UNPREPARED PREACHING COMPROMISES THE LORD’S WORK

You tell me good things about Father Rey. I am glad to hear that, but do not lose sight of the fact that he must be helped through particular care and supervision. Insist that he devote himself to the composition of his sermons. Require that each day he consecrate at least a few hours to his work. He would readily be content with that unprepared speech which so compromises the Lord’s work…

The Missionaries were founded to be preachers of the Gospel, and for this reason Eugene insisted on adequate sermon preparation and was intolerant of anything below standard. Writing to Father Dassy, who was the superior of a group of young Oblates, he stresses this point.

Do not allow them to entertain the destructive principle that we must preach spontaneously; that is allowable to a man of talent and experience like our good Father Hermitte, but the exception must not be the rule. Have Father Pulicani also work in the same. The juniors must not take up all his time, he should reserve part of it to write out his instructions. What I have said against the abundance system also applies to Father Chauliac; be merciless on this point. Let them be alerted in time, and let them prepare.

Letter to Father Louis Dassy, in France, 14 August 1847, EO X n 937

REFLECTION

How important our ministry of preaching is, and what a responsibility we have to our people to give them of our best! As important as the preparation of a text is, Eugene always stressed that what is paramount is our preaching through the witness of the quality of our lives. Through our baptism, all of us members of the Mazenodian Family (and not just the priests and brothers) are evangelizers in action and example.

“It is no use walking anywhere to preach unless our walking is our preaching.”   (Francis of Assisi)

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1 Response to UNPREPARED PREACHING COMPROMISES THE LORD’S WORK

  1. Eleanor Rabnett, Oblate Associate says:

    What kind of model do I present the moment I step out of the church on Sunday morning? In AA I learned that I had to “walk the walk and not just talk the talk”.

    We might know the joy of being able to ‘break open the Word’ by sharing a Reflection of the scriptures at Mass every few months. It is something that must be prepared for; it requires and emptying of ourselves so that there is space within our hearts to receive what God would have us say. Then we must prepare to ensure that as we (I) leave the church building there is an openness to allowing the Spirit of God to permeate how we respond to and walk with everyone.

    Most often our words will be small and hidden: today I will spend the better part of my day volunteering by answering the phones at our parish office, greeting and supporting the staff who work there. I might be giving the Eucharist to another or greet those entering the church to take part in our community of praising God.

    Some days as we set out to walk with or help a neighbour or friend and our only preparation will have been our morning prayer. And even though we cannot always be as successful as we desire, we will have give our all… None of us are perfect but
    if we prepare our hearts to see through the eyes of our crucified Saviour we are well on our way to walking with each other as pilgrims of hope in communion.

    It is in this way that we are able to be little and ordinary – a light to our neighbour’s feet.

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