preaching Archives

Roman Notebook: A homily that brought home what it is to forgive

Sep 14, 2020

Catholics actually love to gripe about boring homilies, so much so that a 2019 book titled The Crisis of Bad Preaching called “hollow, vacuous preaching” perhaps “the most common complaint of Catholics around the world.”

By John L. Allen Jr.

Rev. Graham dies; world famous evangelist was admired by most Americans

Feb 21, 2018

The Rev. Billy Graham, a fiery Baptist preacher who was easily the most famous evangelist of the 20th century and for decades one of the world figures most admired by Americans, died early Feb. 21 at his home in Montreat, according to the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. He was 99.

By Catholic News Service

“Good Homily, Father” — or is it? ND Focuses on Preaching Success

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Preaching feedback is hard to find. It would be rare for a parishioner who is trained in communication to sit down with his parish priest over a cup of coffee and shoot the breeze about public speaking. If a priest or deacon wants to grow more effective in reaching his people, how is he to go about it?

By John S. Marten Program in Homiletics and Liturgics

A lesson for Catholic preachers in the power of brevity

Dec 19, 2016

The shocking brevity of a 27-word homily was a reminder that one problem with much Catholic preaching is simply that it goes on too long, in part because homilists sometimes don’t appear to weigh every word to determine if they’re actually necessary.

By John L. Allen Jr.

Preaching key to attracting church-shoppers, survey finds

Aug 25, 2016

For Americans considering finding a new house of worship or switching their religious affiliation, quality preaching is most common attraction cited, a new survey finds, and in-person visits are far more consequential in sealing the deal than a snazzy web site.

By Lauren Markoe

On politics in the pulpit, a preacher’s dance is always delicate

Aug 15, 2016

Especially in an election season, preaching the full Gospel prevents a congregation from putting the preacher in one ideological box. One may sound like a Republican one Sunday, a Democrat the next, and a dyed-in-the-wool Socialist the next. It all depends on the Sunday.

By Fr. Edward L. Beck