Preaching Resources

Internet Resources on Preaching

The following websites are a small selection of many which you can find when doing a search under the following headings: preaching, sermons, lectionary, homilies. You can surf these sites and see which ones you like best. In my years of using websites in my preparations for preaching the following ones have proved to be thoughtful, sound and reliable for quality material. Note that not all are Catholic in origin, and some websites can only be accessed by paying a subscription fee (the ones listed below are free). A number of websites are truly ecumenical, listing the Sunday readings for both the Catholic Lectionary, the Revised Common Lectionary (much overlap with RC and used in most mainline denominations), and the Episcopal Lectionary. Many of these websites contain links to other people's preaching and sermon sites, organized either with a Scriptural Index or according to the liturgical year.

Funeral Homilies

More and more lay women and men are called upon to preside and preach at funeral prayer vigils. Whereas options abound in the CCCB Ritual Book entitled Order for Christian Funerals for the funeral vigil service, often very few resources are at hand to prepare the homiletic reflection for the funeral vigil. Those who find themselves called upon to preach would do well to prepare themselves before the need is forcing them to. This would involve reading some books on preparing funeral homilies and reflections, and becoming familiar with some of the websites which could be of help when faced with preparing a specific funeral vigil. The websites listed below vary in quality and you will have to decide for yourself which ones prove to be helpful to you. Keep in mind the Church's intent at a funeral, i.e. to celebrate God's infinite mercy. Do not confuse the homiletic reflection with the eulogy, and realize that your personal reflection and prayer process in each individual case cannot be replaced by a "canned" homily. Take what you find helpful in these resources, but only add these ingredients to your own heart-to-heart preparation with the Scripture, the deceased and with God. Outside resources are no substitute for the real soul work of a preacher.

http://www.frtommylane.com/homilies/funerals.htm
http://www.rockies.net/~spirit/sermons/fu-favourite.html
http://www.rockies.net/~spirit/sermons/fu-fixer.html
http://www.priestsforlife.org/preaching/funeralhomilies.html
http://www.homiliesalive.com/wf.htm
http://www.homilies.com/index_homilies_funerals.htm

A good article on the increased occurence of confusing the funeral homily with the eulogy:
http://www.catholic.net/rcc/Periodicals/HPR/Feb2000/funeral.html

The link below leads to a 45-page online book on wedding and funeral homilies:
http://www.padfield.com/acrobat/wedfun.pdf

Print Resources for Preaching

Many books are available on Preaching, what follows is only a small sampling:

Fulfilled in your Hearing published in 1982 by the US Catholic Bishops Conference

Guide for Lay Preachers, 2000, by Patricia A. Parachini, Liturgy Training Publications

Preaching Better, 1999, by Bishop Ken Untener, Paulist Press

Preparing to Preach, 1997, by Barry Glendinning, Novalis

At Home with the Word, 2003, by Susan E. Myers et al, LTP (new edition published for each year)

Days of the Lord -- The Liturgical Year, A Commentary in Seven Volumes, 1991, The Liturgical Press, Collegeville

New Sunday & Holy Day Liturgies, 1998 (reprinted in 2001), by Flor McCarthy, SDB, Dominican Publications, Dublin, Ireland. (Three volumes: Year A - Year B - Year C)

Homilies & Prayers of the Faithful for the Three-Year Cycle, 1998, Desmond Knowles, Twenty-third Publications, Mystic, CT

The Four Pages of the Sermon -- A Guide to Biblical Preaching, 1999, Abington Press, Nashville, TN

Cycling through the Gospels -- Gospel Commentaries for Cycles A, B and C, 1992, Resources Publications Inc, San Jose, CA

Funeral Liturgies by Flor McCarthy, Dominican Publications, 1994

A Matter of Life and Death: Preaching at Funerals by Charles Hoffacker, Cowley Publications, 2003

The Funeral Book for Homilists and Presiders by Eltin Griffin ed., Twenty-Third Publications, 2000

Canadian Periodicals

Celebrate! Bi-monthly publication on liturgy, including commentaries on the Sunday Scriptures for two months at a time. For subscription information contact Novalis, Ottawa, website: www.novalis.ca

Pulpit Resource -- Published every three months, extensive homiletic background and ideas on the Sunday Scriptures as laid out in the Revised Common Lectionary and the RC Lectionary. For subscription information contact Wood Lake Books, Kelowna, BC website: www.joinhands.com

Aha! -- Creative Resources for Preachers -- Published every three months by Wood Lake Books, Kelowna, BC website: www.joinhands.com

Additional Resources

Related Links

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