SU P P O RT FO R LITU RG I C A L M I N ISTER S
L I V I N G
T H E
E U C H A R I S T
1
Becoming an Effective Preacher BY JAMES A. WALLACE, C.SS.R.
P
arishioners who participate in Living the Eucharist during Lent will have high expectations for the homily when they come to Sunday Mass. People will have spent time praying over a passage from the Sunday readings, using the lectio divina method, thereby enabling the Word of God to enter their minds and hearts. Families using the Family Activity Booklet will gather once each week to learn about the Eucharist and focus on the gospel reading for the following Sunday. Parishioners who participate in Living the Eucharist will come anticipating a homily that speaks to their lives and draws them deeper into the Paschal Mystery of Jesus Christ, celebrated in the Eucharist. Preachers can meet these expectations if they take into account the following requests that have come from two recent surveys conducted among Sunday listeners. One grant study identified four desired characteristics of an effective homily: clear, relevant, inspirational, and motivational (see page 3, David J. Shea, Unfulfilled in Their Hearing, in Recommended Reading). Another grant project, done by the National Catholic Educational Association, Seminary Division, consulted focus groups and conducted an online survey. The end product was a DVD, titled Effective Preaching: What Catholics Want, that said people
ask that the homily be rooted in the Scriptures, relevant to the lives of the listeners, motivational, and well prepared (see Recommended Viewing, on page 3). The desired characteristics identified by these two studies can easily be combined into the following profile of an effective homily.
AN INSPIRING MESSAGE ROOTED IN GOD’S WORD In a world scarred by divisions and fragmented by harsh words and violent actions, people are hungry for a word that nourishes their spirit, offering both comfort and challenge. But most of all, they are hungry for a word that evokes faith, restores hope, and inspires love for all creation and for all men and women of all races, creeds, and cultures. People hear the Scriptures proclaimed every week. Then they wait for the preacher to bring God’s Word to them, primarily out of texts that, on first hearing, often seem to have little connection to each other or to their lives. The calling and glory of the preacher is to be passionately and genuinely engaged in an effort to bring God’s Word to
SU P P O RT FO R LITU RG I C A L M I N ISTER S
L I V I N G
T H E
E U C H A R I S T
2
the life experiences of people in a way that deepens their faith in the living God, fully revealed in Jesus Christ. People come to Mass wanting to be fed with food that nourishes them, food that draws them into the mystery of the dying and rising of Christ and helps them see how their lives today are connected to this mystery. A relevant message requires that the preacher be in dialogue with the people. He can even invite them to collaborate in the homily preparation by sharing what they hear the readings saying to them, what is troubling, confusing, or what offers them meaning in today’s world. He can welcome feedback once the homily has been preached. A relevant message reaches those present, independent of ethnicity, age, education, gender, culture, class, or whatever lens is used to look at the congregation. This message aims to address both the personal aspects of life, and also what is happening on the local, national, and international levels.
A PERSUASIVE MESSAGE THAT MOTIVATES
people’s attention and offer some understanding of it, so God’s Spirit can breathe new life into them. God’s Word is located especially in the Scriptures, of course, but also in the liturgical texts—the prayers, hymns, and sacred actions of the Eucharist. God’s Word is also found in events happening in our parish, city, country, and world. The preacher who listens for this Word and weaves it into a homily that speaks to the congregation’s deepest needs and concerns nourishes the Body of Christ. People desire a message that lifts their hearts and minds, allowing them to transcend the forces that pull them down into discouragement and disillusionment.
A RELEVANT MESSAGE THAT CONNECTS WITH PEOPLE’S LIVES A relevant word does two things for listeners. It shows an understanding of their lives, their joys and sorrows, their needs and desires. It also connects the Word of God with
People ask for a message that moves them, that even provokes change. Whereas they often come into church preoccupied and distracted, worried and weary, they want a reason to “lift up their hearts,” to give thanks and praise. This leads to that great communal Amen at the end of the Eucharistic Prayer and that Amen of personal commitment when receiving the Body and Blood of Christ. Listeners also ask for a word that moves them back into the world, re-committed to building up the Kingdom of God as their life circumstances allow. Motivation comes from a preacher on fire with love for Jesus Christ and his Body now gathered for worship.
A CLEAR MESSAGE THAT HAS BEEN WELL PREPARED The most frequent request is for clarity, and clarity comes from adequate preparation. Some of the reasons behind this request are homilies that wander in the wilderness, directionless and in search of a focus; homilies that try to pack in too much; homilies that offer irrelevant stories
SU P P O RT FO R LITU RG I C A L M I N ISTER S
L I V I N G
T H E
E U C H A R I S T
3
that often shed more light on the preacher’s interests than on God’s Word or that contain a message with little connection with listeners’ lives or needs. In a world saturated with demands for people’s attention, a homily lacking clarity, both of thought and expression, will have little chance of bearing fruit. Failure to offer a clear message results not only from the lack of a clear focus or a clear development of thought but also from the method of communication. If a preacher cannot be heard due to a poor sound system, cannot be understood due to a heavy accent or rapid-fire speech, or
RECOMMENDED VIEWING National Catholic Educational Association, Seminary Division. Effective Preaching: What Catholics Want (DVD). Washington, DC: NCEASeminary Division, 2010. This DVD is available from NCEA Publications, 1005 North Glebe Rd. Suite 525, Arlington, VA 22201, (800) 711-6232, http://www.ncea.org/store.
RECOMMENDED READING Guerric DeBona, OSB. Preaching Effectively, Revitalizing Your Church: The Seven-Step Ladder Toward Successful Homilies. Mahwah, NJ: Paulist
cannot hold interest due to speaking in a monotone or a sing-song speech pattern, the message will be lost. Allowing sufficient time to prepare and having a good method of preparation are key to a clear message.
Press, 2009. David J. Shea. Unfulfilled in Their Hearing: Critical Issues in the Sunday Homily. Cincinnati, OH: St. Anthony Messenger Press, 2010. Ken Untener. Preaching Better: Practical Suggestions for Homilists. Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press, 1999. James A. Wallace (ed.). Preaching in the Sunday Assembly: A Pastoral Commentary on Fulfilled in Your Hearing. Commentary and Text. Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 2010.
WISDOM FROM ST. ALPHONSUS DE LIGUORI We have spoken principally about the homily up until now, but the homily springs from the mind, heart, and spirit of the preacher. In his work The Dignity and Duty of Priests, St. Alphonsus de Liguori offered a verbal profile of the pastoral preacher, noting seven characteristics. They are still relevant in our time. Alphonsus wrote that the pastoral preacher will be 1) a person of study, 2) living a life of good example, 3) committed to meditation and prayer, 4) speaking from the heart, 5) having the right intention—God’s glory, 6) able to be understood by all listeners, and 7) gifted with the necessary skills to communicate effectively.
SU P P O RT FO R LITU RG I C A L M I N ISTER S
L I V I N G
T H E
E U C H A R I S T
REFLECTION QUESTIONS n
Would you add any additional characteristics
of effective preaching? n
What is essential in your preparation process?
n
Do you get feedback about your preaching? How?
BECOME A MORE EFFECTIVE PREACHER WHEN YOUR PARISH IS IMPLEMENTING LIVING THE EUCHARIST n
Learn what parishioners are experiencing. Read
the Living the Eucharist Participant Booklet, the Participant Booklet for Teens, the Family Activity
THE POWER OF EFFECTIVE PREACHING Effective preaching can make such a difference in the world. It can sow a gospel seed that brings forth a harvest of new life in individual listeners and in a community. It can offer nourishment that allows a community to grow into its full stature as the Body of Christ. And it can even help bring about a new world order where peace and understanding, mercy and reconciliation, generosity and gratitude are embodied in social and communal structures. Such preaching will fulfill the promise made through the prophet Isaiah: that God’s Word will not return void but will achieve the end for which it was sent (see Isaiah 55:10-11).
AUTHOR
n
Booklet, the bulletin inserts, and From Exodus to Easter: My Daily Journey Through Lent. Each of these resources invites parishioners to encounter the Word of God over the six weeks of Lent. Read the applicable parts of these resources each week as you prepare your homily for Sunday. n
Listen to the experience of the parishioners who are
participating in Living the Eucharist and understand how their participation helps them to grow in holiness and live the Eucharist during the week.
Rev. James A. Wallace, C.Ss.R. is professor of homiletics at the Washington Theological Union in
Washington, DC. He is the author of Preaching to the Hungers of the Heart: Preaching on the Feasts and Within the Rites (Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 2002) and The Ministry of Lectors, rev. ed. (Liturgical Press, 2004). Copyright Š 2012 by Paulist Evangelization Ministries. Permission is granted to duplicate this article for educational purposes related to Living the Eucharist. Published by Paulist Evangelization Ministries, 3031 Fourth Street, NE, Washington, DC 20017, www.pemdc.org
PH OTOS: W.P. W IT TM A N LI M ITED, PAGES 2, 3 A N D 4.
4