Sunday Homily

Homily for the 5th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year A

“You are the salt of the earth...
You are the light of the world,
You are a shining city on a mountain " (Mt 5:13-14)
My brothers and Sisters, these words Jesus addressed to his disciples are addressed to us this morning to remind us how wonderful is our mission in the world. Through our baptism we have become disciples of Jesus called to be the light that shines in the darkness of the world and the salt that gives taste to life. The light we are called to reflect is not our light but Jesus’ light; it is the light which was given to us at our baptism, that light which our god-parents accepted to keep lighted, the light we receive everyday in the word of God, in the sacraments through which our whole being is transformed and "seasoned" with the new life which comes from Christ (cf. Rom 6:4). We are the salt of the earth. The first role of the salt is to give taste to the food. In this regard, our mission is to give taste to life in our secularized world. Indeed, sometimes life around us can be tasteless! When for example we see everything falling apart around us, people becoming indifferent to the Christian faith and values, when innocents people we know are killed by wars or natural cataclysms, when we see babies dying from hunger, when we lose a loved one while we still need him or her, when children turn against their parents because of incompatibility of views about moral life, religion, when we lose our job, and so forth. Jesus recommends us to give taste to life in all these tasteless situations by sharing his word with those who are in despair so that they might learn from him how life is beautiful even in sickness, in death for those who believe in him. The second role of the salt is to preserve from decay. You know, in our villages in Africa there is no electricity and we use salt to preserve food (meat, fish) from decay. I imagine it was the same thing at the time of Jesus in Palestine. Thus to be the salt of the earth means also to preserve the faith that we received, to preserve the sanctity of life even in sickness, in old age, the sanctity of marriage, to preserve the Christian values and to pass them on intact to the new generations. But we can only preserve the faith of the Church if we remain in touch with its roots the apostles and if in our daily prayer we seek to deepen our knowledge of the spiritual heritage which we received from the apostles, following in the footsteps of the many witnesses and teachers who have gone before us! Only by remaining faithful to God’s commandments and to teaching of Christ we will be true light and true salt for the world because we can only give what we receive from the Lord. Today’s first reading taken from the prophet Isaiah teaches us how concretely in our day life we can be the light and the salt for the world and how there is no secret discipleship, discipleship only in my heart, me and my God… We are disciples with others and for others. That’s why Jesus calls us a shining city on the mountain. Our light has to shine for others. “If you share bread with the hungry, shelter the oppressed and the homeless, clothe the naked, if you do not turn your back on your neighbor in need, if you remove from your midst oppression, false accusation and malicious speech, then light shall rise for you in the darkness, and the gloom shall become for you like mid-day.”
My brothers and sisters, may this Eucharist give us the grace of keeping our small flame lighted so that we might shine for our brothers by our dedicated life and preserve the faith of the church by our liturgy, our conduct and our good deeds.
The Lord be with you.

Homily for the 12th Sunday A

In today’s Gospel Jesus urges us to fear no one but to stand up and speak out his saving truth. As we begin this celebration, let us acknowledge our fear and reluctance to stand for what we believe in our daily life and in our society.
Brothers and sisters, Shalom!
In today’s gospel, Jesus is preparing his disciples for the mission. Jesus’ recommendations can be summed up in the following words: Do not be afraid, proclaim God’s word in season and out of season. Be ready to give an account of your faith. Fear not those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather Trust in God the heavenly Father who holds the humanity in his hands.
The beautiful testimony the disciples are called to do for Jesus is to overcome fear in their life and their ministry. Like Jesus who saved the world by his supreme sacrifice freely accepted, the disciples have to be courageous, speak out the truth of God without fear, ready to endure sacrifices, rejection, and oppositions. They have to follow in the footsteps of their master Jesus who underwent 14 stations of the Cross without giving up his mission nor doubt about God’s love. To save us, Jesus had to affront the religious authorities of his time, the secular leaders, and even his own brothers the Jews. For his stubbornness in proclaiming God’s word without fear, he was put to death, a death on the cross. But on the third day, God raised him up and made him the savior of the humankind.

The apostles of Jesus understood this message of Jesus. Even though they were from different origins and social status, they all died martyrs of the Christian faith after undergoing trials by Kings and governors, imprisonment, beatings, stoning, shipwreck, toil and hardships from false brothers, sleepless nights, hunger, thirst, fasting, and so forth.

Following the example of the apostles, many courageous men and women, martyrs, saints and blessed have witnessed to this Christian faith in difficult times, in bankrupt societies in matters related to moral issues, social and political strife, war, and so forth.
When we accepted the Christian faith, we promised to continue this mission of Christ, this story of courage, determination, faith, love, supreme sacrifice, testimony, a story which has no room for fear, a story of heroes. Today’s Gospel gives each one of us this wonderful opportunity to assess our own story as disciple of Jesus. Am I courageous in proclaiming God’s word as Jesus taught me? If not what fears keep me from witnessing to Jesus’ word? And as a community, as a church, why do we look so absent from the many debates going on in our societies? To overcome the fear and anxiety we encounter in our daily life and in our community, Jesus taught us to believe in God, to have confidence not in ourselves but in God, to abandon our entire life into the hands of God like Jesus on the day he was betrayed, to be able to find the courage to say with all our life: “ Into your hands Lord I commend my spirit”. My fear is the sign that I have confidence in myself but my courage; my determination is the sign of my faith in God for whom nothing is impossible.
The problem of our society and of each one of us is that we seem to forget this power of the Christian and give way to fear, despair, and discouragement. When we forget the power of faith, we become vulnerable and we think that what we cannot do is not possible, what intelligent and learned men and women cannot do is not possible. We have confidence in ourselves or rely on great and mighty people, instead of having Confidence in God the giver of life, creator of all things. Our fear and lack of faith leads us to the idolatry of those who put their confidence in human beings, people for whom the money is their God.
My brothers and sisters, when we fear many things in our lives, when we fear for our future, our children, our comfort, our social security, when we fear people we do not know, we fear the stranger, the neighbor, the believers of other religions, we have to ask ourselves whether we are still Christians or whether we have not replaced God by our personal strength and intelligence.
When we choose to hide ourselves in our chapels or churches, when we only care about our personal beliefs and avoid to speak out the truth of Jesus and address the burning issues of our times, than we have to remember today’s Gospel and realize that we have lost the true faith in Christ. When as Christians we fail to condemn and to take actions against the killings of many innocents in many places around the world, when we are shy to defend life and fight the exclusion in our midst, when we fear to challenge the corrupted systems installed by the secular leaders, let us remember that we are not living up to the standards of our Christian vocation and call to follow Jesus who was killed because he spoke out the truth of the salvation of the world. We cannot live genuinely our Christian faith in privacy, with prudence, or in the secret of our heart. The Christian faith is good news to be shared with all, until all are one. The neighbor is always there to challenge my faith.
What have I done of my Christian vocation? What fears keep me from saying more about God? Am I discouraged, fearing to contribute to finding solutions to the burning issues of my time? Through the merit of this Eucharist, May the Lord help us not to fear but to put all our trust in Him in order to succeed in our mission of announcing his word to the world. The lord be with you.

Homily for 14th Sunday Year A

As we come together to celebrate the Eucharist, let us welcome Jesus who alone can give us rest from the burdens we carry in our life and let us ask pardon for our resistance to the spirit of the gospel and for our inclination to the worldly desires!
My brothers and sisters,
After hearing the prayer of Jesus in the Gospel reading, I would like to share with you the context in which Jesus said this prayer. After a period of enthusiasm, the teaching of Jesus was strongly rejected by the majority of the people of Israel including the political and religious leaders. Even people who witnessed his miracles in the cities like Corazine and Bethsaid were reluctant to follow him. The few fishermen from the villages of Galilee who converted to his teaching were considered like crazy peasants whose counter-cultural life had to be condemned by the religious leaders and those who called themselves “wise men. Today’s gospel gives us the attitude of Jesus during this time of rejection of his message. Instead of giving in to discouragement or to anger towards his opponents, Jesus raises his voice in prayer of thanksgiving to God: “I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned, you have revealed them to the little ones. Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will”. Jesus gives praise to the Father for the remnant faithful to his teaching and he attributes the situation to the will of God. Telling us that in every situation we should thank God and attach ourselves to his will as we say in the Lord’s Prayer: ‘Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven”. The first thing we have to acknowledge in our moment of sorrow, rejection, and when we are weary is the will of God without which human undertakings are doomed to fail. And this is the message of today: To render our joy and distress to God our heavenly Father. This message is challenge to each one of us: How many times do we think to praise God for his wonders when we are overwhelmed by life? Like the little ones of today’s Gospel, those who do not resist God’s wisdom, let us open our hearts to God so that his gracious will might be done in us, in our church, in our families, in our country. May our hope be always greater than our fear! Only the humble of heart will find this rest from God who raises up the lowly and remove the mighty from his throne. Indeed our God is great and worthy to be praised because he delivers us from the burdens of life and shares freely his bounty with the little ones of his people. In our prayer, let us thank him for giving us the amazing example his son Jesus-Christ. May he give us a humble heart to follow his teaching and find everlasting rest in him.
The Lord be with you!

Homily for the 15th Sunday

Welcome to this celebration of the Eucharist where we are all invited to share in the table of the word and the table of the Eucharistic meal. From today’s readings the question to each one of us is how we respond to the word of God we hear very often, how this word is growing and bearing fruits in the land of our life? At the beginning of this Eucharist, let us acknowledge the many difficulties we encounter in our response to the saving word of God.

My brothers and sisters,

The church proposes to our meditation today the parable of the sower that we find in chapter 13 of the Gospel of Matthew. This parable does not need a homely because Jesus explained it himself and nobody can explain it better than Jesus. Jesus distinguishes among his hearers different kinds of people in relation to the reception of the word:
- Those who do not understand the word and who are like the seed sown on the path,
- Those who receive the word with joy but have no roots to make it survive the time of tribulations are like the seed sown on rocky ground,
- Those who hear the word but fail to bear fruit because of worldly anxiety and riches are like the seed sown among the thorns,
- And finally those who hear the word and understand it, bear fruit and yield a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold are like the seed sown on a rich soil.
The question today is which kind of soil am I? Where are the fruits of the land of my life? What I find interesting in today’s gospel is that God sows on all the different kinds of grounds. God the sower is generous towards all and is optimistic, he is not tired of anybody. He goes to sow everywhere, even on the rocky soil, on little soil, among the thorns. God goes out to sow wherever he wants. He is optimistic for each one of us! For God, all of us are originally a good soil, good ground which can yield a fruitful harvest. Even if for a while sin can separate us from him, in his mercy he cannot abandon us because he is with us always till the end of the earth. Indeed God sends his powerful word to each one of us to save us and bring us back to him. God is patient with us; he gives us time, the opportunity to repent. God knows that we hear his word without really understanding it. He knows that very often we are busier with our family, our jobs, or civil duties, our vacations than with his word and commandments. But in his mercy and compassion, he continues to sow on our little soil, our rocky soil, entangled within the thorns of our passions and desires. God sends his saving word to us, regardless our present situation, because he knows good grain can sprout if it is given time, tender and patient care. The word of God is powerful. “My word shall not return to me void but shall do my will.” His grace is for all, for every generation, for all kinds of people, because all belong to him and shall be saved by him. Nothing, Nobody is lost for God. For each one of us, this time given to us is an opportunity of salvation, a chance of responding to the word with all our hearts and bear fruit. God is visiting our land and watering it! The seed of his word has fallen in our hearts. Let us give it the chance to grow and to bear fruit. Whenever we hear the word of God, let us not harden our hearts! The Lord be with you!

Homily for the 19th Sunday of Year A

Jesus welcomes each one of us to this celebration of the Eucharist and reassures us that He is with us and that we don’t have to be afraid. Let us put aside all our fears and worship Him with hearts and minds renewed.
My brothers and Sisters,
Today’s Gospel is about the little faith of the apostles of Jesus. These men lived and worked with Jesus every day they failed to recognize his presence in the midst of the storm. When they saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified and said: “It is a ghost”. This story is amazing if we consider that this forgetfulness happened few hours after Jesus has worked a miracle in the eyes, namely the multiplication of the bread. The gospel narrative tells us that the crowd moved by the wonders performed by Jesus; wanted to acclaim him as their King (Jn 6, 14). But Jesus dismissed them and sent them to their villages. Likewise Jesus asked his disciples to get into a boat and precede him to the other side.
But what happened shortly after this scene of excitement? As soon as they left the spot of the miracle, they forgot about Jesus. Their enthusiasm lasted only few hours! Their memory of what Jesus had done for them did not last. When battered by a severe storm on the lake, the disciples failed to recognize their friend and doer of wonders. Only few hours after their encounter with Jesus, they were back to their fears like unbelievers who see bad spirits, ghosts, and devils everywhere.
Brothers and Sisters, after hearing this story of the little faith of disciples, I invite each one of us to consider our own faith, and our capacity to remember Jesus and recognize his presence the midst of the storms of life. What do I remember of Jesus who saved me? When we leave our place of worship, how long do we keep the memory of his word and grace? May be at a time I am very enthusiastic about Jesus because he did this or that for me or for people I like? Did this experience of the power of Jesus in my life help me to recognize Jesus and his presence in time of distress, sorrow? How much of my experience of the Lord helps me when I encounter all kinds of contradictions and hardships? My brothers and sisters, the gospel message today is that, we who have become disciples of Jesus, we should keep his saving power and grace in mind so that we may be able to calm and put down the many storms of our life such as sickness, loss of a loved one, failures, unemployment, divorce, solitude, etc. Jesus Promised to be with us always till the end of time and, indeed, he is always at our side reminding us of his presence and stretching his saving hand to us, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid”. May this Eucharist give us the grace to keep alive the memory of Jesus who alone can help us to quiet the storms of our life and continue our way as pilgrims on this earth. As we will receive the body of Christ during this Eucharist, let us never forget that he is always with us! May we always confess Jesus like the disciples and say: “Truly, You are the Son of God”. The Lord be with you!

Homily for the 30th Sunday A (Mission Sunday)

"By this all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another" (John 13:35). As missionaries of Christ, our everyday mission is to love one another as Jesus loved us. As we begin this Eucharist, let us acknowledge our failure to love our brothers and sisters as Jesus loves them.
My brothers and Sisters,
As we celebrate today the mission Sunday in the Catholic Church, I would like to start by a short story you know certainly, a story about how we can be externally disciples of Jesus but not ready to imitate him in our daily lives. I would like each one of us to say what he or she could have done in this situation:
One Sunday morning, two thousands people were gathered in a church to celebrate the Eucharist. Suddenly after the homely, two strong men with their faces covered and heavily armed with automatic weapons, entered the church. One of them said in a strong voice: Your attention please! May those who are ready to become martyrs of faith in Christ remain in this church”. Immediately, the music director left his organ and went out to find safer place. The members of a family for which the mass was said, left one after another. And in a minute, all the pews were emptied of the faithful. Only twelve men and women remained where they were seated. Then one of the armed men discovered his face, and said to the priest, Ok, Father, I helped you to get rid of the hypocrites, now you can start the Eucharist…” If you were in this church, what could have you done! Those who were ready to risk their lives for the sake of their faith in Christ are the examples of the real missionaries of Christ we celebrate today. To be a missionary is to be ready to make a sacrifice for Christ, for a loved one, for your children, your neighbors, the widows, the orphans, the strangers of your neighborhood… If you love these little ones of Christ, speak out for their rights as human beings, you will be called missionary of God. In this perspective, you do not need to go overseas in some pagan territories to be called missionary because our mission starts and is to be lived everywhere we find ourselves. There is too much to do everywhere, in our countries, in our cities and villages. There is too much suffering, injustice, poverty everywhere in the world, starting in our own hearts, our own families. That’s why I was pleased by today’s readings that are unusual on a mission Sunday. Usually on today’s occasion the Church proposes to our meditation the words of Jesus to his disciples: "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age" (Matt. 28:19-20). "And he said to them, Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature" (Mark 16:15).
But today, the Church proposes the Golden Rule of Love of God and love of neighbor, as the charter of our mission in the world. “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind… You shall love your neighbor as yourself”. The Golden Rule of love implies that the mission of the Church is not only the work of all those who go abroad in mission lands to convert people to Christ. The mission of the church is the task of each one of us and starts in our hearts, in our family, at home, where we are called to love each other like Jesus loved us, and be ready to sacrifice ourselves for our loved ones, our children, our relatives who live with us, those who work for us, our neighbors, people we meet on the street, in market place, on the bus, etc. When we love these our closest neighbors, we respond to the missionary call of Jesus. “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature”. To every culture, religion, gender, race, at home and abroad.. All that we need to be a missionary is love, true love, the love like the one of Saint Teresa of the Child Jesus who died very young at the age of 23, and who is called Patron of the Missions even though she never gone out of her convent. If we have no love in our hearts, there is no mission, no discipleship. "By this all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another" (John 13:35). "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven" (Matt. 5:16).

DO YOU SHOUT AT OTHERS?

A saint asked his disciples,

Why do we shout in anger? Why do people shout at each other when they are upset?'

Disciples thought for a while, one of them said, 'Because we lose our calm, we shout for that.' 'But, why to shout when the other person is just next to you?' asked the saint. 'Isn't it possible to speak to him or her with a soft voice? Why do you shout at a person when you're angry?' Disciples gave some other answers but none satisfied the saint. 

Finally he explained, 'When two people are angry at each other, their hearts distance a lot. To cover that distance they must shout to be able to hear each other. The angrier they are, the stronger they will have to shout to hear each other through that great distance.'

Then the saint asked, 'What happens when two people fall in love? They don't shout at each other but talk softly, why? Because their hearts are very close. The distance between them is very small...'
The saint continued, 'When they love each other even more, what happens? They do not speak, only whisper and they get even closer to each other in their love. Finally they even need not whisper, they only look at each other and that's all. That is how close two people are when they love each other.'

MORAL: When you argue do not let your hearts get distant, do not say words that distance each other more, else there will come a day when the distance is so great that you will not find the path to return.

                                                                                                    

Theology of Faith

1. Discuss the human dimensions as well as the modern dilemma of faith?

            Today in the world at large people are not sure that they believe in God anymore. There is a crisis of faith. On one hand there is a tremendous development in human sciences and technology today knows no bounds. Through these developments human beings have begun to presuppose their independence to the extent of delegating the concept of God to the realm of irrelevance and obscurity.

            In the early days the question was about the content of faith but now it is the question of faith itself. Modern question is- Is faith possible? Is it needed to believe in the Absolute? Can one believe in love, sanctity, etc? The modern question is of the validity of faith itself. Till the 15^th and 17^th centuries the assumption of God was unquestionable. Atheism was impossible. But today it is impossible to believe in God. It’s nearly shameful to profess faith in God. Traditional beliefs and value systems are breaking down. People think only fanatics visit churches. A crisis of faith has occurred: Is it worthwhile to believe in God? Has priesthood become irrelevant today?

            Faith by its very nature involves a dynamic response from the believer. In this regard can we talk about non-practicing believers? Karl Rahner says “every age has got its own task before God. Today it is not whether to believe in this or that article but whether to have faith at all”? The question today is—does man have the capacity to believe?

2. What are the terms and nuances of faith in the OT, in the Pentateuch, Prophetic Literature and the Psalms?

The Terms of Faith in the OT

            There is no single exact term in the OT which is used for faith. There are two terms which speak more or less about faith.

1. He’amin (origin is from aman, the root word of amen). It means to believe, to trust or to rely on. It can also mean to be firm or to make firm. This word was translated into the LXX as πιστεύειν (verb) or πιστις (noun). Before going into the religious usage the term also has a secular connotation-to say aman to some object was to recognize the relationship of the object to the reality. Faith in the secular sense often implied a negative meaning.  E.g. when the sons of Jacob tried to tell him that Joseph was alive he did not believe (Gen 45: 26).when Moses told the people that God had sent him they did not believe (Ex 4: 1-9).  The queen of Sheba did not believe the reports of Solomon’s splendor (2Chr 9: 6).  Faith always represents relationship e.g. Belief of the people after they beheld the great power of Yahweh against the Egyptians (Ex 14:31, as if to say since he is doing this for us let us believe).  In Num 14:11 we see “How long will they refuse to believe in me in spite of all that I have done for them. Thus it is clear that due to this relationship factor that the context of faith in the OT is the covenant (I am your God, you are my people). Faith reaches its apex in Isaiah 7:9-“Unless your faith is firm you shall not stand at all”. Believing in God is to exist as a nation (for the Israelites).

2. The second term is Batah (B’T’H). It means to feel secure, to trust, to confide in and also to be careless (in the sense of no anxiety or cares). This word gives more the sense of security. Aman is more in relation to God. Batah  is in my own condition, my own feeling of security, but security in God. Prophets condemn security in chariots, army, horses, cities, deceptive words, riches etc. (Hos 10:13; Is 31:1; Amos 6:1; Jer 7:4-8; Job 49:4). The positive use of placing ones trust in God it also finds use. This is suiting the purpose of our study. E.g. Jer 39;18 (trust in the Lord); Ps 4:6 etc. In the psalms, the word batah means trust, belief, and hope. It is used about 100 times.

The Nuances of Faith in the OT

1. Faith in OT is an integral attitude of man in respect to Yahweh. There is knowledge and recognition of his saving and governing power in the history of Israel.

2. To have faith in God is to have trust in his promises.

3. Obedience to Yahweh’s commandments.

In short, to believe in God in the OT means to say yes or amen to all the words, promises and commandments of God.

Faith in Pentateuch

The greatest figure of faith in the OT is Abraham (Gen 12:1-3; 15:6). God asks Abraham to sacrifice what he loves most, i.e., Isaac (Gen 22). In later traditions Abraham is hailed as the figure of faith. (Sir 44:19-20; in the NT Gal 3: 6-14; Rom 4: 2-25; Heb 11: 4-12, 17-19; Jas 2: 20-24). The story of Exodus is also fundamental in the understanding of faith in the OT. Also reference may be made of Ruth who left everything to follow her mother-in-law.

Faith in Prophetic Literature

Here the preaching is on trust and belief in God. Rely not on yourselves but on God. (Is 7:9; Ch. 28 & 31. Even in Deutero Isaiah, the people are despondent but yet they are asked to have faith. Habakkuk says just before the exile “the righteous shall live by his faith” (2:40). The righteous are those who live patiently for the vindication of God. Paul uses this theme in his writings with regard to justification (Rom 1:17; Gal 3: 11). Prophet Jeremiah says that though the wicked seem to prosper yet through their hope in God and by waiting patiently and faithfully they are vindicated.

Faith in the Psalms

Here faith is basically seen as trust. Psalm 23: 4-6-I trust in the Lord, my shepherd, because he leads me in love. The historical psalms e.g. 78, 22 etc. narrate the story of Israel’s trust and confidence in the Lord. The theme of faithfulness and trust is seen together in Psalm 26: 1-3.

3. What is the teaching of the NT on faith: Synoptic Gospels, Johannine Literature, Pauline literature and in other NT writings? Are there any differences in the understanding of faith in the various books of the NT? What is the main thrust of the NT as regard faith?

            In the NT the terminology for faith is very clear. Πιστις is the word used for faith in the noun form. The verb form is πιστεύιν. Both occur 243 times each apart from adverbial forms. Thus, these words are the most prevalent of the NT terminologies. Though πιστις was rarely used in the religious sense by secular Gk. Literature it is used specifically for religious connotation in the NT.

            In the NT Paul and John are the ones who use πιστις most extensively. The word πιστεύιν (to believe) basically means to rely on, to trust, to believe and to entrust or commit oneself. The noun πιστις means faithfulness, trust, belief or faith. So, in the NT πιστις may not have just one meaning but varied connotations. Faith is an experience and describing in words an experience is never easy. Anyway, the NT terminology for faith is much more standardized than the OT. To further clarify the meaning of faith St. John uses seeing or knowing and Hebrews uses confidence.

In the Synoptic Gospels there are two kinds of faith seen:

Kerygmatic faith: Accepting the proclamation of the dawn of the kingdom of God i.e. Jesus’ proclamation. Examples: Mk 1:5; Lk 1: 45 (Mary).

Petitionary faith: The faith that those who came to Jesus for healing showed. Example: Mk 2: 3-13 i.e. healing of a paralytic; Mk 10; 46- 52 i.e. healing of Bartimaeus; Mt 8: 5-13 i.e. healing of the centurion’s servant. Jesus praises those who have a strong faith. Everything is possible for those who believe for faith is a participation in the power of God (as in Mk 11:23 i.e. a mountain moving faith). There is no power by oneself but faith gives power to the anavim of Yahweh.

In the Pauline Literature is seen he most extensive use of faith in the Bible. For Paul, the justice of God begins and ends in faith (Rom 1: 16-17). Here faith is first of all an acceptance of the Gospel of Jesus. Paul often summarizes the Good News as the saving death and resurrection of Jesus e.g. Rom 1: 3-4; 1 Cor15: 3-5 (a very ancient and basic faith formula). Paul’s mission was to announce the Good News to the Gentiles that they may believe and have faith. Basing on Rom10: 4-17, we can say that for Paul, faith is:

1. Acknowledgement of God’s saving power in Christ i.e. in Christ we experience the work of God.
2. Faith is not legalism or obeying certain norms but a personal commitment.

If we say that through our deeds we can achieve our salvation then we mean that we can get salvation by ourselves. But for Paul humans by themselves are not capable of overcoming sin in their lives. The justification is by grace of Christ (2Cor3: 4-6) and our competence is from God (Phil 3:9; Eph 2: 8-10). The fact of justification by faith is the Pauline contribution to the understanding of faith. It marks a departure from the Jewish understanding of justification based on law and ritual. Paul proposes a fundamental unity which means a willingness to depend on God abandoning self-sufficiency and making efforts to make one worthy. This is Paul’s main idea of faith. In Romans and Galatians Paul speaks much of faith, trying to explain justification by faith. If justice is available through the law then Christ died to no purpose (Gal 2:21). Other texts also speak of the same, example- Gal 1: 6-9; Gal 1:8; Gal 2:20; 2Cor 5: 17; 2Cor 13:15; Rom 8:1-4; Rom 8: 9-17;

Faith also draws us in to Jesus’ own relationship with the Father. By faith we become related to God as Jesus is related to God i.e. faith makes us children of God- Rom 8: 14-17; Gal 4: 4-7. Faith is also an acceptance of the new creation which makes us free from slavery to evil and sin. Faith is an acceptance of the kerygma and not a mere cognizance of it. Faith in Paul calls us to have a new understanding of being human for there is a new dignity in being Christian. Being under sin is to go below the dignity of our Christian vocation. Thus faith shapes our lives. In fact our faith is our way of life. Faith also has an element of knowledge. There is the knowledge of the kerygma 1Thes5:2; Rom 6:3. We must also know about the truth of our baptism in Christ. Faith is accepting the essential proclamation of the PDR of Jesus that is not merely intellectual but existential and experiential.

Faith, in Johannine Literature, is a belief that leads to salvation (Jn 20: 30-31). The gospel uses the word ‘to believe’ in verb form 98 times but not a single instance of the noun form is found. For John, faith is:

1. ‘To believe’ is to believe in the testimony of Jesus (Jn 3:11, 31:33, 8: 13-14).
2. ‘To believe’ is also to believe about Jesus (Jn 5: 31-40).
3. It also means to receive the message which Jesus brings from the Father (Jn 17:8).
4. It also means to accept the truth about teachings and doctrines (Jn 7: 16-17; 8: 31-32; 18:37).
5. Ultimately, faith focuses on the person of Jesus (Jn 1:12-13; 3: 15-18; 4: 53; 6:44-47; 8:24; 1Jn 5: 1 & 5).
6. Faith is also the condition of eternal life. Jn 5: 24; 3: 36 etc.

In John there is a process by which a person comes to faith and signs are associated with it.

In Hebrews faith is used 32 times out of which 24 occur in chapter eleven alone. In fact Chapter 11 begins with the classical definition of faith. Faith is the assurance of things hoped for. God has promised these things and since it is God who has assured us of these we can be sure that God cannot fail. One of the purposes of the letter to the Hebrews ( and even Revelation) is to urge the believers to bear patiently with the persecutions. To persevere in the midst of trails and difficulties- Heb 12: 1-13; 5:11-16, 20; Hebrews understands faith as very similar to hope and patient endurance. Therefore Hebrews shows Jesus more as an example of faith rather that object of faith. There is no denial of faith in Jesus but the emphasis is also on imitating Jesus’ faith. Chapter 12 gives the example of Jesus- an example to follow in the road of faith.

In Letter to the James, Chapter 2:14-26 says- Faith without works is dead. This could be the reaction against oversimplification of the justification by faith principle of Paul.

In the Pastoral letters the doctrinal content of faith is seen. The confession of faith is aided by reason. Example- faith is an intimate friend who leads us to call him/her my alter ego, source of strength, etc. But here one should not get lost in the doctrines alone and thereby lose sight of the personal commitment due to God.

            In conclusion we can say that in the NT there is seen a cognitive element (along with the response entailed in the OT to the covenant God). Salvation is linked to what God has done for his people through the PDR of Jesus. Faith is acceptance of the apostolic proclamation. In the NT there are many formulations of faith.

4. “Faith is man’s lived response to the call of God within the core of his being”. Elaborate.

            The call to faith is a dynamic reality and entails a response lived out in personal commitment. The author explains the statement in the article- The Call of God. He uses the parable of the royal marriage feast. The first to be called by God were the Israelites who refused to come citing preoccupations and giving lame excuses. Now a new call is sent forth in the person of Jesus Christ, his Son, which is unique and final. The call to faith in Jesus is a holy call made by his church through the Spirit. The call continues in our age and will do so till the day of the Second Coming.

What is the dynamism implied in this call? It is a call of joy (Rev 19:9) which brings one out of darkness into the marvelous light of God (1 Pet 2:9).  It is in this light that we are able to find hope (Eph 4:4) and enter into the state of peace (Eph 2:14). It is also, hence, a call to freedom (Gal 5:13) i.e. a freedom of being able to love God and our neighbor not for any selfish gain but each for his own sake. Through this we become holy (1 Thes 4:7). The call is itself a grace and is given as a gift. The call of God is an invitation to rise in our lives from one state to the next thereby growing in our very human nature. Such is the dynamic nature of the call of God to faith.

How is it to be lived within the core of one’s being? This is the vital aspect of the call. It is a gift but yet our response to it has to be personal, integral and total. Like the guest who did not turn up in proper festive garments we cannot be in anyway in two minds about our response. The garment shows both our inner disposition and the external expression of it. To accept the call to faith is to accept it inwardly and outwardly, not only to accept the wedding invitation but to come to the feast properly attired. In short, this means to embrace, with joy, the single call of faith in opposition to all other calls, to abandon all efforts of self-righteousness, to cast off the misery of egocentric attitude and to submit totally to the dynamism of God’s call. Thus we live out from the very core or foundation of our being the faith to which we are called by God.

5. What were the main features of the Reformers’ understanding of Faith? Discuss the response of the church?

            The protagonist of the Reformation was Martin Luther (1483-1546). He was an Augustinian monk who was particularly against the Pelagian heresy and scholasticism. According to Luther these insisted too much on human reason. Luther tried to recapture a more Theo-centric theology of faith. In the question of faith we rely on God- we become just before God not because our own power but because of God’s power, i.e., God acts in us. By passively, allowing what God acts in us, we allow our own righteousness. We don’t have to do anything. Therefore, faith has its source not in the believer but in God. God created faith in us through his words especially the word of the gospel.

Faith and Reason: Faith and reason according to Luther are always in conflict. Thus, one must submit reason to faith. One must slay reason as a sacrifice before God to render worship. Luther uses reason as a handmaid of faith. According to Luther, there are two kinds of faith. 1. Acceptance of what God says as true, i.e., saying yes to the content of faith. 2. Act of trust and confidence (fiduciary), i.e., personal trust in God which has a nature of complete surrender and actually makes faith complete.

            The main feature of Luther’s doctrine is justification by faith alone. One can place no hope in self. Christ is the source of salvation (especially based on St. Paul) who makes us just by exchanging his innocence for our sins. Some authors, especially Catholics, hold the view that for Luther, even after justification, we remain sinners but God covers the person with his cloth of righteousness. But this is not so true; Luther also says that faith will show forth itself in good works, preaching, sacrifice etc. If a person is a man of faith, he will be ready to sacrifice his own life many times over. Just as heat and light cannot be separated from fire, so too faith and works are seen in a justified person.

Council of Trent (1546-1563): Response of the Church- Council of Trent was the response to the Protestant reformation. Its Decree on Justification was published in 1547. In Chapter 5 and 6 of the Decree the role of faith is seen. It says that even at the beginning the soul to have faith must be touched by God’s grace (Spirit). Thus, even for initial faith we need God’s grace. Without grace one cannot be justified, but will be condemned. But correcting Luther, the Council’s idea was that a necessary cooperation with grace is needed as opposed to Luther’s idea of passive submission to God. The cause of righteousness/faith is baptism and therefore it is called the sacrament of faith.

The characteristics of Trent as contained in ND 1923-1935:

            Chapter 1 to 3 offer an overall view of God’s plan of salvation: people are unable to justify themselves (ch.1), but, thanks to the divine dispensation manifested in Christ (ch.2), they attain justification through him (ch.3).

            Chapter 4 to 9 deal with the first justification as the concrete realization the divine plan of salvation: a brief outline of this first justification (ch.4) is followed by the conciliar exposition of the necessity of preparing for it (ch.5) and the manner of this preparation (ch.6). The causes of justification are briefly stated within the frame =work of the categories of scholastic theology then prevalent (ch.7). The two concluding chapters of this section explain the correct understanding of the Pauline formula stressed by Luther, according to which, the sinner is justified through faith (ch.8), and the reasons for rejecting Luther’s conception of the certainty of justification through faith.

            Luther speaks of an infallible certitude after justification but the Council teaches that even if there is some certitude, it cannot be absolutely infallible. Chapter 11 speaks of the observance of commandments. Faith alone is not enough. It must be aided by good works.

             

6. Discuss the salient features of the teachings of Vatican I and Vatican II on faith. Point out the similarities and differences.

Teaching of Vatican I on faith: It is contained in the Dogmatic Constitution on the Catholic Faith: Dei Filius (1870). The main teachings are contained in Chapter 3. This chapter has seven paragraphs.

1. It gives the definition of faith as full submission of the will and intellect to the God who reveals, i.e., an existential approach. Faith is not a human virtue but supernatural virtue.
2. Here the question of faith and reason is dealt with. Is faith in accord with reason? The conclusion is in the affirmative. Faith is reasonable, it may be beyond the capacity of reason but it is at least reasonable. The Council declared that God conjoins the external and internal through the Holy Spirit, i.e., grace is fundamental to faith.
3. It speaks about grace and freedom. We need grace to believe.
4. This concerns the object of faith. What is the content of my faith? It is the revealed truth contained in the Scripture and Tradition.
5. This speaks about the necessity of faith to enter into eternal life.
6. This claims that the Church is credible by virtue of its wonderful qualities.
7. Here, the Council talks of grace leading to truth, and Catholic Church is the truth, so all those in the grace of God will be with the Catholic Church. Salvation is only within the Catholic Church.

Teaching of Vatican II (1962-1965) on Faith: It is contained in the Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation, Dei Verbum.

            DV makes a thematic treatment on faith in no.3. it speaks of three dimensions of faith based on St. Paul.

1. Obedience to God.
2. Free and trusting self commitment to God.
3. A willing and free assent to the divinely revealed truth.

The grace of the Holy Spirit must precede and assist human faith.

Comparison between the two councils:

1. For Vatican I, revealed truth contained in Scripture and Tradition is the only content of faith. Whereas, Vatican II also recognizes the good and rays of truth that could be contained outside the Church (NA 2).
2. Vatican I speaks of salvation only within the Church. But Vatican II calls the non-Christians as also lovingly believing (LG 15). God can lead people who don’t know the Gospel into faith (AD 7).
3. For Vatican I, God is the object of faith and the mystery/articles of faith was the material object of faith. In Vatican II faith is not only the revealed God but God in himself. The material object is not merely the doctrines but sharing in God himself because revelation is nothing but the self -communication of God.

8. Give brief presentation of: The nature of faith, attributes of faith, life of faith, the universal call to faith and Christian faith.

The Nature of Faith:

 1. Faith in the broad, anthropological sense of the term, is a constant feature of human cognition and existence. In this sense, faith also has a secular or philosophical connotation. E.g. faith that the sun will rise tomorrow or faith in the reliability of my senses.

2. Faith in the theological sense is a self surrender to God as he reveals himself. This is more than a mere intellectual assent but it is a complex act of assent, trust, obedience and loving self-commitment.

3. Faith is a religious act. It involves an adoring submission of self to God as supreme Lord of all things. There is no self centeredness but God is loved for his own sake.

4. Faith presupposes revelation. One cannot respond to God without his call. God’s word/call comes through signs and symbols given in history.

Attributes of Faith:

1. Faith is free. It is the believer’s own act-a conscious choice to respond to God’s initiative. Faith grows in freedom and it is divine grace that sets the believer free.

2. Faith is supernatural: It is borne by grace. Anyone who wishes to acquire faith or grow in it needs to pray for the needed grace. Faith is a gift: It is infused into the mind by God.

3. Faith is experiential. Though not distinctly perceived its presence is felt by its holy effects and a sense of union with God.

4. Faith is cognitive. In faith, I must recognize that what God reveals is actually true. Otherwise, faith cannot be a solid ground for total self-commitment.

5. Faith is sapiential. Faith provides a wisdom that enables the believer to see reality from God’s perspective. The action of the Holy Spirit is felt here.

6. Faith has a doctrinal component. God’s revelation has a content that can to a certain extent be spelled out in propositions that capture its true meaning.

7. Faith is reasonable. It is so in so far as human reasoning can reach the conclusion that it is reasonable to assent the revelation as coming from God.

8. Faith is and should be critical. To keep itself free from error, superstition, frauds, delusions and self-deceptive projections faith must have the capacity for intellectual judgment.

9. Faith is firm. Its firmness gives the believer full assurance and leads to commitment.

10. Faith is obscure. It is as if faith-perception is made in a mirror, dimly. This is because God infinitely surpasses all human perceptions and is utterly transcendent.

11. Faith is vulnerable. The believer is often led to doubt and disbelief due to the human faculty of freedom and will.

The Life of Faith

1. Faith comes from hearing. It is a response to the salvific good news that is heard through proclamation. It is also a response to the interior word that is heard.

2. By exception faith may arise without hearing. This is the “inchoative faith” or the “seed” that is bestowed on an infant during baptism.

3. Can unbaptized infants be saved without faith? Proper doctrine on this point is unclear but in some way known to God they may be saved through the faith of the church.

4. Faith is foundational. It gives a decisive orientation to the believer basing on new principles and values.

5. Faith inwardly transforms the believer. It gives meaning to human life and a sense of personal union with God. Thus, there is an inner peace and joy that the world cannot destroy.

6. Faith has exterior as well as interior acts. The believer gives testimony to ones personal faith through works of love and mercy towards others.

7. Faith strengthens human community. It brings trust, commitment and truthfulness and removes suspicion, greed and selfishness. It ushers in peace, justice and a civilization of love.

8. Faith is subject to growth. As the ages go, the faith of individuals also advances through clearer knowledge of revelation, firmer conviction, and liberation from superstition and greater dependence on God.

9. Faith is sometimes stunted. Due to ignorance, superstition and anxiety or fear faith may not lead to confident and loving self-surrender to God. Here charity may be absent and this faith is dead or unformed. Such faith needs support of those alive in faith.

10. Faith faces challenges. Sometimes faith may face challenges from other false and inadequate faiths. The challenge may come from natural forces, military and political power, wealth or other material agencies.

11. Faith can be lost. Having the nature of a free response faith can be renounced and lost. There could be despair, distrust or suspicion and these may lead to the loss of faith.

The Universal Call to Faith

1. Faith is necessary for salvation. Without freely accepting God’s call eternal life cannot be achieved.

2. Faith is a constant and universal possibility. In every human heart there is an innate restlessness that cannot be calmed except by God’s loving presence. Through God’s universal salvific will it will be possible in some measure for faith to be attainable always and by all.

3. Faith may be expressed and nurtured by non-Christian religions. God’s omnipresence presumes that non-Christian religions, even though they lack the fullness of revelation, contain expressions and vehicles of genuine faith.

Christian Faith

1. Even before the time of Christ, faith was at work in Israel as the people of God’s choice. The Old Testament speaks about Jesus in an obscure way as if preparing for Christianity. It was due to the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

2. Faith reaches its full and divinely intended stature in Christ. Through his trustful obedience to the Father, Jesus becomes the paradigm of all faith. It was fully expressed when he went through the moments of suffering and death. So Jesus becomes the exemplar for the trust and obedience that are constitutive of faith.

3. Faith finds its most adequate expression in Christianity. Inspired by Jesus’ PDR Christianity uniquely discloses the nature of God, goal of human life and the path that leads to everlasting life.

4. Faith can enrich and be enriched by other belief systems. God’s revelation in Christ completes and crowns whatever is true and salvific in other religions. Thus the need for serious dialogue with other religions and communities arises.

5. The Church is the home of faith. It is in the Church that the deposit of faith is to be found for all. She transmits its faith to its members through the Scriptures, creeds and authoritative faith. The Church also makes Christ present in the world through the sacraments.

6. Christianity is a future-oriented faith. The Christian faith involves an acceptance of God’s promises and a confidence in God’s power. It also looks at Jesus as the redeemer of those who those await him in faith when the eschatological time comes.

7. Faith, as we experience it, is provisional; it supplies for a vision that is yet to be given. Only through final salvation we get a clear vision of God.  We know him now only through the veil of our faith.

Homily Skills

            SERMON PYRAMID

Have I memorized the outline? Gone through it aloud? Did I speak the whole thing aloud? How involved am I in it? Is there a place for vitalizing? Am I excited with it?

11. Prepared Delivery

Are there illogicalities in my sermon? Is it dry and concentrated though logical? Are there clumsy, complex, dull wordings? Any sentence, illustrations, quotes unnecessary? Have I to hurry through to finish?

10. Revision

While preparing have I talked directly to people? Was the preparation a dialogue? Did I see the reactions of the congregation in imagination? Who are the various sorts of people to listen? What would they get out of it? Is it personal and conversational? 

9. Visualizing People

will the type be large enough?  Plenty of space? Have I sued capitals, underlining and symmetrical position of words? Will I turn or slide the paper? Do I have proper furniture, microphone clock to check? Any distracting material to be removed from pulpit?

8. The Mechanics

Workout my sermon on my head? Or write it down? The advantages and disadvantages of writings?

7. Composition

Where the whole sermon or any of its parts have too little or too much? Which parts are likely to lack interest or clarity where should there be cutting or strengthening? Are minor matters given major times? Should I leave out anything, which is repetitious or redundant?

6. Proportioning

What is the structure for the best use of material? What is the Chart on sermon’s progress? What are the main and sub points?

5. Full Outline

What are the possible ideas? From my own thinking, experience reading, research and discussion? From contacts, journals, and newspapers?

4. Accumulating Ideas

What the development might be? How to enter into and end the sermon? Is an original sort of conception possible? What does anybody need to hear?

3. Rough Outline

What do the reading really mean? How they can be interpreted what do commentaries, versions dictionaries say?

2. Bible Research

Stating the purpose: General purpose: what is my specific goal? What does the congregation need to hear?  What do Bible readings say? What is most prominent in people’s mind? What is the special feature of liturgical season?

1.Picking the Theme

HOW TO WRITE A HOMILY?

The writer of the homily has to Scripture texts and reflected on the needs of his people. From these two sources he has decided what particular aspect of the general theme should be the message in his homily. Now he begins to think of the Human approach in presenting his message.

1.      First Stage: Human Approach

He starts from a real life experience that corresponds in some way to the scripture event. It may be an incident or just a remark or a quotation from some author or any simple little fat that reflects the human values recognized inn the scripture readings. This not only gets the attention of the listeners but they can relate to it. In this way he is laying the foundation on which he is going to build.

2.      Second Stage: Anthropological Constant (Globalising)

An incident in itself may not appeal to the whole congregation. The preacher must show the universally accepted values contained in it so that each and every person may identify with them. We all have the same human nature so that this stage can easily be carried out. Unfortunately many omit it and take away from the force of their communication.

3.      Third Stage: Revelation

Now we have to throw the light of revelation on these human values. We can use the readings the people have just listened to (without just retelling the parable or the incident contained in them). We can also use the teaching of the Church, council documents, t4adition and lives of the saints, the content of the liturgy etc. these should be a core of doctrine in every homily. Without this we can fail into the fault of mere moralizing. We now go on to draw out the implications of this doctrine for our daily living. (Moralising is giving a series of ‘dos’ and ‘donts’ in the abstract).

4.      Forth Stage: Consequence for Daily Living

We link up God’s revelalito0n with the situation in which our people find themselves. As far as possible we talk in concrete terms about the Christian response Christ is asking them here and now.

5.      Fifth Stage: Link with the Eucharist Celebration

A little thought makes it easy to link our homily with the Eucharist. The homily is intended to help them towards a more meaningful celebration. Since the Christian life is the living of the Paschal Mystery and the Eucharist is the celebration of this same mystery the link is easily made. We show them how to live the Mass in the particular aspects treated of in the holily.

To Sum up:1. Start from life-- from a real life experience that corresponds to Scripture                     event. Analyze its human value, its meaning on human   level.

2.                  Shed light of Scripture on this human experience draw out significance of this; its bearing on our situation.

3.                        Draw out what this implies in daily life, showing how the mystery of salvation which we celebrate and in which we share in the liturgy of the Sacrament gibes new life and calls for Christian living (Avoid mere moralising).

MANAGEMENT OF THE VOICE WHILE  PREACHING

A few hints may be profitably borne in mind.

1.      Do not begin on too high a key. One is particularly apt to do this in the open air, or in a large and unfamiliar church, or when much excited. It is wonderful how difficult a speaker finds it to lower the main key on which he has once fairly stated. He may become aware of it in three minutes and make repeated effort to correct the mistake, but in most cases he will fail, and when impassioned passages come, in which the voice must rise, it will rise to a scream. Every one has often witnessed this process. It is, of course, not impossible to change the key, and this should be carefully attempted when necessary. But the great matter is to avoid beginning wrong. Tenor voices, it obvious, are especially apt to begin too high.

                        

            We must not begin on a high key, and yet the text should be distinctly heard. The difficulty thus arising when the audience is large may be overcome by stating the texts slowly, distinctly and, if necessary, a second time, and by projecting the voice, instead of elevating it.

2.      Do not suffer the voice to drop in the last words of a sentence. Though it must often sink, returning to the general pitch of the discourse. It must not fall too suddenly or too low. It is not uncommon for the last words to be quite inaudible.

3.      Never fail to take breath before the lungs are entirely exhausted; and usually keep them well filled. This will generally be done without effort in extemporaneous speaking; but in recitation and reading it requires special attention. Moned says: “ For this purpose, it is necessary to breathe quite often, and to take advantages of little rests in the delivery.”  A speaker must not gasp in his breath through the mouth but breath through the nostrils, regularly and steadily. He must keep the head and neck in an upright posture for the sake of breathing freely as well as for other reasons; and there must be nothing right around his throat.

4.      Look frequently at the remotest hearers, and see to it that they hear you. If particular persons anywhere in the room have grown inattentive, they may often be aroused by quietly aiming the voice at them for a moment.

5.      Let there be variety-of pitch, of force, and of speed. Monotony is utterly destructive of eloquence. But variety of utterance must be gained, not by assuming it from without, but by taking care to have a real and marked variety of sentiment, and then simply uttering each particular sentiment in the most natural manner. Emphasis requires much attention. In speaking, a correct emphasis will be spontaneous whenever one is fully in sympathy with his subjects.

For the rest, let rules alone, and think not about your voice but your subject and those on whom you wish to impress it. Except that when some marked fault has attracted attention or been pointed out by a friend, care must be taken to avoid it hereafter.

PERSONALITY OF THE SPEAKER: IMPLICATION

           

The qualifications we have received are very demanding. Such goals may not be realized in our lifetime, but they none the less serve as goals which the sprit of God can help implement so that we may be more effective in filling the call of God.

            The ingredients of a speaker combine to make up what the rhetoricians have traditionally called ethos. Note the well-known comments of Aristotle regarding ethos.

Persuasion is achieved by the speaker’s personal character when the speech is so spoken as to make us think him credible. We believe good men more fully and more readily than others; this is true generally whatever the question is and absolutely true where exact certainty is impossible and options are divided. This kind of persuasion, like the others, should be achieved by what the speaker says, not by what people think of his character before he befits to speak. It is not true, as some writers assume in their treaties on rhetoric, that the personal goodness reveals by the speaker contributes nothing to his power of percussion; on the contrary, his character may almost be called the most affective means of percussions he possesses.

Twenty-five centuries of history note seriously altered this conclusion. The possibility exists that Aristotle was wrong in assuming that ethos is the most powerful of the three means of persuasion, but modern experimentation does support the conclusion that ethos contributes to persuasiveness.

            For our purpose it is helpful to note that ethos is of two basic types:  antecedent ethos which is the role title, position that a man brings into situation, and manifests ethos, which is what the man actually projects in the speaking situation.

            Even if a man has no antecedent’s ethos to speak of, he may earn status with his hearers during his message or address. Ethos may also be altered in adding to being created. The dress, voice, manner perceived sincerely, the introduction given to the speech all these have their effects upon changing the speaker’s ethos.

           

Contemporary studies of ethos have settled on the following elements in defending this concept operationally: 1) Expertness 2) Trustworthiness 3) Personal Dynamism. It can be argued with empirical evidence as support that the personal life and character of the preacher does have its impact. And the things that have been said in homiletics textbooks for many years are basically true, there must be integrity, the man who says one things and does another cannot be trusted, and the man who loves the good life does another have a claim to listeners. Integrity breaks down when there is separate existence of the house of life and the house of doctrine.

           

A significant form of preparation for preaching is preparation of the preacher. Effectiveness in the pulpit is indeed tied to the life, the integrity, the Christian character of the man, which declares the gospel. Good men are of their message and will be heard.

THE PREACHRERS’ QUALIFICATIONS

1. PIETY: Piety is a quality of soul. It is moral earnestness rooted in a continuing experience of fellowship with God. It is reverent devotion to the will of God. It is not a pose that is struck. It is not suture but moves with the glow and warmth of the Christian grace. It is not otherworldly in any sense of proud withdrawal from human interests but mingles with life in the strength of Christian virtues. It is not weak but heroic and is the inspiration of the heroism, which is the “brilliant triumph of the soul over the flesh”. It is spiritual reality that entertains no simulation, and spiritual realism that recognizes and challenges the moral and spiritual enemies of life. It is not too much to say that this quality of spirit is the prime requisite to effectiveness in preaching. It inspires the preacher himself with ardent zeal, and keeps the flame alive amid all the icy indifferences by which he will so often be encompassed. It gains foe him the good will and sympathy of his hearers, the most ungodly of whom will fell that devout earnestness on his part is becoming and entitles him to respect. And to this is promised the blessing of God upon the labors, which it prompts. Much false theory and bad practice in preaching is connected with a failure theory and bad practice in preaching is of piety in the preacher. Just rhetoeucal principles as well as other and far higher consideration imperative require that a preacher of the gospel shall cultivate personal piety. It is bad rhetoric to neglect it. 

2. NATURAL GIFTS: The preacher needs the capacity for clear thinking, with strong feelings, and a vigorous imagination; also capacity for expression, and the power of forcible utterance. Many other gifts help his usefulness; these are well nigh indispensable to any high degree of efficiency. Each of these can be improved almost indefinitely, some of them developed in one who had not been conscious of possessing them, but all must exist as natural gifts.

3. KNOWLEDGE: There must be knowledge of religious truth and of such things as throw light upon it, knowledge of human nature in its relations to religious truth and of human life in its actual conditions around us. It was a favorite idea of Cicero that the orator ought to know everything. There is of course, no knowledge, which a preacher might not make useful. We may thankfully recognize the face that some men do good who have very slender attainments and yet may insists that it should be the preacher’s lowest standard to surpass, in respect of knowledge, the great; majority of those who hear him, and it should be the sacred ambition to know all that he can learn by lifelong and prayerful endeavor.

            Piety furnishes motive power; natural gifts; cultivated as far as possible, supply means; knowledge gives material; and there remains.

4. SKILL: This does not refer to style and delivery but also to the collection, choice, and arrangement of materials. All who preach eminently well and the same thing is true of secular speakers will be found, with scarcely an exception, to have labored much to acquire skill. Henry Clay became an accomplished orator by diligent cultivation of his natural gifts. In an address to some law students at Albany towards the close of his life he mentioned that during his early life in Kentucky, he commenced, and continued for years, the practice of daily reading and speaking upon the contents of some historical or scientific book. These off hand efforts were made sometimes in cornfield, yet others in the forest and not infrequently in some distant barn with the horse and the ox for my auditors.

            We are told that the Indian orators were known to practice their speeches beside a clear pool as mirror.

VERBAL DELIVERY

1.RATE:

                         The normal speaking rate is between 125 and 190 words per minute. A reduction in listen-ability begins somewhere above 200 words per minute. Speakers should strive to be rapid enough to show vitality and yet slow enough to be certain; there is distinct articulation and comprehensibility. A proper rate is one that is both varied and sufficiently rapid to insure interest in the sermonic movement. As a congregation increases in number and the acoustics become more difficult, the rate should be slow and down to accommodate that particular situation.

2.VOLUME:

                         Some speakers prefer to shout in and attempt to add emphasis. However, when a sermon is simply an extended shouting session, there is no emphasis art all. Sometimes a decrease in volume will give the desired emphasis. Unfortunately, it is too seldom used. Any change in pave or pattern will help a speaker to achieve a measure of emphasis. And of course we should not confuse volume with unction.

3. TONE:

                         A frequent fault of pulpit men is the so-called preachers tone or ministerial melody. This strange-glass voice is characterized by a habitual pitch tone, that is, it “makes statements sound like questions, the preacher gives a rising inflection at the end of indicative sentence just as he would with interrogative sentences.”

4. EMPHASIS:

                         There is a verbal form of underlining know as emphasis though which we stress important words and subdue those that are less important. Newkrik Lamar’s very helpful book, how to speak the written word, says that able communicators have generally avoided two pitfalls common to public speakers: Overdramatic speech and colorless speech. One, they have discovered is as bad as the other. Triumphed-up enthusiasm is readily detected. Audiences feel embarrassed in the presence of such speakers. They are trouble by the experience so much that they frequently, feel contempt for the charlatan. When this occurs in the pulpit it is especially heinous. Falseness in delivery marks the sermon with questionable ness. Frequently, falseness arises out of noble intentions. The preacher wants the people to be enthusiastic about his message, but when he finds no natural enthusiasm within him he restores to fabrication. The results are reciprocally disastrous. On the other hand, he becomes an actor (of the method school variety) instead of a person whose method is an indigenous whole characterized by verbal and naturalness.

GESTURES

            The language of the gesture is important. Many distinct and meaningful signals may be sent via the gesture. Generally, they should be omitted during the opening moments of the sermon because people are not yet prepared. They must first warm to the message and the messenger. Once the preacher and parishioners are involved in the sermon, gestures are very appropriate with in the total communicative process. One textbook on preaching says:

            There are four-conversasional gestures, so-called because they are the basic hand and arm movements from which all other gestures are derived. The index finger gesture is one of location and mild emphasis. The clenched fist denotes dramatic ad strong emphasis. The palm-up gesture reflects affirmative and ever pleading emotion. The palm-down gesture displays disapproval, rejection, or contempt. Descriptive gestures, which are variations and communications of the conversational actions, are as infinite as the moods they communicate. 

            Gestures are very easy for some, and very difficult for others. Whatever you do, make certain that your gestures are natural. Avoid these titled extremes of elocutionism. This is no place in a manuscript to record the appropriate gesture. If it comes, fine. If it does not come, well and good. They should not be tacked on. They should flow very naturally from a wholehearted involvement with the message being shared.

            What are the qualities of good Gesture? They certainly ought to be definite. Either makes a gesture or do not make it. There is no value to half with hands or flailing of the arms is always distracting. This king of perpetual motion is simply a nervous churning of the sir. Those who practice such gymnastics are advices to put their hands on the pulpit until they learn control. The ‘face fondlers’, ‘tied tightness’, and ‘pants jokers’.

            Gestures should be characterized by variety.  It is very easy to fall into some comfortable pattern in which you use the same gestures again and again. A thoughtful critic, church officer, or faithful friend should be regularly consulted to discourage if there is anything that needs attention. I once heard of an eccentric professor who, when his lecture approached a high point, would make a circular gesture in the air. And once he hit that point, he would puncture the circle with his pointed finger. Rather than being helpful, this move was looked upon by the class as rather humorous division from the otherwise dull lectures. Variety, not predictability, is essential. 

            Gesture ought to be properly timed. A gesture that is either premature or late confounds than confirms truth. Gestures, in summery, must flow naturally from the material as an indigenous part of the preacher’s total expression of truth.

EYE CONTACT

            Preaching is a form of conversation. It necessitates an awareness of the listener who is being addresses. When the congregation is viewed simply as blurred mass, the preacher is too wrapped us in his own thoughts and manuscripts of his listeners. Stevenson and Dielhl say:

When you talk with people look at them, one by one and see what they are saying back to you pantomimically. Keep yourself in dialogue with your listeners. Some ministers address their small congregations as though they were vast concourses of two thousand people. The late Charles H Spurgeon is said to have addressed two thousand people as though he were speaking personally to one man.

            Because the preachers are not caring on a soliloquy, they are to look people in the eye, not simply staring but seeing them so as to discover what their reactions are. The goal is more mental directness than more physical directness, a relationship with the listener, which makes him feel that the speaker is thinking of him and talking personally to him. This goal is difficult to achieve for the manuscript-bound preacher. According to one study, as would be expected, audience do prefer maintenance of good eye contact in a face-to-face situation.

            Speaker ought to gaze adequately toward each listener successively or toward well-spread representatives listeners when the audience is too large for contact with each individual. One should avoid looking downward, out the windows, or over the listener’s heads. Too much concentration on certain sections or individuals, while ignoring others should be avoided. One man whose messages are thoughtfully prepared and generally well delivered, gazes over the listeners heads to the back of the sanctuary. Although the truth he shares is important, one senses remoteness in the interchange. The electric spark, which should leap between pulpit and pew never, occurs when no eye contact is affected. The speaker should strive for a balance between blankness of expression and an intensity of eye contact created by starting. Adequately pause for a second or two with a listener, and then move to others. On the other hand, rapid eye movement, which is shifty and darting, which does not stay long enough on any individual, gives an impression of anxiety.

            Certain mechanical hindrances to eye contact should be cared for. Eye, glasses sometimes glare, especially when lighting is at a bad angle. Unbalanced or other wise inadequate lighting, a difficult angle between the pulpit and the pews, or placement of the speaker at too great a distance form the audience all these contribute to the problem. When there is a lack of eye contact a barrier is crated. People should inspire us; look at them in ordered that they may do it. Eye contact gives the speaker an opportunity to interpret the effect of what he says. Sensitivity to interpret the effect of what he says. Sensitivity needs to be developed-it will serve you well. Give everyone the impression that he is important and that you are interested in communicating with him.