

Preach: The Catholic Homilies Podcast
America Media
Every Sunday, millions hear homilies. But what separates the forgettable from the inspiring? Preach, from America Media, goes behind the pulpit to reveal the art and craft of great Catholic preaching. Host Ricardo da Silva, S.J.—Jesuit priest and associate editor at America Media in NYC—features weekly homilies from outstanding preachers, followed by intimate conversations. From Scripture interpretation to delivery, discover what makes today’s most compelling Catholic voices so transformative.
Read featured homilies and daily Scripture reflections at americamagazine.org/subscribe
Preach is supported by a generous grant from Lilly Endowment Inc., as part of its Compelling Preaching Initiative.
Read featured homilies and daily Scripture reflections at americamagazine.org/subscribe
Preach is supported by a generous grant from Lilly Endowment Inc., as part of its Compelling Preaching Initiative.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Oct 6, 2025 • 48min
Birthday parties, hugs, and God’s Love: Preaching First Communion to children
“What does it mean to receive Jesus in Holy Communion? It’s like Jesus is giving us a big hug, saying, ‘I love you so much. I want you to be close to me always,’” says Russell Pollitt, S.J., pastor of Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Johannesburg and chaplain to Catholic elementary and middle schools, to the children preparing for their First Communion.
Russell uses vivid, everyday examples—birthdays, friends, hugs and gifts—to help children grasp God’s particular love for them. His First Communion homily avoids the often abstract sacramental and Eucharistic theology, inviting all in the parish community—children, parents, guardians and catechists—to “imagine Jesus giving you a big hug today” and encounter God’s love in the Eucharist.
Part of the Preaching for the Sacraments series, in this episode “Preach” host Ricardo da Silva, S.J., talks with Russell about how this accessible approach helps the entire community experience Jesus as a friend. By engaging the congregation as a whole in deepening their faith alongside the children, “we can together form future disciples whose hearts are on fire with the love of Jesus.”
00:00 Why First Communion is Really About God’s Love
01:30 Meet Father Russell Pollitt, Jesuit Priest in Johannesburg
03:39 Helping Kids Understand God’s Love for Them
07:12 Sacraments Are About Community, Not Checking Boxes
08:37 Preaching: Sacrament, Scripture, or Feast?
11:11 A First Communion Homily That Connects with Kids and Adults
19:53 Talking Directly to Kids: Why It Matters
25:21 Do We Celebrate Sacraments or Receive Them? Why It Matters
31:54 Preaching Sacraments in Schools vs. Parishes
35:00 A Message for Life: “You Are Special, God Loves You”
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Sep 29, 2025 • 47min
Baptism isn’t just about the baby
“This isn’t just about the baby, this isn’t just about the parents and godparents. This is about all of us and it is about our faith.” This is the realization that came to Con O’Mahony, Vicar for Education in the Diocese of Hamilton, Ontario, and pastor at St. Margaret Mary Parish, while attending a Baptism at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in Los Angeles. Standing in a filled cathedral before John Nava’s magnificent tapestries depicting the communion of saints, he suddenly understood: “We are not doing this alone. We’re not doing this in isolation. We are doing this with the whole church—there’s something bigger than ourselves.”
Con explains that preaching doesn’t start at the ambo—it begins in personal encounters, especially when preparing for sacraments as personal as baptism. He connects with families before any paperwork is done, even if only for a few minutes before the ceremony, asking about the child’s name and listening to their stories. Often, his best homily material comes from these everyday conversations—like a second grader’s humorous definition of Baptism: “When the priest gives you a bath in church so that God will like you better.” Con sees truth in this—baptism is God washing us—but with one crucial correction: not to like us better, but to prove God’s unconditional love was there for us all along.
Con and host Ricardo da Silva, S.J., connect this love to not only the person being baptized but to the whole community and to the faith. The conversation moves from the practical—how Con prepares, what makes a good baptismal homily—to a deeper shift in how we approach these moments. As Ricardo reflects, too often “we tend to preach for people that we don’t think we’ll ever see again.” What if instead we “preach as though you want to see them again and you are going to see them again? This is not a once and for all—this is a once and then.”
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Sep 23, 2025 • 57min
‘What do you ask of God’s church for your child?’: Preaching the Rite of Baptism
That question, quietly planted at the start of the rite, can be the seed the homily helps take root and flourish in the hearts of the faithful. In this episode of "Preach," Christina Mines and Ricardo da Silva, S.J., explore how preaching at baptisms offers a unique opportunity—and challenge—to engage millennial parents, practice radical hospitality, and invite families into the full life of the parish and an experience of God's love that is inclusive and without judgment.
0:00 - “What Do You Ask?”: A Profound Baptismal Moment
2:30 - Embracing the Beloved Child: A Mother’s Perspective
8:01 - Connecting with Millennial Parents: A Search for Love
13:56 - New Approaches to Baptismal Formation and Encounter
19:37 - The Community’s Role in Radical Baptismal Hospitality
27:39 - Healing and Hope: Stories of Baptismal Welcome
35:28 - Practical Tips for a Welcoming Baptism Homily
41:48 - Proclaiming Hope and Humanity in Baptismal Preaching
48:19 - Fostering Ongoing Conversion After Baptism Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sep 15, 2025 • 45min
‘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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sep 8, 2025 • 42min
Preaching that cuts deep: the sharper edges of God’s Word
The third season of “Preach” begins with a fundamental reminder: What is preaching, and what is it for? To explore that question, host Ricardo da Silva, S.J., invites the Rev. Lynn Barger Elliott—a preacher who has inspired him to think about this question in recent months. As a fourth-generation Presbyterian pastor and consultant for the Compelling Preaching Initiative—the Lilly Endowment project that supports this podcast—Lynn brings the wisdom of that legacy to remind us that preaching takes root in lived experience.
“I personally needed a story to help interpret [Scripture] so that I could make [it] meaningful in my own life,” Lynn says, explaining her approach to good preaching. In this episode Lynn recalls how witnessing her mom undergo back surgery gave her new insight into a passage from Hebrews, where the word of God is likened to a two-edged sword, “piercing until it divides soul from spirit, joints from marrow” (Hebrews 4:12). “It gave me a new way to interpret words of Scripture,” Lynn says, “that are double-edged and sharp in every direction.”
“Preach” is made possible through the generous support of the Compelling Preaching Initiative, a project of Lilly Endowment Inc. Get daily Scripture reflections and support “Preach” by becoming a digital subscriber to America Magazine
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11 snips
Jun 30, 2025 • 1h 2min
Bonus: Season 2 Survey + The Spiritual Life with Father James Martin, S.J.
Maggi Van Dorn, co-producer of 'Preach' and of America Media's new podcast, teams up with Father James Martin, a Jesuit priest and bestselling author, and Cardinal Timothy Radcliffe, a renowned Dominican friar. They dive into the transformative power of spirituality, discussing Dominican spirituality, genuine connections with God, and faith amid life's challenges. The cardinal shares insights on vulnerability through his battle with cancer, while the group emphasizes the importance of personal narratives in enriching both preaching and spiritual life.

Jun 16, 2025 • 42min
The Eucharist is more than ritual—it makes us what we receive
Hank Hilton, pastor at St. Joseph Parish and former Jesuit, discusses the transformative power of the Eucharist. He shares his three-step preaching method, emphasizing storytelling to connect with the congregation. Hilton highlights the importance of kindness through communion and introduces Holy Chow, a food-truck ministry that not only serves meals but also spreads the peace of Christ. His reflections draw on childhood memories and ancient philosophy, inviting listeners to contemplate how we become like what we receive.

Jun 9, 2025 • 36min
‘There’s a monk in me’: Pope Leo's Scripture professor and an introverted preacher
Dianne Bergant, C.S.A., a renowned scholar of Hebrew Scriptures and former professor at Catholic Theological Union, reflects on her journey as an introverted preacher. She emphasizes viewing the Holy Trinity as a relationship with the Creator, urging listeners to engage with the moral dimensions of faith. Dianne shares her unique approach to preaching—without writing homilies—and fond memories of teaching Pope Leo XIV. She discusses the importance of embracing the Holy Spirit in preaching, offering strategies for introverted communicators to connect with their communities.

Jun 2, 2025 • 42min
More wild goose than gentle dove: a surprising Pentecost homily
Say “Holy Spirit” and most picture a dove or gentle fire. But Anthony SooHoo, S.J., turns to a wilder Celtic image: a honking goose in flight—untamed and impossible to ignore. It’s how he preaches Pentecost: the Spirit who startles us into new life and calls the church to fly together—rather than just waddle along. For the Solemnity of Pentecost, Year C, Anthony draws on the physics of flight and a Kierkegaardian parable about ducks. In conversation with host Ricardo da Silva, S.J., he explores imagination in preaching and the art of going off-script—especially when the Spirit honks.
Guest: Anthony SooHoo, S.J., professor of ancient Near Eastern studies at the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Rome and pastoral staff member at Caravita, an international English-language Catholic community.
Get daily Scripture reflections and support “Preach” by becoming a digital subscriber to America Magazine
“Preach” is made possible through the generous support of the Compelling Preaching Initiative, a project of Lilly Endowment Inc. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

May 27, 2025 • 41min
Let art lead the homily: preaching the Ascension
Seventeen years ago, Ricardo da Silva, the host of this podcast, heard a homily that has stayed with him ever since. It was preached by his novice master, British Jesuit priest Paul Nicholson, and began with a simple but unforgettable image drawn from medieval art: Jesus’ feet dangling in the air, his body swallowed by clouds.
Preaching for the Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord, Year A, Paul returns to that homily, reflecting on how visual art and imagination can lead those who receive a homily beyond scriptural explanation or catechesis and into prayer. Together, he and Ricardo explore how this feast—so often understood as a moment of departure—can also reveal God’s nearness and how that insight might shape preaching at funerals and help preachers speak to grief, absence and hope.
Guest: Paul Nicholson, S.J., director of the Jesuit Institute in the United Kingdom.
Get daily Scripture reflections and support “Preach” by becoming a digital subscriber to America Magazine
“Preach” is made possible through the generous support of the Compelling Preaching Initiative, a project of Lilly Endowment Inc. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices