Advent Retreat: Prepare your Heart
By Sr. Sandra Seow. Posted on 30 Nov 2024.
On a sunny Saturday morning, November 30th, forty retreatants arrived at the serene Monfort Retreat Centre, ready to engage in a Scripture-centred retreat to prepare for the upcoming Advent season. The day unfolded in three sessions, blending inputs from Sr. Sandra and Sr. Monika with quiet moments of silent prayer centred around the Word of God.
As the retreat commenced, Sr. Sandra spoke about God's intimate relationship with humanity. She explained how God draws near to us, walking alongside us in our daily lives. Rather than appearing as a distant, abstract entity, God enters our reality in a profoundly tangible way, taking on human form as Jesus of Nazareth. This powerful act of incarnation is a testament to His desire to dwell within our hearts, extending to us His hope, peace, joy, and love, especially during our most difficult times. She then invited the retreatants to reflect on their own journeys, urging them to recall, with grateful hearts, the significant moments when they experienced God's loving presence in their lives.
In the second session, Sr. Sandra reminded the people that God comes, but she highlighted that our response is crucial; we must consciously open the doors of our hearts to welcome Him in. Throughout her talk, she identified various obstacles that often block this openness, such as unforgiveness, pride and the worries and concerns of daily life. She urged the participants to take time to reflect: Is there room for Jesus in their hearts?
The retreatants were in for a treat after lunch when Sr. Monika conducted a Christmas trivia quiz. The atmosphere was filled with laughter as the retreatants competed in groups to answer the questions. After the quiz, Sr. Monika seamlessly shifted the mood to one of contemplative reflection. She centred the session on the biblical character Zacchaeus and his encounter with Jesus. She invited the participants to make room for Jesus and let Him stay permanently in their hearts. They were encouraged to embrace the new liturgical year with Jesus, Emmanuel, dwelling in their lives.
The retreat ended with a heartfelt testimony given by Irene, a Verbum Dei Missionary disciple who shared about her faith journey of how Jesus became her friend, companion and comforter in her life. Irene recounted the moment her world was shaken when she was diagnosed with breast cancer last March. In the face of such overwhelming news, it was her unwavering faith and her deep relationship with Jesus that provided her strength and solace. She described how, in this critical period of uncertainty, she clung to Him, allowing her faith to guide her as she walked through the challenges of her cancer experience.
Below are reflections shared by two participants, highlighting their personal experiences and insights gained during the Advent retreat:
“This retreat was a gentle invitation to open our hearts and welcome Jesus in. The word, Immanuel, meaning "God with us," deeply resonated as I reflected on how often I hold back from fully letting Jesus into my heart. It was a chance to face the "weeds" in my life - fears, past hurts, distractions, and attachments - that keep me from experiencing His love.
Through prayer and reflection, we were gently guided to clear these obstacles, reminded that I do not have to do this alone. It’s not about forcing change, but about letting go and trusting that Jesus, no matter where I am or what I have or have not achieved, is always ready to heal, renew and meet me exactly where I am.
By the end of the retreat, I felt comforted by the truth that Jesus is always with me, ready to help clear the weeds and make room for His love to heal, restore and guide me - regardless of my past or where I am on my journey.” ~ Claudine Yong, 37 years old.
“Verbum Dei Retreat 2024 was a timely reminder for me to remove the ‘weeds’ that close me up from Jesus. This metaphor was very apt as I have struggled with 3 ‘weeds’ over recent years:
- weed of unforgiveness: the struggle to forgive myself for past mistakes
- weed of pride: a strong inclination to be the best at the cost of humility at times
- weed of busyness: being caught up in the daily hustle where the struggle to prioritise people that matter gets difficult
As the year comes to a close and Advent draws near, this retreat was planted at a timely juncture in my God-given life to pause and be aware of these weeds and find newfound determination to remove them. I hope that this will enable me to open my heart fully to Jesus.” ~ Timothy Chu, 28 years old.