‘Sacraments aren’t vending machines’: Preaching God’s grace as encounter, not transaction

This week on Preach, we launch a new series: Preaching for the Sacraments—how homilists can bring depth and imagination to their preaching during some of the Catholic Church’s most meaningful rites.

To set the stage, host Ricardo da Silva, S.J., speaks with Anthony Ruff, O.S.B., Benedictine monk and professor of liturgy at Saint John’s School of Theology and Seminary in Minnesota. Together they unpack what sacraments truly are—and how to preach them with both depth and imagination.

“A sacrament is not a vending machine where we put the thing in our action and then the thing comes out automatically,” Anthony explains. “God acts through symbols such as water and oil and laying on hands and exchanging the peace with one another and singing together.” Grace is not dispensed mechanically, but unfolds through real human experience: “If I’m becoming more human and growing in community, I’m being divinized.”

Preaching at sacramental celebrations must therefore begin with the lives of those gathered, not abstract theology. “I really try to say, what’s the word that will be Christ for them, that will resonate with their experience?” Anthony reflects. “We really have to think about the whole life of this community—and then our homily is a part of that.”

In this episode:

00:00 – ‘A sacrament is not a vending machine’

01:10 – Introduction

02:40 – Meet Anthony Ruff: monk and teacher

04:00 – About the Compelling Preaching Grant

08:10 – What is a sacrament? Encounter, not simply ritual

08:48 – What is the core purpose of the sacrament?

13:20 – A sacrament as a sign of peace

15:50 – Mystery, not magic

17:38 – Becoming aware of the God's presence in your life

19:48 – Sacraments vs. sacramentals: what’s the difference?

21:40 – Sacraments for community and the individual

24:05 – A final word on sacraments

27:05 – What preaching is for?

28:45 – Homilies at sacramental Masses: rite or readings?

33:10 – Symbols as stage directions

36:40 – Challenges and pitfalls of preaching the sacraments

38:50 – How long does it take to prepare for a sacrament

40:50 – Keeping the mystery of the sacraments alive

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