The Renewal of Preaching in the Liturgical Homily for the New Evangelization

Below is a paragraph from a brief but excellent article by Fr. Gabriel de Chadarévian, OP, in Homiletic and Pastoral Review on-line.  The article is titled, “The Renewal of Preaching in the Liturgical Homily for the New Evangelization.”  Fr. Gabriel outlines the problem precisely!  He says,

In my own teaching and pastoral experience, I have come to realize, more and more, that a great number of practising Catholics know little about the faith they profess, and whose Sunday Eucharist they more or less faithfully attend. Hence, the great responsibility for sound faith formation or catechesis (doctrinal and moral). I also quickly discovered that among practicing Catholics (including some clergy), few have developed a vital, intimate, and loving relationship with Jesus Christ; few have experienced a living and personal encounter with the Risen Lord in the Eucharist, in the sacraments, in their personal prayer, and their activities, choosing him as the true center, Saviour and Lord of their lives. The dearth and poverty of these two essential components in the life of many Catholics (knowledge of the faith and personal relationship with Christ) have led to a hemorrhaging out of the Church, especially in Europe and North America, and a lukewarmness combined with doctrinal and moral confusion in the lives of many practicing Catholics.

You will be blessed to read the full paper.  He outlines the kind of preaching needed to spark the fire of the faith that the world today needs.  The link to the article is here:

The Renewal of Preaching in the Liturgical Homily for the New Evangelization.