By Ivy Chai
KUCHING — To prepare for the season of Lent, the Archdiocese of Kuching organised a 3-Day Divine Lenten Healing Retreat at the Christian Ecumenical Worship Centre (CEWC) from 24-26 February 2023.
The theme was: “Behold I Am Making All Things New.” (Rev. 21:5)
Fr Galvin Richard Ngumbang, on behalf of the Archdiocese of Kuching, extended a warm welcome to the 700 plus participants, and to Fr Michael Payyapilly VC, of the Divine Retreat Centre, Colombo, Sri Lanka and Fr Joseph Kannampally VC, the Regional Superior of Andhra Region of Vincentians, who conducted the retreat.
Vincentian Seminarian batchmates
Since their ordinations (few days apart) in December 2006, Fr Michael has been to over 50 cities worldwide to give retreats. He took up his first overseas posting as the pioneer of the Divine-Potta ministry in Australia in 2013, setting up Divine Retreat Centre Somersby, NSW, Australia and subsequently becoming Director of the Vincentian Ministries in Melbourne, and Tabor Divine Retreat Centre, Mumbai.
Fr Joseph became the Director of several Divine Retreat Centres in the state of Andhra Pradesh. He was Director of Popular Mission Retreats in the Andhra region and has ministered in multiple states within India and preached overseas in the Gulf countries.
40 Days of Lent
Fr Michael Payyapilly began the Retreat with one instruction. Participants were to focus on one primary intention in their lives and to offer that intention up to Jesus at every session throughout the retreat.
He said the retreat can be a Lenten Mission, like three days of purification in the 40 days of preparation of Lent. “Offer ourselves to the Lord… as ‘40 days’ is a significant journey of discipleship,” Father pointed out.
Kuching Archbishop Simon Poh came to bless the retreatants and their families and he echoed Fr Michael when he said, “40 days of Lent is a time to sit and wait for the Lord.” He told them to, “Listen to the Lord. When we listen, he is very close to us.”
In the story of Noah and the flood in the Scriptures, Fr Michael interpreted that as a period of “purification”. The 40 days should not be seen as a period of “destruction” but necessary, so the “old is washed off and the new can begin.”
Throughout the three days of retreat, Fr Michael Payyapilly and Fr Joseph Kannampally preached the Word of God. With anecdotes of their personal life experiences to serve as testimonies of the importance and impact of the Word of God, both priests drove home the message that we need to understand our relationship with Jesus and his relationship with us.
When we look for signs of love and ask: “Am I loved?”, we must “embrace the Cross of Christ”, and know that the meaning of God’s love is “the gift of Jesus”. Only when “we are intimate with the Lord” can we see and hear the Lord.
Fr Joseph gave a personal testimony of how his family encountered God’s love and mercy by praying (Psalms 50:15) “Call on me in a day of trouble; I will rescue you, and you will honour me.”
Retreatants were also told that “unforgiveness” is the greatest sin as it goes against the nature of Jesus (Colossians 3:13). When praying, we will be in union with God. By believing in the Word of God (Joshua 3:5 ) “Sanctify yourself today, the Lord will do wonders in your life tomorrow,” we can expect God’s graces upon us.
Better understanding of the Word of God
After listening to Fr Michael and Fr Joseph’s preaching, many participants shared testimonies of a better understanding of the Word of God, letting go of “the sin of unforgiveness” and being powerfully touched by the Holy Spirit. Some testified to answered prayers such as healing of specific ailment or physical pain, re-awakening of faith and an awareness that being “fruitful” is more important than being “successful”.
Some participants who said they attended with mixed feelings and expectations, confessed they were glad they made the decision to join the retreat. Praying together at the powerful Praise & Worship sessions, Mass, Exposition and Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament to end each retreat day helped them to feel God’s presence and experience His love.
Praise the Lord! Hallelujah!
