Success of homilies depends in part on strong preparation

Rev. Thomas Konopka compares preaching to cooking. Several days before he gives a homily, he reads the Scripture he'll be speaking on, "and I put it on the back burner and let it stew."

It's a simple description of what the priest calls the complex art of preaching. Every day, hundreds of priests and deacons preach at parishes all over the Albany Diocese. The Evangelist spoke with two priests recommended as good homilists:

* Father Konopka, pastor at St. Joseph's parish in Greenwich and a sacramental minister for two more parishes; and

* Rev. Dominic Isopo, pastor at St. Luke's in Schenectady.

Prep work

Both priests said they begin planning homilies well in advance of delivering them, and both begin by reading the Scripture passages to be covered and trying to relate them to today.

Father Konopka noted: "I ask, `What is the Word saying to me? What am I being challenged to as a Christian by the Scripture?' And balance that with, `What are the needs of the community and the world?' It begins for me with asking those questions, and it begins with prayer."

Father Isopo said he always tries to interpret Scripture in the context of life in the new millennium.

"People want to know what the Scripture means in their lives -- not 2,000 years ago when it was written, [but] what it means today, for me," he explained. "The feedback I get is, `You make it so we understand what the Word of God means.'"

Understanding Bible

Of course, interpreting the Bible means working on understanding it in the first place. Father Konopka believes that a priest's most important duty is proclaiming the Word of God.

"On Sunday, that's the most important thing that I do," he told The Evangelist. "To not take it seriously, I wouldn't be doing my job right. I feel guilty the weeks I don't put enough time into my homily preparation, because I haven't done my job right."

Neither priest uses jokes or anecdotes routinely, though both applauded homilists who can bring humor into their sermons. However, bringing personal experiences into a homily is often effective, said the pair.

"The most powerful thing I can say," remarked Father Isopo, "is when I use real-life examples."

Telling stories

While he doesn't break confidences, the pastor said that when he knows people in his parish are struggling with issues like marital problems or placing an elderly parent in a nursing home, he tries to use similar stories in his homilies.

"Bringing in examples people can identify with is very important," he stated.

Father Konopka often speaks about his own reactions to events in the world, including the Sept. 11 terrorist attack on the U.S.

"I speak to the community I'm preaching to," he said. For example, "I just did a funeral for a young person. I found what was effective there was being honest about my own feelings, questions and struggles. The basis of a good homily is being able to pray about it and say, `What is my point of conversion around this?'"

However, the priest shies away from sharing political views. "I don't get very political; I try to raise questions," he said. "I'd rather have [the congregation] look at the questions in the context of the Gospel."

Audience in mind

The pair try to remember where their listeners are coming from. "If you speak down to them, they're insulted," Father Isopo noted. "When you're done, people need to be left with some kind of thought they can take home."

Father Konopka said homilists have to address teens, seniors, wedding guests, funeral attendees and Sunday congregations -- and preach differently each time.

"One of the hardest times to preach is when I don't know the people in front of me," he commented.

Keep it short

The homilists agreed that brevity is important. "In the seminary, we were taught, `Six to eight minutes for a homily,'" said Father Isopo. He laughed and admitted, "I normally go 10 to 12. But one thing I try not to do is repeat myself five or six times" -- something he sees as a sign of being unprepared.

Father Konopka quoted a fellow priest: "`Say what you need to say with an economy of words.' I'm conscious of time -- not going longer than the proclamation of the Eucharistic prayer. I'm not going to let one overshadow the other."

He joked that whenever his brother visits, he knows when Father Konopka is winding up his homily, because he tends to list three important points. When he gets to the third, his brother begins to laugh.

In God's hands

The priests said that for any homilist, there are times when words don't come easily. Sometimes, said Father Konopka, all one can do is turn it over to God.

"I firmly believe the Lord sometimes uses us to say the word that needs to be heard," he said. "Somebody came up to me the other day and said, `How do you know the right thing to say?' I said, `Because at 6:30 this morning, I was laying in bed saying [to God], `You need to speak to these people.' I have to credit God."

(10-11-01)