Preparing for a homily for Sunday Mass requires prayer and more prayer

Homily at Sacred Heart of Jesus Church, Bayside, September 11, 2024

Preparing for a homily for Sunday Mass requires prayer time and more prayer! After doing this for more than 55 years as a deacon, priest, and bishop, I’m grateful to God for the opportunity to offer reflections on God’s word to God’s people. The homilist is in a unique position to speak words that both comfort and challenge the listeners. It is a privileged opportunity to preach God’s word! Before delivering a homily, my practice has always been to whisper a prayer asking that I might speak what God wants the people to hear – not my words, but His word. The homilist is merely the instrument that God uses to convey His message.

For me, the preparation begins on Monday for the following Sunday. At least the remote preparation! Monday is the time to preview the scripture readings for the upcoming Sunday’s liturgy! It is so important to get the passages, especially the Gospel, firmly fixed in my thinking. One homily teacher I had years ago in the seminary told us to start by reading the readings early in the week and then keep them in mind as we read the current events in the newspaper or hear them on television news reports. The intention was to tie the meaning of the passage to our lives today. It’s not always easy to make the connections, but it is usually doable. The Holy Spirit plays an important role in the homily prep as the homilist needs time to reflect on what God has spoken in the words of human authors of the Bible, and most importantly, how God continues to speak to His people today!

The best homilies are the ones prepared in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament! This has been proven to me over and over again. Somehow, in having a heart-to-heart with Jesus in His presence, a thought or an idea is received. The only way I can explain it is to say God is revealing His message to His messenger. The scripture readings are powerful and contain so much life, hope, and food for thought! In fact, it’s appropriate to say, we are fed at the table of God’s word and then again most, especially at the table of the altar! God speaks to us and God feeds us! How blessed we are to hear Him speak to us, and then to share the sacred food of the Holy Eucharist!

As the week unfolds, I find myself praying more to God the Holy Spirit to enlighten me, guide me, and strengthen me to give the people a special message on the coming Sunday! I have become so aware of how I am not the one actually delivering the message, even though it is my voice! God uses us to do His work. I have also become keenly aware of the people listening. Each of them is in a different relationship with God, and each of them brings their own understanding of God to the Church. I have also found that I must know my audience: every congregation listens differently, as each person hears the message in a different way. May God continue to use me and all homilists, guided by the Holy Spirit, to touch the hearts of His people who are eager to be fed.