Episodes

  • Never start a homily with these 4 words

    Never start a homily with these 4 words
    May 20 2024
    A surefire way to lose your congregation’s attention is to start a homily with “In today’s Gospel reading,” says Thomas Groome. “The purpose of good preaching,” he says, “is to bring our lives to God and God to our lives.” A preacher’s job, then, is to facilitate a meaningful conversation between the two. This week on “Preach,” Tom, a professor of theology and religious education at Boston College’s School of Theology and Ministry, preaches for the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity, Year B. Rather than speaking in theological abstractions, Tom uses a relatable concept - relationships - to illuminate the mystery of the Trinity, making it accessible to all. Tom joins host and co-producer Ricardo da Silva, S.J. and former student and co-producer Maggi Van Dorn, guest co-host for this episode, to share devices for connecting Scripture to everyday experience. He discusses his use of silence to deepen the congregation’s encounter with God and themselves, and shares insights gained from the 20 years he served as a priest, and now nearly 50 years as a teacher, including how he found his unique preaching voice. Read Tom’s homily. Read the Scripture readings for the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity, Year B. Get daily Scripture reflections and support “Preach” by becoming a digital subscriber to America Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    38 mins
  • Preachers: Tell a story that will stay with your listeners long after the homily is over.

    Preachers: Tell a story that will stay with your listeners long after the homily is over.
    May 13 2024
    Though Jesus preached in parables that still captivate us, not every story told in a homily has a similarly lasting impact. The Rev. Christopher Clohessy shares how preachers can craft stories that linger long after Mass is over. This week on “Preach,” host Ricardo da Silva, S.J., is joined by another South African priest. Chris is a priest of the Archdiocese of Cape Town who now teaches Arabic and Islamic theology at the Pontifical Institute for Arabic and Islamic studies in Rome. In his homily, Chris harnesses the technique of narrative storytelling to illuminate what the work of the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete, looks like in our lives. In the conversation after the homily, Ricardo and Chris talk about the power of telling stories in homilies—and the art of telling a good one. Chris says that a successful story starts with a character with whom the congregation can relate, and it comes alive through “word pictures,” images that will stick in listeners’ minds after the homily concludes. “You want to be able to get people involved, not in their listening, but in their imagination and in their emotions,” Chris explains. “I think a good emotional response to a sermon is a very important thing because in the Gospels, people respond emotionally to Jesus.” Read Chris’ homily. Read the Scripture readings for Pentecost. Get daily Scripture reflections and support “Preach” by becoming a digital subscriber to America Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    35 mins
  • Ron Hansen on bringing fiction-writing techniques to homily writing

    Ron Hansen on bringing fiction-writing techniques to homily writing
    May 6 2024
    Ron Hansen has written award-winning novels that have been turned into Hollywood hits. As an ordained deacon, he crafts equally compelling homilies. This week on “Preach,” Deacon Ron Hansen, a permanent deacon in the Archdiocese of Washington and a prolific author, preaches for the Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord, Year B. His homily reflects on the physical reality of the Ascension and the promise it holds for us. In the conversation after the homily, Ron and host Ricardo da Silva, S.J., talk about using homilies as a tool for building empathy, which Ron does by crafting vivid images that allow listeners to imagine themselves in the scene. They discuss the challenge of “writing for the ear” while preaching and using real-world examples that connect to deeper theological insights. Ron also makes his case for a short homily. Read Ron’s homily Read the Scripture readings for the Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord, Year B Get daily Scripture reflections and support “Preach” by becoming a digital subscriber to America Magazine Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    24 mins
  • What young adults most need to hear in a homily

    What young adults most need to hear in a homily
    Apr 29 2024
    While most parishes struggle to attract young members, Saint Clement Parish in Chicago stands out with a mostly young adult congregation. This week on “Preach,” the Rev. Peter Wojcik, the pastor of Saint Clement Parish in Chicago, Ill., preaches for the Sixth Sunday of Easter, Year B. In his homily, he reflects on the depth of Jesus’ committed love for us and our Christian duty—and challenge—to share that transformative love with others. In the conversation after the homily, Peter and host Ricardo da Silva, S.J., talk about strategies for preaching to a parish of mostly young adults and connecting with the community’s struggle with mental well-being. They also discuss strategies of welcoming newcomers to the parish, including on social media. Peter shares about how when he preps his homily, he focuses on how congregants will feel. He uses his homilies to bring them to a “place of freedom” where they can recognize God’s love and explore their faith. Read Peter's homily for the Sixth Sunday of Easter, Year B Read the Scripture readings for the Sixth Sunday of Easter, Year B Get daily Scripture reflections and support “Preach” by becoming a digital subscriber to America Magazine Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    33 mins
  • A preacher should offer the congregation a challenge—not cheap grace

    A preacher should offer the congregation a challenge—not cheap grace
    Apr 22 2024
    Gemma Simmonds, C.J., a theologian and sister at the Cambridge Theological Federation in Cambridge, England, preaches for the Fifth Sunday in Easter, Year B: In her homily, she reflects on her experience of poverty in Brazil, giving significance to Christ’s words: “Make your home in me as I make mine in you.” Then, in the conversation with host Ricardo da Silva, S.J., they discuss the importance of humility in preaching, her role as an ecumenical chaplain in the Church of England, preaching for the BBC and finding God’s presence in unexpected places—like poop. Read Gemma’s homily. Read the Scripture readings for the Fifth Sunday of Easter, Year B Get daily Scripture reflections and support “Preach” by becoming a digital subscriber to America Magazine Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    36 mins
  • Bishop Stowe preaches on the climate crisis for Good Shepherd Sunday

    Bishop Stowe preaches on the climate crisis for Good Shepherd Sunday
    Apr 15 2024
    “I think there's a major concern for living more in harmony with creation, which is a result of conversion,” says Bishop John Stowe, OFM Conv., “But I think Pope Francis is also, as our good shepherd, calling us to greater urgency to act because time is slipping away and we haven't done much.” Bishop John Stowe is a Conventual Franciscan, the third bishop of Lexington, Kentucky and the bishop president of Pax Christi. Listen to Bishop Stowe's homily for the Fourth Sunday of Easter, Year B, on this week’s episode of “Preach.” After the homily, he shares with host Ricardo da Silva, S.J., how he connects the image of the Good Shepherd from the gospels to the climate crisis. Read Bishop Stowe’s homily Read the Scripture readings for the Fourth Sunday of Easter, Year B Get daily Scripture reflections and support “Preach” by becoming a digital subscriber to America Magazine Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    27 mins
  • To be a good preacher, pray more and read widely

    To be a good preacher, pray more and read widely
    Apr 8 2024
    Good preaching requires mastery of rhetoric, in particular the tools of repetition and organization. “Otherwise, they’re not gonna remember,” says John Baldovin, S.J. “This is a no-brainer, but beginning, middle and end, and not trying to make too many points” are key to a compelling homily. He also adds with hyperbolic emphasis, “If you want to be a good preacher, you have to read, read, read, read, read and pray, pray, pray, pray, pray.” John, a Jesuit priest and professor of historical and liturgical theology at the Clough School of Theology and Ministry at Boston College, instructs candidates for the priesthood. He is in his 86th semester as a teacher, and specifically dedicates much of his time to helping future ordained ministers cultivate and refine their presiding and preaching styles and be good confessors. “I’ve preached a lot in my lifetime,” he shares with “Preach” host Ricardo da Silva, S.J. Listen to John’s homily for the Third Sunday of Easter to hear him share the wisdom of his years as a preacher and teacher, and why even in the season of Easter, it is important to hold the wounds of Jesus’ passion, together with the joy of resurrection. Read the Scripture readings for the Third Sunday of Easter, Year B Get daily Scripture reflections and support “Preach” by becoming a digital subscriber to America Magazine Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    25 mins
  • Striking a chord: The debate on singing in the homily

    Striking a chord: The debate on singing in the homily
    Apr 1 2024
    “Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!” This is how Kim Harris starts her homily for the Second Sunday of Easter—in joyous song. “When Thomas first the tidings heard / How they had seen the risen Lord / He doubted the disciples’ word. Alleluia!...” Such daring from the ambo has long struck a controversial chord with preachers and liturgists alike, prompting “Preach” host Ricardo da Silva, S.J., to ask Kim about her choice to start her homily in song. Kim, an assistant professor of African American Religious Thought and Practice at Loyola Marymount University, swiftly responds. “Not only am I a singer,” explains Kim, who is also a cantor, composer, recording artist and liturgical consultant for the Office of Black Ministry in the Archdiocese of New York. “But also, the idea of a preacher who sings as a part of their homily is part of many African American cultural traditions,” she adds. “The songs carry so many of our stories, hopes, and beliefs, and what we’re thinking about and believing and preaching about.” Listen to “Preach” as Kim shares her strategies for approaching well-known biblical narratives, such as Doubting Thomas in today’s Scriptures, in a fresh and insightful manner. She also offers guidance on interpreting Scripture with reverence for its historical context while remaining sensitive to contemporary challenges, like ableism, that confront congregations today. Read the Scripture readings for the Mass of the Day on Easter Sunday, The Resurrection of our Lord Get daily Scripture reflections and support “Preach” by becoming a digital subscriber to America Magazine Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    34 mins