This Man is a Wonderful Homilist

Fr. Wade Menezes, as seen on EWTN.

I like his homilies because they are structured and well-thought out. I like them because they're about something. (A homily shouldn't be about everything.) I like the deliberateness of his diction and his willingness to repeat key sentences.

But most of all I like him because he is so serious, even solemn.

I think there is a tremendous temptation on Christians to laugh it up all the time. We don't want to seem too holy. We don't want to seem pushy. We don't want to resemble the popular culture of zombie-eyed, fanatical Bible-bashers.

But if you don't take yourself seriously, nobody else does. And if you don't take what you're saying seriously, nobody else does.

I like sermons. I like the idea of sermons, and I always have. I don't know why there is the idea out there that sermons are necessarily dull. "Not preachy" is one of those unthinking compliments, like "not sentimental". Well, there's nothing wrong with sentimentality, and there's nothing wrong with preaching.

When you have an inspirational teacher-- like Mr. Keating in Dead Poets Society- he's always preachy. He (or she) is not only transferring information or skills but inspiring his or her students with a particular view of the world, a particular ethic.

I'm not a fan of the late comedian Bill Hicks, but why is he esteemed in a way that most other comics are not? Because he preached.

On an unrelated note, I ask for your prayers for my wife Michelle, as she is going through a hard time.