, Lord, to practice the virtue of patience during this Lent, as I learn to follow your merciful path. I ask this in Jesus' 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. ★ Support this podcast ★