Pope: Preaching must awaken souls, not put them to sleep
By Junno Arocho Esteves – Preaching long, spiritually empty homilies can reduce the Word of God to a mere set of abstract concepts that fail to awaken...
Category: Preaching
New Documentary Chronicles Ministry of Papal Preacher
By Janna Reynolds – Most Catholics probably know there are specific roles within the papal household that support the papacy. Many may not be aware that the preacher...
In Preaching: KEEP IT REAL
Homilies and other forms of public speaking can be undermined by abstract and jargon-filled language which few can follow, Fr Chris Chatteris SJ argues. It’s better to use concrete examples when...
Prayer of St Dominic
St Dominic died 800 years ago but his strong legacy lives on. His feast day is August 8 and here’s his beautiful prayer. Don’t miss Fr Joe...
Ways to Spread the Burden of Giving Homilies
Derrick Kourie, Pretoria – I respond to Fr Chris Chatteris’ article “How not to crash the homily” Perhaps part of the problem is that over the years,...
Fr Chris Chatteris: How Not to Crash the Homily
At a time when many are bemoaning the general quality of preaching, Fr Chris Chatteris SJ proposes to subject homilies to proper professional standards. Plane crashes in...
Priest Hopes New Book Will Help Homilies
Dominican Father Joseph Falkiner (pictured) was motivated to write a book of reflections on the Sunday readings for the coming year by positive feedback received over the...
Sacraments Not for Sale, Bishop Warns
The sacraments are not for sale and priests must not demand payment for performing them if the recipient is indigent — but the faithful should pay stole fees if they can afford it, according to Bishop Victor Phalana of Klerksdorp.
Priests Need Early Public Speech Coaching
On the subject of preaching I have a strong opinion which I have voiced in “private” more than once: Good preaching starts with speech coaching at a very basic level at the beginning of the priest’s formation.
The Seeds of Good Preaching
At a time when the quality of homilies is a recurring talking point in the global Church, the example of Pope Francis’ preaching style can offer some direction.
In his homilies and talks at audiences, the Holy Father uses many of the methods which emulate Jesus’ approach to preaching: keeping the message and the way in which it is delivered simple, emphasising it with references to real life — Jesus would use parables to do that — and then driving home the point.
Good Preaching Needs Listening and Learning
Homilies must be relevant to those who hear them, and there are ways to achieve that, as KELVIN BANDA OP explains. Religious orders or congregations tend not to train their members on how to give a good homily. It is the people whom we serve who aid us in preparing and giving our best homilies.
Eclipse a Sign of End Times? More Like God’s Glory on Display
A priest has used the weeks leading to the eclipse as an opportunity to educate parishioners about the beauty of an eclipse with a bit of biblical...
