You may recall that a scribe once asked Jesus, of all the commandments, which was the greatest. Jesus replied: “The first is: ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” (Mark 12:30–31) This is the greatest goal and meaning of our lives. In fact, at the Final Judgment, we will be judged according to the...
Apr 18, 2025•12 min•Season 5Ep. 40
In our reflection on the twenty-fifth day of the retreat, we mentioned that while “ hope” may seem small in the eyes of most people, it bears the important role of leading and propelling both “ faith” and “ love” . It has the power to move people into action. In His farewell message during the Last Supper, Jesus gave His disciples a new commandment: "Love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have lov...
Apr 17, 2025•14 min•Season 5Ep. 39
God's desire is that we may be with Him not only in this life but also in eternal life, and that we may enjoy and receive all that is best. Everything He has done and arranged for us is for our greatest benefit. Since our first ancestors betrayed God, not only did God not abandon us, but for our sake, He saved us through the birth, suffering, death, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus. He also established the Church on earth for us, sent the Holy Spirit to strengthen and guide us, and instituted ...
Apr 16, 2025•13 min•Season 5Ep. 38
Throughout this retreat, we have touched on various concepts related to the Kingdom of Heaven. Now, let us delve deeper into what exactly this Kingdom refers to, and where it is. As the name suggests, the Kingdom of Heaven is the Kingdom of God, meaning that God, through Jesus Christ, reigns over all creation. Jesus is the King of this Kingdom. Pope Benedict XVI, in the first volume of his book Jesus of Nazareth, explains that the Kingdom is not a thing, it is not a geographical dominion like wo...
Apr 15, 2025•14 min•Season 5Ep. 37
Today, let us take a different perspective and look at another stumbling block that hinders us from finding hope. It turns out that another way to test and reveal the extent of our faith and hope is to consider: what do we ask of God? The rich young man came before Jesus and said, “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?” (Matthew 19:16) The rich young man longed for eternal life and yearned to attain it, showing that he regarded eternal life as his happiness, which precisely fit...
Apr 14, 2025•14 min•Season 5Ep. 36
During the previous day’s retreat, we explored the following questions: “Where do we invest our energy and life? What exactly are we asking of God?” Today, we continue this topic. I hope you still remember that we previously talked about the Gospel story of the rich young man (cf. Matthew 19:16–26). After that story, there’s a short episode that is also worth reflecting on. The rich young man, unwilling to part with his possessions, failed to respond to Jesus' call and went away grieving. Jesus ...
Apr 13, 2025•14 min•Season 5Ep. 35
When we build relationships with others, we need to get to know each other. As we continue to deepen our relationship with God, let us also take a moment to reflect on human nature. Although God created humans in His own image, there’s often a clear case of “the goods not matching the label”! This isn’t because God made a mistake, but rather due to the sinful nature of man. Humans are selfish and self-centered, leading us to be greedy or to be overly calculating. These weaknesses are easy to spo...
Apr 11, 2025•14 min•Season 5Ep. 34
I hope yesterday’s reflection helps everyone realize that the greatest crisis in the world is not an economic crisis, not an environmental crisis, not a political crisis, nor even a crisis of war, it is a crisis of faith, and more importantly, a crisis of hope. The greatest pillar of this world is the Truth that Christ left behind. This Truth is rooted in the teachings of Jesus and the example He set for us, in other words, the spirit of Christ. This Truth has been passed down to this day throug...
Apr 10, 2025•13 min•Season 5Ep. 33
Two days ago, we talked about the difference between “optimism” and “worldly hope”, and we took it a step further by analyzing the difference between “worldly hope” and the Christian virtue of hope . When we are young, with fewer burdens and pressures in life, facing life with an optimistic attitude is usually enough. But as we grow older and take on more responsibilities and heavier burdens, we need hope to give us the strength to face life positively. When we encounter life’s adversities, or w...
Apr 09, 2025•13 min•Season 5Ep. 32
During yesterday’s retreat, we mentioned that the world often defines “hope” as a desire for things that can be attained in this life — for example: success, health, or a comfortable life. As Christians, however, we look forward to the Kingdom of Heaven and eternal life as our true happiness. The former is a fleeting kind of happiness, while the latter is eternal. But are these two in conflict? Can they coexist? To explore this question, we must first understand the meaning of life from God’s pe...
Apr 08, 2025•12 min•Season 5Ep. 31
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 often hear people use the words "hope" or "optimism" in conversation. But what is the difference betwee...
Apr 07, 2025•12 min•Season 5Ep. 30
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 feelings about “eternal life” or “going to heaven.” Of course, no one has a concrete concept of it, but our...
Apr 06, 2025•13 min•Season 5Ep. 29
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 categorized into four key aspects. The first is that He is with us. From the beginning of creation, from th...
Apr 04, 2025•12 min•Season 5Ep. 28
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 ask anything, just believe, and even obey unto death. What kind of reasoning is this? Why do we assoc...
Apr 03, 2025•12 min•Season 5Ep. 27
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 died for us and did everything He has done for us. Yesterday, we discussed that the true driving force ...
Apr 02, 2025•12 min•Season 5Ep. 26
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 His power, glory, or majesty. Instead, He chose to stand before His creation, before His devoted follo...
Apr 01, 2025•12 min•Season 5Ep. 25
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 at that moment how the angel Gabriel had announced that God would give this child the throne of His...
Mar 31, 2025•12 min•Season 5Ep. 24
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 is directly related to whether we truly possess the virtue of hope. The Catechism further explains “h...
Mar 30, 2025•12 min•Season 5Ep. 23
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 our hope in Him. Fortunately, our God is not only omnipotent, all-knowing, and all-good, but He is al...
Mar 28, 2025•12 min•Season 5Ep. 22
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 out in haste to the hill country to visit Elizabeth in those days (cf. Luke 1:39-56). This action o...
Mar 27, 2025•12 min•Season 5Ep. 21
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, the Eucharist, and the Holy Spirit in body, mind, and spirit, more importantly, this was an active inv...
Mar 26, 2025•12 min•Season 5Ep. 20
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 the truth of what is written in the Bible. We can fully trust and follow the truth and the way that ...
Mar 25, 2025•12 min•Season 5Ep. 19
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 indeed a question worth exploring. You might also wonder: Does Mary’s immediate acceptance of God’s i...
Mar 24, 2025•12 min•Season 5Ep. 18
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. How wonderful it felt to be free from worries! Children also have many fantasies, many things they wan...
Mar 23, 2025•12 min•Season 5Ep. 17
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 desire most is not just material support but the presence of someone willing to stay by our side, wa...
Mar 21, 2025•12 min•Season 5Ep. 16
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 follow Him! Isn’t such a life incredibly challenging? Does God really want us to experience joy even i...
Mar 20, 2025•12 min•Season 5Ep. 15
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 says to us: "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (Jo...
Mar 19, 2025•12 min•Season 5Ep. 14
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. So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. Fo...
Mar 18, 2025•12 min•Season 5Ep. 13
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 strategy to outwit their opponent. Therefore, they look for the other team’s most vulnerable point ...
Mar 17, 2025•12 min•Season 5Ep. 12
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 path ahead more clearly. This has been the focus of our retreat over the past ten days. Now, we shoul...
Mar 16, 2025•12 min•Season 5Ep. 11
