By Marie Mulvenna

An in-depth guide to better preaching, developed recently by Father Robert Kinast, director of the Office of Religious Education, has received accolades from several sources and will soon be distributed to all U.S. Army chaplains for their use and implementation.

The program, entitle “Self-Evaluation Instrument for Preaching,” evolved from several planning sessions with priests of the archdiocese following a Catholic Renewal Conference weekend held this past winter.

Father Kinast said the program was intended as a “stimulus for self-evaluation of homilies,” and included many facets of the art of preaching including the value of preaching, goals, preparation, performance and delivery, evaluation and an outline for self-study in the theology of preaching.

In introductory comments, the booklet states that “the art of preaching is inseparable from the total process of God-relating–to-man,” saying that for Christian preaching the focus is on Jesus Christ.

The art of preaching, the booklet states, concerns communication, specifically, the communication of God to man through Jesus Christ. When this revelation is truly communicated, a response is elicited. The preacher fills the role of enabling, enhancing, facilitating the ongoing communication of God with man.

In preaching, the study points out, the preacher remains “the pivotal figure.” “To be effective, and worthy, of the responsibility the preacher must be intimately involved in the affairs of God’s spirit, a person of prayer and growing faith, able to accept and relish the human struggle to know God in slow, groping ways.”

In discussing the value of preaching, the booklet states that proclaiming the Word of God is unquestionably an important part of the priestly ministry. The goal of preaching “is to proclaim God’s Good News, fully uttered in Jesus Christ.”

This goal, the program points out, may be realized when the objective of preaching includes the preacher’s desire to: evangelize; to motivate to action; to inform; to apply the Word; to give personal witness, and to heal, reconcile, console, support the felt concerns of the hearers.

In preparing for homilies, priests are asked to pray over the texts, consult appropriate commentaries on Scripture, select specific purposes of the homily, consult documents and other information sources, review personal convictions, assess the understanding of the issue in the minds of the hearers, anticipate future readings and events that might relate to the issue, outline the presentation and practice it on audio or video tape.

Other portions of the program include effective performance of the homily itself. “The delivery is critical in determining whether the Word will be communicated.” Included in this category is the selection of concrete examples to illustrate the point either from Scripture or local situations, use of audio-visual resources, providing a printed outline which summarizes the homily or develops the theme further.

Evaluating homilies and their effects on the hearers is covered with such suggestions for the preacher as: solicit reactions, criticisms, opinions by random sampling, evaluation by parish boards and committees, establish a review committee to discuss preaching on a regular basis.

Included in the evaluation process is pursuing parishioners for their specific likes and dislikes to the homily, as well as their suggestions for further development or for another homily.

The booklet also outlines a self-study in theology of preaching, pointing out that “there is more to good preaching than techniques.” In addition to prayer, one’s growing faith, sensitivity and openness, the program calls for theological awareness and appreciation of preaching.

In a recent communiqué from the Office of the Chief of Chaplains, U.S. Army, Father Kinast was told that “the instrument was praised highly here at the board, so highly in fact, that we would like to reproduce it for distribution to all Army chaplains.” The homily program had been sent to the office by Chaplain (Col.) Anthony M. Fracasso stationed at Fort McPherson.