Over the years sitting in the pews, I have heard some wonderful homilies — and, on occasion, some not so wonderful. Now that I have the honor of preaching as a deacon at Mass, I try my best to break open the Scriptures and let the Holy Spirit guide me in nourishing God’s people.
I am in no way a great homilist, and I have only been preaching for the last five years since my ordination. The homily is ordinarily given by the priest celebrant, but as a deacon I may be given the occasion to preach. On those occasions, I usually start with the same routine of preparation.
On the Monday before I am to preach, I read all the Scriptures for the following Sunday’s Mass. I spend some time meditating on the readings, contemplating them and seeing where the Holy Spirit guides me to a certain phrase or theme. I usually read them again, this time reading the chapters before and after, to get the context of the passages on which I am to preach. Sometimes, I am inspired right away to put pen to paper. Other times, I must do more research. Over the next day or two, I consult books in my library or commentaries that I find online about the readings. By then, I have started formulating something in my mind and can begin writing.
I’ve been told by parishioners that they appreciate it when I mention my family, or the actions of my sons and grandsons, in my homilies. I guess they can relate to that. I usually try to include a story or two, since that is how Jesus preached, using parables and stories to engage the faithful. As my homiletic teacher often said, “You don’t want people to start tuning out and working on their shopping list.”
Usually by Wednesday, I have the first draft written. I try to keep my homilies to between seven and 10 minutes, which usually works out to about 1,000 words. Once I have my first draft, I will read it to my wife, who is my best critic and editor. She will often make suggestions or ask me to explain something that wasn’t clear. It is great having someone else to consult before finalizing the text.
By Thursday or Friday, I read and re-read my words and continue to pray over them before I finally print out my homily. I still print out my homilies and read them from the ambo. I have not become comfortable enough to preach without reading, or to preach while in front of the sanctuary. Maybe someday that will come, but for now I prefer to be at the ambo.
It is an amazing feeling every time I preach. I feel that it is not me that is speaking, but that it is the Holy Spirit speaking through me. I have spoken in public before many times, but it is not the same feeling as I get when preaching the Word of God.
I hope that this helps you to appreciate all that priests and deacons do to prepare homilies for Mass. I hope and pray that you can find something in each homily that inspires you and brings the reality of God into your life. As Pope Francis stated in Evangelii Gaudium, “The homily can actually be an intense and happy experience of the Spirit, a consoling encounter with God’s word, a constant source of renewal and growth.”
By Deacon Dan D’Amelio