A Catholic Pastor Preacher

Introduction: The evangelisation is the key to every Christian. This evangelisation entails primarily proclamation of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. This must be our priority as the Church. There needs to be an explicit proclamation of Jesus Christ. The evangelisation is the task of the Church and since we make the Church we are called to be evangelisers in the world.

1.     Everyone proclaims the Gospel: The task to evangelize falls on everyone not merely the hierarchy. This task must begin in our Church. “Everyone must feel welcome and loved in the Church.” (114). Our Church is diverse; diverse in cultures, yet the Church must be a place of unity and love. “However defective we are, we have to go on being missionary” (121). Parents and children, both hold same good for evangelisation. Therefore, everyone is called to be evangelizers.

Question: What is my role in spreading the Gospel?

2.     Popular piety: Inculturated Gospel can help us to strengthen ourselves in God. Popular piety is one of the evangelizing power and “must not underestimate. We need to promote and strengthen it. Expressions of popular piety have much to teach us especially in the new evangelisation.

Question: Do I encourage popular devotions in my family or in my church community? 

3.     Homily, a heart to heart conversation: The Church is a communion of people. The Church has a relationship with every member of the community. Church is like a mother and faithful are like children, thence, the Church must speak the mother tongue to its children so that they understand. “The homily is the touchstone for judging a pastor’s closeness and ability to communicate to his people. The homily must be an intense and happy experience of the Spirit, a consoling encounter with God’s Word, a constant source of renewed growth” (135).

Question: Do you think your homilist talks to you heart?

4.     Keep silence and allow God to Speak: The preacher’s primary task is to synthesis that joins hearts together and not ideas or detached values. It is part of the liturgical celebration between God and His people. Therefore, a homily must be part of that dialogue not a lecture (138). “The preacher should radiate the qualities of closeness, warmth, simplicity and joy” (140). A homily is not speech or an extempore rather it is a heart to heart conversation (141). It is God who speaks through the homilist.

Question: Do your preacher has a heart to heart conversation with you?

5.     Homily must be prepared: “A preacher who does not prepare is not ‘spiritual’; he is dishonest and irresponsible with the gifts he has received” (145). The gifts that a priest received at the Sacrament of the Holy Orders to live and spread the Gospel. A preacher needs to spend time in to understand the words and convey it to the faithful. “Preparation must take time, interest, and undivided attention” (146). A preacher must follow in his life what he is preaching. “The clarity of the message must first resonate to the heart of the preacher, before this can happen to the people” (149).

Question: Do you think your preacher has spent enough time in reflecting, praying, and preparing his homily?

6.     Preach what people what to hear: It would not make any sense if a preacher preaches what people don’t want to hear. Hence, it becomes a monologue, a non heart to heart conversation. “Whoever preaches should first discover what message the people need to hear” (154). “A preacher should never respond to questions that nobody asks” (155).

Question: Do you hear from the preacher what you don’t want to hear?

7.     Speak people’s language: A preacher needs to use different techniques and images to convey the message effectively (158). “A preacher should avoid seminary language or professionalisms: they should use people’s language” (158). A preacher must understand the feeling and emotions among the faithful in order to preach effectively; a language of feelings and emotions of the people. “A preacher must always be positive, even when pointing out negative things” (159). Therefore, pulpit is not a place to point out to people their mistakes by excluding the preacher. A negative preacher will make his listeners negative people.

Question: Do you think your preacher understands your language: language of your feelings?

Conclusion: A homily must well up from the preacher’s heart and not from his head. A preacher must speak the language of the people and to heart to heart. Through the preacher God speaks to His people, hence, renewing the relationship with God. In order to be a good preacher, one has to listen before he preaches; listen to the word of God in silence and listen to the people of God. This way a preacher can speak to the heart of the faithful.