Week 1 in Review
The following table highlights the process of our Week 1 Retreat – our awareness and the required actions. Please take time to review and to further reflect on what you need to know and to work on.
| Steps | Awareness | Actions |
| 1 | I need a Destination: If I do not know where I am going, what am I going to enter into my GPS? |
Enter Destination into spiritual GPS:
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| 2 |
Key Virtue – Humility: The sure hope of rebirth begins only with first dying to oneself.
A humble person fills oneself not with self interests but those of God, preparing room in one’s heart to receive and store God’s Word.
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Take Mother Mary as your Role Model:
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| 3 | FOCUS/ATTENTION: What am I feeding my soul? “You are what you eat.” If you have a destination you want to achieve, you need to start feeding ourselves on things above (God’s Word – nutrients), not things on earth. |
PRIORITY RESET: What in my life are things above, and what are things on earth? Time for me to start shifting my FOCUS. TREASURE HUNT: “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:21) |
| 4 |
RADICAL CHOICE: to enter into the inner circle (disciple of Christ) means to enter into the Heart of Jesus.
To gain the Kingdom, one must give everything.
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Jesus has given us everything. However, in order for us to gain, it is our turn to give everything back to Him.
Think of Jesus as the Master and we are His apprentice. “Do whatever he tells you.” (John 2:5)
Read Bible: The Rich Young Man (Mark 10:17-31)
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| 5 |
To give up everything is a long process, but I need to start somewhere… and that somewhere is my heart because:
The condition of the soil in my heart also indicates the condition of my soul!
What is my weakest link in the garden of my heart?
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Examine my life for weak links that hinder the growth of my faith and thus an intimate relationship with Christ.
Weak links: How do I spend my time? Balance growth: Time with Jesus, Others, Yourself – JOY.
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Congratulations, you have completed Week One of this 40-Day Lenten Retreat! Now, let's celebrate this milestone on the First Sunday of Lent (as you know, Sunday does not count towards the 40 days of Lent). For the past few days, what have you accomplished and what conditions are you in right now? If you are still struggling, do not worry, as this is just the beginning. Please try to gather a few others to form a sharing group to share your growth and struggles.
Let's start praising God for giving us the opportunity to participate in this online Lenten retreat with almost 10,000 people around the world. What a global community of faith? Praise be to God!
Dear God, thank you for granting me this spiritual faith journey! I offer you everything that I have experienced. Above all, I offer you my heart! Please bless me with your special graces and wisdom so that we can grow in your likeness. Give me strength and courage to overcome any hurdles, and a renewed hope to embrace another week ahead! I ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen!
Next week, we will dive further into the heart of the parable. Now that you have experienced the first fruit of this Lenten season by going through this online retreat, please do not keep this only to yourself. Spread the word (Word)!
The mission of this online retreat is to bring more people to Christ. We invite you to join this mission by becoming our missionary farmers. We pray that this retreat will make a positive impact on as many Christians anywhere on this planet. To date, we have 8,000 farmers registered using email to receive daily reflection and over 2,200 through our Farmer of Hearts Facebook Group. As it is never too late to start this Lenten pilgrimage of the heart, please take some time to be messengers of God, on this first Sunday of Lent, to bring more farmers into the field. Consider this as part of your “almsgiving” act this Lent. Let us all become a channel through which the wind of the Holy Spirit can sweep through the earth to carry the seeds to more human hearts.
God bless!
Additional Resources:
1) Homily of Fr. Francis Ching on Ash Wednesday 2020
Comments:
From Day 4
- I am selfish, need to improve. God, please help me.
- It is easier for me to say thanks to our Lord when life is to my expectations, but not quite so in times of adversities. Lord, please help me be always thankful for whatever path You have for me!
- Read more…
From Day 3
- Would be good if you choose a song for us everyday in order to help us quiet down and sink into the prayer. Thx. God Bless!
- Very helpful daily reflection ! 多謝生命恩泉團隊製作！
- Read more…
From Day 2
- For this 40 Days of Lenten Retreat, I make an afford in the future to spend some time in reading the Bible everyday.
- 感謝天主為我所作的一切奇妙恩典。
- Read more…
From Day 1
- Thank you for this opportunity during this Lenten Season to spend time with our Lord. May everyone finds God’s will through this 40 days of listening, reading, fasting, and reflection. I can boldly profess that by Easter, we would have achieved a better version of ourselves. God bless!
- I don’t know what mission is given by God to me, I don’t think I’m strong to follow or complete my mission, either.But I wish God will give me the courage to stand up and follow His order.
- Read more…