The life of the homilist can be a difficult one and at times frustrating. We are called upon by Holy Mother Church to expound upon the word of God in order to make it more relevant and more accessible for the laity in the modern world. This, at times, is a challenging task and one that we priests need help with or we will not be effective preachers. I find it extremely helpful to listen to a variety of amazing homilists who give me ideas that I then expound upon in my own prayer which helps me form my homily.
There are times that Jesus gives me something directly that he wants me to speak about, but most of the time he speaks to me through other homilies that give me ideas of what to preach on. I would like to recognize those priests that have helped me the most. First and foremost, the great Archbishop Fulton Sheen, then Bishop Robert Barron, Fr. Michael Schmitz and Fr. John Riccardo. These men have a gift, they are “like a head of a household, who brings out of their treasure things new and old.” (Mt 13:52)
When I was a young priest and struggling to even come up with ideas for homilies I asked my spiritual director, “Is it okay to steal ideas from other homilists?” He said to me, “A father does not care how his children are fed, he only cares that they are fed!” I hope these homilies feed you in some small way on your journey to holiness!
Pax Christi!
Fr. Josh Waltz