Making Homilies Effective

A response to: Ideas for Better Sermons Emerge at Synod

Hans Urs von Balthasar never tired of saying that theology should be done on one's knees. So too with those given the ministry of preaching. Effective homilies must include three elements: doing one's homework, praying before and after the preparation, and timeliness (Sitz-im-Leben). At a time of grave financial anxiety, for example, what can Jesus and St. Paul say to today's secular man and woman that will resound within their person and lead them forward in courage and in hope?

Joan L. Roccasalvo, C.S.J.