At the Séminaire de La Castille, second-cycle seminarians and deacons receive training in preaching, to learn how to faithfully and convincingly bear witness to the Gospel. Meeting with a seminarian.
Preaching is the service of the word of God especially linked to the moment of the homily in the liturgy, when the Church comes together to adore the Lord. The minister of God is responsible for expounding and developing the Word of God, to try to root and encourage the faithful in the faith.
Pope Francis insists that “The homily has a special value that comes from its eucharistic context, which goes beyond all catechesis because it is the highest moment of dialogue between God and his people, before sacramental communion. It resumes this dialogue which has already begun between the Lord and his people. (Evangelii Gaudium, no. 137).
Kevin Cassidy is a seminarian at La Castille. Of Irish origin and aged 33, he is in the final year of training, called the year of vocational synthesis, to become a priest in the community of the Missionaries of the Holy Eucharist. For the second year in a row, he attended one training session in preaching, out of the three scheduled for graduate seminarians and deacons. Having already had an experience in “teaching in the faith, of which all the baptized have in themselves a consecration and a mission in this action of Christ”, he believes that this mission remains “a challenge, especially when you start and that such training is truly “beneficial for future priests who will have to take it for Christ and the Church to a whole new level”.
“This training gave me a passion for the Word of God”
In this school of preaching, six formators intervene: priests, consecrated women and lay people working in the field of arts and education, having at heart to promote a culture of preaching in the Church. Kévin specifies that before bringing all the technical aspects of the training, the speakers recall that the preacher “is truly a man of faith and a witness of Jesus; which implies a spiritual life and a journey of faith as a disciple”.
The trainers then help to develop techniques, deepen the abilities and talents of each to serve this ministry.
During these sessions, the day begins with an hour of worship followed by several periods of teaching. Lectures, sermons prepared, delivered and followed by relevant proofreading, and personalized coaching allow participants to acquire knowledge and skills in theology and spirituality of preaching, vocal production, body management, argumentation, structure and style. discourse and in contemporary mentalities.
This intense training is rich humanly, spiritually and intellectually. Kevin testifies that she gave him “brought a passion for the Word of God and the word truly preached. When you meet other people who really feed a lot on this aspect of their ministry and who have a great desire to see the faith spread, especially by means of the word, it gives you the energy and the thirst to launch in this mission for the Lord. That’s very strong! »
First beneficiaries of this training in preaching, if you want the homilies to touch your heart and transform the lives of new faithful, help us to train priests. Because preaching is rarely innate!
To donate:
Liloye Navarre
Preaching, an art of the priesthood rarely innate! – Diocese of Fréjus-Toulon