Advent Retreat 2025: The Heart of Discernment
Advent Retreat 2025: The Heart of Discernment
From 12 to 14 December 2025, young adults gathered at Bung Bratak for a silent Advent retreat guided by Fr Stanley Goh, SJ, with the theme “The Heart of Discernment”. Inspired by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s words, “It is only with the heart that one sees rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye,” the retreat invited participants to turn their hearts to the Lord, understand His will for their lives, and prepare spiritually for Christmas. The retreat offered a weekend away for young adults aged 18 and above to reflect, pray, and grow closer to God, following the example of the Magi who journeyed toward the star in Matthew 2:1-12.
The retreat began on Friday, 12 December, with arrival and personal reflection time, followed by Holy Mass presided over by Fr Ramon and the first session of sharing and Evening Prayer led by Fr Stanley. Saturday included morning prayer, sessions, group sharing, personal prayer, Evening Prayer, and a Holy Hour of Adoration and Confession with Fr Stanley. The retreat concluded on Sunday, 14 December, with morning prayer, the final session, optional group sharing using the method of conversation in the spirit, and Holy Mass presided over by Fr Stanley. All activities apart from Mass were optional, allowing participants to spend time in personal prayer, one-on-one sharing, or reflection. Music was provided by EMPOWERED, and short videos accompanied morning and evening prayers to guide meditation.
A total of 21 young adults joined the retreat. The weekend gave them time to step away from daily routines, listen to God, reflect on their lives, and grow in faith and love. The retreat created a quiet and supportive space for prayer, discernment, and personal encounters with God.
Sharing / Testimonies:
Esther Lee Shu Ying, Chapel of Mother Mary Parish:
I used to hate wasting time. 
If I was not working or studying, I would be listening to a Catholic podcast while trying to hit ten thousand steps. I hated being bored. I hated the silence.
But in recent months, I have begun to value stillness. Those quiet moments are often where the deepest thinking happens, the kind of thinking we need if we are to discern well.
Ironically, even during a silent retreat, I found myself reaching for Fr Mike’s Catechism in a Year. The episode happened to be on contemplative prayer. Maybe that was not irony at all, but grace. Even Jesus withdrew into silence. He knew its necessity.
As a teacher, I have noticed that students with slightly more unstructured time tend to be more articulate and more in tune with their emotions. They have had time and space to process them. Life is multifaceted, and without reflection, we miss its nuances. Sometimes the most productive thing we can do is not to fill the silence, but to let God use it to show us who we are.
So to my brothers and sisters in Christ, do not be afraid of silence. Do not be afraid of what God might say in it. Because when it is His voice, we can trust that all things will work for good.
Joycelyn Hon, EMPOWERED ministry:
The ADVENTURE Retreat was a refreshing experience in many ways and it was a great space for me to deepen my understanding of prayer and prepare myself better for the Christmas season and to enter it with so much gratitude. It was truly a blessing to be able to have the time to reflect on the grace of God that has been present throughout the year while being surrounded by nature and also a community who is also excited about learning and deepening their faith.
Alexander John Tai Tze Wui, EMPOWERED Ministry/St. Joseph Cathedral: 
Adventure 2025 was a quiet retreat with reflections on my personal relationship with God. It begins with being grateful for the gifts and graces that God has given to me and being generous in response to the gratitude. Then, through praying by being consistent in having short prayers throughout the day, being real in our prayer and bringing our reality to God deepens the my desire for God. Throughout my time in reflections during the retreat, I discovered a simple truth, in which that I am a child of God, and that is more than enough.
Mary Deborah anak Markus, Parish St Ann Kota Padawan:
Hey there!
Let me share my experience during the adventure retreat. As the topic highlights was The Heart of Discernment, I questioned myself what God’s what me to do and serve Him. So this retreat give me time to spend with Lord and ask Him what should I do and I asked for. A bit thanks to Fr Stanley as he guided us throughout the retreat session. Thank you