Off the Pulpit

The call to love by caregiving brought Fr Krish Mathavan MSC back home to Singapore. How did he respond to the call of religious life and then now care for his elderly parents?

Fr Gerard Louis CSsR helps us delve into Church history to understand what infallibility of the Pope means and what or who an anti-Pope is.

Today together with Fr Ignatius Yeo, we brush up on our knowledge of who Pope Francis is, what the choice of his Papal or Regnal name signifies, and the key themes of his pontificate.

Today, we brush up on our knowledge of who Pope Francis is, what the choice of his Papal or Regnal name signifies, and the key themes of his pontificate.

Join us on Off the Pulpit as we chat with Fr Ignatius Yeo about the Pope, the successor of Peter.

Before we sit in Church – most of us genuflect or make the sign of the cross and bow before the altar. As Catholic Christians, we believe that the Lord Jesus is truly present in the Tabernacle. But how many of us are truly convinced that Jesus is present in the Eucharist? Join us with Fr Bartolo Maria OCD as we uncover the teaching and doctrine of Transubstantiation and Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist.

Now that we've covered the 3 Creeds of the Catholic Church (in Part 1), we dive deeper with Fr Ignatius Yeo into the oldest Creed that we profess; when these Creeds are prayed liturgically and why they are relevant to us.

Many of us know the Apostles' Creed and the Nicene Creed fairly well. But did you know that there is also the Athanasian Creed? Understand how the Creeds defined the very rule of faith for members of the Catholic Church.

What can we learn about Jesus' appearances to His disciples after his resurrection? Fr Joseph Zhang Liyong CDD helps deepen our understanding and shares what some of the Saints say about the Resurrected Lord.

Small sacrifices are traditionally in the form of prayer, fasting and almsgiving. But why do we sacrifice? What is a sacrifice and how can it be a gift? Join us in Part 5 of this Lenten Series with Fr Ignatius Yeo, as we enter Holy Week.

Find it difficult to go to Confession? Why do we confess to a priest? Together with CatholicSG Radio, we have students from the NTU, Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information joining us in this episode as part of their semester project. As part 4 of our Lenten Series, we have Fr Ignatius Yeo answer questions about the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

In Part 3 of this Lenten series with Fr Ignatius Yeo, find out how we can take small steps in our daily habits as a way of practising the Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy.

In Part 2 of this Lenten Series with Fr Ignatius Yeo, we learn about the Works of Mercy - Corporal and Spiritual. For the practical side of things, tune in to the next episode to find out how we can practise the Works of Mercy in our daily living.

We begin our Lenten Series with Fr Ignatius Yeo on the 3 Pillars of Lent - Prayer, Fasting and Almsgiving. How do these pillars of Lent help us apply or live out the teachings of Jesus?

It's time to bring all the jigsaw pieces together from Part 1 and 2 of this reflective series about Saint Joseph. Not only does he play an important role in Salvation History, but St Joseph is also a role model of faithfulness in his daily tasks. Let us meditate on the life of this quiet but active and creative man who was handpicked by God to be the foster father of Jesus and the husband and protector of Mary our Mother.

Join us in Part 2 of this series of The Servant who Waits and Serves (Saint Joseph) with Fr Emmanuel Noel OCD. Why did God choose to speak to St Joseph in dreams? We dive into the 4 dreams of Saint Joseph, recorded in the Gospel of Matthew that played a significant part in his life and his role as the foster father of Jesus.

With Fr Emmanuel Noel OCD, this is Ep 1 of a 3-part series on: A Servant Who Waits and Serves - Saint Joseph. What do we know about this great Saint and how can we learn from him whose words were not recorded in the Bible?

Fr Jean-Gabriel Pophillat OP, shares the beginnings of his call to religious life and how our Blessed Mother played a role in his vocation and formation. Despite his indecisive-nature in the past, it was the supernatural grace of God that eventually, made him take a leap of faith.

Today on Off the Pulpit, we get to better understand the place and rationale of Marian devotion in our Catholic faith. Fr Gerard Louis CSsR is a Redemptorist and lectures at the Catholic Theological Institute of Singapore in Theology, Christology and Mariology. We breakdown our discussion into 3 parts: Mary the Mother of Jesus, Mary the Mother of God and Mary the Mother of the Church.

Ever felt like you're not getting anything out of Mass? In Part 2 of Things we should do at Mass with Fr Iggy, we discuss how proper preparation before Mass is crucial. Because the goal for the Liturgy is: to give LIFE to the Christian mission - for we are the Body of Christ, united in body, mind, and voice.

While we may try to explain standing, sitting and kneeling as the rhythm of the Mass, we could also joke about it and say this is what we refer to as our ‘Catho-listhenics'. In Part 1 of "What we should do at Mass", we ask Fr Ignatius Yeo about the disposition we should have at Mass - the greatest form of worship! How can we give God all the glory, and experience a foretaste of heaven at this profound liturgical prayer?

The media is at the centre of our culture and it's also where we move, live and have our being. As Pope Francis has said, “The flood of information at our fingertips does not make for greater wisdom." What role does media play in our faith? Fr Michael Rossmann, SJ shares how he began the One-minute Homily online, and that relying on the Holy Spirit helps us stay grounded and navigate through the clutter.

The celebration of the Assumption of Mary is one of 17 different memorials, feasts and solemnities in honour of Mary our Mother, found in the Roman Liturgical calendar. Fr Eugene Vaz shares what the Assumption of Mary mean for us and how can we model Mary in her example to ponder and be more aware of God's presence in our lives.

Fr Ignatius Yeo shares on the Transfiguration of the Lord and how did it take place? Why did Moses and Elijah crash the party on top of Mt Tabor? Most of all, how should we contemplate on the Transfiguration in relation to living out our faith here on earth and in our eternal life that Jesus has promised us?

In this episode, Fr David Bellusci, OP speaks about the upcoming World Youth Day held at Lisbon, Portugal, and one of its patron Saints, in particular, a 20th century Lay Dominican who is on his way to Sainthood - Blessed Pier-Giorgio Frassati, also known as The Man of the Eight Beatitudes.

On 31st May, we celebrate the memorial of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Fr Joe Lopez, priest of the Prelature of the Holy Cross and Opus Dei, and Rector of St Joseph's Church (Victoria Street), shares with us the significance of this memorial and how we can imitate our Blessed Mother as she "arose and went with haste" to Ain Karim, travelling 160km to where her cousin Elizabeth was. Luke 1:39 is also the theme of this year's World Youth Day. Fr Joe shares more on how we can reflect and respond to these words of the Gospel through our daily living.

With the Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord coming in a few days, Fr Ignatius Yeo shares what the Ascension of the Lord Jesus is all about, the key message we can take away as people of faith, and even how the Ascension is related to Christmas.

In Part 2 of this series, Dominican Fr Lawrence Lew shares anecdotes of how our Lady of Guadalupe protected his life and vocation throughout his seminarian years, and gently brought him closer to Christ through the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary.

Dominican Fr Lawrence Lew, shares his vocation story and how his protestant background shaped the early years of his Christian faith and journey in Part 1 of this series. Remaining open to encountering God at Mass he eventually, heard God's call in unexpected and gentle ways by the people around him.

Participating fully in the Mass is the best prayer of our lives that we can ever offer. Fr Emmanuel Noel, OCD, shares that it is at every Mass where heaven and earth meet, making Mass the highest form of worship, and that we are all invited to adore and praise God together as one heavenly family. So come join us for Mass this Easter and always!

"I don't know how to pray!" Sound familiar? Formation Director at the Carmelite Community of St John of the Cross, Fr Emmanuel Noel shares how prayer is a conversation and a time of friendship with God. Father Emmanuel also delves into the (inspired) definition of prayer by various saints, the three levels of prayer (adapted from St Teresa's nine grades of prayer) and how we can respond to God's call to prayer.

From Off the Pulpit, Fr Adrian Danker who is the priest-in-residence at the Church of the Sacred Heart and spiritual director ministering to the Catholic LGBTQ Community shares his experience in walking with the community and how we are all called to accompany one another on this journey to sainthood. To get in touch with Fr Danker or the team, you can email to myplace@catholic.org.sg

With Ash Wednesday round the corner, Fr Ignatius Yeo dives deep into questions like what does Ash Wednesday mean to you? Do you know the significance, origins and meaning of this important Holy Day? Is Ash Wednesday actually mentioned in the bible? Find out more about what we can do to prepare our hearts this Lenten season, starting from Shrovetide Tuesday.

Fr Ignatius Yeo speaks about inter-culturality, in particular of Chinese art and the Catholic faith. He makes references to certain art pieces currently exhibited at the Asian Civilisations Museum (ACM) in Singapore. Drawn from the Anima Mundi (meaning “Soul of the World”) in the Vatican, these are little-known treasures of Christian art made in Asia.

Fr Ignatius Yeo chats about Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, and why it's important to remember our own baptism day.

In this final of four Advent recollections, Fr Greg Tan, SJ, invites us to reflect on our longing for Christ, and our desires this Christmas.

In this third of four Advent recollections, Fr Greg Tan, SJ, invites us to reflect on what God's desire for us is, and how that moves our hearts.

In this second of four Advent recollections, Fr Greg Tan, SJ, extends Jesus' invitation to us to come to him for rest, as we read in Matthew 11:25-30.

In this first of four Advent recollections, Fr Greg Tan, SJ, invites us to sit and reflect deeply on our year.

Fr Simon Ho speaks about the Memorial of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which we celebrate on 21 November.

Fr Eugene Vaz speaks about the Solemnity of Christ the King, in particular its origins and the implications of the celebration in our living.

Fr Adrian Yeo speaks about the Feast of the Dedication of the St John Lateran Basilica on 9th November, as well as the Centenary of the Holy Family Chapel in Katong.

Fr Ignatius Yeo speaks about purgatory and why we pray for the dead.

Fr Gerard Louis, CSsR, speaks about the Rosary and devotion to Our Lady. He also shares how our Blessed Mother has played a role in shaping him into the person he is today.

Fr Emmanuel Noel, OCD, shares stories of some specific saints who lived with the stigmata of Jesus and sadly even one who faked having these holy wounds. This is the second in a 2-episode series.

Fr Emmanuel Noel, OCD, tells us more about stigmata, including why some saints receive this phenomena. This is the first in a 2-episode series.

Fr Joe Lopez Carpio, Opus Dei, speaks about Saint Jerome, priest and doctor of the Church. Saint Jerome is best known for translating the Bible into Latin, a task given to him by Pope Saint Damasus. Saint Jerome's memorial is celebrated on 30th September.

Fr Ignatius Yeo shares about Saints Laurent Imbert and Jacques Chastan, whose memorial is celebrated on 20th September.

Fr Eugene Vaz shares about the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross and the memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows, which the Church celebrates on 14th and 15th Sep respectively.

Fr Justin Yip speaks about the significance of Our Lady's Nativity, which is celebrated as a feast on 8th September.