Sunday Homilies with the Redemptorists

As we journey from Ash Wednesday, through Lent and come to Palm Sunday today, we look forward to Easter next week, where we celebrate the resurrection of Christ. We note that death and dying are part of life, yet we celebrate the resurrection and that is the message of hope. In Palm Sunday, we welcome the procession, waving our palms with joy. This quickly turns as we cry ‘Crucify him! Crucify him...

In Sunday's Gospel, Jesus told the woman accused of adultery who was threatened to be stoned to death, "Go away and do not sin anymore." This moment is not a dismissal of a sin, but an amazing act of mercy. Jesus offers forgiveness and a new beginning. It's not about condemning but redeeming sinners. This story shows us God's love and forgiveness. We can't change our past...

In today's Gospel, the prodigal son begins his heartfelt confession, but before he can finish, the father runs towards him, embraces him, and restores his dignity. The father refuses to let his son see himself as anything less than his beloved child. Fr. Antony Prabhu reminds us that this power moment is a reflection of God's mercy toward each of us. Like a tender mother fixing a child&#39...

In this 3rd Sunday of Lent, we are called to repentance and faith. In today's 1st reading, God sees the suffering of His people and hears their cry. God promises to deliver His people out of slavery and asks Moses to lead them. Moses has faith and answers God's call. In the 2nd reading, Paul reminds the Corinthians not to fall into sin but to remain faithful and heed God's warnings. Th...

In today’s homily, Fr. Antony Charles reflects on the significance of the Transfiguration of Jesus, emphasizing its meaning for Him, the disciples, and all believers. It highlights the journey from the desert of temptation to the mountain of divine encounter, contrasting spiritual struggle with the revelation of God’s glory. For the disciples, the Transfiguration strengthened their faith and revea...

As this is the beginning of Lent, let us enter into these 40 days with the intention of a retreat with reflection and prayer. The church invites us into the practice of prayer, fasting and almsgiving, to let us grow in our spiritual life and love for others. In fasting, we encounter hunger which makes us vulnerable, especially in the face of temptation, giving up easily. We look towards Jesus, who...

We all struggle to live in the truth of the Lord. There's a lot of pretention in all of us because we're not yet fully in harmony with God. We have to stop pretending that we're all ok: It means we acknowledge our struggles, we don't commit the sin of blaming others, accusing others, gossiping about others and especially condemning others. It's realizing there's a wood or b...

This Sunday’s readings are connected by the theme of mercy over vengeance and is a call for us to reflect God’s nature. The first reading recounts David sparing the life of Saul even though Saul pursued David to kill him. David chose mercy and righteousness over vengeance, exemplifying the command Jesus teaches in the Gospel— "Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who...

In today’s homily, Fr. Terence explores the true meaning of blessedness. He shares a thought-provoking story about a school for the hearing-impaired, where most students chose not to regain their hearing, believing that true communication goes beyond physical abilities. Drawing a parallel to the Beatitudes in the Gospel of Matthew, he highlights how Jesus calls the poor and suffering ‘blessed’ whi...

Recalling elements of his vocation call, Fr Antony examines discipleship- why it is not attractive at first and what happens when we persevere in our vocation. In Isaiah’s call to mission- his reaction is one of fear and unworthiness, but God doesn’t reject him but instead purifies him. Transformed, Isaiah no longer hesitates and responds with faith, courage and determination. This is the essence...

In today's Gospel, we see God coming to the temple in the form of a little child, whom Simeon can take in his arms lovingly. In Jesus, it is possible for all of us to embrace God. At the temple, Simeon recognized him as the expected messiah, and Anna acknowledged his divine presence. The encounter brought together two young parents, Mary and Joseph, with the two elderly, Simeon and Anna, bridg...

In this third Sunday in ordinary time, we observe the Sunday of the Word of God, introduced by Pope Francis in 2019 to celebrate, study, and share the Word of God. This observance aims to deepen our relationship with the Bible and highlight the living nature of God’s Word in the Church. Luke’s Gospel, addressed to “Theophilus” (meaning “beloved of God” and by extension, to us, God’s beloved), rela...

Reflecting on the wedding at Cana, Fr. Antony Prabhu recalled a personal moment of feeling lost and overwhelmed where he got separated from his family during a visit to the Holy Land. He later found his parents renewing their vows in the very house where Jesus turned water into wine. That experience reminded him of the extraordinary faith of Mother Mary, who noticed the need at the wedding and bro...

The baptism of the Lord marks the end of Christmas and the beginning of ordinary time. It is also the transition of Jesus’ hidden life to public ministry. The baptism of Jesus: 1. Represents solidarity with sinful humanity 2. Is a manifestation of the sonship and divinity of Jesus 3. Prefigures the sacrament of baptism that Jesus would institute For us Catholics - baptism is a sacrament of initiat...

In the feast of the Epiphany, Fr Gerard looked at the journey the wisemen took in search of hope. The magi were keenly aware of what’s going on around them, and we too are asked to be attentive to the needs of the people in our community. Like the star that guided them, God may be calling us to an unknown place, where we may meet people who are struggling and discouraged. Will we answer the call t...

Today, we celebrate the feast of the Holy Family—Jesus, Mary, and Joseph—whom God chose as a model for all families. The Holy Family inspires us to seek one another when we feel lost and, upon reuniting, to treat each other with love and respect, just as Mary and Joseph did when they found Jesus in the temple. Fr. Yusof encourages us to see our families as a refuge during challenging times but als...

God's ultimate gift to is the gift of Himself. In response, can we give ourselves selflessly to others, especially to those in need. True worship, according to Fr Gerard, is rooted in obedience. Like Mary and Elizabeth, we are called to be bearers of Christ to others. Mary's example teaches us that the greatest gift we can offer is ourselves. While we rely on Mary's intercession, can we strive to...

In today’s homily, Fr. Simon invites us to anticipate the joy of Christ’s birth with renewed faith and humility, drawing parallels to the anticipation of life’s milestones, such as preparing for a wedding or welcoming a child, despite the challenges involved. He identifies three obstacles to experiencing true joy during this season: complacency in celebrating Christmas, being consumed by our own w...

Some of us stay away from our families—from our own parents, spouses and children, even God. Because of our own pride, anger, ego, misunderstanding and selfishness. We experience loneliness and feel our lives are miserable. Likewise, the people of Israel also felt the same - in sorrow, in distress and hoping to return back to Jerusalem. It is at this juncture the Prophet Baruch has shown the peopl...

As we enter the season of Advent, many look forward to the joys of December. However, the message in today's Gospel reminds us of signs that may trouble us - distress among nations, fear, and uncertainty. These challenges resonate with current issues such as moral relativism, atheism, and societal confusion. Amid the challenges and troubles of our time, Fr Gerard reminded us that Advent is a time...

In this last week of the liturgical year, we celebrate the feast of Christ the King. Fr. Terence reflects on the often-asked question of why God allows suffering, and reminds us that Christ experienced pain and death but overcame death through His resurrection, bringing eternal life to all. This victory assures us that Christ, our King, has conquered death and darkness and that He walks with us th...

In today’s homily, we reflect on the apocalyptic imagery in today’s Gospel of Mark, where the sun darkens, stars fall, and the heavens shake. It is a symbolic language often misunderstood as literal catastrophe. As the Catholic liturgical year nears its end, these readings remind us of hope amidst challenges, not despair. Fr. Ino explains how Mark’s Gospel reassured persecuted early Christians in...

Today marks the anniversary of the Redemptorist foundation by Saint Alphonsus in 1732 and also serves as a vocation day. Fr Yosef shared his inspiring journey in Indonesia, shaped by his mother's prayers and the support of the community, while Fr Gerard recounted his own call to the Redemptorist life. Together, they discussed the Redemptorist charism to serve the poor and marginalized, drawing on...

In this week's Gospel, we look at the love of God and love of our neighbour, the two greatest commandments. This is not just a rule but the foundation of a relationship with God, who invites us to live in his presence with total devotion. True love of others is a reflection of our love for God. How can we say that we love God, whom we cannot see, when we can't love people we can see. Jesus loves u...

In the homily, Fr Yosef tells a story of a faithful farmer, John, who declined help multiple times during a flood, believing God would save him. When he died, he asked Jesus why he wasn’t rescued. Jesus explained that He had sent help in the form of villagers, a boat, and a helicopter. This story illustrates that true faith is active, requiring us to recognize and respond to God’s help, even when...