A marathon journey towards God
Jesus, we trust in You!
Nothing worthwhile in life is without hardwork and sufferings. The escalating conditions of the Covid-19 pandemic reminds us that we, as humans, are too weak and small to be boastful. It is a wake-up call that we cannot accomplish any fruits in our lives without a higher power, our Almighty God. We ought to imprint in our hearts: JESUS, I TRUST IN YOU! When a God who allows us to offer to Him the sacrifice of His Son (who died for us) as an atonement for the sins of the whole world, we should be sure that nothing in this world can separate us from the love of God, not even this horrific pandemic. Jesus, we trust in You!
A time to be united!
Let us pray for all those victims of this pandemic, especially those who had died, those who are fighting for their lives alone with little support, those who are risking their lives to save others, those who are disconnected from their loved ones, those who have lost hope, and those whose hearts are hardened… Let us implore God for His mercy and His wisdom so that we can be united in prayers and actions to turn this calamity into a blessing for the whole world.
“What is next?”
Some farmers are beginning to ask us the question: “What is next after Farmer of Hearts?” We are indeed discerning our next step, according to the Father’s will. As another reminder to all of you, dear farmers, in order for us to notify you of any potential future offering after this Farmer of Hearts campaign, please take one minute to sign up using this link if you haven’t done so previously. (If you have signed up, you should now be receiving our daily content through email.) Please kindly pray with us for divine wisdom and providence in order to continue our work during this extraordinarily difficult time for our lay apostolate.
Dear God, thank you again for granting me this spiritual faith journey! I offer you everything that I have experienced, together with the fruits you have granted me. Above all, I offer you my heart! Please bless my heart with your special graces and grant me wisdom so that I will grow every day 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!
Week 5 in review
The following table highlights the process of our Week 5 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. (Please note that you may also revisit Reviews from Week 1 to Week 4 below.)
RECAP - Week 1 in Review
| 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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RECAP - Week 2 in Review
| Steps | Awareness | Actions |
| 1 |
As the heart of this Lenten Retreat is what we can do to let the seeds grow and be fruitful, we first need to know “what are the seeds?” so that we can better nurture them:
The ultimate intimacy with Jesus is when His thirst for our love meets our thirst for His love. |
The seeds in our souls germinate when we join Mother Mary at the foot of the cross to quench the thirst of Jesus. Imagine yourself underneath the Cross looking up to Jesus. Feel Jesus’ personal love for you, for you alone. Encounter Him where He suffers and thirsts. Pray for a renewed heart that will not forsake Jesus again! |
| 2 |
What if I can’t feel the thirst of Jesus? Yes, we all suffer from a hardened heart to various extent. We must allow the Word to accomplish God’s will in our lives. That will only happen if we respond. If we don’t, the devil will, by taking it away from us. Our hearts will then continue to suffer hardness/numbness. |
In what ways am I blindfolded by my own stubbornness and preoccupations that I forsake the opportunity to respond to God? Conquer the fear of facing Jesus by first going to confession, and then receive Jesus and be nourished by Him in the Eucharist. Lord, open my eyes, I want to see you; grant me a heart of flesh, I want to feel you! |
| 3 |
How do I perceive the generosity of God? Astonished? Jealous? Fearful? Shameful? Notice how we feel reveals our heart’s condition, and how we should address that accordingly. Jesus loves those whom He knows will reject Him at the end. He still loves them all the same! |
Compare the uncalculated love of God vs. my calculated ways to love and to act. Do I see God as a judge, or do I see him as a merciful father? Do I consider myself too unworthy to receive his love? Lord, soften my heart to experience your love in such a profound way so that I truly believe nothing can stop you from loving me! |
| 4 |
God chooses to love no matter what. What are our choices? Contrast Jesus who sows wildly, and how we abuse our given freedom wildly! Is this our decision?? Do we allow ourselves to be reckless in abusing this freedom from God? “We cannot have it both ways; if we are free, we are responsible; if we are not responsible, we are not free.” – Venerable Fulton Sheen |
Do I exercise my freedom in such a way as a response to the generosity of God to me, or is it always based on selfish motives? Do I consider the consequences of my decisions on others and myself? Am I truly taking full responsibility for my choices in life? Lord, help me to make choices for your greater glory! |
| 5 |
“Who do you think that I am?” (Mark 8:29) Relationship is at the core of our being. This is a crucial step of this 40-day retreat. You have to see Jesus face-to-face and honestly answer His question, “Do you love me more than these?” (John 21:15) Am I putting God above all else? |
“In what way is Jesus related to me?” Who is He to me? Do I see Jesus as my bridegroom as He describes Himself? Am I loving and serving two masters? Am I willing to commit to this most important relationship of my life? Read Bible: Martha and Mary (Luke 10:38-42) |
| 6 |
What is still holding you back from putting Christ at the centre of your life? Do we want “proof” before we believe or commit? “Proof” comes in different forms and shapes. It might be understanding, evidence, scientific facts, etc. Whatever that may be, it holds you back from receiving the best God has in store for you. “God is a Person, and the only way to understand a Person is by love, and the only way to perfect understanding is by perfect love.” (Peter Kreeft, The God Who Loves You: Love Divine, All Loves Excelling) Commit to love and to believe first so that you can come to understand! |
The hardening of our hearts is a subtle process and is orchestrated by the devil.We need to identify those aspects that have built up the walls around us, preventing God’s Word to be sown in our hearts. “Take no part in the fruitless works of darkness; rather expose them.” (Ephesians 5:11) Once we have named those dark sides of our lives, we can begin to regain the freedom in order to fend off all those attacks. We will find ourselves in a more ready and joyful state to embrace and retain God’s Word, and to say “Yes, I do.” to the Lord. |
RECAP - Week 3 in Review
| Step | Awareness | Actions |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
“Diversion and indifference are the Devil’s two most successful weapons against faith and salvation, the two widest roads to Hell in today’s world.” – Peter Kreeft
“For man can encounter God in truth only in silence and solitude, both interior and exterior.” – Cardinal Robert Sarah
Is my life too busy and complicated? Is the soil of my heart too packed by earthly things distracting me from encountering Christ?
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I will simplify and reorder my life, especially in how I spend my time, so that I can leave room to listen to God’s Word and His holy will.
Lord, I will start each day with prayers and reading the Bible to tune my mind and heart to listen to Your will.
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| 2 |
“Indifference is farther from the love of God than hatred of God is.” ― Peter Kreeft
Jesus says: “I know your works; I know that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either cold or hot. So, because you are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.” (Revelation 3:15-16)
To be a disciple of Jesus, we cannot “serve two masters” (see Matthew 6:24) ― we can no longer be our own masters, Jesus alone is our master. A lukewarm faith is not an authentic Christian faith.
Am I willing to get closer to Jesus, or do I rather keep a distance? Why?
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I will make an intentional decision to choose Jesus as the Master of my life.
Lord, I surrender my life to you as I say the following prayer of Surrender.
A Prayer of Surrender (From Miracle Hour, by Linda Schubert)
Loving Father, I surrender to You today with all my heart and soul. Please come into my heart in a deeper way. I say “Yes,” to you today. I open all the secret places of my heart to you and say, “Come on in.” Jesus You are Lord of my whole life. I believe in You and receive You as my Lord and Savior. I hold nothing back. Holy Spirit, bring me to a deeper conversion to the person of Jesus Christ. I surrender all to You: my health, my family, my resources, occupation, skills, relationships, time management, success and failures. I release it, and let it go. I surrender my understanding of how things ought to be, my choices and my will. I surrender to You the promises I have kept and the promises I failed to keep. I surrender my weaknesses and strengths to You. I surrender my emotions, my fears, my insecurities, my sexuality. I especially surrender _______, _______, _______. (Continue to surrender other areas as the Holy Spirit reveals them to you.) Lord, I surrender my entire life to You, the past, the present and the future. In sickness and in health, in life and in death, I belong to You.
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| 3 |
What prevents us from loving God and surrendering to Him? The root cause is our sins.
For the most part, our sinful nature stems from our self-centeredness. Self-centeredness allows Satan to use his first weapon, diversions, to break into our hearts. He uses tactics like attachments to all sorts of temporal and lesser things to distract us from choosing the better part, and then slowly leads us to the state of indifference.
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Do I see God as the treasure of my life? Or is He just one part of my life?
If I truly treasure God but my sins are preventing me from loving Him, do I resolve to turn away from the roots of my sinful past and make a good confession with sincere repentance and penance in order to regain the freedom to respond to His love?
Lord, help me to choose you, and not sins?
Read Bible: The Parable of the Lost Son (Luke 15:11-32)
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| 4 |
“As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away.” (Matthew 13:20-21)
Pope Francis calls such a heart a “superficial heart: it welcomes the Lord, wants to pray, love and bear witness, but does not persevere; it becomes tired and never “takes off”. It is a heart without depth, where the rocks of laziness prevail over the good soil, where love is fickle and fleeting. But whoever welcomes the Lord only when they want to does not bear fruit.”
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Am I deceiving myself to believe I’m good enough, and failing to see how I can be better? Am I afraid to acknowledge the shallowness of my faith?
Lord, help me see myself as you see me. Open the eyes of my heart so I can see the reality of my soil’s condition, be grateful for my good soil and be aware of the soil that still needs more work, and to take my first step toward improving my heart’s condition.
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| 5 |
I am willing and desire my heart to be transformed. Who can help?
Jesus said His Word is “spirit and life” (John 6:63). As we strive to let His Word remain in our hearts, He abides in us and we in Him, and in God, nothing is impossible. If we are willing to repent and invite God into those rocky areas of our hearts, the conditions of our hearts will surely change for the better.
“A broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.” (Psalm 51:19)
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This step requires us to take time to search our hearts to name all the stones in our hearts like pride, jealousy, laziness, fear, disbelief, greed, lust, lukewarmness and others…and offer them up to the Lord for removal.
Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me (Psalm 51:10)
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| 6 |
After removing those stones, it is time for the plant in our hearts to take root, taking root in our Father’s love.
Our faith needs a purpose and continuous nourishment without which we may not persevere through troubles and persecutions.
God’s love and grace are always there to nourish us, like a flowing stream to plants, but we need to respond by hanging on to Him, even if it means letting go of other things.
It is our relationship with God, rooted in our Father’s love, that is the foundation of our faith.
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I need to decide with which nutrients I shall nourish the plant in my heart:
What do I want to be fed? The choice is mine to make. Meditate on Bible passages that reflect God’s love for me. (Suggestions: Psalm 139, Psalm 23, Isaiah 43:1-7, and John 3:16)
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RECAP - Week 4 in Review
| Step | Awareness | Actions |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Taking root in faith, and in particular, taking root in our Father’s love is not a once-and-for-all action, it requires great effort and perseverance.
“For us Christians, dying with Christ is past (since it had already happened in baptism), the resurrection is future, perseverance is present.
Faith, after all, is an ongoing relationship between God and those who believe in Him, a relationship that needs to be sustained.
How well have I persevered in faith? Have I ever run away from God? How much love have I invested in keeping my faith and my relationship with God?
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I will take time to reassess my personal relationship with God and to repent and confess my sin for having ever abandoned Him.
I will take one extra step to make good use of St. Peter’s 8 qualities of Christian life to build up my virtues growing from individual level to community level.
For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, virtue with knowledge, knowledge with self-control, self-control with endurance, endurance with devotion, devotion with mutual affection, mutual affection with love. (2 Peter 1:5-7)
As you will see, these 8 qualities of Christian life will go a long way as we progress in this Lenten spiritual journey.
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| 2 |
With perseverance, the seeds in our hearts have grown up; however, the thorns in our gardens get in the way!
Pope Francis interprets the thorns as “the vices which come to blows with God, which choke his presence: above all these are the idols of worldly wealth, living avidly, for oneself, for possessions and for power. If we cultivate these thorns, we choke God’s growth within us… and that prevent us from having a clean heart. It is necessary to tear them out, otherwise the Word cannot bear fruit, the seed will not grow.” (Pope Francis Angelus Address)
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Oftentimes, the thorns grow in a subtle way that escapes our awareness. Just as any farmers pay close attention to the growth of the weeds, so must we as farmers of hearts.
Am I aware of the thorns that prevent God’s Word from growing in my heart? What are those thorns?
“proot from that garden the stinking weeds filled with impurity and avarice, and bloated with pride.” – St. Catherine of Siena
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| 3 |
It comes to our attention that many of such thorns are in fact our worries in life!
It is rather normal to worry about our needs because we are not self-sufficient. The truth is God knows all our needs, and He is a good Father who provides!
The key is, as Jesus promised, to “seek first for the kingdom [of God] and His righteousness, and all these things [that you need] will be given you”. (Matthew 6:33)
“Do not be afraid to abandon yourself unreservedly to His loving providence, for a child cannot perish in the arms of a Father who is omnipotent.” – St. Margaret Mary Alacoque
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I would read and meditate on Matthew 6:25-34, and list out all the worries that bother me at the moment, and surrender them all to the Lord in prayer:
“Jesus, I surrender my life and my worries to You, please take care of everything!”
“Trust the past to the mercy of God, the present to His love, and the future to His providence.” – St. Augustine of Hippo
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| 4 |
Now that we have offered up those worries in life to God, for the rest of the thorns, we need to identify those distractions in life that are pulling us away from God, the better part.
“Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things. There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken away from her.” (Luke 10:41-42)
We are distracted because of many different reasons. Even though some of which are good, yet many might also tie with desires and pleasures, selfish motives or ambitions, or out of fear, or lack of security.
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What are the root causes of my distractions in life that distract me from the better part?
If I have to rank the most important things in my life, where is Jesus on my list?What are the priorities in my life?
“Let nothing disturb you,Let nothing frighten you… Whoever has God lacks nothing; God alone suffices.” ― St. Teresa of Avila
Lord, I will continue to set a time for morning prayer each day, so my day will start with you.
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| 5 |
Now that we have made up a list of our priorities in life, it is time to make up our minds to choose only those that can ultimately lead us to God. Our priorities are our treasures, and “where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.” (Matthew 6:19-21)
We certainly do not want our heart to be buried among junks that are disguised as treasures! Treasures should be by nature permanent, instead of temporary. As such, that should be heavenly, instead of earthly. Pleasures, possessions, and power are earthly and cannot be brought into eternity (Heaven). So, let us all choose wisely.
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and decay destroy, and thieves break in and steal. But store up treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor decay destroys, nor thieves break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.” (Matthew 6:19-21)
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Where actually is my heart?
Does my lifestyle reveal that my heart is still set on pleasing myself in the here and now?
Am I still storing my treasures on earth? Or rather, am I willing to begin storing my treasures in heaven, where my heart should rightfully belong?
“No one can serve two masters. He will either hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other.” (Matthew 6:24)
Lord, help me choose the way of the Gospel that leads me to everlasting joy and life in you, even if it means letting some of my worldly desires go.
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| 6 |
Hope we have all made the decision to choose the RIGHT MASTER of our lives. Now is the time to focus on bearing fruits in rich soil!
“The seed sown on rich soil is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold.” (Matthew 13:23)
God does not want us to barely produce fruits, but to bear fruits in abundance! Not fruits that will corrupt, but fruits that last! And God wants us to reach the highest potential that we are created for, aiming for the highest good!
To bear fruits means we are to become virtuous. If we are living our lives the way God intends, then we would produce the fruits of the Holy Spirit which are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control (see Galatians 5:22-23).
These spiritual fruits will eventually lead us to yield a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold.” (Matthew 13:23)
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Do you hear the spirit within your heart calling you to be who you are meant to be? To bear the fruits God wants us to bear?
What fruits am I hoping to bear in my life? The fruits that I can carry with me into heaven like the spiritual fruits, or earthly fruits that I have to leave behind?
Lord, help me to produce the fruits that you desire in me. Cultivate in me the good soil that helps me to bear the spiritual fruits leading me to eternal life.
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| Step | Awareness | Actions |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
On Day 22, we talk about choosing between bearing spiritual fruits vs. earthly fruits; and that God wants us to reach the highest potential that we are created for. Having set a goal, we now need to act on it, or else solely having a goal bears no fruits for us.
“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock.” (Matthew 7:24)
We start by observing the greatest commandments taught by Jesus: love God and love our neighbors as ourselves. (see Matthew 22:34-40) This is a sure path to become virtuous in God’s eyes and we will bear great spiritual fruits as a result.
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Am I practicing what I believe?
“Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.” — St. Teresa of Calcutta (Mother Teresa)
Dear Lord, I will do something new and kind to a neighbour today that would reflect Your love.
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| 2 |
How can you be fruitful if Jesus is not in you and you in Him?
On our own, we simply cannot reach our highest potential. The only way we can do so is to attach to Jesus, the true Vine, and we ourselves become the branches.
Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing. (John 15:5)
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How connected am I to Christ?
St. Paul tells us how he goes about his daily life: “it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me” (Galatians 2:20 RSV).
We must let Jesus live in us; and let Him take over our whole being! When we do that, He will give us the grace to do what He wants us to do and to become who He wants us to be.
“Give what you command and command what you will.” (St. Augustine, Confessions X, 29, 40)
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| 3 |
When we are attached to Christ, fruitfulness is guaranteed. But that does not mean that we can relax and wait for the harvest. Unless we are vigilant and diligent, wild grapes (fruits that God does not will for us) will grow.
Through baptism, every Christian has entered into a covenant relationship with God and has been blessed to receive the baptismal grace. We are God’s vineyards and have been given fertile soil. As we are given the BEST, we need to yield the BEST as well. We should aim to have a good harvest: 100/60/30 times!
Let not our God be disappointed to see wild grapes starting to grow in us instead of the choicest grapes.
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As God’s vineyard, am I growing rich and delicious grapes or wild grapes? Am I making good use of the rich soil He has prepared for me?
I shall remain vigilant at all times to monitor the fruits being grown in me.
I shall seek God for help and give Him permission to cut away the wild grapes in me, and ask for His grace to help me grow only the best grapes the way that He wants them to be.
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| 4 |
God does not only cut away the bad fruits or branches that do not bear fruits, but He also prunes us so that we become stronger to bear better fruits. And the way He does this is to allow difficulties and even sufferings to happen to us. Pruning also allows us to remain focused in using God’s given gifts to me in order to bear God’s chosen fruits in me.
[H]e prunes so that it bears more fruit (John 15:2).
God is our loving Gardener. Hardships and sufferings are mysteriously His way to help us grow better and bear more fruits. We must persevere and remain faithful to Him. It’s a discipleship that demands humility and suffering, just as our Lord has “humbled himself, becoming obedient to death” (Philippians 2:8).
Will you take up your cross and follow me (see Matthew 16:24)?
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When it’s God’s will that I take up my cross and follow Jesus (see Matthew 16:24), do I have the courage and love to obey and see it as God’s pruning?
Heavenly Father, grant me the determination to walk with Christ, not only when things are going well, but also when hardships are all around. Help me accept your pruning so that I will grow better and bear more fruit.
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| 5 |
When we are faithful up to this stage, we should give thanks to God while at the same time, take heart. For sure, Satan does not take delight in this and will do everything he can to destroy our previous efforts. Now, we should keep doing the right things in a persistent way, and this demands great discipline!
“Nothing we take seriously is unaccompanied by discipline.” — Bishop Robert Barron homily (15th Sunday, Ordinary Time, Word on Fire)
Now is the test whether we are taking our relationship with God seriously. Faith is about relationships. What can we do to prevent our relationship with God from breaking?
“Every athlete exercises discipline in every way. They do it to win a perishable crown, but we an imperishable one.” (1 Corinthians 9:25).
To prevent our relationship with God from breaking or weakening, we need to become an “athlete of Christ”!
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Am I an “athlete of Christ” who trains regularly and vigorously for devotion? As an “athlete of Christ”, how complete and well-executed is my training routine?
I shall exercise discipline to nurture my relationship with Christ by praying more often, studying the Scriptures, and leading a virtuous and holy life.
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| 6 |
When we have set up a good training routine, we just need to keep on immersing ourselves in the best nutrients God has lovingly prepared for us through His Word, and the Sacraments through His Church, to keep ourselves “fertilized”.
If we choose to be open to having an intimate encounter with the Word, a radical transformation will begin to take place; and the power of the Holy Spirit will conform us to Christ until we are truly worthy of being called the children of God.
Do we feel as connected to Jesus Christ as it ought and is meant to be? Like branches to the vine, children to the Father?
We ought to remind ourselves that, ultimately, to receive the Word is to welcome Him into us to take over our heart, our mind, and our being until “I no longer live, but Christ lives in me” (Galatians 2:20).
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Do I completely immerse myself in Christ with complete trust, and to His Church? Do I truly delight in the Word of God?
I need to truly believe that if I am a child of God, I am also heir of God and joint heirs with Christ. (cf. Romans 8:17) And I should be convinced that nothing but the very best He has been providing me, and will continue to provide for me, forever.
Jesus, I am all Yours, and You are mine!
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“It hasn't been easy but I have persevered to Day 21 now. The joy is equivalent to my participation at the Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon when I reached the Tsing Ma Bridge! God's Word strengthens my belief that “Persistence produces Success”. The Daily Reflection is liken to breathing in oxygen and exhaling all fatigue, while Prayers fill me with Hope spiritually. Praise be to God! And my gratitude to your team by offering this program!”
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Comments:
- I had a mistaken belief that my house is built on rocks as it stands fine in nice weather. Until storm comes when I realised that it was in fact built on sand. Hence, thank God for my life’s adversities, when I will have a deep reflection on my relationship with my neighbours and with God.
Lord, please give me strength and courage to face the crises ahead ~ that my house can be built on rock one day! - “I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ” (Colossians 2:24). Small things – even our sufferings – when performed with love and faith can be a powerful weapon for spreading the gospel. Here’s a touching story (abbreviated) from Fr. George Montague, contributing author of Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture: “I once met a retired Jesuit at a retreat house. I had earlier noticed that he limped, the result of a stroke. When I had the occasion to sit next to him at table, I asked, with the naivete of a busy young priest, “And what do you do now, Father?” His firm, unabashed reply astounded and confounded me: “I say my prayers, and I wait.”
- Read more…
- I’ve heard that Christians easily fall into depression when they find themselves unable to achieve God’s commandments.
I did feel frustrated at an early stage of my baptism as I counted too much on my own efforts, thinking that grace will be earned that way.
Jn15:5 reminds me again that without God, we cannot do anything.
Lord, please help me always stay connected with You! - 主耶穌: 唯有與祢緊密相連，我的心田才可結出豐盛的果實，感謝祢!
- Read more…
- Thanks God for strengthen me everyday. Thanks for the daily reminder. Amen
- We pray for all our brothers and sisters. Let us be God’s vineyard and make good use of the soil gifted by God. God blesses all…
- Read more…
- Dear Father in Heaven,
I dare to carry my cross for you. Please bring me friends or a word from you to encourage me in this less travelled journey…
Amen - Very often, when some friends are encountering difficulties, I’ll console them by saying that these are challenges from God.
I often wonder if the same situation happens to me, will I keep my faith and trust in God, ready to take up the cross and walk with Jesus?
I pray that God will give me such strength and I’m ready to be pruned by Jesus to bear good fruits. - Read more…
- I want to express my deepest gratitude to the Holy Spirit and the Staff of 「Fountain of love and life」 for arranging this Lenten Retreat of Farmer of Hearts.
Every morning after recitation of the holy hours I 「run」 to open this Retreat which helps me tremendously in my daily meditation. Every word of your write up is precious to me.
I pray to God to let me profit in every way from this Retreat.
Thanks be to God and to Fountain of Love and Life. - The idea to be an 『athlete of Christ』 never comes up to me. Though praying and reading Scriptures now become routines, there’s still a long long road to lead a virtuous and holy life.
Thank you for providing us the resources on Bible reading!
Lord, please give me the courage and perseverance in this vigorous training as an 『athlete of Christ』! - Read more…