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

In his message for the 38th World Youth Day, Pope Francis described the virtue of hope in this way: “Christian hope is no facile optimism, no placebo for the credulous: it is the certainty, rooted in love and faith, that God never abandons us and remains faithful to his promise: “Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil, for you are with me” (Psalm 23:4). In daily life, we oft...

I hope that yesterday’s reflection has helped you to revisit the promises Christ has made to us. Among the four main promises of Christ, most people may focus on or most long for the promises of “salvation” and “eternal life”, while the promises of “God is with us” and “the Holy Spirit” may receive less attention. Let us reflect more deeply on this. Everyone has their own understanding and feeling...

Throughout our retreat, we have repeatedly emphasized that hope is built upon our trust in the promises of Christ. But what exactly do these promises represent? What do they mean to you personally? What comes to mind first when you hear about them? Most of us may first think of eternal life or salvation… but let us explore these promises more deeply. The promises of Christ can generally be categor...

There was a passage in the reflection from two days ago: " God desires that this true love continue to be passed on through us. What is required is an unwavering hope, a hope that teaches us to be like Mother Mary, who does not question but simply believes, obeys, and follows, all the way to the foot of Christ’s Cross. " This statement may cause discomfort, disagreement, or even rejection. Don’t a...

On the fourth day of our retreat, we mentioned that "Pilgrimage is a time of conversion and renewal. A pilgrimage signifies not just a journey but a purposeful movement toward a destination and a higher goal.” If life becomes stagnant, it turns into a dead pool of water. It can no longer be called a journey, let alone a pilgrimage. Such a life is meaningless, and it would be in vain that Jesus die...

Yesterday’s reflection affirmed an undeniable truth: even the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of the Son of God, was not exempt from experiencing suffering and trials in this world. She, too, had to carry her cross daily and follow Christ. In fact, even Jesus Himself, being the Son of God, the most noble King, the revered rabbi, and the long-awaited Messiah, did not choose to save humanity with Hi...

Yesterday, during our retreat, we mentioned that hope must be founded on God's promises. But does this mean that with this foundation, we are free from all challenges and temptations? Let us once again reflect on the experience of the Blessed Virgin Mary. When Jesus was born, there was no room at the inn, and so St. Joseph had to accompany Mary to give birth to Jesus in a manger. Would Mary recall...

As we begin today's retreat, let us revisit the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC 1817) regarding the definition of "hope": "Hope is the theological virtue by which we desire the Kingdom of Heaven and eternal life as our happiness" The "happiness" mentioned here can also be understood as the things we long for. Therefore, the intensity of our desire for the Kingdom of Heaven and eternal life i...

What is the true source of hope? This should be the ultimate question, not only for this retreat but for our entire life. If this source is only temporary, it certainly cannot be considered the true source of our hope. However, since only God is self-existent and eternal, the true source of hope must be Him. But if this God were not all-good or did not care for our well-being, we could not place o...

The greatest characteristic of being wholly attuned to God’s will, besides being able to respond promptly and positively to His call, is to take immediate action accordingly. According to the Gospel of Luke, after Mary accepted God’s invitation to become the mother of Jesus, the angel left her. Upon learning from the angel Gabriel that her elderly relative, Elizabeth, had conceived a son, Mary set...

During this retreat, we have repeatedly mentioned the state of “communion between God and human.” What exactly does this state entail? What are the signs that indicate that we have entered this state? Let us continue to explore and learn through the Blessed Virgin Mary! Why do we use the Blessed Virgin Mary as an example? Besides what we previously mentioned, that Mary was united with the Word, th...

From yesterday’s reflection, we have come to understand that if we wish to learn from the Blessed Virgin Mary and respond promptly to God’s calling, we must imitate Mary in loving and cherishing everything that God communicates to us. For us, the primary source of God’s message to us is the Holy Scriptures, as it is the most direct and certain message from God. We do not need to discern or verify...

When we celebrate and praise how courageously the Blessed Virgin Mary responded to God’s call, becoming the Mother of Jesus, that is the Mother of God, do we ever reflect on her feelings and state of mind at that time? Some might question: Does this make sense? How could Mary make such an important decision without any hesitation? Did she truly think it through and carefully consider it? This is i...

If we ask you: Who are the most hopeful people? Or: Who can give us the most hope? I believe that if we say the answer is “children”, no one would object! But why do children give us such a strong sense of hope? Think back to when you were a child. In your mind, there were no burdens or worries. The only thing you would think about was whether there was something or someone that made you happy. Ho...

In our reflection yesterday, we explored that the most precious and important things in life are not the pleasures and satisfactions that this world offers, but rather people and relationships. There is a saying: “A friend in need is a friend indeed.” This means that when we are in difficulties, those who reach out to help us are our true friends. It is evident that in times of adversity, what we...

Throughout this retreat, we have repeatedly emphasized that God allows us to experience various trials in this earthly life for our own good, to train us, to help us grow, to elevate us, to make us holy, and to prepare us for eternal life. Jesus has also instructed us to enter the Kingdom of Heaven through the narrow gate, to sell all we have and give to the poor, and then take up our cross and fo...

Our life journey is a journey of searching for our family, a path that leads us back to our Father’s home. Jesus, as our most loving elder brother, took on the mission of bringing us, His long-lost brothers and sisters, back to our Heavenly Father and into His loving embrace. Thus, Jesus Christ is the mediator between God and humanity, the bridge between this world and heaven. That is why Jesus sa...

Today, we will look at the path God wants us to choose from a new perspective. On the night Jesus was betrayed, He had the Passover meal with His disciples. After the meal, Jesus personally washed the disciples’ feet to set an example for them. After washing their feet, Jesus said to them: “Do you know what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord—and you are right, for that is what I am....

During yesterday’s retreat, we caught a glimpse of the devil’s tactics from the description in the Gospel of Luke. No matter whether the devil’s schemes against us succeed or fail, it is always plotting its next opportunity to ensnare us in the traps it has carefully designed. Imagine two teams competing against each other. Both sides will try their best, not only competing with skills but also on...

The retreat has entered its eleventh day, and you may have a question in your mind: Why haven’t we begun to explore the core theme of the retreat, "Finding Hope in God’s Kingdom"? Before we enter this important theme, we need to clear away all obstacles that prevent us from embracing it, and adjusting our mindset is the first priority. With the right perspective and understanding, we can see the p...

Over the past few days of our retreat, we have explored that when we view our earthly life from the perspective of an “earthly pilgrimage,” that is, when we view our earthly life as “pilgrims,” we can more easily face the various encounters and challenges in life from God’s perspective. Before we continue on our journey, let us take this opportunity to pause and examine the path ahead of us, so th...

Every parent hopes for their children’s success. You can imagine that God looks upon us children in the same way, only to an even greater extent. God desires us to be ‘holy’ because that is the best for us; it is our original state, as we were created in the image of the Father and are meant to resemble Him in every way. However, due to our sinful nature, we have strayed from the right path and di...

During the past two or three days of this retreat, we emphasized that life on earth is akin to a pilgrimage in this world. Every journey should bring us rich experiences that we can enjoy. However, life in this world is full of challenges. How do we resolve the contradictions within? The key lies in whether we perceive the hardships of this world as "calamities" given by God or as opportunities gr...

Building on our reflections from yesterday, a pilgrim seeking personal and spiritual growth should not primarily rely on acquiring knowledge through taking courses. Instead, the most effective and direct way is to humbly accept the various trials and tribulations that God allows in our lives and seize opportunities to learn from them. In particular, we should learn from the words and deeds of Jesu...

You should still remember that on the first day of our retreat, we quoted from the book of the prophet Jeremiah, chapter 29, verse 11, where God speaks to us: “ 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) You may have doubts in your heart: Is this true? Is God's plan for me truly one of peace...