The Eucharist is more than ritual—it makes us what we receive and contemplate
“We become like the things we contemplate,” the Rev. Hank Hilton says. In this homily for Corpus Christi, Year C, Hank draws on ancient philosophy, childhood boat rides on the Jersey Shore, and his mother’s wisdom to reflect on the transforming power of Christ’s kindness—to friends, enemies and strangers.
In this episode of “Preach,” Hank shares the three-step preaching method he’s used for decades: concept, exegesis, application. He explains why he usually starts with a story instead of a quote, and how conversations at the church door shape his message. He also introduces Holy Chow, his parish’s food-truck ministry serving not only meals but the peace of Christ.
Guest: Hank Hilton is pastor of St. Joseph Parish in Hillsborough, N.J. A former Jesuit, he holds advanced degrees in theology, philosophy, psychology and economics, including a Ph.D. in land resources.
“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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42:41
‘There’s a monk in me’: Pope Leo's Scripture professor and an introverted preacher
Most people hear “Holy Trinity” and think “mystery”—something abstract and hard to explain. But for Dianne Bergant, C.S.A., the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity, Year C, is a chance to root the doctrine in daily life. She invites us to see it instead as “the relationship that human beings have to the Creator.” God, she says, “literally serves us”—through creation, Christ, and the Spirit, who “does not go alone” but “works through us.”
In this episode of Preach, Dianne reflects on preaching as an introvert, why she never writes her homilies, and her memories of teaching exegesis at Catholic Theological Union in Chicago—including to a quiet, thoughtful student now known as Pope Leo XIV. “He was a very good student,” she recalls. “I have kept every grade, a record of every grade. So when I say he was a good student, I have evidence.”
Guest: Dianne Bergant, a Sister of St. Agnes and distinguished scholar of the Hebrew Scriptures, taught for over 40 years at Catholic Theological Union in Chicago and served on the Pontifical Biblical Commission.
“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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36:56
More wild goose than gentle dove: a surprising Pentecost homily
Say “Holy Spirit” and most picture a dove or gentle fire. But Anthony SooHoo, S.J., turns to a wilder Celtic image: a honking goose in flight—untamed and impossible to ignore. It’s how he preaches Pentecost: the Spirit who startles us into new life and calls the church to fly together—rather than just waddle along. For the Solemnity of Pentecost, Year C, Anthony draws on the physics of flight and a Kierkegaardian parable about ducks. In conversation with host Ricardo da Silva, S.J., he explores imagination in preaching and the art of going off-script—especially when the Spirit honks.
Guest: Anthony SooHoo, S.J., professor of ancient Near Eastern studies at the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Rome and pastoral staff member at Caravita, an international English-language Catholic community.
Get daily Scripture reflections and support “Preach” by becoming a digital subscriber to America Magazine
“Preach” is made possible through the generous support of the Compelling Preaching Initiative, a project of Lilly Endowment Inc.
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42:41
Let art lead the homily: preaching the Ascension
Seventeen years ago, Ricardo da Silva, the host of this podcast, heard a homily that has stayed with him ever since. It was preached by his novice master, British Jesuit priest Paul Nicholson, and began with a simple but unforgettable image drawn from medieval art: Jesus’ feet dangling in the air, his body swallowed by clouds.
Preaching for the Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord, Year A, Paul returns to that homily, reflecting on how visual art and imagination can lead those who receive a homily beyond scriptural explanation or catechesis and into prayer. Together, he and Ricardo explore how this feast—so often understood as a moment of departure—can also reveal God’s nearness and how that insight might shape preaching at funerals and help preachers speak to grief, absence and hope.
Guest: Paul Nicholson, S.J., director of the Jesuit Institute in the United Kingdom.
Get daily Scripture reflections and support “Preach” by becoming a digital subscriber to America Magazine
“Preach” is made possible through the generous support of the Compelling Preaching Initiative, a project of Lilly Endowment Inc.
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41:35
The Augustinian roots of Pope Leo XIV: preach grace, not duty
Shortly after Cardinal Robert Prevost was elected Pope Leo XIV, Bill Gabriel, O.S.A., received an unexpected email from a student at Malvern Prep in Pennsylvania. The student asked, “Is this your boy?” alongside a photo of the new pope. Bill replied, “I wouldn’t say he’s my boy, but he is our brother,” referencing their shared Augustinian bond. The student responded, “Well, I guess that makes him my brother too.”
Preaching for the Sixth Sunday of Easter, Year C, Bill finds resonance in his homily between the risen Christ’s parting words—“Peace be with you”—and Pope Leo XIV’s call for “an unarmed and disarming peace.”
Guest: Bill Gabriel, O.S.A., Head of Mission and Ministry at Malvern Prep.
Get daily Scripture reflections and support “Preach” by becoming a digital subscriber to America Magazine
“Preach” is made possible through the generous support of the Compelling Preaching Initiative, a project of Lilly Endowment Inc.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What makes a great Catholic homily, and what goes into the art of delivering it well? Preach is a weekly podcast from America Media hosted by Ricardo da Silva, S.J., a Jesuit priest from South Africa, associate editor at America and associate pastor at the Church of St. Francis Xavier in New York City. Each episode features a preacher’s homily for the upcoming Sunday or Solemnity—specially recorded for a podcast audience—followed by a conversation between the preacher and the host. Together, they explore how the preacher the Sunday Scriptures, and the inspiration and resources they draw on to make them some of the finest and most inspired preachers today.
Read featured homilies and get daily Scripture reflections at: americamagazine.org/subscribe
Preach is made possible by a generous grant from Lilly Endowment Inc., as part of its Compelling Preaching Initiative.
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