Farmer of Hearts - Finding Order in Chaos

View Details

In addition to Jesus, the Son of God, the other main actor in the “theo-drama” is the Mother of God, the Blessed Virgin Mary. Both, having completely reverted Adam and Eve’s sin of “pride”, have become the Father’s perfect followers who have also perfectly fulfilled the mission bestowed on them by the Father. The collaboration between the Son and the Holy Mother is the fulfilment of the Father’s will; their seamless collaboration is the perfect fulfilment of The Lord’s Prayer: “Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven”. One can say that Jesus and Mary are the perfect partners in the “theo-drama”.

In the same way, God also wants each of His children to become His partner in order to accomplish “the greater works”. How could we even consider not trying to learn and ask for help from Jesus and Mary? First of all, “humility” is not only a portrayal of the Lord Jesus and Mother Mary, but also the primary condition for being an actor/actress in the “theo-drama”. Furthermore, because the Father knows everything as the “director” of the entire “drama”, the Son and Mother Mary are intimately connected with the Father. Mary treasures and ponders every word in the script, that is, the word of God; she shows no fear towards things that she does not fully understand. When the appointed time arrives, Mary appears on stage and delivers a flawless “performance” of the “script”.

Each morning commences a new episode of the play; it is also the time to communicate with the director. We need to dialogue with the Father in our solitude and quietude, so that we may receive His words and instructions in order to meet the requirements for our role on that day, and facilitate the development of the “plot”. First of all, we need to “stop and listen” to the director’s guidance, then “act”, and then “pause” to “treasure and ponder” every message received. The “learning from the reflection” can then be applied to the next act. This same process is to be repeated multiple times every day. The more “parts” we have in the drama, that is, the more work we have to complete that day, the greater the need to press the pause button and spend more time “consulting the director”!

According to Ignatian spirituality, becoming a “contemplative in action” means: that our active life feeds our contemplative life and our contemplative life informs our active life.

Ignatian spirituality is grounded in the conviction that God is active in our world.

In addition to knowing what we should do in our life, that is, to fulfil the Father’s will, we also need to know how to do it; in other words, the proper means to accomplish God’s will.

In the example of Martha and Mary welcoming Jesus, the focus is not what they do to attend to Jesus but how they do it, their attitude, and their motivations (ref. Luke 10:38-42). Many biblical scholars agreed that even if Martha had chosen to sit by Jesus’ feet and listen to Him, her mind would still be preoccupied with the “many things”; thus, unable to accept what Jesus has to tell her. Contrarily, if Mary chose to serve Jesus by preparing food for him while maintaining her attitude and mentality of listening to God, she would still be able to have a genuine encounter with Jesus through her active work and service. The core is that we need to know what is the "only necessary thing" in life, that is, " to listen to Jesus and do whatever He tells you". We should not let the "many things" disturb and "distract" us into a state of "chaos", thus losing "Order" and "Focus".

If God is the director of every moment of our life, He is also an integral part of our life. If we allow God to enter into our life, we become family; He, our kind and gentle Father. Then, we will not have trouble recognizing His voice, and by listening to Him, we can discern His will. When we get to know His “temperaments” gradually, we will also get to know “how” God wants us to live out His will.

When we follow this method to strengthen our communication and cooperation with the Father, we will not be easily swayed by our own motivations and external influences. Neither will our work nor our surrounding environment stand between us and our intimate communication and cooperation with the Father. In this way, our work and surroundings will be transformed from being obstacles into a time and space in which we may effectively encounter and pray to the Father, and support us on our path to holiness!

St. Josemaria Escrivá once said: “Jesus, let my distractions be the other way around. Instead of thinking of the world when I am engaged in conversation with you, let me rather think of you when I am engaged in the things of this world”.

Ultimately, the foundation of everything we discussed earlier is “humility”. This is echoed by what John the Baptist said in the Gospel of John, Chapter 3, Verse 30, “He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30). Though this proclamation does not come from Jesus, His whole life testifies to it! Jesus has devoted His entire life to “increase” and glorify God.

Since Jesus has made the Father’s will the anchor of His life and “fulfilling the Father’s will” the highest goal for His disciples, even among the hustle and bustle of His public ministry, His heart is peaceful and steady; His unwavering confidence comes from His unshakable confidence in the Father. The source of all these is Jesus’ intimate relationship with His Father! Jesus and our Holy Mother Mary are, indeed, exemplars of “contemplative in action”!

Like Jesus and Mary, if we dwell in God and align our life with His will as well as endeavour to fully cooperate with Him, we don’t need to be afraid of sufferings, illnesses, and other challenges in life! Indeed, God will grant us a life that is serene and trouble-free, as well as the gift of “holy indifference” mentioned in previous reflections, when we have full confidence and rely completely on Him. When we can see God in all things, the peace of Christ, a peace that cannot be taken away, and the true “interior order” will remain with us always!

In the Gospel of John, Chapter 14, Verse 27, Jesus says, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives.” (John 14:27).

Reflection

Would you aspire to be a "contemplative in action"? How would you learn from Jesus to let go of the "many things" of the world and the so-called high-efficiency attachment?

How can you learn true humility from the Lord Jesus and Our Lady?

During the whole retreat, is there anything, insight or learning, that you are thankful for?

Today’s Prayer

Loving Abba Father, as I complete this 40-day retreat, I thank and praise You, and I long to honour Your Holy Name by saying the Litany of Humility:

O Jesus! meek and humble of heart, Hear me.
From the desire of being esteemed, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being loved, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being extolled, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being honoured, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being praised, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being preferred to others, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being consulted, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being approved, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being humiliated, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being despised, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of suffering rebukes, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being calumniated, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being forgotten, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being ridiculed, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being wronged, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being suspected, Deliver me, Jesus.
That others may be loved more than I, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be esteemed more than I, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That, in the opinion of the world, others may increase and I may decrease, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be chosen and I set aside, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be praised and I unnoticed, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be preferred to me in everything, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may become holier than I, provided that I may become as holy as I should, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.

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.

Thank you for participating in this 40-day Lenten spiritual journey, Finding Order in Chaos. We hope you have been inspired and have benefitted from it! For the spiritual benefit of all of you, Fountain of Love and Life devotes a lot of time and effort in producing various spiritual projects every year, and all our ministries are sustained by the generous donations of our supporters. We hope you will support us with prayers and donations. Please make an online donation using the button at the top of the website Lent.FLL.cc. Thank you very much for your support. God bless!

The following is the “Farmer of Hearts: Finding Order in Chaos” team, including FLL staff and volunteers. Please kindly pray for them. May God protect them and sustain their physical, mental and spiritual well-being.

Project Manager: Michael Lam
Writer: Paul Yeung
English Translator: Susanna Mak
Editors: Bonny Chan, Rosa Tse
Cantonese Narrator: Margaret Woo
English Narrators: Bonny Chan, Francis Lai
Mandarin Narrators: Rene Ren, Anthony X.
Audio Editors: Arnold Chan Sander Lee, Margaret Woo
YouTube Editor: Sander Lee
Graphics: Francis Lai, Rosa Tse
Website: Patricia Young
Podcast: Angela Wong
Social Media: Carmen Tsang, Rosa Tse
“Farmer” Support: Otto Lam
Other Support: Yollie Leung

★ Support this podcast ★

View Details

The chaos in our individual life, family, society, and even the entire human history are intricately connected to our sinful nature; at the top of the list is our “pride”. Our human condition and struggles due to pride began with Adam and Eve, and continue to the end of time.

A renowned theologian, Hans Urs von Balthasar, suggested that there are two different dramas we can live out in life: an “ego-drama” or a “theo-drama”. As the term suggests, “ego-drama” regards the self as the “lead actor”; it is the drama that I’m writing, producing, directing and starring in. In this drama, everything revolves around the “self” and all benefits are directed to the “self”; our honour and shame, and success and failure are all about the “self”. Contrarily, the story of a “theo-drama” is God-centred in which the plot is driven by God’s divine plan, and all the actors are chosen and invited by God. Since God wants the maximum number of people to participate, the plot development is distinct from that of the “ego-drama”. In this plot, both the benefit for individuals and the greater good are considered. The entire story progresses with harmony, collaboration, and a concern for the benefits of all. This stands in stark contrast to the “ego-drama” that is characterized by confrontation, competition, and egotism.

When we only dwell in an “ego-drama”, we easily fall victim to emotional turmoil resulting from our obsession with individual accomplishment and honour and shame. When we encounter obstacles or challenges in life, we become worried, discouraged, angry, and even depressed. On the contrary, when we live in a “theo-drama”, our life feels easy and burden-free because we are no longer playing the lead role; thus, we don’t need to worry about success or failure. All we need is to accept God’s invitation to play the role assigned by God wholeheartedly; nothing more and nothing less. This allows each individual to become a part of the whole, seamlessly working with other actors, sharing the responsibilities as well as all honour and shame; thus, each offering their very best to this “theo-drama”. Indeed, God’s will and vision is that we live with one another in harmony and to make the communion and collaboration within Christ’s mystical body, and God’s kingdom on earth, a reality.

This is the solution to the chaos and disasters brought on by our “pride”, and the remedy to the spread of the mental “epidemic”. It can improve relationships among individuals, communities, ethnicities, and countries; resolve divisions and stop wars. This sounds idealistic; however, if we begin with ourselves, shifting our thoughts and attitudes away from self-centredness to following Christ’s spirit of sacrificing oneself for others, we will be able to mend all relationships, one at a time.

This can be likened to the Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday which begins in darkness; however, light begins to spread from one single candle, the lighting of the Easter candle. From this single candle, the fire is being passed on from one person to the next. In the blink of an eye, the church turns from complete darkness to being illuminated by the candle in everyone’s hand. What a fantastic image! When we feel discouraged or grieved due to the conditions of our personal life, our family, society, and the world, let us always remember this image. Any positive change begins with one person and one idea. As long as we remain steadfast with Christ’s spirit, remain faithful to our call, and persevere in all we do, with the help of our faithful God, nothing is impossible!

This is our collective vision; our hope of salvation and resurrection granted by God! This conviction will bring about a new order, one that has been established by God since creation. The order has been squandered and lost due to our sins, but our hope for a new order has been reignited through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

However, this cannot be accomplished without our cooperation. The departure of Jesus raises the curtain for “the epoch of the Holy Spirit” in the “theo-drama”. Just as the power of the Holy Spirit is revealed in the creation of the world, the same Spirit moves us to accomplish the Father’s work instead of our own; not to be self-centred but deems Jesus Christ as the centre of all creation; making His teachings of “Christian spirit” the fire on the Easter candle, and through our new roles in the “theo-drama”, the light of “Christian spirit” can be carried forward until it reaches the ends of the world!

The turning point of all holy men and women throughout history is often their realization of an imminent unhappy ending if they continue to direct and act in their own “ego-drama”. Therefore, when they accept God’s invitation and gradually discover their new roles in the “theo-drama”, with pleasure and great excitement, they abandon their self-determined role, and without hesitation, dive right into the new role assigned by God and begin to discover other companions on the journey!

Let us follow the examples of all the holy men and women, exchanging our solitary “self” for a true “communion in a community”, standing by the main lead actor, Jesus Christ who sits at the right hand of the Father and who intercedes and cheers for us and the entire cast every day unceasingly until the end of time. Amen!

Reflection

Have you noticed that you may be living in the “ego-drama”, discussed in today’s reflection, and that you only seek your own needs and success? What have you given up for these?

Are you willing to lay down the “ego-drama” and accept God’s invitation to play a new role in the “theo-drama”? Why or why not?

Now, submit to the help of the Holy Spirit, and commit to rid yourself of the bondage of “pride”. From now on, seek what pleases God and dive into the “theo-drama” wholeheartedly.

Today’s Prayer

My God, who created and nourished me, my eyes are blinded by my pride and as a result, I have been wandering further and further away from You. However, You never abandon me; on the contrary, You patiently bear with me and use many different ways to lead me back to You; You awaken me from the “ego-drama”; tell me to reject my old self so that I may put on the new role in Your story. Together with other sisters and brothers who are invited by You, we dive into the role that You have created for each one of us, and continue the plot that began with Mary and the holy men and women. Grant me strength and a heart full of humility so that I may humbly accept the mission that comes with my role, in order to repay Your love for me. For this I pray, in the Holy Name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

★ Support this podcast ★

View Details

In the reflection on Day 37, we considered the possibility of falling into the condition of “burnout” when our life is extremely unbalanced and disorderly; not only does this negatively affect ourselves but also those around us and the entire community to which we belong. Preceding this stage, we would experience the undesirable condition of living in a constant state of “hurriedness”. This is a common malady of people in today’s world, especially during a time of information explosion, and in a society that puts competitiveness at its forefront. This mental epidemic continues to spread throughout society. From the day little children start going to school, people are constantly kept busy without rest; even after their retirement, they fail to escape the clutch of a “hurried life”. It seems that no one can be spared from this fate. Everyone is affected by this condition; the difference is the varying degrees to which each is affected.

Indeed, “efficiency”, or in other words, accomplishing the most in the shortest amount of time, is a source of our “addiction”. At the core of this problem is our “competitiveness” and our tendency to challenge ourselves and others. Thus, we cannot lay all the blame for this malady on social norms or society’s culture. In fact, the biggest culprit is “pride”. “Pride” tells us to only trust ourselves and rely on our own strength instead of relying on God and trusting others. This provides the perfect incubator for our enemies to build upon our “pride” by adding “many things”: distractions, preferences, attachments, and addictions, until there’s no more room for God and the grace that He has prepared for us!

Does efficiency imply better? Does a lifestyle characterized by high efficiency and haste imply a perfect life? In our everyday life, it is not difficult to find counter-examples. For instance, chewing food slowly can improve our digestion; when we take time to consider all angles, we can make better decisions than when we rush into decisions.

Under life’s pressure from different directions, most of us would simply yield to the clutch of “high efficiency” and willingly become slaves of “speed” and “efficiency”. As we attempt to accomplish the most in the shortest amount of time, we tend to make a series of unhealthy compromises, and as a result, pay a hefty price for it.

In the first place, “hurriedness” takes away healthy and meaningful relationships; exchanging our “heart of flesh” with a “heart of stone”. When we are overwhelmed with our work, thus, attempting to avoid disruptions from others, we become blind and deaf to the needs of others. Our schedule doesn’t even allow for quality time with family and friends; or we may attempt to squeeze out our last few ounces of strength, only at the end of the day, to spend a few minutes with them. Unfortunately, we also insert God in those last few minutes of our spare time. Since we cannot see God, we often take advantage of His generosity and benevolence by placing Him as our last priority. God’s voice is gentle and only in silence that we may encounter Him. How could we nurture an intimate relationship with God in a less than ideal environment where our life is hurried? When we don’t have time to get to know and listen to God, how could we serve Him and fulfil His will?

If we don’t understand God’s will and His mission for us, we are giving up a “meaningful life” for an “aimless existence”. We can find our life’s true worth by listening to God’s words as well as examining and reflecting on the ebbs and flows in our life and our relationships. However, it is easy to make “reflection” a sacrificial lamb amidst our “hurried life” since the fruits of the habit of “reflection” are often difficult to detect. Our inability to truly reflect on our life, coupled with the absence of God’s inspiration will make us like travellers without a compass; we lose our sense of direction and the road ahead of us becomes obscured. In this way, we are only surviving instead of living; exhausting ourselves as we wander aimlessly, missing out the wonderful life that God has prepared for us! In other words, such a life is superficial and worthless. In this condition, we can never be truly “confident” in ourselves, as the confidence only comes from God!

Finally, the cost of efficiency is our ability to “live in the moment”; rendering us helpless to slow down and enjoy life, and missing out on the opportunity to discern the presence of God, His footprints, His concerns for us, and His gaze on us…

In other words, over-exertion due to a “hurried life” has lasting and serious repercussions, such as stress or even depression.

When we look at Jesus’ life, the pressure He faced must have been a thousand times more severe than ours, and He had to accomplish the impossible in a very short time; however, He refused to seek efficiency in an earthly sense but focused on the most important things in life, that is, the Father and His will. Following Jesus’ example, we know that true efficiency and the peace of God will be given us without limit!

Reflection

In your life, have you made “speed” and “efficiency” your “idols”? What price have you paid for them?

Does your “hurried life” lead you to face the world and treat others with indifference; thus sacrificing your interpersonal relationships? Please listen in your heart of hearts for God’s inspiration.

Once you have understood the harmful effects of “many things” and a “hurried life”, what do you think God is asking you to change, so that you may “live in the moment”?

Today’s Prayer

Dear Abba Father, I now recognize that my “hurried life” has replaced my compassionate heart; turning the gentle heart that You have given me into a heart of stone. I know I have been stingy about spending time with others and failed to appreciate and enjoy all You have bestowed on me. I have also failed to make room for You in my heart. My God, this is not my intention; but my weaknesses and pride have forced me to abandon You and all the good things You intended for me. Save me from my recklessness and confusion so that I may be able to receive Your peace and blessing. I don’t want to simply survive but to seek a life in You. For this I pray, in the Holy Name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

If you find this reflection helpful and have not registered to receive our daily email, we invite you to sign up here. If you have a Facebook account and would like to share your thoughts there, we invite you to join this Facebook group.

★ Support this podcast ★

View Details

Having a “balanced life” is central to all Christians. In addition to balancing all three aspects of ourselves, body, mind, and soul, it is crucial that we also strive to strike a balance in our spiritual life. For some sisters and brothers, they may have preferences for certain areas of spiritual life or habits, which in turn causes them to favour the development of those areas of their spiritual life and neglect the need for balancing all the areas. For example: some Catholics’ prayer life may only focus on reciting prayers; though reciting prayers is highly beneficial, this form of prayer lacks the element of “listening”. If we become too “obsessed” or even “addicted”, our prayer life will become too formulaic; thus we are only reciting the formulated words of the prayers mindlessly, but that is not what prayer is about. Another example: some Catholics choose to focus on liturgies and rituals, and spend all their devotional time participating in all kinds of liturgical celebrations and rites. However, their spiritual life lacks interactions with other people, like participation in faith communities or bible study groups, and other faith-based activities. Yet, other Catholics are so passionate about learning that they seek out all kinds of faith-related talks and courses, or enthusiastically research and consume all kinds of religious materials online; they are unwilling to miss a single learning opportunity. Their passion for learning is admirable; however, if their motivation is to simply expand their knowledge, they may be guilty of “accumulation of knowledge” and may fail to apply what they learn in their daily lives. This is less than helpful to nurturing their spiritual growth.

There are those who are full of enthusiasm for service; they participate in many parish groups or ministries, especially those focusing on services. Their schedule is bursting at the seams with all kinds of service; they are physically and spiritually exhausted, and become “overexerted” under tremendous pressure. All these have an impact on their other needs in life as well as their relationship with others, especially their families. If the situation continues, in extreme cases, these Catholics may eventually become unwilling to offer help and participate in any services, and in the worst case, they may even leave the Church for good. This is a problem that cannot be ignored by us individually, and by the parish, faith communities, and the entire Church.

In truth, “burnout” doesn’t only happen in the workplace, it is also very common in the Church. The reason is that the number of people who are willing to serve the Church is scarce, therefore, anyone who offers himself/herself to the service of the Church is often asked to do more, resulting in serious “burnout”. However, why does this happen?

Dynamic Catholic Institute, an American Catholic organization, had surveyed some American Catholics. The results reveal that in most Catholic parishes, some parishioners are very active and highly engaged in all sorts of activities while others are disengaged and even distance themselves from the parish. The most surprising result of the survey is that the most driven and actively engaged parishioners only account for 6% to 7% of the parish registered population, but they are contributing to over 80% of the voluntary services and donations supporting the parish! The survey result is quite a shocking discovery for the organization, therefore, they wanted to find out what causes this staggering phenomenon. According to their further research, the highly engaged parishioners share four common traits - their deliberate efforts made on balancing the development of four areas of their lives: prayer, study, generosity and evangelization. This research has given us some very important insights. Individually, if we want to become a genuine Christian whose life has “order”, we need to balance the different areas of our life as well as the four aspects of our spiritual life previously mentioned; putting appropriate amounts of time and sufficient energy into each, allowing all to grow steadily and equally. On the community or the Church’s level, if we hope our Church can develop continuously and to be effective in evangelization, we, as active and engaged Christians, should encourage the faithful in our parish and community to have balanced development in the four areas.

Since we are the mystical body of Christ, a part of the Church, we have the duty of offering ourselves for the benefits of the entire Church but cannot only concern ourselves. The growth of the mystical body of Christ and the fulfilment and presence of God’s kingdom among us are dependent on each Christian’s willingness to shoulder the responsibility to be “generous” and the mission of “evangelization”.

The above analysis reveals that the development of a balanced spiritual life of each individual Christian is intricately connected to the development of the entire Church. Our spiritual growth is bound to the growth of the entire Church community. Therefore, we can’t say that faith is a personal matter and is unrelated to others. Our spiritual health and growth is intimately connected to that of the mystical body of Christ.

From achieving “order” as an individual, to achieving “order” as a Christian, extending to “order” in the entire community and the Church, such is the vision for a new generation of Christians. It is a historical mission that the Father has bestowed on each Christian! Let us take our role and responsibilities as a 21st-century Christian seriously!

Reflection

In your spiritual life, do you focus on certain “preferences” that may have caused you to neglect other areas?

In the four areas of prayer, study, generosity, and evangelization, which area(s) do you think you have neglected? What are the reasons?

Do you feel that your goal of achieving “order” in your faith and spiritual life is purely a personal matter? What inspirations have you drawn from this reflection in this regard?

Today’s Prayer

Lord Jesus Christ, in the past, I had failed to recognize that my spiritual life did not only affect myself but my sisters and brothers in the Church. This was a selfish thought; I failed to respect myself as a part of the Church as well as Your role as the head of the mystical body of Christ. Thank you for allowing me to further understand my identity and role. Today, you have awakened me and reminded me to put more effort into adjusting my spiritual life, so that I may become Your true follower, a Christian not in name only, who can balance my spiritual growth as well as my mission of evangelization. Please strengthen my determination and broaden my vision. Lord Jesus, send me as You wish to fulfil the Father’s will.

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 ★

View Details

Knowing how to take care of ourselves according to God’s design implies the caring of not only our body but also our spiritual wellness and needs of our soul, since both our body and soul are God’s gifts for us; gifts that deserve to be cherished and protected. Self-care, in general, includes three areas of needs: body, mind, and soul; they need to be cared for holistically and individually. Self-care has a wide range of implications. Our holistic health extends to various areas, including physical, emotional, intellectual, social and relational, spiritual, environmental, vocational, and so on. To achieve a vibrant overall health, we need to provide balanced care to all areas of need. God is present in every aspect of our life and desires to bless us in each.

Throughout scripture, we can see that Jesus often spends time with his friends; taking care of His social and relational needs. In addition, He also pays attention to the physical needs of His disciples and those who follow Him, for instance, their needs for nourishment and rest when they are hungry and exhausted. As well, Jesus is attentive to people’s spiritual needs, especially when they lose their spiritual freedom under the bondage of their baggage. Jesus releases them from their spiritual bondage with forgiveness, pardoning of sins, and expelling of evil spirits. Certainly, Jesus is also attentive to our other spiritual needs. He insists on teaching His followers the truth and wisdom of life with various methods, for instance, through parables, Old Testament scripture, sacraments, exhortations, new commandments, and many other ways to reveal the face of the Father; all these to boost the spiritual wellness of His followers. Therefore, when we say we need to keep returning to the true fountain, that is, the Father, where we may quench our thirst and rest, and to receive God’s grace and strength, we also need to know that God wants us to be completely fulfilled in Him, no matter what our needs may be. When we don’t know how to take care of ourselves, neither can we take care of others; thus, God cannot utilize us to our fullest potential, to care for the least of Jesus’ sisters and brothers and fulfil our life’s mission.

It is crucial, therefore, that we persevere in learning to structure our life and set its rhythm, so that we will not lose our balance and fall into chaos. The key is knowing how much God loves us and how important our physical, mental and spiritual health is to Him. Indeed, we need to emphasize that the Father has our greatest benefits in mind; however, He still allows us to experience difficulties, pain, and even serious illnesses in life. These are our blessings in disguise. One of the best indications of our spiritual wellness is the degree to which we have achieved “holy indifference”. Though God desires us to be healthy physically, mentally, and spiritually, the definition of our wellness is not determined by us but by the one God who has created us and knows what’s best for us. Otherwise, we may easily fall into the attachment of “desiring health over sickness”, preventing us from accepting God’s message and instructions with the right attitude, and leading us to the wrong decisions in our life.

If we fail to take care of ourselves according to God’s design and the way He cherishes us, He will warn us by sounding the alarm of our physical, mental, and spiritual health. Other than illnesses, another clear alarm is our utter physical exhaustion and tiredness to the point of losing interest in other people or things, having feelings of pessimism and resistance, and suffering from emotional turmoil. We cannot afford to ignore these symptoms and we need to pay attention to them and proactively take care of ourselves.

To conclude, being able to master how to balance “doing” and “being”, as well as our physical, mental and spiritual needs, is an important foundation for us to build a healthy spiritual life. Such is a critical lesson in our life.

Reflection

Do you tend to care about certain aspects of your physical, mental, and spiritual needs, while neglecting others?

Now, examine your reasons for neglecting, intentionally or unintentionally, certain needs in your life.

In your heart or subconsciously, are there reasons or perceptions that lead you to believe that the Father only cares for certain aspects of your life but not others?

Today’s Prayer

Loving Father, I don’t really know why, in the past, I had held the belief that Your concern and care for me is limited and narrow. This impression makes me fail to ask for Your help in certain aspects of my life. In truth, I have failed to recognize that my hidden needs are many. I now recognize that due to my “attachments” and “preferences”, in placing more emphasis on certain needs in my life, I have neglected the more urgent ones. Teach me to see through Your lens so that I may truly recognize and care for those areas of needs that have been neglected. Remind me that I can never resolve everything with my own ways but only through You that all my needs can be fulfilled. From now on, I endeavour to completely rely on You and come to You for help regarding everything I need. For this I pray, in the Holy Name of Jesus. Amen.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

★ Support this podcast ★

View Details

On Day 34, we reflected on the image of God as a giver without a bottomline; such is a unique trait of the Father. God willingly provides us with everything we need. In truth, He also wants us to participate in this work of giving.

However, we are not God and cannot give without a bottomline. We are merely mortals, not God. Though we desire to offer our best to others, our family, and society, it’s impossible for us to give without limit. If God wants us to give without limit, He would have given us a different body; one that doesn’t need rest, leisure, or “fine-tuning”, and can maintain its top condition at all times. However, this is not the plan that God had in mind when He created us. Our limitations, in fact, are the best news and greatest blessings for us! We are not machines; robots that work for their master without rest! This is definitely not God’s intention for us; such is our God-given dignity!

Our understanding of our own limitations is a sign of our maturity; a demonstration of our humility and the beginning of truly living our life. Everything hinges on our understanding that humanity is not the source of life, thus, we can never be completely self-sufficient without our Creator God; the one who has created us in the first place. Since we are not the source, we need to understand the importance of remembering and giving thanks to the source. We not only need to know that we have to be “thankful”, we also need to know that we have to keep going back to “the source of life'', “the source of wisdom” who created us, the One who provides us with the fullest measure of love and grace. Otherwise, we will look ridiculous in believing that a car without gas or power source and never needing any maintenance or repair can keep on running forever!

If you agree that this is ridiculous, then it is imperative that we begin to examine our life’s mode of operation, and more importantly, our understanding of our “role” and “ability”, and seeing our body that is created by God, a gift from God. We cannot only focus on our work, but first, we need to learn to receive love; God’s infinite love.

This journey of accepting the Father’s love is a necessary step that prompts us to learn “our limitations”. Such is God’s plan for creating humanity! As an infinite giver, God creates humanity to share in His love. The key to living our lives is to know God’s intention. Understanding this intention of God is the key to us being fully alive! Therefore, it is also God’s design for us to know how to take good care of our physical and spiritual needs. This is not only an invitation but a mandatory instruction, the first item printed in “the manual for being human”.

If we have no knowledge of God’s purpose of creating humanity and how we lead our lives in order to achieve this goal, we are still immature and have yet to grasp the true meaning of life.

A portable power bank that is not charged cannot provide power to other devices; a bank account without regular deposits cannot allow for endless withdrawals; if there is no sun, the moon cannot reflect light. One who doesn’t recognize the need to keep returning to the Father for His grace, strength and love can never make it too far.

To reiterate, the Father wants us to know how to take care of ourselves according to His design; recognize the need of returning to the ultimate fountain to replenish our water and energy, as well, to “recalibrate”, and rest in God’s embrace. There’s no other source in life that can provide us with all our needs. This is a fact as well as a truth!

As long as we fail to grasp what we truly need at the core, that is, recognizing that what we need is God instead of other things, it is impossible for us to receive the true power to help and fulfil the needs of others; it is impossible for us to live out the ultimate purpose we are created for and live to our fullest potential. Indeed, we are only surviving and have not begun living!

Resting in God is a basic need, as well, it is a dignity that makes us human; it is the art of living, the rhythm of a beautiful life, the balance between receiving and giving, the starting point of the road to “order”, and most of all, consolation for God!

In the Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 11, Verses 28 to 30, Jesus tells us, “Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30).

Reflection

Which part of this reflection stands out for you, has moved you or benefited you the most?

Invite the Holy Spirit to come into your heart and let Him speak to you about the inspiration and message for you.

Please take a few moments of silence: examine how you conduct yourself and handle things in life. Do these contradict God’s design and purpose for you?

Today’s Prayer

My Abba Father who has created me, in the past I have missed so many opportunities to consider Your intention of creating me and the meticulous design. How amazed I am by everything You do. I now understand the depth and breadth of Your plan; a plan that reveals Your greatest love. Your infinite love and intentions are camouflaged by the seemingly imperfect design and arrangement in my eyes. Everything You do is for my greatest benefit so that I may learn the true meaning of life and how to live a genuine life, what true human dignity is, what humility is … In the past, I only knew how to complain about everything and that nothing was to my liking; how naive and selfish were my thoughts! Now, I finally begin to see how to be human. However, I also know that I can never fully understand Your intentions. I hope my limited understanding of Your will can still slightly quench Your thirst. I am sorry, my Father, that I can never love You the way You love me, but I will try my best. From this day, I will live my best life, return to You every day, which I know is Your Heart’s desire. Abba 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 ★

View Details

To achieve “order” in life, one must seek appropriate “priorities”. In yesterday’s reflection, we learned how to prioritize our lives through the words and examples of God the Father, Jesus, and Mother Mary. The Pharisees often say, “the most important thing to me is God”. If we say something is important, we cannot only talk the talk but we must also walk the walk; otherwise, like the Pharisees, we become hypocrites. However, do we truly deem Jesus Christ the core and centre of our life and regard our relationship with Him as the primary and most important one; or do we seek God only in our spare time when we have finished everything else? Only our heart would know whether God is the big rock, gravel or sand in our life.

We need to recognize that God desires us to seek Him first and place Him at the centre of our life. Not only has He created us, wants us to share in His love, and accompany and live with us on our journey, but He also knows that we need to rely on His grace and power in order to overcome the challenges of our time with peace, joy, and courage! Therefore, we need to constantly seek God and listen to Him, for this will bring us the greatest benefits. What the Father wants for us reveals Him as a giver without condition or bottom line.

For this reason, the busier we are and the more things we need to manage, the greater our needs of returning to God. Like our cell phone, the more we use it, the more battery it consumes; therefore, it needs more time to be recharged. Such is, indeed, a simple truth.

You may have heard of this: We cannot give to others what we don’t have. How true is this! When we don’t have food, we cannot help the hungry; without clothes, we cannot clothe the naked. In the same way, if we have not received love, peace, and strength from God, how would we be able to serve the least of Jesus’ sisters and brothers (Ref. Matthew 25:31-46)?

From the Old Testament miracle of God’s gift of manna, to Jesus’ miracle of the “multiplication of five loaves and two fish” in the New Testament; subsequently sacrificing Himself for us and offering His body to be our daily bread, God has never stopped caring for our physical and spiritual needs. In truth, God, who has also gifted us with free-will, does not force us to seek fulfillment of our physical and spiritual needs from Him. However, the Father’s heart is pained by our stubbornness when we continue to rely solely on our insufficient strength against our struggles.

Indeed, the Father desires us to set appropriate priorities in our lives as we learn how to make better choices, so that we may find the necessary order in our life. Life’s natural rhythm constantly brings us back to the fountain where we may refresh our life with the living water. As we strive to return to our Father with a humble heart, we need to know our needs first, and have the humility to recognize our limitations and helplessness.

In the Gospel of Mark, Chapter 1, Verses 30 and 31, it says, “Now Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they told him about her at once. He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up. Then the fever left her, and she began to serve them” (Mark 1:30-31).

A life without Jesus is a life that is lacking and lost; a life that is constantly wasting away, as well, a life that doesn’t recognize its own disorders. If we constantly seek strength and healing in Jesus, like Simon’s mother-in-law, we will be empowered to serve Jesus and those who need our service and care, the ones Jesus described as the least of our sisters and brothers.

Prayer is the most effective way to take care of ourselves; it is an invitation to let God dwell in us. As discussed earlier, we can’t give to others what we don’t have. If God is our best gift to others, we ourselves need to be constantly filled with God; such that our cup overflows and pours over others.

Mother Teresa once said, "Prayer enlarges the heart until it is capable of containing God's gift of himself." — Mother Teresa

Reflection

Do you recognize the connection between the order in your life and God’s place in your heart? If today’s reflection has enlightened you in any way, how would you reorganize the priorities in your life?

Do you think you could obtain what you lack in life through your relationship with God?

Please take a few moments of silence and allow the Father’s generous gaze overshadow you; let your exhausted body be healed, and let His peace and grace overflow you.

Today’s Prayer

My Abba Father in Heaven, today’s reflection has awakened me to see that Your deepest concern is not about how we may become Your instruments or to collaborate with You, but about our every need. You want me to be whole, body, mind and soul. You desire to sooth my pain, heal my wound, comfort my heartbreak, encourage me when I am in distress! You never remain indifferent to even my smallest concerns. Thank you for allowing me to truly understand Your concerns for me. Let me never forget that whatever awaits me in the future, if I know how to return to You, You will welcome me back into Your embrace; my spirit will be revived. Grant me the eyes of faith and learn to hold on to You! Father, I thank You! 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 ★

View Details

There is only one goal in Jesus’ life: the object is the Father and His mission is to fulfil His Father’s will. Indeed, life is not that complicated; Christ, living for this one goal, freely lets go of all other less important things: things that are of this world. Throughout His life, He willingly offered up the most precious things in life, including time, friendship, security, desire to be loved, dignity, and even His own life; without any reservation, He freely handed Himself over as an offering to His Father. In the same way, God has also given Himself completely to His Son; the Father and the Son abide in each other. The Father sustains His Son’s salvific work on earth with His infinite love.

At the beginning of each day, when He is busy, before making any decisions or taking any actions, and before facing various challenges and suffering, Jesus often “sits at the feet of His Father” to converse with and listen to His Father’s words and instructions for Him. Only then, Jesus commences His work! We can certainly learn from the example set by our Lord Jesus Christ: what true service is; what a true relationship with our Father looks like; who we are in God’s eyes, and so on. Through this constant communication, we will get to know our role with more clarity, to know our Father better, to love Him more, and to have a stronger desire to serve Him and to fulfil His will. Everything falls into place without resistance or design! Jesus our Lord is the perfect portrayal of what He has taught us in “The Lord’s Prayer”. When we pray the “Our Father”, we only need to fix our gaze on Jesus, looking down on us from the cross, to clearly understand the lesson behind this prayer.

What delights the Father is not the Son’s doing things on His own, but first building a relationship with the Father. The constant communication between the two, in turn, allows Jesus to collaborate with His Father and fulfil His Father’s will. The Son, with full confidence in His Father, knows that only His Father can see and understand everything, and that His Father will give Him the best; thus He does not need to worry about planning but only rely on God’s direction on what to do and even what to say. Jesus, fully human, understands the constraints of time and space on earth; He also recognizes that fulfilling His mission in only three years is impossible if He relies solely on His own strength. He acknowledges that what is impossible for humans is possible for God. Jesus’ success in fulfilling the arduous mission commanded by His Father is directly related to His attitude and the ways in which He serves. The key is that Jesus knows the true spirit of service!

When Martha and Mary welcome Jesus, each uses her unique ways to serve Him. From the depth of Jesus’ love for Martha, He persuades Martha to step outside of her own perspective and see things from a different lens, that is, the way that Jesus wants Martha to serve Him. It is the way Jesus welcomes the Father into His heart, to encounter His Father in solitude; listening attentively to the Father’s words and instructions before taking any actions.

Therefore, the most beautiful service is not the work itself but listening. Such is the primary condition for serving the Lord: work always proceeds from listening. Work without listening is, at best, our own “preference” that is detached from the Father.

In addition to Jesus being our role-model, teaching us the true spirit of service, God the Father Himself also teaches us how to serve Jesus His Son.

In the Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 17, Verse 5, God declares, “This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him!” (Matthew 17:5). Just as the Son listens to the Father, in the same way the Father wants us to listen to His Son.

Mary’s last message recorded in the Bible echoes the Father’s will. In “The Wedding of Cana”, the mother of Jesus tells the servants, “Do whatever He tells you” (John 2:5).

In the same way, Mary fulfils the Father’s will in her life with the same attitude. Regarding everything concerning her son Jesus, she has “treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart” (Luke 2:19). This unique trait of Mary is fully manifested throughout her life. Sparse in words but rich in her attentiveness to God’s ways, she has completely offered herself and her will to God. Just as how angel Gabriel greets her, “Greetings, favoured one! The Lord is with you”, she is indeed the most “blessed [...] among women” (Luke 1:28, 42)! Inspired by the Holy Spirit who lives within her, Mary also foreshadows her own blessedness in the “Magnificat”.

In the Gospel of Luke, Chapter 1, Verses 46 to 49, the Blessed Virgin Mary exclaims in the “Magnificat”, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour, for he has looked with favour on the lowliness of his servant. Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name” (Luke 1:46-49).

This “blessedness” is rooted in Mary’s knowledge of “true service” to God, and the Father has so richly blessed her!

Reflection

What is your attitude towards serving God and in what ways do you serve? What new inspiration has the Holy Spirit given you through this reflection?

How do these new messages inspire you to change the way you serve God?

In what areas can you learn from the examples of Lord Jesus Christ and our Mother Mary as you strive to live out the true spirit of service?

Today’s Prayer

Kind and gracious Abba Father, I now recognize my ways of serving You have been according to my will, not Yours. Thank you for reminding me of how I should serve You through this reflection. I am determined not to serve according to my preference or my desires. I completely surrender myself to You. Let me serve You with a humble heart, and learn from the examples of Jesus and Mother Mary, so that I will no longer be self-centred or rely on my own strength in all I do. From this day on, I am willing to follow Your will and to serve You and Jesus in ways that delight You! For this I pray, in the Holy Name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

★ Support this podcast ★

View Details

It is not surprising that God’s intervention in our lives requires us to make way. In addition to sweeping away our original plans and preferences, we also need to give up our time and will; offering our desires to make way for the expression of God’s will in our life and to allow God’s kingdom to be present on earth and in our hearts. As Jesus Christ our Lord has taught us in “The Lord’s Prayer”, “Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven”. Even before Jesus has introduced us to this prayer, His mother, Mary, has already fulfilled its teaching when she accepted God’s intervention and allowed God to enter into her life.

When we are building an intimate relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ, the most beautiful aspect of this process is our willingness to accept and rejoice in Jesus’ unexpected visit. In the story of Jesus visiting Martha and Mary, it is evident that Jesus has never booked an appointment with them ahead of time. Yet, they welcome their Lord Jesus Christ with open arms, tending to Jesus’ every need, each in their own way, during His visit. Like Martha and Mary, we should seek to develop a deeper relationship with Jesus! Particularly, like Mary, who remains at Jesus’ feet to attentively listen and converse with Him. Luke’s portrayal of this event reveals that Jesus loves to spend some solitary time with us, especially as we present ourselves with a humble heart, and sit at His feet to listen and converse with Him. Such is our priority every single day. Our Lord Jesus Christ became man; this implies that He yearns to be with us always.

In the Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 1 Verse 23, it says, “‘Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel’, which means, ‘God is with us’” (Matthew 1:23).

Since one of the main goals of Christ’s incarnation is to fulfil our Heavenly Father’s desire to be with us, how could we refuse to make this goal our desire as well in our life? Our solitary time with Jesus Christ everyday is the pinnacle of our everyday life!

Only if we nurture this attitude and habit that we may truly call ourselves Christians. We must let God take over and direct our heart and our dwelling place; and in our daily lives, lift high God and His Holy name and place Him above all things. During Jesus’ another visit to Bethany, while Martha serves Jesus, Mary takes a pound of costly perfume made of pure nard, anoints Jesus’ feet, and wipes them with her hair (ref. John 12:1-8). We can see that this event is highly significant as it is recorded in three Gospels (ref. John 12:1-8, Matthew 26:6-12, Mark 14:3-9). In all three narratives, Jesus has high praise for Mary, highlighting the importance of her action and sentiments. Particularly, in the Gospels of Matthew and Mark, Jesus solemnly declared, “wherever the good news is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in remembrance of her” (Mark 14:9). From this, we can tell what is important to Lord Jesus Christ.

Our intimacy with God often triggers the devil’s jealousy. The devil will surely endeavour to hinder and interrupt our time and opportunity of meeting God, and distract us with every trick up his sleeve. To avoid his deceit, we must guard our time and habit for prayer everyday. In order to establish a good prayer habit, we need to persevere and refuse to give up too easily. We may find it a bit dull at the beginning; however, with the help of some prayer “tools”, such as reading and meditating on scripture, receiving sacraments, especially the Eucharist, as well as seeking spiritual companions, especially with Mary our mother in Heaven leading us; our prayer life will gradually become delightful and pleasing! Like the intimate sentiments reflected in Mary’s encounter with Jesus in Bethany, sitting by His feet and listening to Him, in a spiritual space where we encounter Christ everyday, our conversations with Christ are easy and sincere, and our relationship with Christ is above all things.

Reflection

How do you prepare yourself to let go of everything without hesitation - your work and original plans - when God decides to intervene in your life? How would you welcome God’s presence and unexpected visit?

Now, I invite you to reflect on the delight and pleasure of sitting at the Lord’s feet, listening to Him. Enjoy your encounter with the Lord in this spiritual space.

Are you willing to learn from Mary, who has sacrificed a costly perfume for Jesus’ sake, to sacrifice the most precious things in your life?

Today’s Prayer

Dear Lord Jesus Christ, I know You cherish me and desire to speak heart to heart with me, but I know that due to my busy-ness and excessive distractions I have often given You the cold shoulders in the past. How I have kept You waiting! From this day forward, I yearn to learn from Mary so that I may welcome You and relish the solitary time with You; listening to Your teachings and words from Your heart. Change my heart, O Lord, from a heart that only knows how to receive to one that knows how to give, and be willing to offer up to You the most precious things in my life. Let me follow the example of Mary, our Mother, so that we may relinquish all our will into Your hands. Lord Jesus, my heart belongs to 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 ★

View Details

Stephen Covey, a well-known American management guru, once did a demonstration during a business class. He started to drop a handful of rocks of various sizes about the size of a fist, one by one, into a one-gallon mason jar. When he could no longer fit another rock into the jar, he brought out a bucket of gravel and started filling the gaps between the rocks in the jar. Then, he brought out a bucket of sand and did the same; the sand filled up the gaps between the big rocks and the gravel. Finally, he filled the jar with water to the top. Then, he asked his students what this demonstration could mean? One of his students eagerly answered, “No matter how tight your schedule may be, if you make extra efforts, you will be able to put even more things on your plate!” Stephen Covey responded, “No! That’s not the point. This demonstration tells us that if you don’t put the big rocks into the jar first, you will never be able to fit them in at all.”

The big rocks symbolize the things in our lives that are the most important. Gravel pieces represent things of secondary or medium importance, while sand represents everything else much less important in life. The order in which the different sizes of rocks and sand are placed in the jar is very important. If we put the big rocks in first, there is still a chance for the gravel and sand to be put into the jar. Otherwise, when the gravel and sand have filled the jar, it is impossible for the big rocks to be put into the jar.

Isn't this a vivid portrayal of our life as Christians? If we fail to put first in our life “the better part”, or life’s “one necessary thing”, all the spaces in our life will be taken up with minor or frivolous “many things”. As a result, we will lose our opportunity to complete the most important things in our life.

Therefore, not only should we strive to rid our life of all kinds of “attachment”, assuming that we have a variety of preferences and interests, especially those hobbies that drain our time, energy and financial resources, but also we should never make them the “big rocks” in our life. We need to learn how to prioritize; otherwise, our interests and hobbies will turn into our “idols”. Certainly, the “cornerstone” of our life is our Lord Jesus Christ, who needs to be “the largest rock” in our life, thus, has to be given top priority and placed at the centre of our life!

In the Gospel of John, Chapter 15, Verses 1-2, Jesus said to His disciples, “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine-grower. He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit he prunes to make it bear more fruit” (John 15:1-2).

Indeed, the “one necessary thing” in our life is to take refuge and live in Christ, allowing our Heavenly Father to prune us so that we may denounce our “many things” and focus on bearing fruits. When we are not distracted by “many things” in our life, the fruits we bear will be more solid and stronger. How well we fare can be judged by the fruits of the Holy Spirit in our life (ref. Galatians 5:22-23).

When we have laid down all the unnecessary things in our life, we will be able to free up more space, and be more flexible and energetic to accept God’s invitation to collaborate with Him on “the duty of the moment” in the here and now. Furthermore, like Mary on the day of the Annunciation who graciously accepts God’s intervention in her life and welcomes the Holy Spirit as her guide in life, we will be able to respond to God’s “unexpected invitations” with more flexibility and prepare a space in which God may work through us.

Let us yearn for this flexibility in our lives so that we may become God’s humble but useful collaborators, allowing the Holy Spirit to work in us in order to fulfil the “greater works” that God the Father has entrusted to us.

Reflection

Would you consider God as the “big rock” or “gravel”, mentioned in this reflection, in your life?

Do you prioritize your relationship with Jesus Christ our Lord in your life, the one that you will put into your “jar” first? Would you consider it an “important relationship”? Or, not only important, but first and foremost?

Laying down “many things” can be painful. Are you willing to accept our Heavenly Father’s pruning so that you may be freed from all of your life’s “attachments”?

Today’s Prayer

Dearest Abba Father, I feel that I may have too many attachments in my life; my reluctance and inability to let go of my preferences and stubbornness have prevented me from focusing on bearing rich fruits. I willingly put my life under Your pruning shears and let You trim away everything that displeases You, so that I may bear fruits in Christ. Strengthen my faith in You; I welcome Your intervention in my life, just as You had intervened in the lives of Mary and many holy men and women. Help me to become someone who yearns for You; a child who obeys Your will. I willingly lay down my “preferences”, and wholeheartedly, live in Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit! For this I pray, in the Holy Name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

★ Support this podcast ★

View Details

Before we know it, our retreat has arrived at Day 30, launching into its third part - the “Cornerstone of Our Lives”. In part two, the theme of “Priorities in Life” may have shocked you: Does it mean that everything in life, be it good or bad, is the same as the “many things” that come under the umbrella of “preference” and “attachment”; gradually evolving into “distractions”, resulting in “accumulation” and eventually becoming an “addiction”? Are we supposed to let go of everything? You may wonder, “Is everything in this world bad? Should we not do anything then? How could we make sense of all these?”

First of all, the key lies in our “attitude”, that is, the way we perceive and tackle these things will determine whether these things are good or bad for us. Secondly, even if their nature is good and our attitude is appropriate, this does not imply these “good deeds” are what God wants for us. God has His own plan that is beyond human reasoning and understanding. Therefore, we must pray and discern with appropriate methods to fully understand God’s will.

Everything in this world is God’s “gift” for all humanity. For some people, certain things can lead them to God; however, the same things might not be of help or could become stumbling blocks for others that lead them astray and away from God. Therefore, we should not over-generalize but should choose, with care according to our personal circumstances and needs, and more importantly, following God’s will, the things that can help us fulfil our “life’s purpose” as God’s creation. Perhaps for some, health and longevity are vehicles that lead them to be closer to God; while for others, sickness and a brief life are their journey to get close to God and live in Him. Therefore, if we live with what St. Ignatius of Loyola teaches, the spirit of “holy indifference” in everything we face, we will be able to hear and accept what God has prepared for us with a peaceful heart; a heart that never insists and is devoid of “attachment”. If we have the spirit of “holy indifference”, we would know that many seemingly “bad things” are actually “blessings in disguise”! This is the key to live freely and with ease. With this attitude, we will be further empowered to accept all the “bad things” that happen to ourselves, those around us, or in the world, and not be troubled by them or be subjected to emotional turmoil.

When we are armed with such an attitude, we will be able to avoid falling into the trap of attachment. For instance, if we lack a spirit of holy indifference to “not desire health over illnesses”, we may be tempted to take measures that promote good health and prevent illnesses at all costs, including time and resources. You may ask, “Isn’t avoiding sickness part of human nature?” True! However, if we place our quest for health above our quest for God, spending more time and energy on health concerns, this goal of “staying healthy” will replace God and become our “idols” or “other gods”! You see, our health is really beyond our control because it is God’s. No matter how much time and energy we put into it, we will not be certain that we can sustain our health. Our only certainty is that when we seek God and “place ourselves in His hands”, God will take care of everything else.

Jesus reminds us in the Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 6, Verse 33, “But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:33).

This passage is, indeed, the anchor of this Lenten Retreat for us; therefore, let us engrave it in our hearts. If we follow Jesus’ commands to seek God’s kingdom and His righteousness, that is, to choose “the better part”, all other things, that is, the “many things” that demand our time and energy, will be added unto us under God’s perfect arrangement. Is this not the most perfect result? Why do we still hesitate?

This has concluded our reflection on the theme of “letting go”, covered in the last 25 days. Let us lay down our “many things” and trade them in for the “one necessary thing”, that is, our Lord Jesus Christ who is the “cornerstone” of our life.

Reflection

Among all the gifts God has given humanity, that is, all of creation, which ones may lead you to God and which ones may “hinder” you?

Do you recognize that you may have some attachments that do not seem to be problematic in nature, such as concerns with your health or appearance, but have cost you an excessive amount of time and energy?

Now, we invite you to meditate on the Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 6, Verse 33: “But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:33). What is God saying to you through this passage?

Today’s Prayer

Almighty and compassionate Abba Father, thank you for gradually revealing to me the most important things in life, distinguishing them from the less important and completely frivolous ones. In time, as the blinds over my eyes are gradually removed, I begin to find “order” among life’s “chaos”, and am able to restore the peace that You have bestowed on me through our Lord Jesus Christ. I now can see the light slicing through all of my restlessness and worries. However, I recognize that I still need to work hard to lay down the “many things” that have been my fetters; weighing me down with worries and busy-ness. I need to learn to prioritize my life so that I may earnestly seek You and Your kingdom. Lord, help my unbelief so that I can embrace You as the “one necessary thing” in my life. Abba Father, I am willing to take refuge in You with all my heart, all my soul, and all my will! 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 ★

View Details

The reflection on Day 27 focuses on God’s “everlasting promise” to us; one that empowers us to respond to God and God’s gift of life to us with an “unfading desire”. The reflection on Day 28 examines how our “attachment” to people and things other than God can become a stumbling block for us as we strive to live the most wonderful and abundant life possible. Today, we will focus on other types of attachment and their impact on us.

Our enemy often takes advantage of our weaknesses; when it fails to tempt us with the usual “attachments”, it switches to the tactic of turning our good intentions into fetters that prevent us from seeking God.

We need to understand one basic principle: God does not necessarily want us to do every single good deed. This is because the thoughts of God are not ours, neither are our ways God’s (ref. Isaiah 55:8-9). Therefore, before we decide to do a good deed, we must not assume that it is God’s will that we are the ones to carry it out. You see, we are not the only “instrument” in God’s plan. The same “good deed” may not be God’s will for us but perhaps, is His will for someone else. In fact, Jesus’ humility is revealed in His decision of not spending His time on earth on all the “good deeds”. Jesus understands that He could not do all the “good deeds” for everyone; therefore, He only focuses on the “good deeds” that His Father commands, which is the “better part” for Him! He has done everything according to His Father’s will; no more, no less.

God has already endowed us with the necessary strength to complete certain good deeds; as well, He has laid out the scope and schedule for completing these good deeds. We cannot discern the mission that God has entrusted to us, or the duties of the moment, simply based on what we see on the surface. Otherwise, we may unknowingly fall victims to our enemy’s snare and go against God’s will. In addition, we must examine our motivation for doing these good deeds. For instance, our desire to be a “nice guy” or “nice gal” is never a valid motivation because this will lead us into the trap of “pride”. As well, we need to be aware that the “satisfaction” brought about by doing good deeds can also become an addiction for us. In fact, it is not uncommon to see many of us, as well as our families and friends, commit to helping others out of our “loyalty” to others; however, this often results in chaos or other unnecessary conflicts. Therefore, we must take heart of the considerations and discernment required for every good deed. For everyone who seeks “order”, this is one insight that cannot be overlooked.

Therefore, we may observe that the cunning and crafty devil will utilize both bad and good things to “distract” us; blinding us and turning us away from the choice of the “better part”. Being deluded, we are living under the illusion of a “meaningful life”; spending all of our energy and time on “many things”; wasting our life away with our busy-ness.

These other types of “attachment” often become our “preference” in life; even becoming our “idols” or other “gods”, that lure our gaze away from God. Therefore, we must nurture a unique sensitivity; an awareness that is imperative for us to “tame” our “preference”. One of the most effective ways is to practise an attitude of “holy indifference”. “Holy indifference” is key to the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola. Let us reflect on “THE FIRST PRINCIPLE AND FOUNDATION” of The Spiritual Exercises, #23:

The goal of our life is to live with God forever. God, who loves us, gave us life. Our own response of love allows God's life to flow into us without limit. All the things in this world are gifts of God, presented to us so that we can know God more easily and make a return of love more readily. As a result, we appreciate and use all these gifts of God insofar as they help us develop as loving persons. But if any of these gifts become the centre of our lives, they displace God and so hinder our growth toward our goal. In everyday life, then, we must hold ourselves in balance before all of these created gifts insofar as we have a choice and are not bound by some obligation. We should not fix our desires on health or sickness, wealth or poverty, success or failure, a long life or short one. For everything has the potential of calling forth in us a deeper response to our life in God. Our only desire and our one choice should be this: I want and I choose what better leads to the deepening of God’s life in me. (St. Ignatius Loyola as paraphrased by David L. Fleming, SJ)

Only when we fix our gaze on our Creator God as His creation and earnestly quest for our life’s purpose as such, we would be able to use the proper lens and attitude to tackle and face the things and choices that are presented before us. We should choose and use the things that help us achieve our life’s purpose and give up or renounce those that don’t. If we can maintain an attitude of “holy indifference” every moment of our life, we will be able to choose “the better part” with peace and impartiality; living out the true spirit of Christ and a sanctified life that can glorify God and benefit others!

If we strive to live by this spirit, we will be able to arrive at the state of “being indifferent to all kinds of worldly attachment”. In this space, nothing can stop us from doing our best, without reservation nor regret, to fulfil whatever God has asked of us. Even when God asks us to remove ourselves from the work at hand, no matter how fruitful we may think it is or how unwilling we are to let it go, we will be able to accept God’s will and lay down the work with “holy indifference”, and await the next assignment from God. If we can attain this in our lives, we will freely live at ease in the Lord and be ready to collaborate with Him to accomplish His “greater works” every moment of our lives.

Reflection

Do you think that your constant “good deeds” or “good work” have become the other types of “attachment” or “preference” for you? Now, I invite you to examine your motivation behind your work.

Do you feel that your passion for “good deeds” has caused you to lose your “balance” and “order” in life, or has become your “distraction”, and consequently losing the ability to choose the “better part”?

Now, offer all your “desires” to do “good deeds” to God; ask God to grant you the spirit of “holy indifference” when confronting every invitation and choice in life.

Today’s Prayer

My Father in Heaven, Abba! I now understand that in order to make the right decisions in life, not only should I not rely on my personal preferences, but also never to loosely interpret Your will. I recognize that I need to spend more time with You in prayers and meditation, to better know Your will and sharpen my awareness to truly understand what Your will for me is at the moment. Let me not rely solely on myself and do whatever I want, disregarding the consequences and Your feelings. Let the spirit of “holy indifference” be my guide in all my decisions in life. For this I pray, in the Holy Name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

★ Support this podcast ★

View Details

A story goes like this: Two monks travelled on the road together. They met a lady on the road who needed help to cross a river. One of the monks carried her on his back, crossed the river, put her down, and continued on the road. After a while, he noticed that the other monk seemed to be upset. When asked, the other monk replied, "As a monk, you should keep a distance from women. How come you carried that lady across the river?" The monk replied, "I have put the lady down a long time ago. Why are you still carrying her?"

Indeed, the unbearable burdens in our life are our “attachments”. This is one of the things we have been reminded to rid ourselves of in this Lenten Retreat, and is the second condition to achieve the goal of this retreat, that is, we must learn to “let go”. We have many “attachments” in our life that lead to our accumulation of “many things” physically, mentally, and spiritually; we are helpless under their powerful bondage. All these things distract us from focusing our energy on the more important things.

These “attachments” eventually become our “idols”, above God, whom we worship. A simple test can reveal what our “idols” are: if the time and energy we spend on these “idols” are greater than the time and thoughts we put on God, these things or people are our “idols”.

In the more severe situations, when our enjoyment of these objects, whether those be things or people, progresses beyond hobbies to obsessions, they will eventually become our “addictions”. Our addiction to these hobbies and obsessions, in fact, has replaced God as our “gods”. These “gods” also hold immense power over our decisions and our time; they render us powerless to walk away and focus on what we need to do. This is our warning of the “attachment-trap”!

Our excessive attachment to material things, like the “accumulation” of material things, can be rectified easily, relatively speaking. Contrarily, mental attachments, such as our individual “desires” and “preferences”, require a greater willpower to resist. Other more severe mental attachments may include our being judgemental of others, biases, jealousy, and the most difficult one, our reluctance to “forgive”. The list goes on and on. All these attachments bind us, deny us of the freedom to love and to choose, and enslave us under these “idols” and “gods”.

In the Gospel of Luke, Chapter 16 Verse 13, Jesus says, “No slave can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other” (Luke 16:13).

No one can serve two masters. If we choose anything other than our Creator God as our “master”, we are abandoning the God, our Abba Father, our true master who has not only created us, but also loves and cherishes us. If we allow ourselves to be separated from God, we will lose touch with the fountain of all goodness and grace. As a result, we will fall victim to temptations in the hands of our enemies.

Monkeys usually give us the impression of being witty, lively, fun-loving and naughty. Actually, monkeys are similar to humans in many ways. We can even identify some of the human weaknesses in monkeys. For instance, it turns out that a hunter can easily capture the monkey without much effort. All he needs to do is to cut a small hole in a coconut shell and use the monkey’s favourite snack as bait and leave it inside the shell. When the monkey sticks his hand inside the coconut shell, his hand, forming a fist that holds the food, becomes stuck at the small opening. The hunter, taking advantage of the monkey’s greed and stubbornness, is able to capture his prey with ease. The monkey loses his life due to his “attachment”.

What does this story reveal to us? You may say laughingly, “I would never be as stupid as the monkey!” Incidentally, are we not also wasting our precious lives away due to our attachments? Remember God’s greatest gift for us, other than His love, it is our life; the gift of time in this world. If we willingly allow the insignificant things in life to rob us of our precious time to remain “focussed”, we are no different than the monkey who loses his life due to the small things. He has, indeed, lost sight of the big picture. Does the monkey’s decision sound worthwhile to you?

Consider the God who created us, willing to do anything for us and for our greatest benefits, and even dying willingly in our hands; how hurtful He must feel as His heart is broken by us over and over again. Is this what we wish for? Can you bear it?

Reflection

Are you like the monkey who is deeply attached to life’s many “stubbornness”, and ends up sacrificing some of the more important people and things in your life?

This attachment to many idols and other gods, which one of these have imposed the firmest restrictions on you and paralyzed you?

Are you determined to leave behind the “hunters'' in your life who are relentless in their chase for you? Now, you are invited to choose the most important master in your life.

Today’s Prayer

Kind and merciful Abba Father, thank you for empowering me to confront my attachments, bondages, idols and other gods in my life through today’s reflection. You have opened my eyes to recognize how all these have been holding me hostage, plunging me deeper into my sins, leading me further and further away from You! It is now that I can finally feel Your pain, Your resignation, and Your desire to save me as I keep choosing other people and things over You. Let me be resolute to free myself from all these bindings, so that I won’t fall prey to my enemies. I am determined not to be blinded but to always fix my gaze on You. Let me not forsake Your infinite love for me. Father, I love You! Father, hear my prayer! 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 ★

View Details

The two ultimate goals of this Lenten Retreat are: firstly, to help us distance ourselves from and eliminate the burden and distractions brought on by the “many things”; and secondly, to seek and choose, together, what Jesus urges Martha, the “better part”.

One condition must be met in order to achieve these two goals, that is, we need to maintain a strong aspiration in our heart; an aspiration that has been planted in the deepest recess of our heart by our Father in Heaven the moment we are created. This will help us to rediscover a place that belongs to us; a dwelling place where we can restore our true “self”, and are free to grow and flourish; a place we can call “home”.

In this home, we can become the person whom God desires and to unleash our potentials to live the wonderful life that God wants for us. This aspiration can never be completely erased; however, it can dwindle over time through our weakening will, our hopelessness for the future, and many other distractions. Over time, we may begin to forget and bury it in the dust entirely. It doesn’t matter at what stage of life we are , where we are, or what challenges we are facing, we must not let this aspiration be extinguished, because this aspiration will eventually lead us home to our Father’s house.

We often hear that when people reminisce about the past when they come across certain people or places, or when they are moved by scenes in movies, they would say, “I regret I didn’t seize the opportunity back then. It’s too late now. I can no longer make up for my mistakes.” Among Christians, one the the most persistent voices around us, coming from the older generation or those who were baptized many moons ago, often say that they feel that they are too old or it’s too late to be called and be useful to God. Such is not the nature of our Heavenly Father who is full of compassion. Like the father in the “The Parable of the Prodigal Son”, He has never given up on any of his children. Regardless of their situations, circumstances or life stages, nothing can get in His way of welcoming His wayward children home and let them become His vessels of love.

This demonstrates the infinite love that God has promised us! Not only does this apply to those who have sinned against our Heavenly Father, but also those who might have missed the Father’s call for various reasons. Therefore, we should never feel that it’s too late for God to call us and thus, miss the opportunity to respond. Even if we have missed many opportunities to fulfil the “duties of the moment” in our life, our Heavenly Father, who never gives up on us, will never give up providing us opportunities for responding to His call. In turn, we have our whole life to live them out. Until the day we return to our heavenly home, we can still respond to and fulfil God’s will for our lives. Thus, despite the fact that certain duties are time sensitive, our individual life’s mission does not have an expiry date.

In the Book of Romans Chapter 11 Verse 29, it is said, “...the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.” (Romans 11:29)

Surely God will not alter His original calling intended for us, and He does not care for how many remaining years or days we can attend to this mission entrusted to us. In truth, are not our longevity and capabilities gifts freely given by God? It is not up to us, but God, to decide our longevity! If God wills us to offer more to Him, He will provide us with sufficient time and abilities to fulfil our earthly mission.

Ultimately, our Heavenly Father is a generous and benevolent God. Do not be concerned about how far away you are, or have been, away from Him. Let us be resolute, get up and return to our Heavenly Father. At the end, we will discover that He has never stopped hoping and waiting for our return to His side. If we don’t give up on ourselves, He will definitely not give up on us. Though we have made many mistakes and wandered away from Him, if we return to Him with a repenting heart, God will not only “restore” our identity as His children, but also restore and pour over the blessings and inheritance that have been prepared for us!

Reflection

Do you have regrets that you may have missed some opportunities of responding to God, filling your heart with self-blame and remorse? Offer all these regrets to God now.

Do you feel that you lack courage and energy to respond to God’s call because you feel that you may be too “old”, you lack confidence in your capabilities, or for other reasons? Now is the time to run to God and take refuge in Him, for He will restore your courage and strength!

Today’s Prayer

My Father in Heaven! Thank you for Your unfailing and steadfast love for me. It doesn’t matter how far I have wandered away from You, how much I have been obsessed with “many things” other than You, how many times I have given You the cold shoulders, how many opportunities of responding to Your call that I have neglected, how many times when I even refused to talk to You, and have completely ignored You! How is it that it seems You are never bothered by all these? I’m amazed by the width and depth of Your ocean of mercy and compassion. You have tolerated all the pain that I have inflicted on You. Do not allow me to hide my face from You, so that I may respond to Your call of love for me and find the dwelling place, Your Sacred Heart, that I can call home. Abba Father, I long for You, I love You! Thank you for Your great love for me!

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 ★

View Details

The reflections in the past few days might have reminded all of us that living out our Christian identity is easier said than done. However, please do not be mistaken! It is not the intention of these reflections to make everyone feel overwhelmed; rather, they are vehicles through which we may gain some clarity of the truth. Just as Jesus deliberated the true cost of being a Christian to His disciples, we hope to encourage everyone to fully understand the meaning beneath this identity.

Without a doubt, the contemporary world is drastically different from the world of the early Church over two thousand years ago. The first Christians, living in an ancient world, faced severe persecution and battled exceptional difficulties when they ventured out to evangelize. Not only did they lack easy and reliable means of transportation, but also efficient ways of communication. All these environmental factors have imposed extraordinary demands physically, mentally and spiritually on the disciples.

You may think: “Today is certainly different from the days by-gone! Surely, the work of evangelization is now less challenging, and so, the demands on today’s Christians should not be as demanding as those of Jesus’ times. In that case, many of the teachings, like renouncing myself; carrying my cross everyday; selling everything that I owned; being sent like a sheep among the wolves, and so on, certainly would not apply to today’s situation”. Could this be true? Let us examine the question of what Jesus demands of Christians of the present generation.

It is true that the methods of evangelization need to be adapted to the changing environment and new generations. To a certain extent, evangelization in this present generation may be more convenient and easier; we don’t even need to leave our home to reach out to a large number of people. However, today’s Christians face a different kind of challenge and trial when striving to achieve the same results as the Apostles did in their work of evangelization over two thousand years ago.

Today’s social environment is much more complicated than that of the past. With people being more educated, and with the development of the internet, everyone has easy access to information. The spread of individualism and people’s overconfidence in their own knowledge have become barriers for the present generation to accept the truth of Christ. They won’t, and are unwilling, to surrender themselves to any brand of truth, particularly within organized religions or institutions.

In addition, as the sentiments of antichrist continue to spread all over the world, evangelization in today’s hostile society is doubly onerous for all Christians. The challenges and persecution that we face today are certainly unimaginable to us ten or twenty years ago. How should we handle ourselves as Christians? Are we supposed to throw our hands up or simply put an end to our mission?

Definitely not! Despite the challenges, modern Christians must make additional efforts, be more united, and avoid relying on our own strength and wisdom. We need to surrender ourselves to the Holy Spirit and let our every step be guided by the Spirit, so that we may truly fight the good fight in the spiritual battle. Although the methods of evangelization differ, the Christian spirit is immutable. Indeed, as Jesus taught His disciples, He wanted them to trust in the Lord and strive to live out the true Christian spirit.

In the Book of Proverbs, chapter 3, verses 5 to 6, it says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own insight. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths” (Proverbs 3:5-6).

Contemporary Christians need to have a clear understanding of what they believe in, their personal relationship with Christ, Christians’ identity, and how all these are related to our lives, etc. All these demand our thorough reflection and consideration. Only in this way would we be able to share what we genuinely believe to be the best with others.

If we want to find order in chaos, our life needs a focus. Our most important mission as Christians is to live out Christ’s spirit and do whatever He asks in today’s world. If we don’t fully understand our mission, we will remain stuck in chaos; thus, unable to find order! However, if we are certain about our identity and fix our gaze on Jesus, we will have motivation, goals and direction in our life. Consequently, an orderly plan can be established.

In the Book of Proverbs, chapter 16, verse 3, it says, “Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established” (Proverbs 16:3).

During this Season of Lent, let us recommit ourselves to bear any burdens and sacrifices behind our Christian promise, affirm our efforts to overcome our sinful nature, offer up our preferences and baggage, rectify our life, and choose a Christ-centred path and direction; patiently awaiting our assignment and be ready to be sent!

Reflection

What is the focus of your life? What is the relationship between this focus and your Christian identity?

Among your many identities, is your Christian identity obvious? Why or why not?

Now, quiet down your heart and listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit: How is He inviting you to strengthen your Christian identity?

Today’s Prayer

Lord Jesus Christ, thank you for Your gift of my Christian identity. I know that I am often distracted by all the chaotic situations in my life, such that I fail to recognize what my Christian identity demands of me; thus, squandering Your teachings and what You entrusted to me. Help me respect this noble identity so that I may live accordingly, and earnestly fulfil the responsibilities that come with this identity. Help me to be brave and resolute in facing down all kinds of challenges as I bring the Good News to the world today. Lord Jesus, 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 ★

View Details

By this stage of our retreat, you can certainly understand the importance of its theme to all Christians who strive to follow Christ in all they do, especially those who have devoted themselves to evangelization, or those who serve in the Church. In truth, the brief dialogues between Jesus and his friends, Martha and Mary, have provided us a space for in-depth reflections (ref. Luke 10:38-42). This episode invites us to take a deeper dive into its meaning. If you have been following this retreat since the beginning, you may notice that your life has begun to change - in your interactions with others, your relationship with God, some adjustments in your daily habits; or even in your attitude towards others and life, and in your mentality. No matter how big or small are your improvements, let us give thanks and praise God! These are all evidence of the Holy Spirit working in you.

However, if you have not noticed any changes in your life, please don’t give up. Perhaps you feel depressed because of the dire situation of the world and the society; perhaps you need time to deal with your own emotional baggage; or feel that you are not talented enough to do the “greater works” of God; or you may not feel a close relationship with God, which makes it more difficult to hear His personal invitation to you.

Some Christians may have the misconception that God either does not use us, or when He does, He wants us to accomplish the “greater works”. We need to understand that since God is all-powerful, He really has no need for us to do anything; He can easily accomplish His entire plan. Indeed, it is not God who needs our strength and ability to accomplish His work, but He wants us to be “sanctified”, individually and collectively, through the work and our experiences of working through it. Therefore, it really doesn’t matter what our capabilities are. However, if we remain confused about this central idea, we will never be inclined, or dare, to accept God’s invitation of becoming His instrument.

Let us examine this example: When God wants to lead a prodigal son home, other than the son’s family, God often works through his friends, who may be able to talk and share experiences with him. God may even reach out to the son through some seemingly unrelated people or things. Just as in “The Parable of the Prodigal Son” (ref. Luke 15:11-32), God works through the nameless “citizen of that country”, who hires the young man to feed the pigs, to give a nudge to the prodigal son. This clueless citizen turns out to be God’s powerful tool in saving the prodigal son who finally returns to his father’s house.

This example reveals the truth that, though it is impossible for us to fully understand the entirety of God’s plan, this does not affect how God uses us to “serve” Him and His beloved. The key lies in whether we are willing to open our hearts to humbly welcome God’s commissioning for us and to complete whatever mission He desires, no matter how big or small. We should not worry about the results but put our best foot forward to complete the “duties of the moment”. You may be the 100th collaborator in God’s plan; however, without the first 99, you may not be able to fulfil your share of the responsibilities. Contrarily, if you’re unwilling to do your share, the 101st person may not even be able to commence his/her part. Therefore, any missing part in the process, that is, anyone who is unwilling to participate or put in their best efforts, will definitely stall God’s plan for completing the “greater works”.

Each one of us is a piece of the puzzle in God’s “project of hope”. It only takes one missing piece to ruin the entire picture. Therefore, we can never underestimate ourselves and the role to which God has called us. In God’s eyes, each one of us is indispensable; we are precious, lovely, useful, and important! How blessed and honoured are we to be of use to God! We really have no reason to say “no” to God!

Reflection

Regarding God’s invitation, do you feel that you’re over-qualified or under-qualified? For example, does your decision of accepting or rejecting the invitation depend on how big the job is or its nature?

When God invites you, either directly or indirectly, have you ever rejected it because you feel that the “job” has nothing to do with you? Or, is your acceptance or rejection based on your personal preference?

Reflecting on the work in which you had participated in the past, do you feel that you are one of the many collaborators in God’s plan, or a lone-ranger in your participation?

Today’s Prayer

My beloved Father in Heaven, through today’s reflection, thank you for helping me understand Your reason for calling me and the ways through which You invite me. I admit that I have been too proud and believed that I could understand Your ways; because of that, I have often misread Your heart and have rejected Your many invitations, thus, missing the opportunities to learn and to be sanctified. I know that I need to learn from the humble heart of Jesus, to shift my focus from the importance or greatness of the job, and not to make decisions based on my will and preference, so that I won’t ruin Your master plan and Your plan for me. Father, I put myself in Your hands. Please send me in whatever ways You desire! For this I pray in the Holy Name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

★ Support this podcast ★

View Details

Yesterday’s reflection focuses on how we have gradually become attached to some of our overpowering preferences or likes/dislikes. You may wonder: What are my preferences in my life? Let us offer an example. Some may have unique preferences for food and drinks, and their choices are restricted to limited items. When the circumstances allow us to choose or make decisions, this may not be a problem. However, what about when we are guests in someone’s home, or imagine we are one of the seventy-two disciples sent by Jesus on a mission? In the Gospel of Luke, Chapter 10, Verses 1 to 12, Jesus’ instructions to the seventy-two have mentioned, twice, how they should take care of their needs for food. Jesus said to them, “Whenever you enter a town and its people welcome you, eat what is set before you” (Luke 10:7,8). How would a “picky” eater be able to fulfil the mission, given by Lord Jesus, with a peaceful heart? Or, how may this person, at least, try to focus on the work at hand instead of on the food that he/she can’t stand?

Jesus also said, “Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals; and greet no one on the road” (Luke 10:4). Under the circumstances, how could someone, for instance, who often craves a sense of security and comfort, or who is obsessed with cleanliness, accept Jesus’ invitation to evangelize effectively and without worries? It would be impossible for Jesus to commission us, be it the “greater works” or even the small tasks, while trying to side-step our every qualm. Do we, servants, want to add to our master’s troubles, before we begin to serve Him?

The most difficult challenge is the first thing that Jesus said during the commissioning: “See, I am sending you out like lambs into the midst of wolves” (Luke 10:3). Oh no, Jesus, what kind of mission is this? Are You trying to scare off everyone? Given what You said, who would ever dare to be sent out by You to evangelize?

Do you think that Jesus is unaware of our fear? Or would He not anticipate our hesitation of following Him after He states everything upfront explicitly? In truth, Jesus does not intend to hide anything from us. He wants us to understand the price of being His followers, that is, His disciples: all the dangers and persecutions that come with it; the worries and stress resulting from the lack of resources; all kinds of discomfort, inconvenience, and dislikes. Jesus wants us to fully understand and be mentally prepared before we make the right decision. Unlike the disciples who have been prepared by Jesus’ teachings and formation, Mary, during her encounter with the angel Gabriel, does not have the benefit of mentally preparing herself, nor the clarity about the extent and gravity of her responsibilities, or how “terrifying” it could be, and yet, she has to make the decision right away. So, compared to Mary, how blessed are we!

However, our Lord Jesus, the Son of God, does not merely send His disciples to complete seemingly impossible tasks. He walks ahead of them and shows them what to do by fulfilling every single one of His own teachings! Jesus, the Lord of all creation and the whole universe, the King of kings, chooses to be born in a lowly manger; isn’t this the pinnacle of humility? When a scribe approached Jesus and asked, “‘Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head’” (Matthew 8:19-20). What does this tell us? Jesus demonstrates the spirit of a true Christian by being a role-model Himself, and teaching His disciples the right attitude and the preparation required for following Him.

As Christians, when we proclaim our desire to follow Christ, live in God, live according to Christ’s teachings and spirit, and to follow Christ’s instructions of evangelization, we need to be clear about the identity to which we identify and the responsibilities that we promise to fulfil; and more importantly, we must execute all these in earnest. Otherwise, we are only Christians in name!

Therefore, if we want to live out our Christian identity, which implies our responsibility to evangelize, we need to recognize that learning the know-how and techniques of evangelization is only a small part of equipping ourselves. What is more important and fundamental is that we must equip ourselves with the right attitude and a strong will, as well, strive to offer God all our likes and dislikes, especially those frivolous ones and those preferences that prevent God from using us or sending us out. He will certainly accept these offerings!

In the Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 19 Verse 21, Jesus said to the wealthy young man, “If you wish to be perfect, go, sell your possessions, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me” (Matthew 19:21).

Let us embrace Jesus’ words: to “sell” everything that we have been carrying in our baggage of personal preferences and then follow Him!

Reflection

Can you imagine, and accept, that you are one of the seventy-two disciples sent by Jesus; following Jesus’ instructions to evangelize in every corner of the world?

What would be your biggest concern(s) and hesitation(s) as you accept this mission?

Now, please ask the Holy Spirit to help you overcome your mental barriers so that you may accept God’s commissioning in ways He sees fit.

Today’s Prayer

My King and Father in Heaven, I thought I was an average Christian who is imperfect but still doing fine; however, I didn’t realize that I had been confused about the true meaning of being a Christian. How ignorant am I! I understand that being a Christian is only part of my identity; the more important part is being your child, that is, a prince or princess! I can’t believe how my ignorance has thwarted my living out these two important identities. How has this made you worried and broken Your heart! I am truly thirsting to be close to Your heart so that I may know Your will. Do not allow me to wander away from You again! My dearest Father and King, Abba Father, accept my limited but genuine love for You. I love You forever!

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 ★

View Details

In order to fulfil God’s will in each of our lives, let us step into Mary’s shoes on the day of the Annunciation. Based on Mary’s reaction of being “much perplexed” when greeted by the angel Gabriel, it is highly unlikely that God has given her any hint or warning beforehand (ref. Luke 1:29). Therefore, it is reasonable for us to conclude that Mary is not psychologically prepared for such a shocking invitation from God. Since she is already engaged to Joseph, we can also conclude that she must have made a plan for herself. God’s unexpected intervention, indeed, has completely upset the original plan of Mary and Joseph. In fact, Mary was determined to remain a virgin for God, the rest of her life, when she was only a teenager. God interrupted her plan and asked her to bear a child, a difficult and awkward request indeed, and to raise not just an ordinary child but the Son of God. That seems like a responsibility beyond human ability! Yet, Mary says “yes” to God’s shocking invitation without hesitation nor delay! The equally shocking speed of Mary’s response has revealed one of her important characteristics.

In the Book of the Prophet Isaiah, Chapter 55, Verses 8 to 9, God said, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:8-9).

If the distance between God’s thoughts and ways and ours is so vast, knowing that He will invite each one of us, it is inevitable that throughout our lives, He will ask us to do something that may not be our preference. Whether we can hear His invitation and respond to Him positively is dependent upon our attitude. We can certainly learn from our Mother Mary.

When faced with unexpected changes in life, if Mary was rigid and stubborn instead of being open, she would not be able to respond positively to God's unanticipated invitation! If we decide to “live for God”, we need to cooperate with God’s plan, follow His will with all our hearts, and allow Him to intervene in our lives according to His schedule. Such “flexibility” is the key to whether we are able to allow God’s plan to be fulfilled through us. When we allow for God’s intervention in our lives, we are also letting God intervene in our lives through other people, which may alter the short- or long-term direction and trajectory of our lives. This idea may seem terrifying; however, this is the key to whether we can become God’s “handy” instruments. Unfortunately, most of us are often unwilling to let God, His truth, and those who are sent by God, “disrupt” our lives and everyday life. This has created a barrier to promoting God’s plan on earth! If we are uncooperative or unwilling to compromise, we will become a barrier to progress!

The culprit of our rigidity and stubbornness is our overpowering personal preferences and likes/dislikes. Such preferences have often become our “attachments” that prevent us from recognizing the truth and entirety of facts, and hinder us from receiving God’s prompts and messages for us. Since God’s thoughts and ways are often different from ours, it is difficult for us to hear God’s messages accurately; coupled with our personal preferences, it is even harder for us to hear God’s invitations, let alone responding positively to His invitations!

If we want to be useful instruments in God’s hand, we must examine our life’s preferences, since these preferences can often prevent us from making decisions that are pleasing to God; hence, making it difficult for us to accept God’s invitation with a submissive heart, and causing us to miss the opportunity to collaborate with God and participate in His “salvific plan”. God will certainly be disappointed and His heart will be broken!

Reflection

Do you consider yourself as someone who has overpowering personal preferences or likes/dislikes? How do these preferences affect your interactions with others?

How do these overpowering personal preferences affect the way in which you respond to God’s invitations?

Can you imagine how God would feel when we refuse to let go of our personal preferences and turn down God’s invitations?

Today’s Prayer

Abba, my Father in Heaven, thank You for opening my eyes to recognize some of the most powerful preferences in my life that have prevented me from receiving Your messages and prompts, which in turn has a direct impact on my ability to heed Your invitation, resulting in my failure to positively responding to Your will in my life. I know that I have disappointed You so many times in the past. Please forgive me. Teach me how to let go of my baggage of preferences so that I may be free to observe Your will in all I do. I am willing to learn from and follow the example of Mary, our Holy Mother, so that I may be able to say to You without hesitation, “Let it be with me according to your word!” (Luke 1:38) For this I pray in the Holy Name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Glory be to the 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 ★

View Details

In the Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 25, Verses 19-21, Jesus said, “After a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them. Then the one who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five more talents, saying, ‘Master, you handed over to me five talents; see, I have made five more talents.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’” (Matthew 25:19-21).

Through the dialogue between the master and his servants in the Parable of the Talents, we can get a glimpse into God’s plan. It turns out that God wants to forge and refine us, starting with the small things. When He sends us to complete jobs of any size, He will, first, provide us with sufficient resources and ability, that is, “talents”. In the parable, the master’s “departure” reflects God’s trust for us, and at the same time, God also wants us to trust Him. When we encounter problems that are too difficult for us, God will never abandon us. In fact, when we cry out to Him for help, He will graciously hear our prayers. At the appropriate time, He will “return”. This may seem like the time to settle the account; however, He only hopes to encourage us in person, and to offer support or new directions to us. If we are like the diligent servant in the parable, He will be very excited and say, “Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things” (Matthew 25:21). He will then give us more support, especially more “talents”. We are nurtured through this endless cycle in which we grow in strength, maturity, and holiness. Such is our earthly journey; a process that refines and forges us, and prepares us for entering into God’s kingdom.

God wants us to participate in His salvific work, not because He needs us, but it is we who need to be equipped through this work. As we grow in strength and wisdom through different trials during our earthly journey, our Father in Heaven empowers us to gradually reject our old “self”, separate ourselves from sins, and finally return to the Father’s embrace. If we can follow Jesus’ examples, make Him the centre of our lives, and allow the Holy Spirit to transform us, we will become more and more like our Father in Heaven. That is, in God’s image. This is the most important goal of our life.

One of the keys in the entire process is that we need to set aside time. If the master asks us to be “in charge of many things” but our time has already been fully occupied with our own plans or with our preferences, how could we find time to accept this new mission? Thus, God’s plan to mold and form us will never materialize! When we are unwilling or too busy, we are “refusing” God’s good intention. This leaves God with no other option but to choose another person for the job.

Imagine this: On the day of the Annunciation, if our Holy Mother had concerned herself with her own plans and desires and left no room to hear God’s invitation through the angel, or had turned down God’s invitation due to her reluctance to forgo her original plans, wouldn’t the history of salvation need to be rewritten?

Therefore, we must stay “awake”, not only because of the need to guard against committing sins, but we also need to always have an open heart and be willing to accept any invitation from God, whatever it may be; even if we feel that the mission is beyond our strength and ability or is contradictory to our original plans, we should gladly lay down ourselves to follow God’s will. Our Lord Jesus Christ and our Mother Mary have devoted their entire lives for this purpose alone.

Jesus teaches the crowd in the Gospel of Luke, Chapter 9, Verse 23, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me” (Luke 9:23)

This teaching of Jesus succinctly summarizes how we should follow Him so that we may become true Christians. We need to lay down our own will, set aside time, be ready to be sent, be prepared mentally, and willingly endure sufferings for the sake of following Christ. This road of suffering leads us to our Father’s house where our Heavenly Father patiently awaits us; He will say to us, “Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master” (Matthew 25:21).

Reflection

Imagine this: If God invites you, rather unexpectedly, to lay down all of your current work and plans, how would you respond?

Do you look forward to the work/mission to which God has called you? Or, would you respond with fear and try to hide from God’s invitation?

Once you recognize the cost of following Christ, would you still be willing to accept more “talents”, go where God is sending you, and devote your life to serve Him?

Today’s Prayer

My God and my Lord, though I often called you “my Lord”, I admit that my heart is distracted, focusing on what pleases me instead of You. I recognize my selfishness. I have failed to make time for You; I have been unwilling to be ready for Your commissioning; I have failed to truly accept Your mission for me with joy and to do things that are pleasing to You. You, the master and creator of the universe, are my Lord and my God. How sad I have made You! Let me not be self-centred anymore, but be Your faithful servant wholeheartedly. May I remain faithful to You in everything I do, no matter how big or small they are, and persevere to the end. Lord, I promise to honour You all the days of my life. 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 ★

View Details

In the Parable of the Talents, we may be puzzled by one thing: Is God’s gift to us unconditional or conditional (ref. Matthew 25:14-30)?

If we interpret this parable from a literal perspective, it appears that God can be quite calculating and shrewd, especially when it comes to the “talents” that He has given us, and at the end He will demand us to return everything to Him with “interests”! So, is God’s love and gift for us not unconditional? Doesn’t this contradict our image of God whom we believe?

How shall we resolve this dilemma? Do we actually have freedom to choose how we use our God-given “talents”?

We need to understand that, in fact, we are the stewards of God’s gifts, that is, the “talents” in the parable. We are asked to temporarily manage these talents and return them someday. So, when do we “return” them? On the day of our departure from this world and returning to our Father’s house, or when these “talents” are no longer beneficial and useful for us, they will be “taken back”. Therefore, we shouldn’t worry too much about how much “talents” are given to us as they don’t belong to us in the first place. The amount of gifts has no impact on how well we can utilize them to yield a profit for God. In fact, when we truly audit all the gifts that we received, we are richer than we think. One question remains: how shall we reconcile the fact that God demands us to return our “talents” to Him, principles and interests included?

We may be able to find some clues from the scene that follows the Parable of the Talents in the Gospel of Matthew, when Jesus discussed “the judgement of the nations” (ref. Matthew 25:31-46). In truth, it is by serving the least brothers and sisters of Jesus that we can best use our given talents. If we use our talents of “compassion” and “love”, bestowed on us by our Heavenly Father, to care for the least of our sisters and brothers, the “compassion” and “love” we received will be multiplied through our acts of kindness, just as the “talents” being multiplied through wise investments. On the contrary, if we become a miser who refuses to use our “talents” on the least of our sisters and brothers, these “talents” will lose their purpose and become obsolete! Such “privatized” talents are no longer gifts and thus, have lost their intended purpose designated by God.

Certainly, God wishes us to fully utilize these talents to serve “the least”, our sisters and brothers most in need. Their needs may be physical and material, or perhaps mental and spiritual. As we care for their needs, Jesus wants us to follow His example and bring the full measure of the Good News of salvation to them, so that they may get to know our Lord Jesus Christ, the Saviour who can lead us to eternal life. As a result, they, the least of our sisters and brothers, will not only receive God’s grace during their life on earth, but also share in the joy of eternal salvation at the end!

This, in fact, is the true meaning of “living for God”; our earthly “work” that is most pleasing to God. Our God who gives unconditionally does not want us to be perfect in “reciprocating love for love”, rather, He only desires us to follow His example of sacrificing ourselves for others. In this way, we can truly live for the benefits of others in the name of “living for God”. Indeed, such is our only way to return God’s love for us.

If every single Christian endeavours to fulfil this duty, we will be able to accomplish “the greater works” commanded by Jesus. Indeed, such is our lifelong lesson!

Reflection

Do you yearn for “living for God”? How would you make this a reality in your life?

How can you achieve the goal of being utilized by God? What would you like to do for God?

Have you ever, consciously or unconsciously, buried some of the “talents” without fully utilizing them?

Today’s Prayer

Loving Abba Father, I recognize how inadequate my understanding of “living for You” and “labouring for You” is! I may be “living for You” and “labouring for You” in name only; in reality, I only live for myself and do what pleases me. My immature thinking has prompted me to, consciously or unconsciously, bury the ”talents” that You have given me. Thank you for opening my mind so I may begin to understand the true meaning of “living for You”. Instead of following my own idea of living and labouring for You, I should follow the example of Jesus, lay down myself and enter into others’ lives, in order to live and make sacrifices for them. From now on, I am willing to follow Your guidance so that I may live for others in You. For this I pray, in the Holy Name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

★ Support this podcast ★

View Details

Yesterday, we said that God’s plan is a Project of Hope. You may ask: what exactly is my role in God’s Project of Hope? Apparently, our identity is not only as ones who are saved. Jesus was taken up into heaven so that we can “take His place” to do ”greater works” according to His instructions, while He is seated at the right hand of the Father to intercede for us, and for our ministries (John 14:12). That’s why we cannot slack off or remain idle. We need to work hard, not for ourselves but for God, and for His people whom He loves.

As Christians, each one of us plays a unique role in God’s salvific plan; a mission that is not interchangeable and is solely intended for each individual.

In the Gospel of Luke, Chapter 12, Verse 48, Jesus said, “From everyone to whom much has been given, much will be required; and from the one to whom much has been entrusted, even more will be demanded.” (Luke 12:48)

This passage inspires us to fully utilize the “talents” that we received from God, otherwise they will be taken away from us. However, some may think, “I’m definitely not as capable and talented as others. Since I have received fewer talents from God, He probably won’t expect too much from me; so, I could just take it easy as I won’t need to worry about not being able to account for my talents before God at the end.”

In reality, we are not only given talents as we would normally perceive them, but also a lot of other visible and invisible gifts, especially the graces that cannot be accounted for. We should never reserve these gifts for ourselves only.

In a broader sense, we can consider God’s LOVE and MERCY for us as part of those “talents” given to us. God's love for us is one of the greatest gifts. We often say that we are a “conduit of God’s love” to the world. Indeed, God’s love has been poured upon us and is overflowing. Such overflowing love should never be hidden but should be allowed to flow through us unto others, especially those around us, like our family members. Therefore, one of the organic and most important ways for us to use our talents is in the works of charity.

Besides the generous gift of LOVE, we are also given an abundance of MERCY from our Heavenly Father, especially in the way God has forgiven our sins and absolved all our debts of sins owed to Him. Remember the parable of the unforgiving servant that Jesus told as Peter came and asked Jesus how often he should forgive others (ref. Matthew 18:21-35)? “Seven times?” Peter asked. “Not seven times, but, I tell you, seventy-seven times.” Jesus replied. Shocking? Indeed! But Jesus means it when He wants us to forgive without calculation. When we are forgiven more, God expects us to forgive others more generously. Therefore, let us be as compassionate and merciful as our Heavenly Father. May we make this our life’s work (ref. Luke 6:36)!

Talents also imply the TIME entrusted to us on earth. We are not masters of the time we have at hand. We do not live for ourselves alone but for God as well as the benefits of others. In the end, we need to be accountable to God for whether we have used our time wisely!

In sum, the talents we, as Christians, received from God have to be quite substantial! Therefore, if we are heavily laden by a multitude of earthly burdens, especially those that we impose upon ourselves, like amassing material and immaterial things, how can we attend to the “greater works” that Jesus wants us to do?

Let us go back to the Bible verse, “from the one to whom much has been entrusted, even more will be demanded” (Luke 12:48). If we don't know what God has entrusted with and demanded of us, we won't know how we can better structure our lives and use the TALENTS entrusted to us in order to fulfil what is required of us. We can't afford to keep living as if we have a lot of time at our disposal; time that can be spent aimlessly and thoughtlessly. If we continue to think that we have an endless supply of time, we are either avoiding reality, or being misguided by secular values or by our egos! Therefore, Jesus warns us in the Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 25, Verse 13, “Keep awake therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour” (Matthew 25:13). See, now is the “acceptable time” for us to die to our old selves and put on Christ! Let us remind ourselves not to receive God’s grace in vain, but yearn to be God’s collaborators (ref. 2 Corinthians 6:1-2)!

Reflection

Besides your natural talents, what are the gifts and graces that God has bestowed on you?

In what ways are you called to be generous with all the gifts that have been given to you by God?

Today’s Prayer

Kind and merciful Abba Father, thank you for allowing me to count all the graces and love that You have given me through today’s reflection. You have also reminded me that it is not for me that I live but for You and the benefits of all those around me. Forgive my past failings; the times that I have failed to cherish my life that is given by You, and failed to fully utilize the time and all the graces, bestowed by You, to serve my sisters and brothers. Starting today, I am determined to make good use of the time and opportunities provided by You, so that I may reciprocate Your love. For this I pray in the Holy Name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

★ Support this podcast ★

View Details

At this stage of the retreat, it is important to reiterate that though God has a plan for each of us, He never forces it on us; instead He has given us freedom of choice. God never wants us to be His puppets; rather, He wishes us to choose Him freely, abide in and journey with Him!

Very often, there is really no right or wrong choice. In fact, God never evaluates our every decision as a teacher would assess a student’s test, conferring penalties according to the “mistakes”. In truth, God desires us to make choices according to His Holy will because He wants the best for us; He knows what is best for us. If we strive to choose God and His will in our lives, we will bear the fruits of the Holy Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (ref. Galatians 5:22-23). By examining whether or not we are bearing these fruits, we can evaluate if we are abiding in Christ and living in the Spirit.

Jesus explains in the Gospel of John, Chapter 15, Verse 5, “I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). If we fail to cooperate with God’s will, that is, being neglectful of life’s choices, we become detached from the mystical Body of Christ. Not only will we be denied of the nourishment from the Holy Spirit, but will also face the consequences of what Jesus described in the Gospel of John, Chapter 15, verse 6, “Whoever does not abide in me is thrown away like a branch and withers; such branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned” (John 15:6). Indeed, if we do not abide in the vine, we cannot bear fruit by our own power. If we do not live in God, we can accomplish nothing (ref. John 15:4). Subsequently, our enemy can easily take advantage of the situation to gather us and toss us into the fire to be burned.

Some of us may think, “I am really terrible and am beyond help! Since I can’t possibly fulfil what God has asked of me, why should I keep pressing forward, wasting time and energy?” Rest assured, we must understand that God never demands perfection from us as it is impossible to be perfect by our human strength. God only desires us to follow the path of holiness, that is, to choose Him in every detail in our daily life, and become His faithful vessels of love. In this way, He will be able to accomplish, what Jesus Christ described as, “the greater works” through all of His children in this world, bringing forth His kingdom on earth, preparing the way for our Lord Jesus, and leading more sisters and brothers home to the Father’s house. Therefore, God’s plan for each of us is not to cause us pain and suffering, but is a plan of “love” and “hope” for you, for me, and all humanity. In the Book of the Prophet Jeremiah, God said, “For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope” (Jeremiah 29:11).

Each one of us is part of God's salvific plan. It is God’s intention to save us since we are His children, and at the same time, God has also invited us to be collaborators in His salvific plan. Each one of us plays a unique role in His plan and can make unique contributions. Everyone is indispensable. Fortunately, we never have to confront our personal problems alone, nor participate in the work of salvation without support. In fact, we are different parts in the Body of Christ, and through the inspirations and empowerment of the Holy Spirit as well as the graces bestowed by God the Father, we can march forward together with confidence!

Therefore, when we feel discouraged and deflated, such is the opportune time for us to come before God, seek refuge in our Father’s embrace, and cry out to Him for help. God has promised us that if we seek Him with all our hearts, He will answer our prayers!

In the Book of the Prophet Jeremiah, Chapter 29, Verses 12-13, God our Father said, “Then when you call upon me and come and pray to me, I will hear you. When you search for me, you will find me; if you seek me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:12-13).

Reflection

Do you believe that you are an important part in God’s “salvific plan”? With what attitude and actions are you responding to this invitation?

Consider the connections among the following: “the duties of the moment”, “the greater works” described by Jesus, and God’s “salvific plan”. How do they relate to each other?

When you feel discouraged and deflated, what would you do? Would you run towards our Father in heaven and cry for help?

Today’s Prayer

My dearest Papa in heaven, I have never thought that not only am I precious but also of great importance in Your eyes! I am only dust, what am I that You are mindful of me? Thank you for helping me understand that each day of my life and every small decision of mine are intimately connected to Your great salvific work! Teach me to cherish each of these opportunities to choose You; knowing that the choices I make now and the small duties I perform will be transformed by You to become part of Your great master plan! Let me not miss a single opportunity to glorify You! For this I pray, in the Holy name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

★ Support this podcast ★

View Details

Yesterday’s reflection explored the idea that if we habitually make the wrong decisions on life’s small things, these little mistakes will culminate into big mistakes with grave consequences. In the same way, if we fail to take care of our small things, we may find it challenging to handle bigger or more consequential things in life. According to traditional Chinese wisdom, one must begin with disciplining oneself, then the family, before managing a country and conquering the world. Discipline must begin with the smallest details before working up to larger things. Jesus affirmed in the Gospel of John, Chapter 14, verse 12, “Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father” (John 12:14).

If we are willing to follow Jesus’ call to serve God, we must begin with accomplishing the smallest things faithfully.

God’s will is present in all of our life’s decisions, whether the major or minor ones. God forges us by beginning with small things, hoping that we will learn to listen to His voice in everything we do, and to trust and follow His will, so that we may fulfil our mission that He has bestowed on us. Therefore, do not neglect these “duties of the moment”. The “greater works” are often the culmination of all these “duties of the moment”! When we ignore these duties, we are also choosing to ignore God. This demonstrates what Jesus described as being “faithful in a very little thing” (Luke 16:10).

As the Chinese saying goes, “a day’s plan begins in the morning”! This saying is, indeed, full of wisdom. If we begin our work of collaboration with God, right at the crack of dawn, and endeavour to accomplish everything that God wants to accomplish through us, His grace and strength will overflow our lives right at the beginning of the day. In this way, we will be empowered and encouraged to fulfil life’s great and small demands and overcome all challenges. In addition to tangible rewards, we can be assured that God will grant us inner peace and joy if we follow His will in every decision we make. We will also feel fulfilled with our right decisions and celebrate a life that is wonderful and meaningful. On the contrary, as we make a wrong decision, it will begin to lead us astray from the path that God has planned for us and wanted us to follow; thus, sabotaging His original “plan” for us that day. One wrong choice can disadvantage us in making subsequent decisions; compromising our ability to make the right choice at the next crossroad.

Since life’s small details are intricately connected, even one small decision can produce domino effects that are far and wide. Therefore, we must never neglect life’s minor decisions. At times, one wrong decision can completely change the course of our next day. Experts point out that our first decision of the day, that is, whether we get up or hit snooze, has much impact on our activities on the day. By the same token, our last decision of the day, that is, when we go to bed, directly impacts our activities on the next day.

From a different perspective, our decisions often, directly or indirectly, affect those around us. God desires each one of us to become a conduit of His love for others. Our every single decision can have an immediate impact on our ability to be God’s channel to convey His grace to whom we serve. For instance, when we choose to say kind words to another person, we are also bringing tremendous benefits to him/her. Believe it or not, one kind word can save lives. The better option is always choosing kind words over hurtful words in our interactions with others; indeed, this is more akin to God’s Holy will.

If we persevere in making the right choices, we will be able to establish appropriate and decent everyday habits. Gradually, this will have a positive impact on our lifestyle. Over time, our character traits and life will also be transformed, making it easier for us to bear good fruits a hundredfold. Such is the hope of our Lord Jesus Christ for us: to bear good fruits as He lives in us. This is also the greatest distinction between Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd, and our common enemy!

In the Gospel of John, Chapter 10, Verse 10, Jesus said, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly” (John 10:10).

Reflection

How do you make decisions in life’s “small things”? Have you been hasty about them? Have you experienced any negative consequences because of making a wrong choice?

At the end of this reflection, can you feel God’s tender loving care and see His plans for you?

Among the finer details in your life, where can you begin to better equip yourself so that you may receive the “greater works” that God has prepared for you?

Today’s Prayer

Almighty and compassionate Father, thank you for patiently revealing Your plan for me so that I may understand Your will and hope for me more clearly. Father, I am willing! I want to know Your will intimately. I want to respond to Your invitation in every single detail in my life, and to faithfully fulfil Your mission for me. I am not going to neglect the minor decisions in my life but am determined to seek Your presence in each, and to closely collaborate with You in order to fulfil all the good things that You want to accomplish through me. I now freely offer my whole life as a pleasing sacrifice to You. Lord, may it be done to me according to Your word (Luke 1:38). For this I pray in the Holy Name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

★ Support this podcast ★

View Details

The theme of this retreat offers some very important reflective materials, especially for those who serve in the Church, those who carry out special missions, or in general, all those who labour for God. In fact, our journey of becoming followers of Jesus Christ is intricately related with that of Martha and Mary.

Perhaps, you may feel that the concerns and solutions discussed in last two weeks’ materials are easier said than done. They demand our tremendous effort as well as determination. You may ask: how do I find time to examine my life in order to make positive changes? How do I break through my current dilemmas?

Indeed, the most difficult step is the breaking through! We all know that this is easier said than done; however, if we refuse to even take a first step during this Lent, all our introspection will be squandered. We will be, so to speak, back to square one; thus, the problem remains unresolved!

If we want to improve the situation, we must be willing to take the time. As mentioned in previous reflections, we need to, first, make an appropriate plan for ourselves, and follow through with it, step-by-step. At this stage, the key to success is that we must not regress, thus, adding to our already heavy burden. First and foremost, we shouldn’t commit to any responsibilities that are beyond our duties. Secondly, we must identify the things in our everyday life that are “time wasters”. In general, the detection of these “time wasters” can be quite challenging. However, an effective starting point is to examine our day to day decisions, major or minor. Many people would think that we only need to be shrewd when making decisions on the “big things”, while the “small things” don’t really matter. However, the many “small” mistakes can easily culminate to “big” mistakes. Ultimately, our erroneous decisions will bring us agony.

Most of the “time wasters” are rooted in our many wrong decisions on “small” things. For this reason, we need to pay even more attention to the smallest or most insignificant decisions. We may believe that God’s will applies only to great and important issues or situations; however, God desires us to follow His will even in the tiniest decision. In the Gospel of Luke, chapter 16, verse 10, Jesus said, “The person who is trustworthy in very small matters is also trustworthy in great ones.” (Luke 16:10) The path of holiness also begins with the small things. If we make every decision in our lives according to God’s will, not only will we not deviate from Jesus’s teachings, but also be able to fulfil the unique mission chosen by God for each one of us. You may ask: Most decisions in life are not simply about right or wrong, why should we care so much and be so particular about the process? Isn’t it better to take it easy in life?

The story of Jesus, Martha, and Mary offers us some inspirations (ref. Luke 10:38-42). Firstly, we can be assured that the services chosen by Martha and Mary are deemed equally beautiful and good by Jesus; however, Jesus said to Martha, “there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her” (Luke 10:42). In all our everyday small decisions, God knows the “better” choices. This truth is, indeed, illuminated in this vignette for us.

In truth, whatever God asks us to do right here and right now, we can only respond and fulfil it right here and right now. If we fail to seize the “here and now” to make the decision of responding to God, such missed opportunity can never be restored. Yet, these “better” decisions are the ones that can help us to “stop the bleeding”, so that we may stop feeding the “time wasters” in our lives.

Reflection

How do you usually make decisions in your everyday life? Do you habitually take pause before making decisions?

Do you feel that you have a lot of “time wasters”? Please write them down and reflect on them now.

Today’s Prayer

Loving God, Abba Father, Your loving attention to me has rendered me speechless. You are even concerned about every single detail in my life and desire me to make the right choices. The ones that can make my life better and be free of trouble; a life that is meaningful and bears fruit abundance. Forgive me for my past negligence of your good intentions; my self-centredness has only led me to please myself and others instead of You. Grant me a heart that is radiant and renewed, so that I may remember You in every moment of my life. For this I pray in the Holy Name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

★ Support this podcast ★

View Details

In a society that puts efficiency on a pedestal, the more one can “multi-task” or juggle multiple things all at once, the more respect they will receive. These multi-taskers are often deemed more capable and talented. However, research has demonstrated that the human brain is not designed to handle multiple tasks simultaneously. When one tries to fulfil multiple duties concurrently, the overall efficiency suffers despite the apparent success of the multi-tasker, and the end results will be worse than when one focuses on thinking, planning and handling one task at a time.

The more things we need to do, chances are, the greater our “worries” over these duties. These “worries” can evolve into potential mental stress; thus, adding trouble and burden to our “many things”. As a result, because we are unable to concentrate on things that demand our singular attention and focus, we fail to achieve the best outcome. Indeed, this is a great revelation to many of us who aspire to accomplish “many things” or delight in accumulation. Such tendency often makes it more difficult for us to accomplish what Jesus described as “greater works” in the Gospel of John, Chapter 14, Verse 12. (ref. John 14:12-14)

Therefore, if we have a tendency to worry about different things, but desire to accomplish many things, not only will our ability to concentrate suffer but also the results despite our efforts. You see, on top of this, when we pile on our many emotional baggage and the emotional wounds resulting from negligence of our interpersonal relationships, problems will begin to plague our everyday lives. Under such circumstances, how could we remain hopeful in reclaiming our power of concentration to bear fruits? How could we take the initiative to choose "the better part" in this situation, as Jesus expected? (Luke 10:42)

When we don’t have time, energy, and concentration to centre ourselves on the Word of God and prayers in order to build a steady and close relationship with God, our hearts, like a fishing boat floundering in heavy waves and strong wind, cannot perceive the presence of our Lord Jesus; a solitary heart that flutters and drifts with the ebbs and flows of the world. Our unstable emotional and mental states often lead to our failure to remain focused on our faith, family, and work. This certainly has various but serious impacts on different aspects of our lives. This vicious cycle will only persist and grow if we don’t do anything to escape. This is what concerns Jesus, and is the reason that Jesus grieves for Martha!

As St. Mother Teresa and many other saints remind us, the more things that need our attention, the greater our need to receive nourishment and strength through prayers. Therefore, the more time we devote to work, the more time we need to devote to prayer. You may ask, how can this be accomplished? How do I find time? If we really think that we can’t do it, perhaps, it’s time to rethink and reorganize our work.

“If you’re too busy to pray…you’re too busy.” — Saint Teresa of Calcutta

Similarly, when our hearts and minds are completely occupied by “many things” or “thoughts”, it is time for us to stop and choose “the better part”.

As discussed, our individual and collective obsession with efficiency has, indeed, a huge impact on us. We need to be aware of our tendency of proving our self-worth by doing more things; a belief that only through work that we may be valued and respected by others. As long as we cannot extricate ourselves from such tendency and temptation of doing more things, we will remain slaves to our work and trapped in the vicious cycle of work efficiency. As a result, our physical, mental, and spiritual well-being will be jeopardized!

Reflection

Do you feel that you have become enslaved by your work due to your obsession with work efficiency? How has this tendency affected your life and relationships?

Is your work an obstacle that prevents you from praying and being close to God? In which areas of your life is God inviting you to make adjustments and to overcome?

Today’s Prayer

Almighty Abba Father, in the Gospel of John, Jesus Christ has promised us: “I will do whatever you ask in my name” (John 14:13). Now, I bow down before You and implore You to teach me how to cherish You over my work; value the time spent with You over the satisfaction that comes from work. Grant me a heart that hopes for You. Even when a mountain of work presses on me relentlessly, I am willing to put the work aside to be fully present in my encounter with You through prayer. For this I pray in the Holy Name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

★ Support this podcast ★

View Details

During the past ten days, we have been reflecting from various angles on our life’s priorities. We began with Jesus pointing out the “many things” that have kept us occupied and worried, and proceeded to examine the severe damages caused by the “many things” of our generation, mentality behind our habitual accumulation, trouble in making life choices, and our choosing of the master of our life. Then, we learned about a different kind of baggage, or another type of accumulation, that is, emotional baggage and spiritual bondage. Our emotional baggage and spiritual bondage are often resulted from our relationships with others; a phenomenon often neglected by all of us living in the contemporary world. This invisible baggage and bondage, like our endless accumulation of material and immaterial things, can only be shattered by our complete trust in God. In other words, if we hold firm in our belief that we are God’s children, and heirs to God’s kingdom, we will be equipped with the authority that comes from our Lord Jesus Christ, and be able to resist and banish the work of the devil in us; thus releasing ourselves from every baggage and bondage.

However, if we want to obtain lasting freedom, we must begin by changing our habits and lifestyle. We have emphasized in the past two days that we needed to renew our commitment to place at the heart of life our interpersonal relationships, especially those with our family and closest relations. This can guard us against the tactics of the devil, who often lay down his traps among our relationships, to create heavier baggage and stronger bondage. The devil takes joy in deceiving us by hiding among every little detail of our lives, especially those that appear to be “good” or insignificant. Therefore, we cannot let our guard down in our interpersonal relationships. One of the keys is our mode of communication and attitude of interacting with others. Interacting with people around us with an inappropriate attitude and mode of communication will have a profound negative impact on our relationships, as well as impose a heavy emotional burden on the individuals involved.

In the conversation between Martha and Jesus, Martha said accusingly, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her then to help me.” (ref. Luke 10: 38-42) Martha’s tone is laced with accusations against Mary, and at the same time, pointing a finger at Jesus. Her attitude is clearly judgemental. Doesn’t this bear the mark of the devil’s usual tactic of incitement? From Adam’s accusation of Eve, and Eve, the serpent (ref. Genesis 3:1-13), carrying through generations until the end of the world (ref. Revelation 12:10). This method of communication, characterized by mutual blame, is rooted in our selfishness and defensiveness. When we attempt to justify ourselves through blaming or accusing others, we are guilty of lifting ourselves by degrading others. In more serious situations, the accuser may even attempt to denigrate others in order to inflate his/her reputation. Though such accusatory behaviours have a wide range of degrees of severity, all of them are manifestations of our self-centredness and negligence of the needs and feelings of others, all of which are reprimanded by Jesus. Let’s not become the accuser by first, learning from our Father’s mercy and compassion that doesn’t judge nor condemn. Otherwise, we may never be able to get out of the bind even if we invest a lot of time and sweat into our interpersonal relationships; we may actually aggravate the situation!

In the Gospel of Luke, Chapter six, verses thirty-six to thirty-eight, Jesus said, “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap; for the measure you give will be the measure you get back” (Luke 6:36-38).

May we let the face of our merciful and gracious Father shine through us in all our interactions and relationships with others.

'If you judge people, you have no time to love them.' — Saint Teresa of Calcutta

Reflection

In your past interactions with others, have you ever made accusations against others or faced accusations yourself? How did that end? How did that make you feel?

When you interact with someone who has empathy, how do you feel? Does it strengthen your relationship with that person?

In what areas can you improve your habit and mode of communication with others?

Today’s Prayer

Merciful and gracious Abba Father, I thank you from the bottom of my heart that You have blessed me through different relationships. For this, I praise You and give thanks! You allow all the ups and downs in these relationships so that I may grow and benefit from these experiences! Grant me Your eyes to see my family and friends as You do, a merciful and an empathetic heart like Yours to act kindly towards others. Let me reject my self-centredness; help me to walk in the shoes of others and understand their needs through their eyes. May I become a blessing to others in all my relationships. For this I pray in the Holy Name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

★ Support this podcast ★

View Details

Yesterday’s reflection explored the idea that the devil wishes to create the greatest chaos and harm in our lives, preventing us from fulfilling our true purpose in life. He will, at any cost, distract us from the more important relationships and things, and try to make us focus on other minor concerns. In truth, interpersonal relationships can be compared to a savings account to which we deposit regularly over a long time. Broken relationships with our loved ones often bring us the greatest injury. When the devil delivers his blows against us, his tactics are extremely effective. Firstly, he distracts us from our priorities. Then, he drives wedges in our relationships that result in broken marriages and families. All these broken relationships, piercing our hearts and contributing to our emotional baggage, can have severe effects on how we live afterwards and our lives in general. Regrettably, the problems that have broken up most marriages and families are not without solutions!

We must acknowledge that no one can maintain perfect and harmonious relationships with everyone all the time; thus problems in interpersonal relationships are inevitable, especially with our family or loved ones. Therefore, let’s not lose heart and despair, or even completely give up, when problems or hurdles arise in our relationships with our family and loved ones. Otherwise, we fall victim to the devil’s trickery.

Our family is a gift from God. Therefore, whether in good times or bad, we need to recognize that our family is a special gift and blessing bestowed by God and to be treasured. When we give up on this relationship, we are giving up on one of the greatest blessings in our lives. At the same time, we are also denying our loved ones of the same blessing from God through us. Unfortunately, we often only realize this life’s lesson when it’s too late. Knowing this, we must strive to avoid repeating this tragedy in our lives.

We may ask, if human relationships are so beautiful and are gifts from God, why do they cause so much trouble for us and even bring us anguish? In truth, we all know and recognize that humanity is God’s great and mysterious creation. All mysterious and beautiful things are, to a certain degree, “complicated”. For instance, our five senses, thoughts, emotions, and so on, are all mysterious and complicated. Yet, our lives are made richer and fuller because of this. What makes life wonderful is the emotional exchange and interactions among all of us! We cannot welcome only the “good” in life and reject the “ugly”. We need to believe that our God who is good and kind will never intentionally instill in our lives the “imperfect”. All “imperfection” or “ugliness” result from our own free will.

In fact, God has already provided us with all the ingredients that can make our lives wonderful. Our ability to truly make our lives wonderful depends on our mentality and attitude. An appropriate mindset and a positive attitude embolden us to respond and act positively. Unfortunately, the devil, who takes joy in opposing God, continues to distort God’s good intentions for us, and vows to lead us astray from God’s salvation at all costs!

Therefore, we must recognize the true visage of the devil, and not be terrified and confused by the images depicted in movies. As well, we must be alert that Satan, a fallen angel, can pretend to be someone or something good in our lives. We may fall victim to his treachery unknowingly. Let us take heart and stay awake!

In the Gospel of Matthew chapter sixteen, Peter innocently begs Jesus to avoid suffering and death. Jesus’ response to Peter is rather unexpected, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling-block to me; for you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things” (Matthew 16:23). Jesus reacts this way because He has detected the devil’s handiwork: Peter, unknowingly being manipulated by the devil, attempts to stop Jesus from fulfilling the Father’s will. This passage demonstrates that the devil is an opportunist who will even manipulate our good intentions to fulfil his treachery. We must stay awake and be alert, and observe each move of the devil, so that we may not be deceived by his sweet-talks.

The devil is so cunning that he is careful not to reveal his true face, rather, he relishes hiding behind the seemingly “good things” in life, thus entrapping us. On the contrary, God patiently attends to and accompanies us as we confront life’s adversities. He has the power to bestow blessings on us even during our most difficult struggles and adversities, which in turn, inspires goodness.

Reflection

How has God blessed you in your God-gifted relationships?

Do you often neglect to give priority to some of your significant relationships due to your busy “work” schedule?

What are some of the significant relationships in your life to which God has invited you to pay more attention?

Today’s Prayer

Merciful and gracious Abba Father, I recognized that I have had many misunderstandings and false expectations of my relationships with others in the past. Often, I became self-centered and took everything for granted; indeed, I have forgotten that all these relationships are gifts from You. My unwillingness to give and stinginess with my time often create conflicts in my interactions with and cause unnecessary harm to others. Forgive me; inflame my heart so that I may be able to identify the significant relationships in my life to which You have invited me to pay more attention. Just as You have willingly sacrificed Your only Son for us, teach me the spirit of sacrifice so that I may give myself up for others. For this I pray, through our Lord Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. 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 ★

View Details

Yesterday’s reflection focused on the necessity of having the appropriate mindset and positive attitude when confronting adversities and striving to fulfil our responsibilities as God’s children. The key lies in our willingness to trust God with all our hearts. As well, we now understand that there is nothing terrifying about the devil on his own but we must be cautious against his ploy. But what is his trickery on this topic of “many things”?

On Day five of this retreat, we explored the phenomenon of busy-ness; most of us feel overwhelmed with busy-ness without knowing why and that we keep losing track of time for no reason. The devil’s scheme is that he wants us to live a life devoid of clarity and purpose while labouring day-in and day-out; making us blind to our identity as God’s children, thus unable to fulfil our unique mission bestowed by God. Just like that, we would have missed the most important purposes of life, that is, to walk the path of holiness, as well as accompany and lead more people to know and love God through evangelization and charitable works. However, we cannot possibly achieve these ultimate goals in life without a plan. The devil’s conspiracy is to prevent and disrupt us from making proper life plans.

The testimonies of those who had come face to face with death have affirmed that the most important thing in life is not our work or accomplishments, but our relationships with others. However, since many people spend excessive time on work, they tend to neglect spending time on relationships with others, making these relationships vulnerable. Therefore, the primary target of the devil is this: to drive a wedge in and destroy our relationships; and certainly, he will, first, go after our closest relationships because that will affect and hurt us the most. The most obvious relationships are the one between God and ourselves as well as relationships in a marriage and family. This can explain why many people have left the Church, and the serious distortion and confusion in society’s understanding and definition of marital relationship.

We need to recognize that the devil is the father of lies (ref. John 8:44); he is also the master of “accusation” and “division”.

The devil often takes advantage of the situations when problems plague our relationships with our closest loved ones. He will try to incite misunderstanding and tear apart our relationships, and proceed in his work of creating further division. Our mutual accusations and arguments allow the devil to aggravate our unresolved emotional pains and baggage; giving him free-range of power to achieve his goal of fracturing our relationships with others. In this way, he keeps adding to our already heavy burden of “many things”; distracting us from achieving our ultimate goals in life. We can be certain that the devil will never ease up on his work of destruction; therefore, he will keep us busy and send us running in circles, until both our “self” and our most important relationships collapse. In extreme situations, we may fall prey to depression, or other emotional illnesses.

Even the most difficult problem in our “work” will have a solution; however, when deep fractures appear in “relationships”, extra effort and thoughtfulness are needed to resolve and mend them. In addition, reconciliation also requires a lot of time. Similarly, the process of healing also takes a long time and lots of patience. In our impatient world, most people would choose the quickest and shortest way, leading to countless broken marriages and families. How our Heavenly Father has wept for us!

Such is the meticulous work of the devil, to turn our priorities upside down. Therefore, we cannot afford to ignore it! If we are willing to devote more time on building and maintaining our relationships with one another, we will be able to avoid the devil’s scheme, save time and effort on reconciliation when problems arise, and avoid distractions from other important things in life.

Reflection

What attitude and method do you employ to approach and tackle the problems concerning your relationships with your closest family members?

How does this reflection help you to prioritize your time to balance “work” and “interpersonal relationships”?

Today’s Prayer

Merciful and gracious Abba Father, not only are You the God of love and life, but also relationships. Forgive me of the times when I neglected some important relationships and caused harm. Grant me a heart, just like yours, that is filled with compassion so that I may be able to nurture all the significant relationships in my life, particularly the relationship between my family and myself. Bestow on me sufficient wisdom and patience to tackle all the problems in my current relationships. Help me to persevere and learn from you, to be “slow to anger”. For this I pray in the Holy Name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

★ Support this podcast ★

View Details

Yesterday, we prayed for our Father’s guidance to release us from our spiritual bondage, and to grant us healing because our emotional wounds have brought us tremendous harm and repercussions. Our Lord Jesus Christ is our companion and the key to our healing; He has unlocked the door erected by the devil’s ploy, so that we may reclaim our confidence and courage to confront where it hurts, and gradually, unfetter ourselves from the bondage of the devil. In truth, our Father has been patiently waiting with a broken heart just beyond the hidden room of our wounds, awaiting for our permission to let Him in, so that He can comfort, cleanse, heal and bless us.

Once we are on the journey of healing through our Father, and gradually let go of our hurts and emotional baggage, we will become empowered to confront the challenges before us. Indeed, phenomena such as pandemics, wars, natural disasters, deterioration of moral values, social unrest and oppression, and so many other challenges deplete our will power and force us into despair. As a result, we plunge deeply into grief, anxiety, pain and bitterness! Our helplessness in changing reality has blinded us only to see the dark clouds ahead of us, thus losing fundamental hope for our future. All these emotions are understandable, and, indeed, such is an accurate portrait of all of us living in the contemporary world.

Our Father knows, and how that breaks His heart! We must recognize that we are not without hope. This is because our Lord is a God of compassion, truth, and justice. He never wants to remain a bystander, but He needs our cooperation.

All adversities in history will eventually pass! Wars will be over; pandemics will pass; even powers of darkness will not last forever. This is not only a fundamental belief shared by humanity, in fact, particularly for all peoples of faith, this is also an irrevocable responsibility. We are children of the God of justice and truth, and we have inherited God’s kingdom and authority. Therefore, we have the duty to lift Jesus high in our hearts and every corner of the world; the Christ, one true God, who is the way, the truth, and the life, so that His mercy and justice may be manifested until all darkness in the world is dispersed! If we desire to fulfil this responsibility, we must be steadfast in upholding the right mindset and positive attitude.

Let us imagine that the Son of light and the son of darkness are characters in a play: a theatrical piece about the struggles between God and the devil. Scenes of everyday lives, families, societies, and the world parade across the stage. When friendship, unity, peace, and justice are at centre stage, all the saints in the audience cheer; contrarily, when hate, division, war and injustice appear on stage, the devil and all his entourage cry out in unison.

Many people may be afraid of the devil because he seems to be terrifying. Therefore, they avoid talking about him as if he doesn’t exist. However, this is exactly the devil’s plot! By staying hidden, he wants us to remain unaware of his existence so that he may do whatever he wishes in the dark. Let’s not take his bait! Let’s imagine: the devil can be likened to someone whose only goal is to terrorize the world. In fact, he doesn’t deserve our fear! The devil is only a fallen angel; a mere creature. His power is incomparable to that of the All-powerful God. Indeed, if we don’t give the devil permission, he has no power over us or to harm us. However, when we fall in our weakness, we grant power to the devil and the opportunity for him to control and manipulate us.

Contrarily, we must caution against the devil’s trickery, for in darkness, his tricks cannot be easily detected. Therefore, we need to stay alert and pay attention to his power over our everyday life.

We must pay attention to our tendency of stumbling into sins because we may not be as clever, or shall we say, cunning, as the devil! The devil often takes advantage of the times when we stumble in our weakness. On the other hand, if we accept our weakness and take refuge in God, He will descend upon us and manifest Himself in us. In other words, only when we trust and rely on God that His almighty power may be manifested in us, deterring the advances of the devil, so that he may not dare to come close to us and have his ways. Therefore, one must take courage when confronting the devil. We can never defeat the devil by our own power, but only the Creator of the Universe, King of kings, our God and Abba Father, whose infinite might, through our Lord Jesus Christ, can grant us the authority to defeat and banish the devil and all his entourage, so that God’s glory and kingdom can be manifested. Such is the perfect conclusion to the play as the thunderous applause of the saints cheering for the final curtain call of Christ the King, triumphant.

Reflection

Have you been afraid of or avoiding the devil’s control and manipulation in your life and everyday living? Have you subconsciously denied the existence of the devil?

Whether in the healing of past wounds or facing current challenges from the devil, do you believe that, all along, God accompanies us and awaits for our invitation to let Him walk with us and give us strength enough to tackle everything that comes our way?

Do you believe that placing our trust in God is key to conquering the devil? Are you willing to take refuge in God and put yourself in His hands?

Today’s Prayer

Merciful and gracious Father, thank you for your constant companionship. Little did I know that I have failed to invite You to come into the deepest recesses of my heart, to heal all my wounds and share my heavy burden. I even hide myself from You and am determined to face everything on my own. Yet, You patiently wait for me even when it pains You. Grant me the clarity of faith so that I will know Your presence in my life and put myself in Your hands with all my heart and all my will. Please also help me understand the devil’s trickery, so that I will stand firm and not give him the opportunity to hurt myself, and in turn, hurt You. For this I pray, in the Holy Name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

★ Support this podcast ★

View Details

In yesterday’s reflection, we have explored the severe impact of hidden emotional baggage on us. Among the different types of emotional baggage, some trauma in the past may have left deeper scars, thus, have a greater impact on us. For instance, when we are betrayed by our trusted friends, or even family members, feelings of rage, fear, insecurity, or abandonment overwhelm us. These negative emotions firmly take hold in our minds, thanks to our memories of these traumatic experiences. As a result, we may be unable to trust others, and begin to hide away and isolate ourselves; at the same time, we also lose faith and hope in others and the world around us. When we attempt to shield ourselves from harm, we tell ourselves, “There’s no one I can trust in this world”; “I can only believe in myself”; “I must be the problem and that’s why other people treat me like this” … All these are lies planted by the devil in our hearts, which can shape the foundation of our thought patterns. We may even attempt to seek out evidence that confirms our thinking. This is how the devil’s lies grow. In addition, we may even build a system of thought patterns to defend these lies and to prevent ourselves and others from dismantling the strongholds of our “self-preservation mechanism”. The devil takes advantage of our reactions to traumatic experiences to control, incite, manipulate and restrain us in our daily lives and interactions with others.

When one is hurting, many will choose avoidance rather than dealing with the problems related to the wound and finding solutions. With the exception of some serious cases where one may need professional help, we, a people of faith, must, first, take refuge in Jesus Christ. He has endured the greatest physical, emotional and spiritual suffering for our sake. Therefore, He understands everything that we are going through. If He is willing to conquer sins and death through His own death and resurrection to gain for us the blessing of eternal life, bringing us a new life, He will also save us from the enslavement of the devil.

Let us not repeat Adam and Eve’s mistake of succumbing to the devil’s bait, doubting God’s love for us and hiding from Him. May we put our trust in God; He, who has created us, has the power and desire to free us from all kinds of bondage!

However, we must first recognize that we might have hurt God, others, and ourselves in the process, and the times when we fail to believe and abandon God. Therefore, let us humble ourselves, repent, and ask for our Father’s forgiveness. During the process of releasing ourselves from our spiritual bondage, as Jesus forgave those who persecuted Him on the cross, we, too, must follow Christ’s teachings to forgive those who have wronged us. Then, in the name and by the authority of Jesus Christ, we will be able to renounce and banish all the evil forces that have been gripping us, and regain our freedom. (Ref. Unbound: A Practical Guide to Deliverance, by Neal Lozano)

St. Paul writes in his second letter to the Corinthians, chapter 10, verses 4 to 5:
“... or the weapons of our warfare are not merely human, but they have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every proud obstacle raised up against the knowledge of God, and we take every thought captive to obey Christ.” (2 Corinthians 10:4-5)

Reflection

Are you distressed by traumatic experiences in the past?

Are you determined and willing to accept help from Jesus to be released from your spiritual bondage?

Today’s Prayer

Merciful Abba Father, thank you for awakening me from the shadows of all my emotional baggage. I understand that all my traumatic experiences in the past have had a severe negative impact on me, which have unconsciously bound me to the enslavement and manipulation of the devil. I am resolute to be close to You; know that only You can release me from my spiritual bondage. Please strengthen my will power, grant me a humble and forgiving heart, help me to trust You completely and to believe that in You, I will reclaim my freedom and receive a new life. For this I pray in the Holy Name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

★ Support this podcast ★

View Details

Over the last three reflections, we have been examining our tendency to accumulate things, including the amassing of material possessions, academic knowledge, things that inflate our ego, and so on. While we struggle with our decision to choose “things that belong to heaven” over “earthly things”, we need to pay special attention to the kind of accumulation that is more insidious, which is our emotional baggage. Since our emotional baggage has been accumulating unconsciously over the years and is hidden from our eyes, its impact is quite difficult to detect. As a result, we are often unaware of our tendency of holding on to our emotions or accumulating emotional baggage. Little do we know, the damage caused by our emotional baggage far outweighs the damage resulting from all other kinds of accumulation.

Some examples of emotional baggage include: anger, emotional trauma, childhood trauma, experiences of being misjudged, harm inflicted by others or on others, failures, experiences of prejudice or being prejudiced to others, unresolved issues, negative memories, and so on.

These negative emotional baggage can shape our impression of others and God, and most importantly, damage our own self-image. Such misjudgment can also sway or distort the messages from God and others, leading to a distorted relationship with God, others and oneself. All these can also have a direct impact on our understanding and acceptance of our own identity and role, and indirectly endanger our self-image and self-worth. Since our identity and role also shape the way we communicate and the way we act, this chain reaction, therefore, has a lasting impact on our personality as well as character development. Not only will this adversely affect how we relate to others and ourselves, but will also influence the basis and pattern of how we make decisions. Therefore, its impact is so vast and deep that we cannot afford to ignore it!

Our negative memories and negative emotions are intricately connected, such that one reinforces the other, causing the negative memories to be firmly imprinted on our consciousness and extremely challenging to expunge. As a result, these emotional knots become tangled with the “many things” that are buried deep in our hearts. Not only our everyday functioning will be affected, but also our physical, emotional and spiritual wellness! Therefore, we must confront this problem head on.

“Forgiveness” is one of the keys to resolve our negative emotions. Indeed, forgiveness is front and centre in the prayer that Jesus taught us (ref. Matthew 6:9-15). Jesus’ first prayer to His Father on the cross focuses on forgiving His enemies. “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34). Jesus reveals God’s image and essence through His words and deeds, as well, He affirms the centrality of “forgiveness” among all other virtues.

The devil will always try to lure us into holding on to our emotional baggage, making us believe that we cannot let it go. He makes us keep replaying past episodes of hurt and failure in our minds, corners us into the delusion of shame and guilt, and entraps us in our hardened heart.

Contrarily, Jesus invites us to reconcile with our Heavenly Father, each other, and ourselves through prayer and the sacrament of reconciliation, so that our hearts and minds can become free to embrace the peace that Christ has given us and the blessings of God our Father.

Reflection

Have you noticed that you have been burdened by your emotional baggage? How does it affect your mood and behaviour?

Do you believe that your inability to forgive others and yourself is connected to your unwillingness to lay down your baggage?

Are you willing to cry out to God for help, lay down your baggage, and reconcile with those involved?

Today’s Prayer

Lord Jesus Christ, thank you, through today’s reflection, for helping me understand that the emotional baggage that I’ve been shouldering is also, unconsciously, affecting me, and even dragging me down, leading me to hurt others and myself. I now know that I have hurt You the most. You have already forgiven us, and even died for us, while we were still sinners. Let me never forget and take Your kindness for granted. Help me follow Your example, not only to forgive those who have hurt me, but also reconcile with them and rebuild our relationship. Grant me strength to fulfil this mission. For this I pray, in Jesus’ Holy Name. Amen.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

★ Support this podcast ★

View Details

In the reflections of the past four days, Jesus reminds us of the peril of troubling ourselves with life’s “many things” through his interactions with Martha and Mary. These “many things” rob us of our devotion to God and deceive us into solely relying on our own power. In addition, the devil often takes advantage of the ever evolving technologies and information to further distract our already chaotic hearts and minds, making trivialities or minor issues the focus of our life. The devil bombards us with endless information to confuse our senses and disrupt our concentration; to occupy our life with busy-ness and hurriedness, day in and day out. The devil, an instigator of troubles who understands human weakness, entraps us into an endless cycle of accumulation. Inevitably, a seemingly harmless habit turns into an addiction. As a result, we become imprisoned by our own possessions. In truth, the devil is a skillful trickster who willfully piles more things on top of our “many things”. He only has one goal: to create a rift in our relationship with God, so that we will distance ourselves from God by choosing to serve the false master; in the end, we will be separated from God. The devil’s strategy begins with our attitude to life, first, luring us to develop unhealthy habits, which then evolves into a lifestyle that endangers us. Eventually, we arrive at the point of no return and lose our footing, and end up in the devil’s trap.

The endgame of the devil’s ploy and innovations is this: he wants us to doubt God’s unconditional love and desire to give us the best, and that God will provide us with everything we need. We are giving the devil’s ploy a boost when we lose our confidence in God.

The Church cautions us against the “three enemies of the soul” — the devil, the flesh, the world — reminding us that we should not fall for their temptations.

“... for all that is in the world — the desire of the flesh, the desire of the eyes, the pride in riches — comes not from the Father but from the world. And the world and its desire are passing away, but those who do the will of God live forever.” (1 John 2:16-17)

Indeed, we cannot really take away anything from this world when we are gone, be it wealth, fame, social status, power, pleasure, or all the things that we have amassed. Everything will pass away, but only God and His Holy will will remain. Then, isn’t our choice crystal clear?

We must remember that when we choose earthly things over God, not only are we separating ourselves from God and His love, but also from His grace. Contrarily, when we choose God and choose to do His will, His grace will overflow our life and the lives of those we serve.

Indeed, life is short and fleeting; time is the most precious gift from God. Our most important life’s lesson and choice is this: whether we choose to devote our time to strive for the “many things” that are only temporary, or to relish God’s love and grace, as well as the eternal joy and blessings that God has in store for us.

Reflection
Has your dedication to the “many things” ever brought you lasting peace and joy?

What rewards from the “many things” are you expecting that could not be replaced by eternal joy and blessings?

Would you be willing to change your course in life during Lent, so that you may make better choices?

Today’s Prayer

Lord Jesus Christ, I recognize that in my life, danger and traps abound. The devil’s attack is relentless. I realize that now is the momentous time to fortify the boundary between the devil and me; but I also know that I am weak and passive. Do not allow me to surrender to my pride and believe that I can conquer the devil’s ploy solely by myself. Help me to be close to You with all my heart, all my soul, and all my mind, so that through Your Holy Name and authority, I may be able to vanquish the devil’s attack, one step at a time. Send forth Your Spirit to light my path, so that I may follow His guidance. I trust that within You, nothing is impossible. For this I pray in the Holy Name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

★ Support this podcast ★

View Details

In yesterday’s reflection, we explored how an unhealthy lifestyle could greatly impact us. While our lifestyle is built on our everyday habits, these habits are intimately connected to our attitude towards life. An attitude tainted with greed, urging us to increase our possessions, will result in a habit of accumulation. Once we have become addicted, we continue to amass more things which, in turn, cause us to stumble and fall deeper into distractions, worries, and chaos. Therefore, we need to tackle this problem with the right tool, that is, we must seek its root cause in order to resolve it.

As we strive to live according to God’s will, we must, first, get rid of everything in our life that doesn’t please God. Simply put, we need to let go of or reject all things that cannot lead us to God. These excessive possessions could be the result of our greed or desire to take advantage of perks, or more often, our constant worrying, and such worrying is rooted in our insecurity. These possessions can only give us a false sense of security; a mirage that can never fix the heart of the problem. Knowing that if we place our complete trust in God, who will provide everything we need, we no longer need to feel anxious about life and amass things to appease our worries.

Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life? And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? Therefore do not worry, saying, “What will we eat?” or “What will we drink?” or “What will we wear?” For it is the Gentiles who strive for all these things; and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things, but strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today.(Matthew 6:25-34)

Today’s trouble is enough for today! Isn’t it right? Knowing all our efforts in accumulating things can never resolve our problems, why are we still wasting energy to serve this false master?

“No one can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.” (Matthew 6:24)

The “wealth” discussed in this Gospel verse implies not only money, material or immaterial wealth, but also the act of “serving oneself”. For instance, we may devote all our energy chasing success to fulfil our endless ambitions, as well as trying to achieve goals beyond our abilities and calling, boasting our social status, reputation or fame. However, these accomplishments which we try to attain at all costs to make us look good on our resume do not represent our true identity. They are not important in God’s eyes, nor can they help us to become the person whom God wants us to be.

Reflection

Why do you think you keep accumulating things? Is it because of greed? Or insecurity?

Do you truly trust that God will provide everything you need?

Other than God, what other masters do you serve in your life? Can you empathize with God’s feelings?

Today’s Prayer

All-powerful and compassionate Father, who am I that You are mindful of me! My confidence in You is so weak and vulnerable that I often bow down before the authorities of the world. Where is my faith? Thank you for reminding me that my life is more than food and my body is more than clothing. In Your eyes, I am a hundred-fold more precious than birds of the air and lilies of the field! Strengthen my faith, as I realize that You, my Heavenly Father, already know what I need. Let me seek first Your kingdom and its righteousness, and find peace and joy in You. For this I pray in the Holy Name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

★ Support this podcast ★

View Details

Feeling distracted, worried, disorganized, busy, lost, restless, helpless, rushed, forgetful, absent-minded, insecure, losing concentration, losing direction and purpose in life… If some of the above symptoms resonate with you, perhaps, like Martha, you have troubled yourself with “many things”, as Jesus observed.

Some may feel that there is no resolution to our condition; the burden of “many things” is simply our reality and that it’s impossible for us to reduce our workload, leaving us no choice but to accept and bear it without complaint. Without any apparent solution at hand, the easiest way out is not to think about it at all! Since we cannot change our reality, we just bury our heads in the sand and keep going.

Difficult it may be, we should never neglect the issue nor remain passive; or worse, deny the problem as if it doesn’t exist nor applicable to our life. The more we try to neglect and ignore the problem, the bigger and more disastrous it will become. Thus, our negligence will fester into a disorder.

It is understandable that our daily life cannot be rid of the “many things”. Often, we may not have a choice, as certain things are either beyond our control or difficult to change, for instance, natural disasters, war, pandemic, political situations, work and family obligations, just to name a few. Since these things are some of life’s non-negotiables, thus, inescapable and can never be subtracted from life, we need to counter these situations with a positive attitude.

On the other hand, we do have a choice in a great deal of things in life. Often, we keep adding to our already full plate without even thinking about it, multiplying our troubles and worsening the situation.

At the heart of the problem is our tendency to accumulate things, whether they are material or immaterial. Material things may include different possessions, like household appliances, electronics and technological products, clothing, books, decorations, memorabilia and collectors’ items, even everyday products, collecting points through shopping or discount programs, and so on. Immaterial things may include academics, knowledge, hobbies, news, including entertainment, sports and financial news, and even information about deals. A note of clarification: all the things listed are not necessarily bad; however, when we prioritize these things above all and become fixated on accumulating these insignificant things, we are allowing ourselves to be bound and become incapacitated. All these can distort our vision and hinder us from making the right choices in life. Accumulating things not only prevents us from following Christ, but also enslaves us to the “many things” that we accumulate. Ultimately, we are allowing the negative conditions — described at the beginning of today’s reflection — to continue multiplying and growing in our hearts and minds!

Fortunately, God has granted us sufficient wisdom to resolve this problem. Lent is an opportune time to reconsider and seek solutions to this problem. Otherwise, we will have to pay a hefty price! We may also become casualties of our unhealthy lifestyle!

In the “Beatitudes”, found in the Gospel of Matthew, chapter five, Jesus said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. [...] Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God” (Matthew 5: 3, 8).

Reflection

When faced with the problem of being “worried and distracted by many things”, do you bury your head in the sand?

Do you recognize that you are also plagued by the bad habit of accumulation?

Would you be willing to make a commitment to resolve the problem during this Lent? How has Jesus’ teachings inspired you?

Today’s Prayer

Lord Jesus Christ, I’m confronted by a problem against which I’m powerless. I wish I could run away from the heavy burden and stress in my life as I lack determination to overcome these obstacles. At times, I feel hopeless and helpless! But I also know that this is the time when I need You most. Help me with my unbelief; strengthen my faith. I believe that You desire to give me the best! In You, and through You, I can overcome all. Remind me, always, of the truth that Your grace is sufficient for me (ref. 2 Cor 12:9)! I pray in the Holy name of Jesus, Amen.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

★ Support this podcast ★

View Details

As mass communications become more efficient and social media becomes ever more popular, the devil has found more effective ways to distract us. In the past, the devil had to pull out all sorts of ideas from his bag of tricks to lead us down the path of sins and drive us farther away from God. Now, the devil doesn’t even have to lift a finger to separate us from God. The devil often occupies our minds with chaotic thoughts and fantastical ideas, leaving us no space for contemplating things that belong to God and no time for prayers. We’ve become so preoccupied that we can’t even quiet down to hear God’s voice.

The devil often tempts us with glamour that dazzles us. For instance, social media facilitates connections with friends, helps us to be informed about current issues, to learn new things, and to expand our horizons; or perhaps, the internet can be a source of relaxation and entertainment, opening us to a world of new knowledge through films or endless video links. These activities seem harmless enough on the surface; however, when we fail to moderate ourselves, we may fall into addiction and waste our life away. When we invest our time in trivialities, we are neglecting the most important thing.

Further, when we are overloaded with too much information, we become easily distracted. Such is the very ingredient that diverts our attention from what we need to do: to care for the needy and to spend quality time with God.

Therefore, Satan, who is conniving and treacherous, takes advantage of our pride, greed, curiosity, vanity, and so on, ambushes us to fall into his trap of distractions; using the excuse of life enrichment to deflect our attention. He wants us to feel so overwhelmed by our busy-ness that we can’t even breath!

In today’s society, when we ask how each other is doing, most will respond in unison, “Very busy!” / “Too busy!”, as if those who are not busy are anomalous, losers, or worthless! Even retirees would claim that they are busier than before their retirement. However, when asked about what makes them so busy, most would say, “I don’t really know! Time just flies!” Such is Satan’s deceit, tricking us into wasting our time on frivolous things. During the pandemic, many Catholics have been spending more time on the internet, browsing through religious materials and participating in religious studies online. Their daily schedule is, indeed, jam-packed! They may feel intellectually satisfied; however, they may be filled with a spiritual emptiness that is devoid of peace and stalls their relationship with God. We are reminded that knowing and being close to God is not about quantity but quality. If we hope to have a high-quality encounter with God, we need to let go of the “many things” that distract us, so that we may attend to God’s voice and receive His love that is revealed to us in silence.

“Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will hardship, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?” (Rm 8:35) None of the above! Unfortunately, in today’s world, what separates us from the love of Christ are our cell phones, social media, as well as our attention deficit!

Reflection

Are you often reluctant to put down your cell phone and become enslaved by it?

When you’re busy, do you feel that you are more worthy, confident and respected?

Would you admit that you have been distracted by the devil and have fallen into the trap of neglecting the more important things?

Today’s Prayer

Lord Jesus Christ, thank you for awakening me to see that I have fallen into the devil’s trap; one that diverts my attention to things that don’t belong to You, and condemns me to become a casualty of busy-ness and distractions. You have promised that nothing will separate me from Your love; contrarily, I’m the one who allows the frivolous things to come between You and me. Strengthen my determination to discard these poor habits, so that I may be with You always and dwell in You. I pray in Jesus’ Holy Name. Amen.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

★ Support this podcast ★

View Details

Martha, perhaps feeling a bit neglected while busying herself with all the work, asked Jesus, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her then to help me” (Luke 10:40). Jesus, recognizing that Martha’s accusation and emotions come from a heart filled with chaos, said to Martha, “Martha, Martha, are you worried and distracted by many things …” (Luke 10:41). Jesus’ words succinctly pierce the chaotic heart of Martha and reveal what’s behind that chaos: she is “worried and distracted by many things”. However, living in this world, is it possible to be free of distractions? Jesus continues, “there is need of only one thing” (Luke 10:42). We may ask, “Who doesn’t need to labour? How could one abandon everything and only devote one’s attention to ‘the better part’ as Jesus wants of us ” (Luke 10:42)?

In truth, Jesus is not demanding us to abandon all the work in our daily life, and only wants us to be like Mary, sitting by His feet, listening with an attentive heart. The problem lies in the “many things”.

One of the reasons behind such chaos is that we often occupy ourselves with too many “things” which result in distractions, preventing us from recognizing the presence of our Lord Jesus. Or, perhaps, we may use our busy-ness as an excuse to avoid conversing with Christ, building a relationship, and becoming His confidante. In doing so, we have forfeited the opportunity to be empowered by Christ, and are left to battle life’s challenges by our own power. That’s what worried Jesus.

Therefore, we need to pay attention to whether we are preoccupied with our “many things”. What are these “many things” for us?

Chaos sets in when we are troubled by “things”, thus our emotions become easily disturbed, leading to huge ups and downs in our hearts and minds. If we allow ourselves to be troubled by “things” like a boat in the sea, the more troubled we are, the bigger the waves. When we anchor ourselves to Christ, we will be like a boat securely anchored. Contrarily, when we allow ourselves to be distracted by many unnecessary things, our heart will sway; aimlessly going off-course and following the currents.

Reflection

What are the “many things” that concern you?

Do you feel troubled by the “many things”? Do they cause huge emotional ups and downs, and even affect your relationships with others?

During this Lent, what are the unnecessary things or “many things” that the Lord is inviting you to lay down?

Today’s Prayer

Loving Lord Jesus Christ, I finally understand the things that cause chaos in my heart and separate me from the peace that you have given me. I recognize your words for Martha are also for me; your concern for Martha’s busy-ness is for our busy-ness. Thank you for your unconditional love. I now know that I cannot earn your love by my own labour and power. Teach me to know your will so that I may be able to lay down the “many things”, finding peace and reliance in you. For this I pray, in Jesus’ Holy Name. Amen.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

★ Support this podcast ★

View Details

Among all of Jesus’ closest friends, some of them can be considered His confidantes; Mary is definitely one of them. Mary is an introvert, contrary to Martha, an extrovert, who is more energetic and often excels in social settings. Her introspection, caring consideration for others, and tenderness offer Jesus the warmth of friendship and make him feel right at home.

Both Mary and Martha have made Jesus feel welcomed, but each accomplishes that by different means. When a close friend like Jesus visits, Mary chooses to be with Him; hanging onto His every word and attending to His needs.

During Jesus’ times, disciples learn from their master by sitting at his feet, listening to the master’s words and teachings. Mary is doing the exact same thing. Despite being a female, the custom of the time that prohibited females to sit with a male has not dampened Mary’s longing to listen to Jesus’ words and teachings.

Jesus desires everyone to become His disciples and confidantes. Jesus understands that “Mary has chosen the better part”. Who can take this away from her (Luke 10:42)?

It is not difficult for us to see that “the better part” means choosing Jesus - conversing with and listening to Him. Even busy people would agree with this and may take time to pray. However, what Jesus cares about is whether we know how to prioritize our time between work and prayer. Poor lifestyle and incorrect attitude may lead to distractions. More importantly, this may even put us in danger. Indeed, it is our choices that have broken Jesus’ heart.

There is no doubt that Jesus loves both Martha and Mary; however, it is Mary who really understands Jesus, making her more receptive to Jesus’ messages. Therefore, this also makes it easier for Jesus to communicate with her. A strong relationship is built on the foundation of mutual understanding; and communication is key to promote mutual understanding. If we want to become Jesus’ confidante, we must follow Mary’s footsteps and learn from her. By Mary’s example, we, too, may establish an intimate relationship with God.

To become Jesus’ confidante, we do not begin by offering our services and work; instead, we must begin by keeping Him company, listening to Him and “staying” with Him (Ref. John 1:39). That means, we begin by encountering Him.

Are we willing to become Jesus’ confidante?

Reflection

How do you receive our Lord Jesus? Do you desire to be like Mary who “has chosen the better part”?

Do you long to become Jesus’ confidante? Do you recognize that this is what Jesus referred to as “the better part”?

Today’s Prayer

Lord Jesus Christ, I understand that my past choices have worried you. I thought you wanted me to do more good work and services, but I have forgotten the most important thing! I finally understand what has broken your heart. Help me not to be numbed by work; inflame my desire to encounter you in my daily life, accompany you, listen to you, and stay with you, so that I may become your confidante. For this I pray in Jesus’ Holy Name. Amen.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

★ Support this podcast ★

View Details

John has taken great care to depict the death and resurrection of Lazarus. Not only does this scene prefigure Jesus’ death and resurrection and reveal a deep theological significance, it also portrays Jesus’ character and reveals the heart of Jesus.

The Gospel of John chapter 11, verses 1 to 45 detail the dire situation of Lazarus, the dying brother of Martha and Mary. Jesus had not revived Lazarus in time. Lazarus had died before Jesus’ arrival. It is described that Jesus only left for Bethany two days later to “awaken him” (Jn 11:11). Upon His arrival at Bethany, Jesus, greeted by the Jews who were weeping and grieving with Martha and Mary, was “greatly disturbed in spirit and deeply moved” and began to weep (Jn 11:33,35).

Indeed, Jesus knew that Lazarus would be resurrected; grief would pass and be transformed into joy. Why did Jesus mourn and weep for His friend’s death? This reveals Jesus’ humanity; He is truly human with full human emotions. Jesus does not place Himself above human sufferings. Indeed, He, too, experiences and understands our challenges and pain. Jesus “is the image of the invisible God” (Col 1:15). The face of God, so full of compassion, and His heart, pained by human sufferings, are revealed in this scene of Jesus weeping for Lazarus’ death.

Therefore, Jesus did not only weep for Lazarus, but also for all of humanity beloved by God. He is weeping for you and me. Humanity suffers in the hands of the devil due to sins; hearts and minds bound; life grinded down by illnesses and physical hardships; enslaved by death. As our Heavenly Father is deeply pained by all these, Jesus is also grieved and angered.

Indeed, the complicated emotions felt by Jesus can never be thoroughly portrayed nor fully comprehended by us. However, we can be assured that Jesus cares deeply for Lazarus, as well as the Jews, and all of humanity since the creation of the world. He cares deeply for me and for you!

Reflection

Can you imagine what’s in Jesus’ mind and heart? Is He making grand plans for Himself or worrying about us and our conditions?

Lazarus did not know how Jesus had wept for him. We, too, do not know how much tears Jesus has shed for us. At this moment, settle in and sit with Jesus. Notice how Jesus’ gaze on you is full of compassion.

Imagine: What areas in your life are embraced and worried about by Jesus? Do you want to know? Will you ask Jesus?

Today’s Prayer

Lord Jesus Christ, thank you for revealing your heart to us through the story of raising Lazarus. I know that I’m self-centered and have failed to pay attention to your emotions and needs, especially the areas of my life where your embrace and concerns are present. Thank you for revealing your emotions to us even though You are the Son of God! Let me not hide my face from your love! Remind me that You also need my love and understanding. I know that I’m in your embrace, and starting today, help me to return this embrace! For this I pray in the holy name of Jesus. Amen.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

★ Support this podcast ★

View Details

Is it really possible to find order in chaos?

For human beings it is impossible, but not for God. All things are possible for God. (Ref: Mark 10:27) Our best role model is Jesus, and his key is to know the will of God. Jesus is the perfect image of God, and when we learn about the true character of Jesus, we also start to learn the will of God.

One of the best ways to know the true character of Jesus is through meditating on His interactions with friends. Besides his disciples, we can say that Jesus’ closest friends are Martha, Mary and Lazarus. Occasionally, when Jesus passed by the area on His missionary journeys, He would spend some time with them. The gospel of Luke recounts one such visit:

“As they continued their journey he entered a village where a woman whose name was Martha welcomed him. She had a sister named Mary [who] sat beside the Lord at his feet listening to him speak.Martha, burdened with much serving, came to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving? Tell her to help me.” The Lord said to her in reply, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her.” (Luke 10:38-42)

We often get the impression that Jesus favours Mary and Lazarus. This is not surprising because this story clearly depicts Jesus reprimanding Martha while praising Mary. Let’s explore this relationship between Jesus and Martha. Jesus is a master, a teacher, and Martha’s direct way of addressing Him reveals her straightforward character and her close relationship with Jesus. She was free to speak her mind. Similarly, when we interact with those to whom we are close, even if they are elders or members of the clergy , we tend to be frank and direct. On the other hand, when we communicate with those to whom we are not close, we are usually more polite and restrained. If Martha and Jesus did not have a close relationship, she would not dare to speak to Jesus like that. If we pay attention to Jesus’ response, we can see that our Lord Jesus wasn’t bothered by the way Martha spoke to him at all. He was not angry. He did not reprimand Martha for being disrespectful or rude. Instead, he was filled with compassion and patiently advised Martha, hoping that she would understand his thoughts. He was not showing favouritism to Mary, but feeling pity for Martha.

Although it is not written in this scripture, since Jesus’ disciples always were preaching with Him in different places, it is quite likely that His disciples were present too. In Jesus’ time, for a woman like Martha who managed all the chores in the household and hosted a meal for a group of men at home was very unusual and commendable. Having to host so many guests, it is evident that she is not only hospitable but also very generous. These were qualities that Jesus appreciated. If no one attended to these chores, how could Jesus and His disciples feel at home?

Indeed, it would have been a real treat for Jesus and His disciples to be able to take a break after a long day of travelling and enjoy the company of good friends and delicious food at their place. He must have been full of gratitude. Then, how could He be so harsh on Martha?

Today, when our Lord Jesus uses different ways to teach us out of his love for us, would we be able to understand His true intention and see that He is showing pity to us rather than reprimanding us?

REFLECTION

Poor Jesus is the most misunderstood person in history! Have I misunderstood Him or laid blame on Him?

Think of a time when you were angry at God, perhaps because you thought He was unfair or didn’t understand you. Can you now understand His true intention?

TODAY’S PRAYER

Lord Jesus Christ, I had been angry at you, and even threw tantrums at you, because I did not understand you, but you didn’t blame me. Instead, you patiently guided me. Please forgive me for misunderstanding you. I know that you love me and feel pity for me. Please teach me to better understand your thoughts day by day and appreciate your love for me. Please soften my heart and transform me! This prayer I ask in Your holy name. Amen!

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

★ Support this podcast ★

View Details

In this chaotic world, having inner peace has become a luxury. Yet, no one wants to live in a state of restlessness. Therefore, whether or not one has religious beliefs, he or she will intentionally or unintentionally seek some spiritual nourishment and anchor in order to obtain a sense of security that cannot come from oneself. Usually, this sense of security comes from a sense of order in life, and this sense of security ensures that people can have some basic control even when faced with uncertainties of the future.

This need for security is usually fulfilled by one’s family and the society. For example, a society that is stable with a trustworthy government, a good healthcare system and job security; and in the family aspect: a happy family and marriage, a desirable living environment, a stable income, harmonious relationships among family members, good education for the children and so on.

But in the current world and social environment, especially during the pandemic, can we really rely on these external factors to obtain the sense of security we need? So, is it impossible to achieve true inner peace in this day and age? In fact, there has not been a time in history when people did not face any local challenges or even persecutions. What we need is an interior order to achieve inner peace that cannot be taken away even if the external environment is not desirable.

In this Lenten retreat, let us learn from Jesus together with Martha and Mary, to experience this interior order and to put it into practice. In the process, let us also learn from Martha and Mary, and from their experiences, how to serve God properly, how to make choices that please God, and the right way and attitude to serve others.

“Strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Matthew 6:33)

REFLECTION

Have you experienced a loss of inner peace because of the chaos in society and the world?

In the past, how did you attempt to find order in chaos?

When you felt you had lost a sense of order and inner peace, were you hopeless and ready to give up? How did you face it?

TODAY’S PRAYER

Dear Lord Jesus, the state of the society and the world is so overwhelming that I feel hopeless and lifeless at times and have lost confidence in myself and have lost hope for the future. But I know You are here, You are in control, and You have a way to guide me to face these trials. Please don't let me lose faith in you! During this Lent, grant me the faith and perseverance I need to seek Your kingdom first and trust that you will give me everything I need. This prayer I ask in Your holy name. Amen!

★ Support this podcast ★

View Details

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 love one another. This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:34-35)

Jesus wants to continue to heal the wounds and sufferings of this world by extending His mighty hands through us. And it is through loving others that we RECRUIT more Christ followers. This is the way for the Kingdom of God to be spread quickly on earth.

“God created mankind in his image; in the image of God he created them.” (Genesis 1:27)

We as CHILDREN OF GOD should lead everyone back to the ONE IMAGE that God created us in, no more separations, no more disfigurations. The day to REUNITE and REJOICE in the Father’s House is at hand.

Take the fattened calf and slaughter it. Then let us celebrate with a feast, because this son of mine was dead, and has come to life again; he was lost, and has been found.” Then the celebration began. (Luke 15:23-24)

God the Father is awaiting. Jesus the Bridegroom has prepared for us and is ready. Are you?

REFLECTION

Do you see yourself as an image of Christ on earth, a new bridge as entrusted by Him to lead more people home?

Are you willing to LISTEN TO JESUS to abide in the Church, that is, the Body of Christ, while submitting yourself to the guidance of the Holy Spirit?

How do you plan to become an extension of Christ’s LOVE on earth through which you can recruit more followers for Christ?

TODAY’S PRAYER

Dear Abba Father, thank you for granting me so many graces and inspirations during these forty days so that I can feel how attentive and extravagant Your love is for me. Please do not permit me to despise my given identity as Your Beloved Child, nor make You wait indefinitely for me. I do not want to offend You again with my sin or ignorance. From this day forward, I resolve to abide in You so as to have life more abundantly (John 10:10). Send forth Your Spirit, so that I will follow His prompts in order to do Your will and to fulfill Your mission for me. May Your mercy, Lord, be upon me; as I put my hope in You. (Psalm 33:22)

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 ★

View Details

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?

REFLECTION

Have 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 PRAYER

Dear 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.

★ Support this podcast ★

View Details

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!

REFLECTION

How 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 PRAYER

Dear 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.

★ Support this podcast ★

View Details

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!

REFLECTION

Are 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 PRAYER

Dear 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 distorted. That is why I had been living in grudges and pain! I pray that this new awareness will draw me closer to You and Your Sacred Heart! Finally, I have come to realize that there is really no reason for me to be puffed with conceit! I am nothing without Your redemptive love. Put on me a cloak of humility so that I can embrace every trial and suffering in life alongside with You! I ask this in Your Sacred 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 ★

View Details

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.REFLECTION

How 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 PRAYER

Dear 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 the apostles did. Let me learn from Mother Mary to be sensitive to both Jesus’ needs and others’ needs.

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 ★

View Details

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.

REFLECTION

If 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 PRAYER

Dear 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.

★ Support this podcast ★

View Details

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! REFLECTION

Do 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 PRAYER

Dear 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.

★ Support this podcast ★

View Details

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)

REFLECTION

Take 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 PRAYER

Dear 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.

★ Support this podcast ★

View Details

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?REFLECTION

Do 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 PRAYER

Dear 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.

★ Support this podcast ★

View Details

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 Teresa

REFLECTION

Which 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 PRAYER

Dear 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.

★ Support this podcast ★

View Details

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)

REFLECTION

Do 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 PRAYER

Dear 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.

★ Support this podcast ★

View Details

“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.

REFLECTION

Do 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 PRAYER

Dear 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. Amen

★ Support this podcast ★

View Details

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?”REFLECTION

Do 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 PRAYER

Dear 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.

★ Support this podcast ★

View Details

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...

REFLECTION

If 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 PRAYER

Dear 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.

★ Support this podcast ★

View Details

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.

REFLECTION

In 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 PRAYER

Dear 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.

★ Support this podcast ★

View Details

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!

REFLECTION

For 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 sins

Ashamed beyond words

My sins have caused me to close my heart

And feel undeserving of your mercy

But your arms have always remained open

Waiting for my return one day

And you will baptize me with your love

Telling me you love me above all things

You have transformed my ugliness to beauty

my lowliness to dignity

Reinstating my identity as a child of the Father

Giving new lives to sinners, without regarding Your pain and suffering

Through Your forgiveness and consolation

I let go of all my regrets

So 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 PRAYER

Dear 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 ★

View Details

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.

REFLECTION

For 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 PRAYER

Dear 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 in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

★ Support this podcast ★

View Details

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.

REFLECTION

Can 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 PRAYER

Dear 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 ★

View Details

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.

REFLECTION

Go 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 PRAYER

Dear 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 ★

View Details

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)

REFLECTION

Do 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 PRAYER

Dear 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 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 ★

View Details

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.

REFLECTION

Do 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 PRAYER

Dear 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 ★

View Details

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)

REFLECTION

What 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 PRAYER

Dear 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 ★

View Details

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)

REFLECTION

Do 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 PRAYER

Dear 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 ★

View Details

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.

REFLECTION

Are 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 PRAYER

Dear 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 ★

View Details

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?

REFLECTION

Are 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 PRAYER

Dear 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 ★

View Details

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.

REFLECTION

How 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 PRAYER

Dear 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 ★

View Details

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.”

REFLECTION

We 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 PRAYER

Dear 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 ★

View Details

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.

REFLECTION

Do 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 PRAYER

Dear 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 ★

View Details

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.

REFLECTION

Can 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 PRAYER

Dear 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 ★

View Details

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.

REFLECTION

Are 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 PRAYER

Dear 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 ★

View Details

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!

REFLECTION

What 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 PRAYER

Heavenly 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 ★

View Details

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!

REFLECTION

Are 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 PRAYER

Dear 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 ★

View Details

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.

REFLECTION

Try 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 PRAYER

Heavenly 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 ★

View Details

“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?

REFLECTION

Can 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 PRAYER

Dear 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 ★

View Details

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!

REFLECTION

Do 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 PRAYER

My 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 ★

View Details

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!

REFLECTION

What 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 PRAYER

Merciful 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 ★

View Details

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!

REFLECTION

Do 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 PRAYER

Heavenly 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 ★

View Details

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!

REFLECTION

Imagine 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 PRAYER

Dear 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 ★

View Details

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.

REFLECTION

Imagine: 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 PRAYER

Dear 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 ★

View Details

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.

REFLECTION

In 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 PRAYER

Dear 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 ★

Farmer of Hearts - Finding Order in Chaos: Recent Episodes

生命恩泉 Fountain of Love and Life