Divine Retreat Centre welcomes you and your loved ones to join us in preparation for the Feast of the Nativity of
Mother Mary.
The Divine Marian Novena
& Retreat will be from 31 August to 8 September 2020 with
daily sessions live-streamed
on the Divine Retreat Centre Goodness TV channel
India: 5.30 p.m. to 8.00 p.m. (IST)
Malaysia: 8.00 p.m to 10.30 p.m. (MYT)
Australia: 10.00 p.m. to 12.30 a.m. (AEST)
UAE: 4.00 p.m. to 6.30 p.m. (GST)
UK: 1.00 p.m. to 3.30 p.m. (BST)
USA: 8.00 a.m. to 10.30 a.m. (EDT)
The daily Divine Marian Novena
session will include:
the Rosary,
the Novena Mass,
the Novena Prayers,
Teachings on the spirituality of Mother Mary,
Eucharistic Healing Adoration and
Prayer at the Marian Shrine.
There will be the following daily programs which are part of the Marian Retreat:
Sunrise with Jesus Daily Holy MassDivine Mercy Adoration \
We invite you if you are inspired to observe abstinence during these days.
The links for the
Daiiy Novena & Marian Retreat are here below. I would
suggest you choose the subscribe option on the Divine Retreat
Centre Goodness TV YouTube channel and click the notifications bell,
that you may get reminders for the sessions.
DIVINE NOVENA
& MARIAN RETREATis
accessible on this link:
Please share this Marian Novena & Retreat details with your friends and family and experience the Power of Prayer. The Novena will be prayed over the 9 days culminating on 08 September 2020 - The Feast of Nativity of our Lady.
Are these the end times? There are many messages and prophetic predictions being circulated on social media. As a Catholic, what am I to believe? How can I discern correctly? What is God trying to tell His people? In this final episode of the SIGNS OF THE TIMES - Episode 3 Fr. Augustine Vallooran V.C., Director - Divine Retreat Centre, Muringoor, Kerala, India shares with holy wisdom how we, as people of God, should discern the predictions and prophecies based on the one Truth - God's Word.. Fr. Augustine gives his insight on the following questions that millions of people are seeking answers for: What should we make of the PREDICTIONS and PROPHECIES being circulated? How can we differentiate between TRUE and FALSE PROPHETS? How do we READ THE SIGNS OF OUR TIMES right? SIGNS OF THE TIMESthe three (3) 35-minutes episodes began (Saturday, 25 April 2020) until today, Monday (27 April 2020). Episode 3 will premiere today Monday (27 April 2020) on Divine Retreat Centre Goodness TV YouTube Channel at the timings listed below by region.
The Premiere of SIGNS OF THE TIMES Episode 3 (27 Aoril 2020) on YouTube starts at
7.00 p.m. IST
11.30 p.m. AEST
9.30 p.m. SGT
5.30 p.m. GST
2.30 p.m. BST
9.30 a.m. EDT
We must have a new approach to face this pandemic that has affected the very way we live in a drastic way. As Catholics, the way we live with hope, joy and peace of Jesus by helping others and being rooted in Christ is the key to make a difference in our world today. Let us always remember what Pope Francis implored us to do for ALL of God's Creation - the survival of our earth depends on each one of us - how the whole humankind chooses to live.
Are these the end times? What is God trying to tell His people? How do we understand these dramatic times? Join us as we seek together to interpret the SIGNS OF THE TIMESthrough three (3) 35-minutes episodes beginning today (Saturday, 25 April 2020), Sunday (26 April 2020), and Monday (27 April 2020) onDivine Retreat Centre Goodness TV YouTube Channel at the timings listed below by region
The Premiere of SIGNS OF THE TIMES of all 3 Episodes (25-27 Aoril 2020) on YouTube starts at
7.00 p.m. IST
11.30 p.m. AEST
9.30 p.m. SGT
5.30 p.m. GST
2.30 p.m. BST
9.30 a.m. EDT
There is much fear and anxiety among people of all nations in this extremely difficult Covid-19 pandemic that is sweeping swiftly across our world. Do join Fr. Augustine Vallooran V.C., Director - Divine Retreat Centre, Muringoor, Kerala, India, as together as the people of God, we interpret with deep faith the Word of God, place our trust in Him and live according to His Will.
The Holy Season of Lent began this year today26 February 2020 - ASH WEDNESDAY.
The sacred season of Lent is a holy
time of grace for every Catholic to look deep into our hearts, It is a season of Prayer, Fasting and Almsgiving. When I first started to seriously prepare my heart for Jesus 22 years ago, it began with abstaining from meat , not watching television for the entire Lenten season, daily Holy Mass, Friday Stations of the Cross, praying for an hour in front of the Blessed Sacrament daily and to do acts of mercy.
PRAYER
Lenten season is a period of of great grace. Each of us need to be conscious that we are only pilgrims on earth. We must be ready for our final home - Heaven. Reconciling with Jesus is so crucial and to do so, we need to feed on God's Word and to transform our heart, mind and soul. It should not be just for Lenten Season only. Rather, I always try to make a distinct change from Lenten season onward for the rest of my life. It is very difficult. It takes time and self-awareness and willingness to take positive action. It is having to learn to surrender to God and to live the Word - "He must increase; I must decrease." (John 3:30) I am always a work-in-progress. Jesus is ever patient and loving.
That is why the season of Lent is the perfect opportunity to reach out to Jesus in prayer and reflection. In our busy lives, it is very important to spend time in silence and train our mind and heart to not keep racing to all the things we need to do or our worries. Learning to silence our heart and mind for Jesus is a necessity. Only then can you and I be open to the guidance of Jesus in our lives. In our time of quiet, silent reflection, the Holy Spirit will speak to us through God's Word, the Holy Bible. Lenten Season is a perfect time to pray and start a Prayer Journal.
I often have had people tell me, they just cannot pray. Well, there are so many resources on social media and internet to help every Catholic grow closer to God. It is no longer an excuse that a religious television /radio programme is over. Now we can choose to watch or listen via our mobile phones, iPads, laptops and PCs whenever or wherever we are at the tip of our fingers.
Some of the CATHOLIC APPS I would like to suggest for this sacred Lenten season are:
FORMED
Many parishes have paid for their parishioners to be able to subscribe to FORMED. There is a daily Lenten Reflection starting from Ash Wednesday. The video productions are top quality and deeply informative. For those of you who are signed up or if your parish has got this resource, please do not waste this God-given opportunity, I watched a FORMED video, THE LAST DAYS, a couple of days back. I felt this is a video EVERY Catholic should watch at the start of Lent. Then we will not waste a moment of our lives. Neither will we have fear of Purgatory. Rather, every Catholic will live with joy as pilgrims on earth waiting to reach our Heavenly home.
REGNUM CHRISTI (RC) Spirituality
I just love the daily meditations which is about 6-8 minutes. It is only a few days ago that I was told about this app by my sister. Th meditations have touched me deeply. There is an app for iPhone users called RC Spirituality. For Android users like me, Please click on this link for the RC Daily Meditations.
PRAY AS YOU GO
This is a Jesuit App available of iPhone and Android mobiles which gives us no excuse of not knowing how to pray. There are Prayer Tools which includes Preparing for Prayer: Breathing and Preparing for Prayer:Body to start off. It is a gentle way to be ready in the Presence of God. There is a choice of Retreats and Series. This is a wonderful app of what the Ignatian Spirituality is famous for - making us aware of the Presence of God every moment of our life.
YOUTUBE CHANNELS:
The video above,ENTERING THE DESERT OF LENT isby Bishop Robert Barron, Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. Bishop Barron explains with blessed wisdom what the sacred Season of Lent is all about. He is the founder of Word On Fire CatholicMinistries. Bishop Barron is now the most watched Catholic bishop and theologian on social media and YouTube. His zeal for New Evangelization initiatives is setting the world on fire for Jesus. Just click on this link Bishop Barron's Word of FireYouTube channel.
Rev. Fr. Augustine Vallooran V.C.
Now for blessed news that
every Friend of Divine will be overjoyed to know! There is a YOUTUBE playlist
on GOODNESS TV channel link, LIVING WATERS: A SPIRITUAL JOURNEY with Fr. Augustine Vallooran V.C. Director of Divine Retreat Centre, Muringoor, Kerala, India.
There are over 400 videos for each of you to have a special Divine experience
once again.
FASTING
Over the years, I
have realized that fasting for me, was more than abstaining from meat, it was
about abstaining from things that I
really enjoyed. Abstaining from meat is not difficult for me now. Today,
giving up ice-cream is difficult for me as it is extremely hot in India currently
and I find it hard having spicy Indian food! So
it is no ice cream and snacks this Lent. I like to snack as I work. I have fasted on the virtues of the Fruit of the Holy Spirit. Needles to say, I was always tested on Day 1. However, I know Jesus has made positive changes in my life over the years. Fasting to bear the fruits of the Holy Spirit (1 virtue per Lenten season) was the most difficult type of fast to do for me.
ALMSGIVING
As
we pray and fast to have a deeper spiritual experience with Jesus, my hope is
that as our hearts are moulded to love as Jesus does, you and I will do acts of
love every day of our lives being compassionate and generous in our almsgiving. It is not just money. it is our time, our patience, our care, our words of friendship and comfort to family, friends and any one we know in need of love and kindness. As Bishop
Barron said so eloquently, let us not judge if a person comes up to us seeking a little financial help. Rather, we should have small change with us to
help whoever comes up to us. Almsgiving is what makes all our prayers and
fasting bear real fruit in our Lenten 2020 Journey with Jesus.
"But
whoever has the world's goods, and sees his brother in need and
closes
his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him?"
Advent has a
twofold character: for it is a time of preparation for the Solemnities of
Christmas, in which the First Coming of the Son of God to humanity is
remembered; and likewise when, by remembrance of this, minds and hearts are led
to look forward to Christ’s Second Coming at the end of time. For these two
reasons, Advent is a period for devout and expectant delight
Universal Norms on the Liturgical Year and the
Calendar, 39
In this sacred season, may God's Grace help us to prepare our hearts to receive Christ worthily in the upcoming 4-Day Advent Retreat [02-05 December 2016] at the St. John Paul II Formation Centre, Kennedy Town, Hong Kong.
RETREAT THEME:
"EMMANUEL - GOD IS WITH US" (Matthew 1:23)
[Talks in English with simultaneous Cantonese Translation]
Led by
Rev. Fr. Michael Payyapilly V.C. Director - Vincentian Missionaries Australia
and
Rev. Fr. Joseph Edattu V.C. Associate Director - Divine Retreat Centre Ramsgate Kent, UK
As we examine our lives in this Season of Lent, we pray for a holy conversion of hearts through a Divine retreat experience: a 2-Day Lenten Retreat [11-1206 March 2016] in Church of St. Andrew's, Muar, Johor and a 2-Evening Lenten Retreat [13-14 March 2016] in St. Peter's Church, Melaka.
In this Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy, let us heed the call of our Holy Father, Pope Francis who wrote in the Papal Bull Misericordiae Vultus (The Face of Mercy) that the Season of Lent during this Holy Year "should be lived more intensely as a privileged moment to celebrate and experience God's Mercy."
2-Day Lenten Retreat [11-12 March 2016]
Church of St. Andrew's,
Muar, Jehore THEME: "According to the riches of His Glory I pray that you are strengthened through the Power of His Spirit in your inner being" (Ephesians 3:16)
Led by
Rev. Fr. Michael Payyapilly V.C
Director
Divine Retreat Centre Somersby
Australia
Rev. Fr. Joby Anthkaddan V.C. Assistant Director Divine Retreat Centre Somersby Australia
For further information: please contact parish office:
Parish Tel: 06-283 6538 Special Note: St. Peter's Church is the oldest functioning Catholic Church in Malaysia, built in 1710 by descendants of early Portugese settlers.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- We request you to encourage your family and friends to make this sacred season of Lent a meaningful one by renewing your hearts through these Divine Lenten retreats! Please bring along your bible, notebook and writing material for these retreats.
The
Sacrament of Confession – of reconciling us with God and others – is a
beautiful Sacrament of the Church for every Catholic to receive the
supernatural Grace of God to live Godly lives. Yet, it has become the trend
among Catholics to just attend Penitential Services twice a year – and that is
enough…often without deep reflection to truly repent, forgive and reconcile. Is
this sufficient to remember all the sins that creates barriers in our lives
with God?
Thethird video of the 7-part DIVINE LENTEN
2015 WEEKLY VIDEO REFLECTION SERIES at the top of this post is “GO
AND RECONCILE! THE SACRAMENT OF CONFESSION” is a heart-piercing wake-up call
for every Catholic by Rev. Fr. Augustine Vallooran V.C., Director of Divine
Retreat Centre, Kerala, India who reminds us - “On Good Friday. Jesus took all
our sins, all the powers of sin and He paid the price of our sins in His Blood.
Jesus dispelled the darkness of sin in the splendour of the Glory of the
Resurrection…and then He came and said, ‘Peace be with you.’ It is good for us
to know this – if there is no peace and there is always quarrels and conflicts
in your family, your parish or in your society, be sure there is sin somewhere
deep down. We need to offer all that sin to God for His Peace to flow into us.”
Why
is the Sacrament of Confession so vital for the growth of our personal Catholic
faith to have a real and deep relationship with Jesus? Fr. Augustine explains
with Spirit-filled clarity, ”Jesus sent the disciples to the ends of the world
to give people peace, but to give it with a sign – ‘Forgive their sins.’ Jesus
established the sacred Sacrament of Priesthood for this purpose. Jesus gave
this authority to His Disciples and over the centuries and generations, this
authority of “Apostleship” is passed on by the laying of hands on priests and
bishops who are the successors of the Apostles.
Jesus is telling every priest - to me - that when someone comes with a
disturbed heart or an enslavement to sin, I should give this person peace by
leading him/her to the Sacrament of Confession and looking into the person’s
eyes, I must tell him/her, ‘In the Name of the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit,
I absolve you of your sins. A ‘sign’ is given - a sign of Forgiveness. And only
then are we all sure that our sins are taken away.”
Fr.
Augustine passionately exhorts every Catholic that it is time to shake off our
apathy of sin in our lives - “Often we can become self-righteous. We can bring
arguments to be rooted in hatred, anger and sin. The Lord is challenging you my
brother/my sister to become humble as Jesus became humble and obedient even to
the Cross! Jesus, strike the root of pride and self-righteousness in my heart
and give me a heart like You, Lord – a heart beating in love and mercy; a heart
that is able to feel the pain of others and to go and get reconciled with them.”
“No
reason justifies me not to go for Confession. No reason justifies me to keep
anger against any one. Jesus, give me Your Mind and Heart that God the Father
put in Your Body – a heart to be concerned about everyone!”
Divine
Retreat Centre, Kerala, India, run by the priests of the Vincentian Congregation
of India, is the largest Catholic retreat centre in the world. Retreats in
English and 6 Indian languages are conducted every week of the year.
Next
Sunday, Rev. Fr. Michael Payyapilly V.C., Director of
Divine Retreat Centre Somersby, NSW, Australia, will be sharing the
Word of God on "WHO IS GOD TO ME?”
Please
do share this Divine Lenten 2015 Weekly Video Reflection series with your loved
ones, prayer groups and friends. May this sacred season of Lent convict our
hearts and mind to truly live for Jesus!
It is with great sorrow all Malaysians have woken up this morning to the disappearance of yet another Malaysian airline - Air Asia flight QZ8501 disappeared from the radar 8 minutes after departure from Surabaya, Indonesia for Singapore at 6.20 a.m. (Malaysian time). The aircraft has reportedly crashed in the waters off East Belitung, off the east coast of Sumatra. 162 people (155 passengers and 7 crew) are missing including an infant.
It has been a year of great tragedy and disaster for Malaysia - most Malaysians are feeling numb at all that has happened...the disappearance of MH370, the shooting down of MH17 and now the crash of AirAsia QZ8501 Malaysia is right now also facing the most severe floods in years and over 160,000 people have been displaced. Desperate help is needed and many citizens' volunteer groups have sprung up via social media to help the official government efforts which are ill-prepared.
Rev. Fr. Mathew Naickomparambil V.C., theSpearhead of Divine-Potta ministry had blessed and prayed over Carol Lazar of Malaysia when she was attending the "CALLED...GIFTED...SENT FORTH" retreat for Priests, Religious & Lay Leaders in Ministry in Divine from 27July - 01 August 2014. Fr. Mathew guided and advised Carol to write a prayer to be shared with her fellow Malaysian Catholic friends which Father then went through and blessed the following day.
We call upon all Malaysians to storm heavens seeking God's Mercy and Protection for our homeland and for all Malaysians and our air carriers. Please do lift this prayer up during your daily personal prayers, your family prayers, with friends and within your prayer groups if possible. Let us claim the Promises of the Word of God on a DAILY basis:
"And so I tell all of you more: whenever two of you on earth agree about anything
you pray for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven.
For where two or three come together in my name, I am there with them."
(Matthew 18:19-20)
"When you pray and ask for something, believe that you have received it,
and you will be given whatever you ask for."
(Mark 11:24)
Below is the DIVINE PRAYER FOR MALAYSIA as blessed and guided by Fr, Matthew:
LORD, we pray for the 29 million people of Malaysia to be washed in the ocean of Your Most Precious Blood and be filled with the Holy Spirit.
We pray for miracles, healings and conversion of our hearts on the Infinite merits of the Passion, Death and Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.
LORD, send your angels to encamp around Malaysia.
Mother Mary , help us as we pray the Hail Mary...
Hail Mary Full of Grace! The Lord is with you,
Blessed are you amongst women and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God - pray for us sinners now, and at the hour of our death.
Amen.
We seek the prayers of readers of this post to please join in this prayer for Malaysia.
