Preaching to the Converted: On Sundays and Feast Days throughout the Year

Preaching is getting harder and harder. Preachers are up against some tough opposition―churchgoers with shorter attention spans who are saturated with the razzle-dazzle media and lead a fast-paced life. Those who preach have a brief window of opportunity to reach the faithful―busy or not―at mass. What preachers need is a good story to tell and a dynamic way of presenting it. And this book fills the bill. It contains brief story-based reflections (550-750 words) on the readings for each Sunday and feast day in the Catholic lectionary. These reflections are concise, engaging, intelligent and adaptable. They will be helpful to preachers and homilists, communities who have Sunday celebrations in the absence of a priest, teachers in classrooms, people preparing reflection sessions on the Sunday gospel, for those who want to prayerfully prepare for the Sunday or feast day liturgy, and for those who seek to publish a written reflection on the Gospel in their parish, school, or CCD bulletin or newsletter. †

Richard Leonard, SJ, is a Jesuit of the Australian Province. He is the director of the Australian Catholic Film Office, a consultant to the Australian Catholic Bishop's Media Committee, and a film critic for all the major Catholic newspapers of Australia. A holder of a doctorate in cinema studies, he has lectured all over the world.