Preach: The Catholic Homilies Podcast

“We’re like the apostles,” says Shayla Elm. “We’re getting to walk with Jesus, like the apostles did; getting to learn from him, getting to see the ways that He brings people to Him that maybe you didn't think twice about, the people on the fringes.”On this episode of “Preach,” host Ricardo da Silva, S.J., talks with Shayla Elm, one of 24 young adults chosen to accompany the Eucharistic processions that started out across the country this past Pentecost Sunday. She has been on the road for almost two months, walking one of the four legs of the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage. This journey will culminate in a nationwide event at the National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis, taking place from July 17 to 21.Shayla currently lives in Denver, Colo., where she serves as the community engagement manager for Christ in the City, a nonprofit organization serving people experiencing homelessness.Get daily Scripture reflections and support “Preach” by becoming a digital subscriber to America Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“The Eucharist is the food that makes us hungry,” says Joe Laramie, S.J., so when he preaches, he hopes to stir his congregation “to deeper hunger for the Lord, to grow in deeper devotion to him.”Joe, the National Director of the Pope’s Prayer Network and a preacher for the National Eucharistic Revival, preaches for the Fourteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year B.After the homily, Joe joins host Ricardo da Silva, S.J. to discuss how the National Eucharistic Revival is trying to stir greater hunger for the Eucharist among U.S. Catholics. He shares ideas on preaching the mystery of the Eucharist in an accessible way and tells Ricardo about how his previous experience as a high school teacher has informed his preaching.Read Joe’s homilyRead the Scripture readings for the Fourteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year BGet daily Scripture reflections and support “Preach” by becoming a digital subscriber to America Magazine Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A homily is a public speech, so it only makes sense to write it in public, says Scott VanDerveer, who mostly writes his homilies sitting at a long shared table in a coffee shop. “I love looking up at whoever’s in line at the cash register at that moment and thinking, ‘Would this guy, or would this woman care about what I’m saying at all; would this speak to their life at all?’” he says. “Or would they say, ‘Ugh, that’s so churchy?’”The Rev. VanDerveer, a priest of the Diocese of Albany and the pastor of St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Glens Falls, New York, joins “Preach” host Ricardo da Silva to discuss his homily for the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, often referred to as Corpus Christi.In the season finale of Preach, we’re answering a resounding call from our listeners! Instead of our usual homily recorded exclusively for the podcast, we’re sharing one Scott delivered at his parish in June 2022, before a live congregation. Ricardo invites Scott to revisit the homily, two years later, to explore how it evolved from preparation to delivery and how he would refine it today. Scott also shares his tips for weaving parishioners’ personal stories into his homilies, revealing how he leverages his training as a journalist and uses the notes app on his cellphone, akin to how a reporter might use a notebook to capture inspiration on the go.Scott also jokes about his retirement plans, imagining himself back behind the wheel of a school bus, a job he briefly held for a time after college. He quips, “I always tease my friends that priesthood is the second-best job I’ve ever had.”Read Scott’s homilyRead the Scripture readings for the Solemnity of the Body and Blood Christ, Year C.Get daily Scripture reflections and support “Preach” by becoming a digital subscriber to America Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Thomas Groome, a seasoned professor of theology and former priest, shares his insights on effective preaching, emphasizing that starting a homily with "In today’s Gospel reading" can lose the congregation's attention. He stresses the importance of building relationships to connect Scripture with everyday life. Groome discusses using silence in preaching to deepen encounters with God and reflects on his two decades of priesthood and nearly 50 years of teaching to discover an authentic preaching voice. His unique approach encourages transformative, relatable teachings.

Though Jesus preached in parables that still captivate us, not every story told in a homily has a similarly lasting impact. The Rev. Christopher Clohessy shares how preachers can craft stories that linger long after Mass is over.This week on “Preach,” host Ricardo da Silva, S.J., is joined by another South African priest. Chris is a priest of the Archdiocese of Cape Town who now teaches Arabic and Islamic theology at the Pontifical Institute for Arabic and Islamic studies in Rome. In his homily, Chris harnesses the technique of narrative storytelling to illuminate what the work of the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete, looks like in our lives.In the conversation after the homily, Ricardo and Chris talk about the power of telling stories in homilies—and the art of telling a good one. Chris says that a successful story starts with a character with whom the congregation can relate, and it comes alive through “word pictures,” images that will stick in listeners’ minds after the homily concludes. “You want to be able to get people involved, not in their listening, but in their imagination and in their emotions,” Chris explains. “I think a good emotional response to a sermon is a very important thing because in the Gospels, people respond emotionally to Jesus.”Read Chris’ homily.Read the Scripture readings for Pentecost.Get daily Scripture reflections and support “Preach” by becoming a digital subscriber to America Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ron Hansen has written award-winning novels that have been turned into Hollywood hits. As an ordained deacon, he crafts equally compelling homilies.This week on “Preach,” Deacon Ron Hansen, a permanent deacon in the Archdiocese of Washington and a prolific author, preaches for the Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord, Year B. His homily reflects on the physical reality of the Ascension and the promise it holds for us.In the conversation after the homily, Ron and host Ricardo da Silva, S.J., talk about using homilies as a tool for building empathy, which Ron does by crafting vivid images that allow listeners to imagine themselves in the scene. They discuss the challenge of “writing for the ear” while preaching and using real-world examples that connect to deeper theological insights. Ron also makes his case for a short homily.Read Ron’s homilyRead the Scripture readings for the Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord, Year BGet daily Scripture reflections and support “Preach” by becoming a digital subscriber to America Magazine Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

While most parishes struggle to attract young members, Saint Clement Parish in Chicago stands out with a mostly young adult congregation. This week on “Preach,” the Rev. Peter Wojcik, the pastor of Saint Clement Parish in Chicago, Ill., preaches for the Sixth Sunday of Easter, Year B. In his homily, he reflects on the depth of Jesus’ committed love for us and our Christian duty—and challenge—to share that transformative love with others.In the conversation after the homily, Peter and host Ricardo da Silva, S.J., talk about strategies for preaching to a parish of mostly young adults and connecting with the community’s struggle with mental well-being. They also discuss strategies of welcoming newcomers to the parish, including on social media. Peter shares about how when he preps his homily, he focuses on how congregants will feel. He uses his homilies to bring them to a “place of freedom” where they can recognize God’s love and explore their faith. Read Peter's homily for the Sixth Sunday of Easter, Year BRead the Scripture readings for the Sixth Sunday of Easter, Year BGet daily Scripture reflections and support “Preach” by becoming a digital subscriber to America Magazine Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Gemma Simmonds, C.J., a theologian and sister at the Cambridge Theological Federation in Cambridge, England, preaches for the Fifth Sunday in Easter, Year B: In her homily, she reflects on her experience of poverty in Brazil, giving significance to Christ’s words: “Make your home in me as I make mine in you.” Then, in the conversation with host Ricardo da Silva, S.J., they discuss the importance of humility in preaching, her role as an ecumenical chaplain in the Church of England, preaching for the BBC and finding God’s presence in unexpected places—like poop. Read Gemma’s homily.Read the Scripture readings for the Fifth Sunday of Easter, Year BGet daily Scripture reflections and support “Preach” by becoming a digital subscriber to America Magazine Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“I think there's a major concern for living more in harmony with creation, which is a result of conversion,” says Bishop John Stowe, OFM Conv., “But I think Pope Francis is also, as our good shepherd, calling us to greater urgency to act because time is slipping away and we haven't done much.” Bishop John Stowe is a Conventual Franciscan, the third bishop of Lexington, Kentucky and the bishop president of Pax Christi.Listen to Bishop Stowe's homily for the Fourth Sunday of Easter, Year B, on this week’s episode of “Preach.” After the homily, he shares with host Ricardo da Silva, S.J., how he connects the image of the Good Shepherd from the gospels to the climate crisis.Read Bishop Stowe’s homily Read the Scripture readings for the Fourth Sunday of Easter, Year BGet daily Scripture reflections and support “Preach” by becoming a digital subscriber to America Magazine Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this engaging discussion, John Baldovin, a Jesuit priest and professor at Boston College, shares his insights on effective preaching. He emphasizes the importance of structure in sermons, advocating for a clear beginning, middle, and end. Baldovin passionately argues that good preachers must read extensively and pray fervently. The conversation delves into the balance of joy and suffering in Easter homilies, highlighting the significance of embodying faith through authentic witness. Listeners gain valuable tips for transformative preaching and community engagement.