“This isn’t just about the baby, this isn’t just about the parents and godparents. This is about all of us and it is about our faith.” This is the realization that came to Con O’Mahony, Vicar for Education in the Diocese of Hamilton, Ontario, and pastor at St. Margaret Mary Parish, while attending a Baptism at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in Los Angeles. Standing in a filled cathedral before John Nava’s magnificent tapestries depicting the communion of saints, he suddenly understood: “We are not doing this alone. We’re not doing this in isolation. We are doing this with the whole church—there’s something bigger than ourselves.”
Con explains that preaching doesn’t start at the ambo—it begins in personal encounters, especially when preparing for sacraments as personal as baptism. He connects with families before any paperwork is done, even if only for a few minutes before the ceremony, asking about the child’s name and listening to their stories. Often, his best homily material comes from these everyday conversations—like a second grader’s humorous definition of Baptism: “When the priest gives you a bath in church so that God will like you better.” Con sees truth in this—baptism is God washing us—but with one crucial correction: not to like us better, but to prove God’s unconditional love was there for us all along.
Con and host Ricardo da Silva, S.J., connect this love to not only the person being baptized but to the whole community and to the faith. The conversation moves from the practical—how Con prepares, what makes a good baptismal homily—to a deeper shift in how we approach these moments. As Ricardo reflects, too often “we tend to preach for people that we don’t think we’ll ever see again.” What if instead we “preach as though you want to see them again and you are going to see them again? This is not a once and for all—this is a once and then.”
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‘What do you ask of God’s church for your child?’: Preaching the Rite of Baptism
That question, quietly planted at the start of the rite, can be the seed the homily helps take root and flourish in the hearts of the faithful. In this episode of "Preach," Christina Mines and Ricardo da Silva, S.J., explore how preaching at baptisms offers a unique opportunity—and challenge—to engage millennial parents, practice radical hospitality, and invite families into the full life of the parish and an experience of God's love that is inclusive and without judgment.
0:00 - “What Do You Ask?”: A Profound Baptismal Moment
2:30 - Embracing the Beloved Child: A Mother’s Perspective
8:01 - Connecting with Millennial Parents: A Search for Love
13:56 - New Approaches to Baptismal Formation and Encounter
19:37 - The Community’s Role in Radical Baptismal Hospitality
27:39 - Healing and Hope: Stories of Baptismal Welcome
35:28 - Practical Tips for a Welcoming Baptism Homily
41:48 - Proclaiming Hope and Humanity in Baptismal Preaching
48:19 - Fostering Ongoing Conversion After Baptism
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‘Sacraments aren’t vending machines’: Preaching God’s grace as encounter, not transaction
This week on Preach, we launch a new series: Preaching for the Sacraments—how homilists can bring depth and imagination to their preaching during some of the Catholic Church’s most meaningful rites.
To set the stage, host Ricardo da Silva, S.J., speaks with Anthony Ruff, O.S.B., Benedictine monk and professor of liturgy at Saint John’s School of Theology and Seminary in Minnesota. Together they unpack what sacraments truly are—and how to preach them with both depth and imagination.
“A sacrament is not a vending machine where we put the thing in our action and then the thing comes out automatically,” Anthony explains. “God acts through symbols such as water and oil and laying on hands and exchanging the peace with one another and singing together.” Grace is not dispensed mechanically, but unfolds through real human experience: “If I’m becoming more human and growing in community, I’m being divinized.”
Preaching at sacramental celebrations must therefore begin with the lives of those gathered, not abstract theology. “I really try to say, what’s the word that will be Christ for them, that will resonate with their experience?” Anthony reflects. “We really have to think about the whole life of this community—and then our homily is a part of that.”
In this episode:
00:00 – ‘A sacrament is not a vending machine’
01:10 – Introduction
02:40 – Meet Anthony Ruff: monk and teacher
04:00 – About the Compelling Preaching Grant
08:10 – What is a sacrament? Encounter, not simply ritual
08:48 – What is the core purpose of the sacrament?
13:20 – A sacrament as a sign of peace
15:50 – Mystery, not magic
17:38 – Becoming aware of the God's presence in your life
19:48 – Sacraments vs. sacramentals: what’s the difference?
21:40 – Sacraments for community and the individual
24:05 – A final word on sacraments
27:05 – What preaching is for?
28:45 – Homilies at sacramental Masses: rite or readings?
33:10 – Symbols as stage directions
36:40 – Challenges and pitfalls of preaching the sacraments
38:50 – How long does it take to prepare for a sacrament
40:50 – Keeping the mystery of the sacraments alive
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Preaching that cuts deep: the sharper edges of God’s Word
The third season of “Preach” begins with a fundamental reminder: What is preaching, and what is it for? To explore that question, host Ricardo da Silva, S.J., invites the Rev. Lynn Barger Elliott—a preacher who has inspired him to think about this question in recent months. As a fourth-generation Presbyterian pastor and consultant for the Compelling Preaching Initiative—the Lilly Endowment project that supports this podcast—Lynn brings the wisdom of that legacy to remind us that preaching takes root in lived experience.
“I personally needed a story to help interpret [Scripture] so that I could make [it] meaningful in my own life,” Lynn says, explaining her approach to good preaching. In this episode Lynn recalls how witnessing her mom undergo back surgery gave her new insight into a passage from Hebrews, where the word of God is likened to a two-edged sword, “piercing until it divides soul from spirit, joints from marrow” (Hebrews 4:12). “It gave me a new way to interpret words of Scripture,” Lynn says, “that are double-edged and sharp in every direction.”
“Preach” is made possible through the generous support of the Compelling Preaching Initiative, a project of Lilly Endowment Inc. Get daily Scripture reflections and support “Preach” by becoming a digital subscriber to America Magazine
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Bonus: Season 2 Survey + The Spiritual Life with Father James Martin, S.J.
Season two of “Preach” has wrapped. Before we pause until fall, please share what moved you this season, what you’d like more or less of, and any ideas for future episodes to shape next season's lineup.
In this bonus episode, Ricardo and Maggi Van Dorn – his co-producer on “Preach” and producer of America Media’s newest podcast – introduce “The Spiritual Life with Father James Martin, S.J.” They discuss what preachers can gain from the show and share the first episode featuring Cardinal Timothy Radcliffe.
Cardinal Timothy Radcliffe is a Dominican friar, former Master of the Dominican Order, and a widely respected author. Pope Francis chose him as retreat leader for the Synod on Synodality. In this episode, he shares insights on Dominican spirituality, friendship with God, and living with cancer.
“The Spiritual Life” is hosted by Father James Martin, S.J., a Jesuit priest, bestselling author, editor-at-large at America Media, and founder of Outreach. The show explores how people pray and find God in daily life. Each episode features listener questions answered by Father Martin and his guests in a relatable “Dear Abby of the soul” style. Guests include Stephen Colbert, Whoopi Goldberg, Pete Buttigieg, and Cardinal Timothy Radcliffe.
🎧 Take the “Preach” listener survey and follow “The Spiritual Life with Father James Martin, S.J.” every Tuesday wherever you get your podcasts.
“Preach” is made possible through the generous support of the Compelling Preaching Initiative, a project of Lilly Endowment Inc. Get daily Scripture reflections and support “Preach” by becoming a digital subscriber to America Magazine
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Every Sunday, millions hear homilies. But what separates the forgettable from the inspiring? Preach, from America Media, goes behind the pulpit to reveal the art and craft of great Catholic preaching. Host Ricardo da Silva, S.J.—Jesuit priest and associate editor at America Media in NYC—features weekly homilies from outstanding preachers, followed by intimate conversations. From Scripture interpretation to delivery, discover what makes today’s most compelling Catholic voices so transformative.
Read featured homilies and daily Scripture reflections at americamagazine.org/subscribe
Preach is supported by a generous grant from Lilly Endowment Inc., as part of its Compelling Preaching Initiative.
Listen to Preach: The Catholic Homilies Podcast, Daily Rosary Meditations | Catholic Prayers and many other podcasts from around the world with the radio.net app
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