By Clement Harrold
June 26, 2025
In his 2013 apostolic exhortation Evangelii gaudium (EG), Pope Francis bewailed the fact that both priests and laypeople “suffer because of homilies: the laity from having to listen to them and the clergy from having to preach them!” (135). The Holy Father went on to characterize this situation as “sad,” noting that the homily “can actually be an intense and happy experience of the Spirit, a consoling encounter with God’s word, a constant source of renewal and growth” (ibid.). This raises the question of what a good homily ought to look like. Here we’ll offer five pointers, drawing on official Church guidelines and the writings of recent popes.
1. Staying on Topic
In his apostolic exhortation Verbum domini (VD), Pope Benedict XVI cautioned that “[g]eneric and abstract homilies which obscure the directness of God’s word should be avoided, as well as useless digressions” (59). Generally speaking, the focus of the homily should be on the Scripture readings which have just been proclaimed. As the Code of Canon Law explains, “[I]n the homily the mysteries of faith and the norms of Christian life are to be explained from the sacred text during the course of the liturgical year” (767 §1). The role of the preacher is to draw from the sacred text to instruct and encourage the faithful.
If he wishes, the preacher may use also his homily to reflect on the Mass prayers which are specific to that day, as the General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM) explains: “[The homily] should be an exposition of some aspect of the readings from Sacred Scripture or of another text from the Ordinary or from the Proper of the Mass of the day and should take into account both the mystery being celebrated and the particular needs of the listeners” (65).
2. Not Going Too Long (Or Too Short!)
In his apostolic exhortation Catechesi tradendae, St. John Paul II urged that the homily “should be neither too long nor too short; it should always be carefully prepared, rich in substance and adapted to the hearers” (48).
Pope Francis went a step further warning against the dangers of overly length sermons: “If the homily goes on too long, it will affect two characteristic elements of the liturgical celebration: its balance and its rhythm … the words of the preacher must be measured, so that the Lord, more than his minister, will be the centre of attention” (EG 138). Pope Francis also quoted approvingly the words of Scripture: “Speak concisely, say much in few words” (Sir 32:8).
While the homily itself ought not drag on too long, the minister should resist the temptation to immediately rush to the next part of the Mass: “After the homily a brief period of silence is appropriately observed” (GIRM 66).
3. Careful Preparation
Preaching on the Scriptures is an important responsibility which should not be taken lightly. In the words of Pope Francis, “Preparation for preaching is so important a task that a prolonged time of study, prayer, reflection and pastoral creativity should be devoted to it. … A preacher who does not prepare is not ‘spiritual’; he is dishonest and irresponsible with the gifts he has received” (EG 145).
When thinking about how to structure one’s homily, Pope Benedict offered a simple, threefold formula: “What are the Scriptures being proclaimed saying? What do they say to me personally? What should I say to the community in the light of its concrete situation?” (VD 59). Reflecting on these questions takes time, effort, and silent meditation. There are no shortcuts:
To interpret a biblical text, we need to be patient, to put aside all other concerns, and to give it our time, interest and undivided attention. We must leave aside any other pressing concerns and create an environment of serene concentration. It is useless to attempt to read a biblical text if all we are looking for are quick, easy and immediate results. Preparation for preaching requires love. We only devote periods of quiet time to the things or the people whom we love; and here we are speaking of the God whom we love, a God who wishes to speak to us. (EG 146)
One of the fruits of proper preparation will be to ensure that “the homily has thematic unity, clear order and correlation between sentences, so that people can follow the preacher easily and grasp his line of argument” (EG 158).
4. A Clear Takeaway
In his apostolic exhortation Evangelii nuntiandi (EN), St. Paul VI noted that “it would be a mistake not to see in the homily an important and very adaptable instrument of evangelization” (43). During the homily, the preacher is faced with a captive audience who have just heard God’s Word being proclaimed, and who are ready to be brought deeper into the Christian mysteries. It is therefore the solemn responsibility of the preacher to ensure that his homily “is simple, clear, direct, well-adapted, profoundly dependent on Gospel teaching and faithful to the magisterium” (ibid.).
Pope Francis offered a further word of advice, noting that “[i]n the homily, truth goes hand in hand with beauty and goodness. Far from dealing with abstract truths or cold syllogisms, it communicates the beauty of the images used by the Lord to encourage the practice of good” (EG 142). In other words, the homily should not only instruct but also inspire the faithful in their pursuit of Christian perfection.
5. Preaching from the Heart
Not everyone is born to be a great orator or eloquent rhetorician. Preachers who feel they lack skill in public speaking might recall the motto St. John Henry Newman adopted when he was made a cardinal: cor ad cor loquitur (“heart speaks to heart”). It is the heart of the preacher which most characterizes his homilies, as Pope Francis observed:
What is essential is that the preacher be certain that God loves him, that Jesus Christ has saved him and that his love always has the last word. Encountering such beauty, he will often feel that his life does not glorify God as it should, and he will sincerely desire to respond more fully to so great a love. Yet if he does not take time to hear God’s word with an open heart, if he does not allow it to touch his life, to challenge him, to impel him, and if he does not devote time to pray with that word, then he will indeed be a false prophet, a fraud, a shallow impostor. But by acknowledging his poverty and desiring to grow in his commitment, he will always be able to abandon himself to Christ, saying in the words of Peter: “I have no silver and gold, but what I have I give you” (Acts 3:6) (EG 151)
Regardless of his talents, the preacher should remember St. Jerome’s advice that “preaching needs to be accompanied by the witness of a good life” (VD 60). This point was driven home by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger in a book-length interview titled God and the World, given before he became pope:
Recently a parish priest in a large German city told me that he had come to his vocation by the particular agency of a priest who was actually bereft of all exterior gifts. He was a hopeless preacher, a dreadful singer, and so on, and yet under his care the parish really blossomed. In the end four or five priestly vocations were awakened in this city parish, something that happened neither under his predecessor nor under his successor, both of whom were far more capable. We can see here how the humble witness of someone who does not have the gift of persuasive speech can itself become a sermon, and how we should thank God for the variety of gifts.
What the preacher lacks in terms of communication skills, he should make up for in his love of God and his passion for sharing His Word.
Further Reading
Pope Benedict XVI, Verbum domini (2010)
Pope Francis, Evangelii gaudium (2013)
About Clement Harrold
Clement Harrold earned his master’s degree in theology from the University of Notre Dame in 2024, and his bachelor’s from Franciscan University of Steubenville in 2021. His writings have appeared in First Things, Church Life Journal, Crisis Magazine, and the Washington Examiner.
