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Day 16 – The Awakening

Cantonese

Mandarin

English

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.

Back view cropped picture of multiethnic group

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.

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Sincerely invite you to share the reflections that inspires you by this day's retreat.

15 Comments

Linda Chan on March 5, 2021 at 8:32 pm

This pandemic brings our hurried life almost to a standstill. To view it positively, we are having more time with our family and with God. Thank God that in times when the whole world plunges into such a turmoil, He awakens me to stay close to Him, to draw strength from Him in order to face this challenge of a lifetime. Without our Heavenly Father , I would have been crushed and wandered farther and farther away. May our good Lord give me wisdom to be vigilant with all life’s distractions and that my gaze will.be always on Him!
Bernadette Cheng on March 6, 2021 at 11:34 pm

I desire to encounter God in silence to pray to Him and to draw strength from Him.
Lord, please help me to find peace and strength in You. Amen.