Liturgical Preaching in the 21st Century

When considering the future of the Church in the United States and throughout the world, and the task of the new evangelization in an increasingly secular and even "post-Christian" society, certainly in the Western world, then the significance of the homily is more crucial than ever. The author starts with a historical survey of the evolution of liturgical preaching over the centuries leading up to the Second Vatican Council and the implementation of the liturgical reforms. He then considers the homily in light of recent magisterial documents, including Pope Benedict's post-synodal apostolic exhortation Verbum Domini and Pope Francis' apostolic exhortation Evangelii gaudium. Finally, he addresses the United States context, and the challenges to faithful preaching in an increasingly multicultural and diverse Church that is the North American reality today in the twenty-first century.