OUTLINE for BOOK "The Bodacious Word"

THIS is the working draft  (March 1, 2014)  to my book. "The bodacious Word"

Introduction and 5  (6?) chapters.

Homilies will be scattered throughout the book in the different chapters. Homilies will be introduced with a short commentary, containing information about the congregation and context,  how I prepared it, what I expected, what the result was, and asking the readers to critique the homily. (I plan to include a few homilies I was dissatisfied with, so readers honestly do feel invited to critique) 

Introduction  – who am I – why I write the book:

“The word became flesh and dwelt among us:  what does that mean?

from   COMMUNICATION to   COMMUNION

Homilist as sacrament                                                

My vocation story --   leaving home  for seminary at age  13  – my  journey from head to heart.

My purpose in preaching/presiding has evolved to:  

DON’T tell people what to do;  – let them watch while I  DO it, then learn to do it themselves.

example:     ADVENT HOMILY

My life as a   pilgrimage

POEM – Emmaus

longer story of my life in the  seminary – is this in the right place? don't know yet. 

Chapter  1a (my early experiences with public speaking

A     My first high school speech experiences: what I learned:  

Structure of a speech;  beginning, middle and end..

Need to have a topic sentence

role of repetition

intro & closing – important moments

delivery – the speaker needs to BECOME the message

eye contact – stories – homily examples

B  My courses in theology  1973-79

  : Fred Baumer  -- what is a homily?  much more than a speech; the Word of God.

How to unite study of scripture with the present moment: The “Triangle”

1.      Who are the People who are addressed in this scripture?

2.      What is the Context?  What is the question or challenge they face?

3.      What is the Message that the Word of God gives them?

 Then;  repeat the same questions with the people/context/message of today

c.   Practical suggestions:  Willard Jabusch: what is the  context in which I preach?

1.      Make    personal contact with the congregation  ( Fr. Botman   eye contact  with congregation  story

2.      Preach from the heart ---expose my own vulnerability

3.      Use  morality/ behavior  as an example, not as the goal of preaching

Chapter 2   My first experiences in   ministry   ( 1979 – 1984)

1.  preach out of TENSION

a)      Preach from  weakness and vulnerability , not from strength and knowledge (deacon experience with Tom Cima)

b)      Prefer the difficult readings to the easy ones .

c)       Look for a novel interpretation  .                                

2.  (Respect for the sacred TEXT –

a.       Ambiguity after Vatican II – tension between the  authority of the  TEXT itself,  and interpretations of it                 

b.       Discovery of dynamic fidelity to the text rather  than looking for new texts –: through my experiences with   drama, Shakespeare.

c.       Maintain and respect the TENSION of the readings – ALL  of them.

d.       don’t try to soft-pedal and minimize the anti-cultural implications. Don’t be bland. Personalize the messsage -- both in myself and in the congregation

e.       Use SURPRISE as an occasional way to get people’s attention. Keep the TENSION between predictable structure and prophetic anarchy. 

3.  Importance   of the Paschal Mystery to our faith  – we are here for conversion, for dying to self and rising in Christ, not for maintenance.

Chapter  , 3   – My next  conversion – 1984    Spanish language and culture – dialogue style of preaching

1.   Story of going to Mexico to study Spanish – letting go of certainty --  living light as a pilgrim, with one foot planted on the ground, in stability and tradition, and the other foot PERMANENTLY poised in mid-air, reaching forward.  
2.   learning to preach in a foreign language: 

a)      Accepting my weakness and ignorance

b)      Acknowledging the people’s wisdom

c)      My task is  asking the right  questions (Sometimes easy, sometimes difficult) to break down barriers, to build bridges, and begin discussion

C. Most people are shackled by FEAR.  For me, this is the basic human sin.

D. / Returning to USA: Working in the parish context.  People come to Mass for two (or four) reasons:

Love of God/ Fear of God

Love of others/ Fear of others

How to address all four groups?

Chapter 4a   :  Place of the homily in  LITURGY

a)      The homily is not the time for a lecture; it is one part of the Liturgy of the Word, which is one part of the whole Eucharist. There must be an organic connection between the homily and the rest of the liturgy, not simply a few token  words inserted here and there.,

b)      We do not worship “words,” we worship “The Word made flesh.”  How the Catholic sensibility to ritual and symbols embraces and defines the presence of Scripture in the Eucharist

c)      Importance of a consistent flow – the homily should not stand out from the rest of the liturgy, either in a good or a bad sense, but feel part of the Mystery.

1.      The Penitential Rite – a totally underused part of the liturgy.  A  very specific “examen” at this point can start reflection on the theme of the homily

2.      Echoing the theme in the proper prayers, not only the Scripture readings.  

3.      Selection of the Eucharistic prayer is very important. 

4.      Tone of the dismissal rite -- another under appreciated part of the liturgy

5.      Inclusion of special rituals– funerals, weddings, blessings, commissioning, etc. – in a way that enhances the flow of the liturgy, and not distract from it.

d)      Development of the theme of the TEXT from chapter 2; how to be dynamically faithful to a tradition  handed down to us

Chapter  5…     ROLE OF CELEBRANT AND LAITY

a)      How do the members of the congregation participate in the Eucharist – especially in the homily?

b)      How do parishioners support/ challenge the homilist in his (sic) ministry?

c)      My experiences: the need to speak of personal conversion and share my own conversion experiences.  Homily as spiritual direction    -- how to prepare spiritually  CENTERING.

d)     What personal experiences of the homilist are welcome and germane to the topic and which are distracting and self-serving?

e)      my failures to include laity in the preparation and also an evaluation of the homily/ entire liturgy – what might work

f)       my one success:  the Neo Catechumenate  as a  lay movement

 Homilies  on  Other  topics:

The homily as KERYGMA; a powerful witness and call to conversion

The homily as spiritual direction – guide to discernment

The homily as Instruction: catechesis on church doctrine, history, or practices

The homily as an invitation to prayer and meditation

The homily as a reflection upon human nature – themes of maturity – growth --  adolescence – illness and old age

The homily as a reflection upon death; the paschal mystery;  the communion of saints

The homily as a challenge to commitment to social justice