By Ivy Chai
KUCHING — The Kuching Archdiocesan Pastoral Council in collaboration with the Emmaus Servant Community of Blessed Sacrament Church (BSC), organised a Mass for Healing on 19 May 2023 celebrated by Fr Varghese Parackal, VC. This was followed by a 2-Day Inner Healing Retreat on 20 & 21 at the parish hall.
Fr Varghese is the Director of the Vincentian Retreat Centre in Perth and is no stranger to the Christian community. He was at BSC to conduct a similar retreat in March 2020, a month before the Covid pandemic lockdown.
Mass for Healing
At the Mass to pray for healing, which also launched Day-1 of the 9-Days Novena to the Holy Spirit, Fr Varghese led the prayers to invoke the Holy Spirit into the midst of the congregation.
He said the Gospel Reading of John16:20-23: “…your sorrow will turn into joy,” described the good news the Lord had sent. By responding: “Lord Jesus, I receive this word into my heart. I declare that my sorrow is being turned into joy from this hour,” parishioners could open themselves up for healing. By God’s power and mercy, “sufferings and sorrow will not last forever, but his word will last forever,” he said.
While reminding the congregation to ask God to heal them during the exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, Fr Varghese also advised them to accept their sufferings and “don’t lose heart, trust in the Lord Jesus Christ.”
Inner Healing Retreat
At the Inner healing sessions, Father explained that inner healing is silent prayers to the Lord. The foundation is to find out the purpose of our life, “finding ourselves.”
Many people who attended both the Mass and the Retreat testified to experiencing God’s love and deliverance, especially in areas of unforgiveness, repentance and reconciliation.
Fr Varghese also availed himself to many hours of personal counselling to the many participants who made appointments to see him after the retreat.
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