Home for the Homily

Home for The Homily: The Sacred Art of Homiletics concerns a new and required depth of preaching the word of God within the Mass. This calls for a new and deeper appreciation of communication skills. The homilist may no longer stand separately on the shoreline nor drift in the safety of shallow waters, rather he must have the faith of Peter to "put out into deep water." This requires depth of soul, depth of character, depth of vulnerability, and depth of skill. When Christ asks Peter to "put out into the deep water," Peter considers his level of faith in Jesus and decides, by grace, to do so. This is a pivotal moment; without this affirmative decision there will be no catch. It is no different for the homilist today. The intimacy and depth of the effective homily requires an affirmative decision to put out into the deep. May this book help you, the homilist, put out into the deep and thereby, allow the homily to reach its four sequential destinations: the home of the Mass, the home of the Intellect, the home of the Heart, and the home of the Will, the domestic Church where homily is lived out.