Along the dusty banks of the Orontes, in a city where merchants’ voices collided with imperial decrees and parish quarrels, the Antiochene masters learned to read Scripture under pressure. Not the pressure of modern ideology, but the older k … [Read more...]
The Homilies We Need
I have a confession: I have never heard a homily from the pulpit which I remember the next day. Now, granted, my memory is not great, so part of the fault is with me. But I don’t think I’m unique. Part of the problem might be that pre … [Read more...]
Short on Time: A Weekly Preparation Routine for Busy Preachers
Everyone is busy; schedules fill up quickly and priorities change for priests on a near-hourly basis. Sick calls, funerals, Pre-Cana preparation, school talks, meetings, meetings, and more meetings. Deacons and lay catechists … [Read more...]
A Sermon for Trinity Sunday
April 27, 2026 by Fr. John M. McDermott, SJ
One often hears how priests hesitate and tremble on Trinity Sunday as they confront the necessity of composing a sermon which sounds and expounds the most profound mystery of reality, the infinite God’s interior life which has been revealed … [Read more...]
Questions Answered – May 2026
April 27, 2026 by Rev. John P. Cush, STD
Homily vs. Sermon: Does the Difference Matter? Question One: According to the liturgy of the Catholic Church, what is the difference between a homily and a sermon? Answer: The distinction between a homily and a sermon in the Catholic … [Read more...]
Book Reviews – March 2026
February 23, 2026 by Book Reviews
Preaching from the Cross: Paul’s Theology of Proclamation. By Frank J. Matera. Reviewed by Rev. Vien V. Nguyen, SCJ. (skip to review) On the Dignity of Society: Catholic Social Teaching and Natural Law. By F. Russell Hittinger, ed. by Sc … [Read more...]
Preaching Repentance as Participation
January 26, 2026 by Patrick A. Gill
There is a legend that I once heard that tells of a mystical vision of the great translator of the Bible, St. Jerome. Visited by the Lord one night in prayer, the Lord asked St. Jerome to give to him a gift. Jerome, perplexed yet honored by … [Read more...]
Book Reviews – January 2026
December 29, 2025 by Book Reviews
The Diaconate and Marriage. By Deacon James Keating. Reviewed by Deacon Dominic Cerrato (skip to review) Sacred Music: A Preface to Christian Art and Music. By Charles Scribner III. Reviewed by Fr. John J. Conley, S.J. (skip to … [Read more...]
Homiletic Questions
September 29, 2025 by Deacon Peter Lovrick
The Church has called its clergy to preach the Word for centuries. It did not, however, lay down in a definitive way just how to do that. Preaching adapted, as it should, to the needs of the time. Ways of preaching in the patristic, … [Read more...]
Book Reviews – July 2024
June 28, 2024 by Book Reviews
Pope Francis and Mercy: A Dynamic Theological Hermeneutic. By Gill K. Goulding. Reviewed by Fr. Vien V. Nguyen, SCJ. (skip to review) Memoirs. By Jószef Cardinal Mindszenty. Reviewed by Fr. Joseph Briody. (skip to review) Gift and … [Read more...]
Three Catholic Preachers: Insights from Interviews with 43 Priests
May 24, 2024 by J.E. Sigler
If you ask laypeople why preaching in the Catholic Church is disappointing, they’ll usually give some variation on the answer, “Well, there’s a priest shortage, so priests are really busy, so they probably don’t have much time for preachi … [Read more...]
Preaching Dogma Kerygmatically
February 23, 2024 by Fr. Pieter van Rooyen
Thirteen years a priest, I have often heard Catholic faithful lament that their priests and deacons “don’t preach the hard truths,” but for many years I was reluctant to listen. This wasn’t because I was hostile to truth; rather, I didn’t wa … [Read more...]
Book Reviews – March 2024
February 23, 2024 by Book Reviews
The Power of Patristic Preaching: The Word in Our Flesh. By Fr. Andrew Hofer, OP. Reviewed by Br. Lawrence Joshua Johnson, CFR. (skip to review) The Future of Christian Marriage. By Mark Regnerus. Reviewed by Fr. Anthony R. Lusvardi, SJ. … [Read more...]
Book Reviews – October 2023
September 22, 2023 by Book Reviews
Aquinas on Scripture: A Primer. By John F. Boyle. Reviewed by D.M. Walker. (skip to review) Remembering Why We Preach: A Retreat to Renew Your Spirit and Skill. By Karla J. Bellinger and Michael E. Connors, CSC. Reviewed by Deacon … [Read more...]
Preaching the Heart of the Gospel
April 26, 2023 by Fr. Brent Bowen
Although I grew up in a nominally Catholic home, neither of my parents was particularly religious. We attended Sunday Mass occasionally as a family, but as we got older the demands of family life, sports, and other obligations quickly began … [Read more...]
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