Novena Preaching @ Novena Church

Recall your most significant day in your life. For us Christians, it is the day of our baptism, when we are consecrated and become children of God. Tomorrow, we celebrate the baptism of our Lord Jesus which marks the beginning of his public ministry, where he identifies himself with us who are sinners, giving us grace, strength and hope of new life in him. Let us reflect on our own baptism where w...

It's the new year, and Deacon Antony offered three ways we can celebrate the Jubilee Year together. The first is frequent participation in the Sacraments, especially the Eucharistic celebration and the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Second, practicing acts of mercy. He's not just talking about feeding the hungry with food, but also offering kind words and compassion to our family members, and making...

As we approach the New Year, Fr Vincent reminds us that reflection on our lives is essential for personal and spiritual growth. Families are struggling. We carry resentment and anger which not only harms ourselves but others, like the recent tragedy in China where a man's anger led to the death of 35 innocent people. Today is also the Feast of the Holy Innocents. The sufferings of innocent lives c...

As we journey through Advent, we reflect on the themes of hope, peace, joy, and love, culminating in the adoration of Jesus in the manger on Christmas Day. Do we feel hope as we prepare for Christmas? The Prophet Isaiah reminds us that "those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength" (Isaiah 40:31). The second week focuses on peace, reminding us of Jesus' words: "Peace I leave you; my peace...

Advent is a beautiful season, but it’s easy to feel spiritually unprepared amidst the holiday rush. This week’s theme, inspired by St Alphonsus’ hymn Tu Scendi Dalle Stelle, highlights God’s incredible love and humility as the Creator who became part of His creation through Jesus Christ. Reflecting on Genesis and the true meaning of Christmas, we’re reminded that Jesus came to show us how to live....

In today’s homily, Fr Simon Pereira reflects on the theme of humility, drawing inspiration from St Paul’s letter to the Philippians. He reminds us of Jesus’ ultimate humility: though He is God, He chose to become man, taking the form of a servant and humbling himself even to death on a cross. This humility led to His exaltation, demonstrating the profound relationship between humility and God’s gr...

In this heartfelt sharing, Fr Simon Tan reflected on his journey of discovering the power and presence of God through Scripture, personal prayer, and ministering to others. He recounted his own struggles with understanding the Bible as a young man and how a transformative moment in prayer led him to experience God's Word as active and alive. He calls on families, especially parents, to set an exam...

In this homily, Fr Antony Charles shares a story about a man stranded in the Atlantic Ocean and who was miraculously rescued by a helicopter from nowhere. Salvation, like the man's rescue, is a gift that we cannot earn through our own efforts but comes through Jesus Christ's sacrifice on the cross. While salvation is freely offered, we must respond to it by embracing the sacraments, living a life...

This week’s theme, “Longing for the Christ Child, the Centre of My Life,” invites us to reflect on the question: Is Jesus truly the centre of my life? While we may profess faith and know doctrine, how personally do we know Him? By recognizing Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we can experience His transformative love and centre our lives on Him. Responding to God’s call to love Him with all our heart,...

Today is the 292nd anniversary of the founding of the Redemptorist Congregation by St Alphonsus Liguori in 1732. Fr Glenn reflects on his vocation journey- did he have doubts? Second thoughts? Yes he did. The opposite of faith is not doubt, but certainty. If one is certain of God’s love for them, why would they need faith? And in discerning one’s vocation, there is doubt. It is about taking the ri...

It's good for us to reflect on the darkness within ourselves and around us. As we prepare for Advent, we reflect on the theme, Birth, the Light of the World. We associate darkness to the moments God is absent in our lives, the moments we fall into sin, or when evil, selfishness, pride, cruelty and greed rule over us. With the birth of Christ, the light illuminates the darkness in our lives. He's t...

Today we begin the advent novena reflections. The theme for this special novena is Jesus Christ, A Christmas Gift, God’s Love for us. In this first week of the advent novena, Fr Yosef reflects on the Annunciation - Trust in God. We all know about the story of Mother Mary and angel Gabriel. God’s plan is often full of surprises and beyond our understanding. God’s ways are not meant to confuse us bu...

Many of us encounter challenges that can seem insurmountable, such as relationship conflicts, illnesses, or personal hardships. These struggles are often conveyed through letters of petition. However, amidst these difficulties, there are also times of thanksgiving, when individuals express profound gratitude, as evidenced by letters of thanksgiving. While struggles may persist, Fr. Vincent reminds...

Today’s reflection is on the power of the rosary. In Lk1:26-28, angel Gabriel addresses Mary “Hail full of grace, the Lord is with you.” Br Celestine cites 2 examples illustrating the power of the rosary: 1. A group of American military men whom he met, who had been in the war in Afghanistan and Iran etc-they tell of their indebtedness to our blessed mother for saving their lives during some of th...

Deacon Antony Prabhu used the Parable of the Prodigal Son to share his own encounter with Pope Francis, and how he went from being not optimistic about his chances at a ballot to shaking the Holy Father's hand and kissing his ring. In the brief few seconds, what Deacon Antony saw was as a shepherd, a father, and a man of immense kindness and sacrifice, and above all, a disciple of Christ. -Novena...

Today’s reflection is part 1 of Rev Antony’s testimony of his journey back to his vocation from a lay devotee to deacon who served next to Pope Francis at the Papal mass. He explained about the diaconate ministry and the role of deacons as guardians of service. Deacons are sensitive to the needs of the people in need, serving with love and humility, finding Jesus in one another, sustained by praye...

Each year, from September 1 to October 4, Catholics join Christians worldwide in celebrating the Season of Creation. During this time, we reflect on the beauty of God's creation and the shared responsibility to care for it. Fr. Ino reminds us of the importance of this call, emphasizing that we are all entrusted with the task of protecting and nurturing the earth. The theme for this year's Season o...

Today we celebrate the Feast of Exultation of the Cross. Fr Glenn reflects on the paradox of the cross where it is not about death but life. Jesus conquered death through the cross, through his resurrection, and gave us life eternal. It is through the cross that the power of forgiveness becomes real and effective. Let go of our resentment and lighten the weight of the cross by forgiving. When we f...

In today's homily, we are asked to reflect on the faithfulness of Mother Mary - her loyalty, reliability, consistency, and dedication. Fr. Yosef explained the concept of fidelity, derived from the Latin word fidelitas, which encompasses loyalty and trustworthiness. These virtues were exemplified in Mary's acceptance of God's plan when the angel Gabriel announced she would bear Jesus. D...

In all human hears, we all want peace and justice. We want to live in peace with one another. Unfortunately, there are things beyond our control, like war. We can only do our part as Christians to keep stomping heaven for peace in the world. For years, we've seen Novena petitions asking for peace in our families. Peace is not about absence of problems. What's important is to have that inne...

In today's homily, Fr. Gerard shared how the Bible, particularly the book of Genesis, teaches us that living our Christian faith is to be in the right relationship with God, with one another, and with the environment. God appointed humanity as stewards of His creation. It calls for us to protect and preserve the Earth, not exploiting her for material gain. Drawing also from the encyclicals of...

Today's theme centers on Mary, the Prophetess of Mercy. Mother Mary leads us to her Son, showing us the way to God. God's mercy is universal, embracing everyone without bias or discrimination. People from all walks of life, Catholics and non-Catholics, come to the Novena Church, drawn by the deep confidence that Mother Mary will intercede for them. The numerous thanksgiving letters bear wi...

What is your mission in life? One of the definitions of ‘mission’ from the Oxford dictionary is ‘the calling of one to spread one’s faith, one’s belief and convictions’; with that in mind, what is our belief? What are our convictions? Let us take inspiration from Mother Mary, considering our mission and reflecting on scripture and the elements of her mission. These include: 1. To lead people to an...

We don't always look at Mary as a model of radical faith. "Radical" is a very strong word to describe a gentle woman. But there, at the annunciation, she accepted God's will with humility and obedience, and unquestionably even when it's contrary to social norms. She chose submission and put her total trust in God's plan. Do we have Mary's courage to accept and follow...

Mary is the most Christ-centered among all the saints. She is the first bearer of Good News , our Lord Jesus Christ. In today’s novena devotion, Fr Glenn used the story of a blind girl to illustrate what true discipleship means. True discipleship is always Christ centered. If we are Christ centered , we are person centered as well, as we will see others as brothers and sisters in Christ. If we are...