Novena Preaching @ Novena Church

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...

Who do we consider our neighbor today? Is it only those who share our culture or speak our languages? In the parable of the Good Samaritan, Jesus taught us that our neighbors extend beyond the familiar circles we are comfortable with. In Singapore, more than two million migrants live among us, each with their own stories, struggles, hopes, and dreams. This nation was built by migrants, and many of...

If we look at missionaries like Hudson Taylor and even St Paul the apostle, the purpose of their lives is the Mission. In fact, the reason for the existence of the Catholic Church (which includes all of us) is the mission of Jesus Christ-spreading the good news far and wide. Mary as the first missionary and model for missionaries After the annunciation, Mary, with Jesus in her womb, went to visit...

Fr Simon has been reading petitions placed at Novena and listening to the problems of churchgoers for years. He acknowledges the helplessness he faces in not knowing what to say at times. These problems range from marriages on the brink of divorce, children who are critically ill, joblessness, to parents coming to terms with their children coming out as LGBT -- to whom he says, go and love them. N...

The modern challenges of scams, fraud, and phishing highlight the persistence of sin and deception throughout history. So how do we counter this battle against deception? By staying rooted in truth, as with Jesus' statement to Pilate - "Everyone who is on the side of truth listens to me." Fr. Peter Wee's homily serves as a powerful reminder to align ourselves with the teachings o...

In life, are we led astray by distractions or are we focused on Jesus? Distractions pose a significant challenge in maintaining a life following Christ. We have to be aware of how these distractions lead us away from our vocations. Are we like Martha, preoccupied with conflicting priorities, missing out on the more important presence of our Lord? Let us take the example of our blessed mother Mary...

Fr. Terence beautifully intertwines his childhood fascination with fantasy stories like “The Chronicles of Narnia” with his spiritual journey as a Redemptorist. He reflects on how as a child, he longed to discover magical portals to another world, only to realize later in life that such portals exist in the spiritual realm through Catholic icons. Through ‘icon gazing,’ he suggests, we can transcen...

The Gospel today tells the story of how Mary and Joseph lost Jesus in Jerusalem before finding him in the temple three days later. When was the last time we lost Jesus? Even in Church, we may be with Jesus at the beginning of the Mass. But as it progresses, especially with a long homily, do we wander off and lose Jesus? And what's our life like going out of the door of the Church? Do we forget...

In today's homily, Br. Celestine shares the story of a miracle associated with the icon of Our Mother of Perpetual Help in Rome 50years ago. This story underscores Mary's role as a model of Hope for Christians. Christian hope is not passive but an active trust in God's plan. Mary teaches us to wait patiently for God's timings, surrendering our difficulties and trusting in God's...

What will your response be when someone asks, “Who is Mother Mary to you?”. Whilst we can pray to Jesus directly, we can also approach Jesus through Mother Mary because Jesus has given us His Blessed Mother as our spiritual mother. Mary is not only the Mother of God, Mary is also our Mother. Fr Antony sheds light on what the Bible says about Mother Mary’s role in our lives. May we find great convi...

Instead of merely asking for our needs, we should embrace the truth that God is always with us. It is easy to succumb to temptations and focus on the faults of others. But if we truly believe in God's ability to help, we should acknowledge the need to change our hearts amidst our struggles or sufferings and adopt an attitude of adoration and praise. We should ask ourselves honestly, 'Do we...

Mothers raise their children, shape their characters, and so influence the types of society the next generation will create. Mary, who was pregnant before her marriage to Joseph, faced the threat of stoning in those times. She also witnessed her son crucified on the cross like a criminal. Motherhood is never easy, but we have Mary, a mother who empathizes with the hardships faced by mothers and al...

In Saint John’s Gospel, Jesus’ command for us is to love one another. God is love and love is God. We see this love with the death of Jesus dying for us on the cross, and also in all the petitions and thanksgiving letters read for the Novena. We are invited to continue to learn and exemplify God's love in our daily lives. -Novena Devotion by Fr. Vincent Low, C.Ss. R. (4 May 2024)