Shows
Catholic ConfessionsDoubt your doubts (reflection)If you find yourself often giving angry retorts to words of advice given by family members or close friends, that behaviour may be based on your own assumptions of what they think about you. Find out more about what OXYGEN writer Desmond Soon gleaned from reflecting on the words of Jesus to Peter in Matthew 14:28-31.
Read Desmond's reflection here.
About the writer:
Desmond Soon is a member of OXYGEN, a Catholic writing group that publishes daily scripture reflections on https://godismyoxygen.com/.
2020-08-0904 min
Catholic ConfessionsThe art of interfaith dialogueHow can one dialogue with other faiths that have different beliefs and teachings?
Father Bruno Saint Girons MEP, shares his experience and insights gained from his involvement with inter-religious organisations in Singapore.
About the speaker:
Fr Bruno is a priest with the Society of Foreign Missions of Paris. He served in parishes in Singapore for several years before returning to France to continue his inter-religious work.
2020-07-2632 min
2020-07-1204 min
Catholic ConfessionsAgainst dumbed-down Catholicism"Catholics don't read the bible." "Catholics don't evangelise." Are you bothered by such statements? Or do you laugh them off? In this episode, we discuss the problems associated with dumbed-down Catholicism in the context of the Church in Singapore.
About the speaker:
Nicholas Chui has a Masters degree from the John Paul II Institute for Marriage and Family (Melbourne). He is a member of the Catholic Theology Network in Singapore.
2020-06-2826 min
Catholic ConfessionsKintsugi: To bind up hearts that are broken (reflection)Wounds and scars are usually seen as ugly, even shameful things. But in the hands of God, even the ugliest things can become beautiful.
In this reflection written by OXYGEN contributor Stephanie Villa, she explores the beauty of God's healing love through the lens of a Japanese artform called kintsugi (scripture reference - Isaiah 61:1-3, 6, 8-9)
Read Stephanie's reflection here.
About the writer:
Stephanie Villa is a member of OXYGEN, a Catholic writing group that publishes daily scripture reflections on https://godismyoxygen.com/.
2020-06-1303 min
Catholic ConfessionsPentecost - Not the birthday of the church?"Happy Pentecost! The church was born today!"
Sounds familiar? You might hear this from your parish priest during the celebration of Pentecost, 50 days after Easter.
But do you know that according to Catholic teaching, Pentecost doesn't mark the birth of the church?
Join Father Ferdinand Purnomo OCD as he addresses this common misconception.
About the speaker:
Fr Ferdinand holds a licentiate in Biblical Theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University (Rome). He is the spiritual director for the Archdiocesan Biblical Apostolate and the Catholic Theology Network in Sin...
2020-05-3024 min
Catholic ConfessionsFaith & Science - Creation/Evolution?Have you always had the impression that theories such as evolution and Big Bang are not quite in line with what the bible says about creation? If your answer is "yes", then this episode is for you.
About the speaker:
Edith Koh is the host and creator of Catholic Confessions. As a former Biology educator, she is keen to explore the relationship between faith and science.
2020-05-0209 min
Catholic ConfessionsIs COVID-19 a wake-up call from God?The devastating impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has led many to ask the question - Where is God in all of this? Why did He let this calamity befall the world? Is this God's way of punishing us?
In this episode, Father Ferdinand Purnomo OCD shares his take on how we can make sense of and respond to the pandemic.
About the speaker:
Fr Ferdinand holds a licentiate in Biblical Theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University (Rome). He is the spiritual director for the Archdiocesan Biblical Apostolate and the Catholic Theology Network i...
2020-04-1723 min
Catholic ConfessionsHumility (reflection)Have you been falsely accused before? The thoughts and feelings that ensue can be very difficult to deal with.
In this reflection written by Annette Soo, she shares how she hung on to her feelings of bitterness and resentment before learning an important lesson in humility.
(Scripture reference: Luke 14:1,7-14)
About the writer:
Annette Soo is a member of OXYGEN, a Catholic writing group that publishes daily scripture reflections on https://godismyoxygen.com/.
2020-04-0905 min
Catholic ConfessionsFinding a quiet placeIn the gospels, Jesus often went off by himself to pray. Yet many of us are very uncomfortable with silence and solitude. To the uninformed, silent retreats can sometimes be viewed with trepidation or as an oddity.
In this episode, we explore the beauty of quiet solitude by sharing our experience of silent retreats.
About the speaker:
Nicholas Lye is a creative evangelist and lay missionary. Find out more about his work at https://www.instagram.com/lyenicholas/
2020-04-0317 min
Catholic ConfessionsWhat is your personal vocation?Have you ever wondered what is your purpose in this world, according to how God created you?
This podcast introduces the concept of a personal vocation, which is different from the secondary vocations of single/married life/career.
About the speaker:
Nicholas Lye is a creative evangelist and lay missionary. Find out more about his work at https://www.instagram.com/lyenicholas/
2020-03-0618 min
Catholic ConfessionsWalking the CaminoYou'll meet different people, including yourself. You can reach a deeper understanding of who God is and your relationship with Him. Such is the allure of the famed Camino, that the pilgrimage is on many people's bucket lists.
In this episode, we share our experiences of undertaking this journey.
About the speaker:
Dylan Tan has done the Camino walk twice. He is an avid volunteer for various causes, and is a member of the Prized Possessions group in the Church of Our Lady of Perpetual Succour.
2020-02-0621 min
Catholic ConfessionsA Radical Life in ChristWhat is it like to live the radical life of a missionary?
Simplicity in material possessions and a reliance on the generosity of others may not seem enticing to a typical city dweller, but they do test the boundaries of what we deem to be “full submission to God”.
Tune in to find out about the experiences of Nicholas Lye and Francis Tay as they reflect about their 5-month stint at the School of Mission in New Zealand.
2020-01-1027 min
Catholic Confessions377A - The Last StandThe storm surrounding the repeal of Section 377A of the Penal Code has been raging since last year in Singapore. Section 377A criminalises sex between consenting male adults. As a citizen of this country, there are three decisions you can make – 1) support the repeal, 2) support the retention, 3) do nothing. What should one do? What is the best course of action?
In this podcast, join Dominic Chan, a Catholic and a practising lawyer, as he makes the case for exercising prudential judgement from the perspective of the common good.
About the speaker:
Dominic Ch...
2019-07-3127 min
Catholic ConfessionsCan Church teachings change?Can Church teachings change?
In his letter to the Ephesians, St. Paul wrote “Slaves, be obedient to those who are your earthly masters…” (Ephesians 6:5) Slavery was widely accepted in the ancient world, and St. Paul did not make any direct challenge to the practice. In the CCC (Catechism of the Catholic Church) of the modern day, we find that in paragraph 2414, it says that the enslavement of human beings is a sin. Did the Church change her teachings on slavery? In the first place, how should we understand the concept of “change”?
Tune in to this podca...
2019-07-0317 min
Catholic ConfessionsWas Christianity an invention?Around 2000 years ago, a group of Jews started to gather for Sunday worship, worship a certain individual as a divine being, regard this person as the Messiah and proclaim that the kingdom of God had come.
Why did they act, think and speak in such a manner? What prompted such a radical departure from Judaism? Did the early Christians invent their own theology in order to continue the legacy of Jesus? More importantly, was the resurrection an actual event?
About the speaker:
Chandra Nugraha holds a doctorate degree. He is a member of the...
2019-06-0920 min
Catholic ConfessionsHow does Jesus’ dying save me? (Part 2 of 2)"For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate, he suffered death and was buried…" The Nicene Creed does not provide much information about how we are saved by Christ, if at all. And indeed, the church does not have a dogma about it. What we have is the product of centuries of biblical scholarship - the theories of atonement.
In Part 2 of this podcast, we look at three more theories, namely Jesus as 1) victorious champion, 2) moral influence, and 3) the ultimate scapegoat. Do join us as we round up our discussion on these theories, and talk about th...
2019-05-0921 minCatholic ConfessionsHow does Jesus‘ dying save me? (Part 1 of 2)How does Jesus’ dying save me? (Part 1 of 2)
Jesus came to “give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). We have been “bought with a price” (1 Cor 6:20). For around a millennium, a prominent theory was that Jesus’ death was a ransom paid to Satan to deliver mankind from the bondage of sin.
In disagreement with this line of thinking (because why should Satan have so much power over God?!), Saint Anselm of Canterbury, an archbishop and theologian from the 13th century, originated the idea that Jesus’ death was a satisfaction. Satisfaction here does not mean gratifica...
2019-05-0215 min
Catholic ConfessionsAm I really my child‘s first catechist?Parents are their children's first catechists, so it is said.
Two young parents, Felicia Zou and Barry Chia, discuss the ups and downs of bringing up their kids in the faith.
2018-12-2907 min
Catholic Confessions7 things to know about ChristmasDid you know that Christmas is not based on a pagan holiday as widely believed? Or that the Nativity scene may not be completely biblical?
Tune in to this podcast to learn more about the most wonderful time of the year.
About the speaker: Keenan Tan has a Masters degree in Theology from the Augustine Institute.
2018-12-2325 min
Catholic ConfessionsA Homily WishlistHave you ever sat at mass wishing that the homily was better? What, in your opinion, is a good homily?
Three laypersons share their preferences and pet peeves for mass homilies.
Speakers: Edith Koh, Felicia Zou, Mark Goh
2018-12-2309 min