Sunday, January 29, 2006

Chinese New Year Mass / Info on Maranatha Retreat

It's the first day of the Lunar New Year! As with the Chinese New Year tradition, the first day is dedicated to visiting those who are higher ranking than us (e.g. grandpa). So to start off the Lunar New Year, my family went for Mass; to visit God in His house. :) The church that I went to did not incorporate much Chinese culture at Mass except for lanterns, red packets and mandarin oranges. Kinda like the usual Mass, except that Mass ended with "Huan Ying Da Di Hui Chun"(which means "Welcome Spring!" in Mandarin). So I guess there is nothing much I could cover. However if you have any questions about the Lunar New Year Mass, do drop me an email :)

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With reference to pat's request; here's more information about the retreat I was in:

JoThe retreat I participated was a 2 days 2 nights (begun on a Friday night and ended on a Sunday afternoon) silent retreat conducted by Father Larry Tan. It consists of "point sessions" (i.e. the only time where we could talk and interact with the priest as he gives input) and ample time for doing silent prayer (either centering prayer or Ignatian style) in a very conducive environment. :) My favorite place for silent prayer is lying on top of the granite fence (although I might get sunburned after half hour or so) ;)

I strongly recommend silent retreats to those who have yet been to one. For some, silent retreats helps one discover a fresh perspective of God, while for others it's a time where they allow themselves to hear their own "inner-voice". Of course, results vary but nevertheless one could at least obtain a decent amount of rest in such a tranquil environment.

So why not give it a try?

For more information on Maranatha Retreat House CLICK HERE.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

SFX is pink btw. And doesn't really look chines-y except for the front door. No ang pow sommore... lol.

And thanks for the info about retreats. I should go for it some day, God knows how much I need it.