Finding the true meaning of happiness which is getting to know God

I was once a Catechist, nearly 10 years ago at Church of the Risen Christ. I stopped being active at church after I lost my late father. I ran away from reality and drifted from my responsibilities to my family.  I felt a sense of aimlessness and imbalance in my spiritual life.

After the Watchman’s Retreat, I felt reborn  as a newly baptised child. I learned to be more humble and to see everybody through God’s eyes as His children. My negative thinking, arrogance, ignorance, laziness, judgemental and pride has vanished.  I felt the yearning to go for confession to cleanse all my hidden wounds and experience an inner healing through God’s mercy and grace.

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” 

1 John 1:9

The experience at the retreat has uplifted my spiritual life and shown me ways to continue my journey in church and contribute using my God-given talents. I have learnt to be patient and to handle highly charged situations by ejaculations, especially when the danger of sinning is high. I used to get mad with people when they were mean to me or my loved ones, but nowadays my daily devotion at Holy Eucharist has taught me to be slow to anger, and to “Praise the Lord” with a SMILE on my face whenever I am annoyed with people’s attitudes.

“And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests…”
Eph 6:18

My prayer and spiritual life are intertwined. Both go hand-in-hand. I understand now that God is everywhere. He is with me while I am praying at the altar, and  He is also by my side in my work place, and at home when I am attending to the needs of my family. God is here, there and everywhere. With my spiritual life now more focused, attentive and devoted. I really feel the very presence of God.  Whenever I visit the Blessed Sacrament I am able to meditate with peace and serenity. This makes me feel happy and loved by the Lord our God. At the same time I also feel strengthened by God’s presence with me and in me and I claim His promise in Eph 6: 13 – 17. Amen.

“Therefore put on the full armour of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.  Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.  Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.

Eph 6 : 13 – 17

By Cecilia Irudayam