Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

The Deacon's Bench

Home
Catholic
Religion News

Preaching

Select a Category "Mad Men" 9/11 advent All Things New Amazing video amazing videos amazon america Anglicans Anti-Catholicism art ascension thursday ash wednesday Atheists baltimore Bible Bishops Blogging bonnie engstrom Books bridgeport Brooklyn Chaplains children christian art christmas Church Churches CNEWA Converts criticism Deacons Death Penalty easter eastern christian Eastern Christians Ecumenism education Education Eucharist Europe euthanasia Evangelization Exorcism Family Feasts Gay rights Good Friday Great links Great Moments in Journalism Hanging with the saints heather renshaw Hispanic Catholics Hispanics History homelies Homilies Humor Hymn of the Week Immigration indianapolis Inspiration Interfaith news ireland Jesus Jews Journalism Judaism lent Liturgy logos Marriage Mary Media Medical news Mental health Middle East Monks Movies Music Muslims My world and welcome to it New Evangelization new york News Nuns Parenting Parish life peoria Persecution Politics politics Pope pope francis pope john paul Prayer Preaching Priests Pro-life Quote of the day radio rebecca frech ripp Ripped from the headlines rippred from the headlines Sacraments saints Scripture sex abuse Sex abuse crisis SEX ABUSE CRISIS TAGGED WITH: SEX ABUSE CRISIS The people in the pews the visitation project theatre This & that Thomas Merton Trappists TV Uncategorized uncategorized VATICAN Vatican vocation Vocations Voices & Views Women Worth a thousand words Writing Year of Faith year of mercy young people

Select a Month December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010

October 2012

October 12, 2012

“The homilist should strive to live a life of holiness…

A topic of which there is no shortage of opinions -- preaching -- will be...

October 06, 2012

The preachin’ deacon

A lot of regular visitors to The Bench probably know Deacon Doctor Bill Ditewig ("Triple...

October 01, 2012

“We cannot separate who we are from how we live”

"We pray for all of those gathered here that they might welcome the strength of...

September 2012

September 28, 2012

“The Internet and mainstream press and propaganda machine of the Middle Ages”

That would be sermons. A group of scholars gathered at Harvard recently for a conference...

September 02, 2012

“This does not seem right to me”: when a priest uses someone else’s homily

I received the following e-mail this morning: Dear Deacon Greg: Today during Mass our pastor...

September 02, 2012

“This does not seem right to me”: when a priest uses someone else’s homily

I received the following e-mail this morning: Dear Deacon Greg: Today during Mass our pastor...

August 2012

August 05, 2012

Shock: priest deported over homily

It happened in Zambia. Details, from the National Catholic Reporter: Zambian authorities deported a Rwandese...

July 2012

July 24, 2012

A sermon that made me sit up and go “Wow”

From Lutheran preacher and my Patheos blog neighbor Nadia Bolz-Weber. This is one of those...

June 2012

June 15, 2012

Looking for a way to start Sunday’s homily? Here.

You can thank me later. Readings are here.

May 2012

May 28, 2012

My Pentecost: tongues of flame, and the heat of a minor crucible

So, how was your Pentecost? Here's a window into the world of a deacon --...

May 28, 2012

My Pentecost: tongues of flame, and the heat of a minor crucible

So, how was your Pentecost? Here’s a window into the world of a deacon —...

May 20, 2012

A question about preaching: What’s so funny?

Sunday, my pastor and I were sitting in the sacristy, listening to a visiting priest...

May 13, 2012

What did you hear?

In the comments on my homily this weekend, someone asked: Just curious, but I wonder...

May 10, 2012

This may be a first: archbishop preaches in Rome basilica from an iPad

Details: Being a bishop means being no stranger to debates and challenges, but also knowing...

April 2012

April 22, 2012

Venerable Fulton Sheen?

I have a confession to make. Every Sunday, before I preach, I pray for help...

March 2012

March 25, 2012

Quote of the day

"It was good. I dozed off, though. Don't take so many pauses." -- My wife, answering the...

March 22, 2012

Preaching on contraception: “You have to make sure people know you’re being compassionate”

Several years ago, a newly ordained priest in the Archdiocese of Washington took it upon...

February 2012

February 26, 2012

Dolan: “I asked Jesus to help me fight the same temptations he did”

The new cardinal of New York gave a stemwinder of a homily Saturday night --...

February 24, 2012

When was the last time you heard a homily like this? — UPDATED

It's passionate. It's political. And it's angry. I'm curious to hear what people think. Give...

February 20, 2012

Tailoring the message: how preachers adapt to different audiences

From Abilene, KS comes this intriguing look at how preachers of various denominations -- including...

January 2012

January 30, 2012

“Pray, prepare, practice…”

Several months ago, the folks at Deacon Digest asked me if I might have anything...

January 29, 2012

Bishop accused of inciting hatred with homily

Given the state of the Church in Ireland these days, I have to wonder how...

January 26, 2012

Analysis: Obama’s SOTU written at 8th grade level, pope’s homilies at 11th grade

The other day, Elizabeth Scalia asked "Is great oratory over and done?" She made a...

January 25, 2012

“Abortion snatches the knitting out of God’s hand…”

From the huge Mass celebrated Monday at the Verizon Center as part of the March...

January 18, 2012

A seminarian on preaching: “The first thing I do is pray…”

Catholic San Francisco has been following the pastoral year of seminarian Tony Vallecillo as he...

January 16, 2012

Martin Luther King Jr.: “Love your enemies…love has redemptive power”

"Now there is a final reason I think that Jesus says, "Love your enemies." It...

December 2011

December 31, 2011

A New Year’s Day message: what some preachers are planning to say

Stuck for a homily idea? Check out this interesting overview, from a variety of faiths...

December 31, 2011

A New Year’s Day message: what some preachers are planning to say

Stuck for a homily idea? Check out this interesting overview, from a variety of faiths...

November 2011

November 18, 2011

Speaking of speaking …

While browsing the interwebs this morning, I stumbled on this bit of advice for public...

November 17, 2011

When the preacher can’t preach

What can you do about bad preaching? I wondered about that recently, after hearing from...