Everyone needs healing

Nov 21, 2014

JOHOR: CSS Growing in Faith Together (GIFT) from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) successfully organised an inner healing retreat at MAJODI Centre, Plentong, October 23-25. A number of varsity students and parishioners from Melaka–Johor Diocese participated in this retreat. Participants also came all the way from Kuala Lumpur, Terengganu, and Singapore!

With the theme, Awake, Awake, Awake My Soul!, this retreat strived to spiritually awaken the participants. The main objective was to make sure that inner hurts and sin are not barriers for the participants to serve God, to bring them closer to God, to have that personal relationship with God and for them to grow in faith, just like the mustard seeds. Besides, the retreat was designed so that it would be a new encounter with God and for us not to feel afraid of the challenges before us, and to trust in Him because Our Father in heaven knows what’s best for us.

The retreat began with an opening Mass celebrated by Bishop Paul Tan.

Sessions were conducted by Andre Ong and Jude Antoine. They attracted the attention of the participants not just by their encouraging testimonies on how Jesus has changed their lives, but also by their sense of humour!

The second and third days of the retreat started with Morning Mass, celebrated by Fr Christopher Lee and Bishop Paul Tan respectively. The inner healing session was conducted on the second night, in front of the Blessed Sacrament. Just a few hours before the session, the participants had gone for the Sacrament of Reconciliation in order to spiritually prepare themselves for the healing session.

It was indeed a life-changing experience for the participants. It could be seen from the glow on their faces on the last day, after the inner healing session, that they had found peace. And the joy in their eyes told us that they were willing to go forth and share the joy in their daily lives, even when life was testing their faith.

All praise and glory to the Lord! May the Lord continue to bless and guide these people in their healing because healing indeed is a lifelong journey. And may He, through each and every one of these ambassadors, continue to touch many more people, to open up their hearts to seek healing only through Jesus, the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Amen!