It has been eight months since our first meeting in October 2025, when our MAGIS formation journey began. As we continue to gather once a month and deepen our spirituality each time, the movement continues to unfold, bringing deeper understanding and new insights to the participants.
Our sessions are always accompanied by Jesuit priests, whose close accompaniment has become one of the reasons many participants look forward to these monthly gatherings. Beyond that, there is a growing desire among us to deepen our faith and keep the magis spirit alive within our hearts.
On 17 May, Fr Richard Anthony SJ led a session on the “Call of the King (Two Standards)”. The programme followed the usual MAGIS formation structure, beginning with an icebreaker and ending with a fellowship dinner.
Fr Richard invited us to reflect on two key questions: Do I hear God’s voice in my life? And What are the stumbling blocks that prevent me from responding to God’s call? Before leading us into reflection, he showed us a Thai advertisement that helped us deepen our personal reflection. This was followed by silent prayer, MAGIS circle, examen, and the celebration of the Eucharist.
During fellowship, we celebrated a participant’s birthday and shared our experiences from the Coffee Morning fundraising event held the previous week to support MAGIS-World Youth Day Korea next year.
What makes this journey beautiful is that participants do not simply attend as passive listeners; each group is given specific roles. Some prepare icebreakers, others handle food, assist during Mass, provide session recaps, take photographs, manage the setup and cleanup, or document the events of the day. Our group, led by Jovia James, served as note-takers. Below are some of our insights and experiences.
Do I hear God’s voice in my life, and what are the stumbling blocks that prevent me from responding to God’s calling?
“I do hear God’s voice through daily Gospel readings and by attending Mass weekly. As for stumbling blocks, I realised that I was not keen on joining MAGIS at first because I was shy and did not have friends. However, I now look forward to the monthly gatherings. The Thai advertisement also made me realise that small things can mean a lot to others.” ~Jovia James
“I believe God speaks to me in simple ways each day through prayer, conversations, daily life experiences and the people around me. One of my biggest stumbling blocks is self-doubt. I am not always firm in my answers, often questioning my abilities and overthinking my decisions, which makes me hesitant to respond to God’s calling. In my reflection, I am reminded to trust more in God’s guidance, be open to His plans, and have the courage to respond in faith even when I do not have all the answers.” ~ Peggy
“It is not always easy to overcome the things that keep me from the Lord’s love and grace. But I believe that if we keep our focus on Him, we can find peace, and God will show us the way to draw closer to Him. I believe God reminded me that community life is not always glamorous, but it becomes beautiful when everyone offers their small acts of love together.” ~ Nicholas Lim
After journeying with the MAGIS programme for the past eight months, what makes you continue looking forward to each session, and how has this journey helped you grow spiritually and encounter Jesus more deeply in your everyday life?
“I really look forward to the fellowship and sharing with my group members because we have become closer and more open with one another over these past eight months. Indeed, we have truly become brothers and sisters in Christ. Each session, led by different Jesuit priests, gives me a lot of insight into my faith. Throughout this journey, I have learned to embrace silence and converse personally with the Lord. Silence is a challenge for me, as I am constantly surrounded by noise and distractions in my daily life, especially from social media.” ~ Isaac Chai
“Each MAGIS session, I look forward to the personal reflection time, sitting in silence alongside my friends in Christ. This deepens during our MAGIS circle as I get to know more about my personal relationship with God and learn how to notice Him everywhere. I also realise that I am not alone in struggling to listen to God’s voice. As the sessions carried on, I have had the privilege to learn from my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ what it truly means to live out our faith, and that there is still so much beauty to discover in our Catholic faith.” ~Priscilla Moreira
What hopes, lessons, or meaningful experiences did you gain from the Coffee Morning fundraising event?
“Being in charge of the flower sales taught me that serving in community is honestly more about sacrifice than glamour. It was definitely nothing like a K-drama florist moment. Behind every bouquet was a lot of unseen work: sourcing flowers and wrapping materials at the last minute, handling delicate flowers that kept breaking, trying to make everything presentable enough to justify the price, and calculating potential funds for MAGIS Korea.
“What stayed with me most was realising that even “being a small flower” in a community takes sacrifice and patience. It truly took a village to prepare and sell almost 80 bouquets. I witnessed the quiet beauty of people serving in different ways—those who stayed behind to carefully wrap the flowers, those who tried their best with the backing paper even when arts and crafts were not their strength, and those who simply showed up to help without seeking recognition.” ~ Vanessa R Lukayluka
