It is Sunday evening and I have just arrived home after celebrating the last of the four Sunday Masses here in the Hurunui. I’m just about to pour a beer and have a quiet Sabbath evening.

One of the great responsibilities for a priest is the preparation and preaching of the homily. Pope Francis  in “The Joy of the Gospel” makes a tongue-in-cheek comment about the homily:

“We know that the faithful attach great importance to [the homily], and that both they and their ordained ministers suffer because of homilies: the laity from having to listen to them and the clergy from having to preach them! It is sad that this is the case.” par.135

Thirty years ago when I prepared and delivered my first homily my research was limited to prayer, the books available, and conversations with friends. Today, prayer is still the heart of the preparation process, but I am greatly helped by a great selection of online resources.

For over a decade Fr. Robert Barron has been offering weekly podcasts on his Word on Fire website. These reflections have become essential listening for me and for many other priests and deacons preparing their homilies.

You can subscribe to these weekly podcasts by clicking on the image below: