Don Roberto de Odorico, rector of Santa Maria dell'Orto, a church very close to our seminary, joined us for an after-lunch meeting in which he shared his approach and methodology in preparing the Sunday homily.
First of all, he stressed the advisability of reading the following Sunday's Gospel immediately after the Sunday celebration. He also stressed the importance of taking time for prayer and reflection before tackling the preparation of the homily. He explained that every Sunday represents a special encounter with the community of the faithful, and it is crucial to convey the word of God to them in a clear, attractive and meaningful way.
During the colloquium, he explained that the homily must be based on the readings of the day's liturgy, and adhere to what the gospel says, without digressing into what it does not say. He therefore encouraged deepening the understanding of the sacred text through study and with the help of spiritual commentaries. Furthermore, he underlined the importance of connecting the Gospel message with the daily reality of the faithful, offering practical suggestions for applying Gospel values in everyday life.
At the end, answering questions from the seminarians, he shared some practical advices on the structure and delivery of the homily and stressed the importance of engaging the faithful emotionally through stories and concrete examples, thus creating an empathetic and stimulating bond with the listeners.