The Parish Life in Its Entirety
I vividly remember when we introduced an Anticipatory Mass in one of our parishes. The first Mass was celebrated by my humble self.
At the end of the celebration, we returned home filled with joy to brief our Pastor because the Mass had been well attended.
To our utter surprise, he asked only two questions:
- Did many people attend the Mass?
Our answer was, “Yes, Father. About seventy people attended.”
- How much was realised from the collection?
I personally think that while we, the Curates, were excited about the number of people who attended the Mass, the Pastor was more concerned about the amount of money realised from the collection.
As the administrator of the parish, the Parish Priest must constantly think about how to meet the financial obligations of the Church, while we, the Curates, often focus more on the spiritual nourishment of the faithful.
Initially, as a young priest, I was somewhat scandalised by this approach. However, by the grace of God, when I later assumed a similar responsibility, I came to appreciate the wisdom behind it.
Indeed, both dimensions are equally important.
The Church is called to care for the spiritual needs of God’s people while also prudently managing the temporal goods entrusted to her. As Sacred Scripture reminds us:
“Moreover it is required of stewards that they be found trustworthy” (1 Corinthians 4:2).
Likewise, the early Church paid attention not only to preaching the Gospel but also to the practical welfare of the Christian community (cf. Acts 2:42-47; Acts 4:32-35).
Therefore, a healthy parish must strive to maintain a balance between spiritual growth and responsible administration.
The Fulcrum of Parish Life
Fundamentally, parish life revolves around the following pillars:
- The Liturgy of the Word
- Homily
b. Bible Studies
c. Faith and Doctrinal Formation - The Liturgy of the Eucharist
- Catechesis and Preparation for the Reception of the Sacraments
- Catechism for Children
b. Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA)
c. Ongoing Adult Catechesis
d. Parish/Diocesan Marriage School
e. Post-Marital Formation for Married Catholic Couples - Welfare and Charity Office
- Support for Bereaved Parishioners
b. Support for Needy but Brilliant Youth
c. Support for Sick, Poor, and Elderly Parishioners
d. Mission Support for Churches in Need
e. Support for Stranded Migrants and Refugees
Other Essential Parish Activities
- Benediction, Eucharistic Adoration, and Holy Hour
- Recitation of the Holy Rosary, Divine Mercy Chaplet, Angelus, and Other Approved Devotions
- The Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation (Confession)
- Youth Formation, Sunday School, and Vacation Camps
These ministries and activities collectively contribute to the spiritual, doctrinal, sacramental, and social life of the parish.
The parish is not merely a place where people gather for Sunday Mass. Rather, it is a living community of faith where Christ continues His mission of teaching, sanctifying, and shepherding His people through the ministry of the Church.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches:
“The parish is the Eucharistic community and the heart of the liturgical life of Christian families” (CCC 2179).
The Liturgy of the Word
It is quite unfortunate that many Catholics are not deeply rooted in Sacred Scripture and are often not sufficiently encouraged to participate actively in Bible Week celebrations and parish Bible study groups.
Yet, the Word of God remains the foundation of Christian life and discipleship.
As a faith community, and by virtue of the Church’s divine mandate to evangelise, the Word of God must occupy a central place in the life of every parish.
Pope St. Paul VI teaches in the Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Nuntiandi that evangelisation constitutes the Church’s deepest identity and mission:
“The Church exists in order to evangelize” (Evangelii Nuntiandi, 14).
Consequently, the Word of God must be enthroned in our communities, prayerfully studied, faithfully proclaimed, carefully preached from the ambo, reflected upon through Lectio Divina, and used as a primary instrument for the formation of both clergy and laity.
The Second Vatican Council, in Dei Verbum, strongly encourages all the faithful to become familiar with Sacred Scripture because:
“Ignorance of the Scriptures is ignorance of Christ” (St. Jerome, cited in Dei Verbum, 25).
Similarly, St. Paul reminds us:
“All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16).
The parish must therefore cultivate a genuine love for the Word of God by promoting Bible study groups, Scripture-sharing sessions, Bible Week celebrations, Lectio Divina, faith formation programmes, and Catholic doctrinal instruction.
When the Word of God is neglected, faith gradually weakens. However, when Scripture is studied, prayed, and lived, the faith of the people flourishes.
As St. Paul beautifully states:
“Faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes by the preaching of Christ” (Romans 10:17).
For this reason, every parish must place the Word of God at the centre of its pastoral mission.
The Act and Art of Homiletics
Although I am not an expert in Homiletics, I understand it fundamentally as the sacred art of bringing the Word of God home to the faithful. A homily should explain the Scriptures in a manner that is accessible to everyone in the congregation, using practical examples, appropriate stories, and relatable life experiences.
A good homily should be brief, rich in content, spiritually nourishing, and thought-provoking, leading the faithful to reflect on God’s Word throughout the week. It should help parishioners encounter Christ personally and apply the Gospel message to their daily lives.
The purpose of the homily is not merely to impart knowledge but to inspire conversion, strengthen faith, and encourage Christian living. As the Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches:
“The homily is part of the liturgy and is strongly recommended, for it is necessary for the nurturing of the Christian life” (CCC 132).
Unfortunately, it is sometimes easy to turn the homily into a lecture. A homily is neither a theological treatise nor a philosophical discourse. Academic theological discussions have their proper place in seminaries, universities, conferences, and theological symposia, but the homily has a distinct pastoral purpose.
This tendency often arises when the preacher seeks to impress rather than to evangelise. The faithful should leave Mass not merely admiring the intelligence of the preacher but encountering the living Christ through His Word.
As pastors, let us strive to speak not only to the intellect but also to the heart.
The prophet Jeremiah beautifully describes the power of God’s Word:
“Is not my word like fire, says the Lord, and like a hammer which breaks the rock in pieces?” (Jeremiah 23:29).
Likewise, the disciples on the road to Emmaus testified:
“Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?” (Luke 24:32).
As pastors, let us devote adequate time and make use of sound homiletic resources in preparing our homilies. A fruitful homily is one that has first been prayed over, reflected upon, and lived by the preacher himself.
Indeed, no one can effectively preach Christ unless he has first encountered Him in prayer.
The Apostles understood this priority when they declared:
“We will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word” (Acts 6:4).
A good homilist keeps two books before him: the Bible in one hand and the realities of society in the other. It is often said that a preacher should have “the Bible in one hand and the newspaper in the other.”
This means that the homily should not be abstract or excessively theoretical. Rather, it should illuminate contemporary realities with the light of the Gospel and help the faithful understand how God’s Word speaks to their daily experiences as Christians and responsible citizens.
A good homily exhorts, encourages, corrects, strengthens, challenges, and inspires the faithful.
St. Paul exhorts Timothy:
“Preach the word; be urgent in season and out of season; convince, rebuke, and exhort, be unfailing in patience and in teaching” (2 Timothy 4:2).
In some parishes, bulletins and pastoral leaflets are prepared to provide parishioners with summaries of the homily, reflections on the readings, liturgical responses, and parish announcements. Such initiatives can be very beneficial because they help the faithful continue reflecting on God’s Word after the Mass has ended.
Where such materials are produced, care should be taken to ensure that they are doctrinally sound and in harmony with the teachings of the Church. Appropriate ecclesiastical approval should be sought whenever required.
It would be commendable if diocesan pastoral and liturgical offices could consider developing standardised resources to assist parishes in providing sound and enriching reflections for the faithful.
Another concern in many of our churches today is the amount of time devoted to announcements. In some instances, announcements consume more time than the homily itself.
While announcements are necessary for parish communication, they should never overshadow the proclamation and explanation of the Word of God.
The faithful come primarily to encounter Christ in Word and Sacrament. Therefore, announcements should be concise, relevant, and pastorally sensitive.
Perhaps diocesan bishops or Episcopal Conferences may find it useful to provide practical guidelines regarding the manner and duration of announcements during liturgical celebrations.
Ultimately, every homily should lead the faithful to a deeper encounter with Jesus Christ, foster conversion of heart, and inspire a renewed commitment to Christian discipleship.
May every preacher imitate Christ, the perfect Teacher, who proclaimed the Kingdom of God with authority, compassion, wisdom, and simplicity.
TO BE CONTINUED
By: Rev. Fr. Albert Kyei Danso
Chaplain, Holy Family Ghanaian Catholic Community Church,
Italy.
