ePriest.com: Your Spanish Homily

Readings

Reading I: Genesis 3:9-15
Psalm: Psalms 130:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8
Reading II: Second Corinthians 4:13--5:1
Gospel: Mark 3:20-35

Preaching Tip

When preaching on sin, the laity in the world today needs to understand sin on more existential terms.  Most lay people will possibly never read a theology book in their life, and we priests have a temptation to want to explain to them the theological theories about sin (i.e. mortal sin vs venial sin or sin as a “fall from grace”, etc). 

Yet most common people today will be unmoved by learning about categories of sin or other (albeit important) theological nuances.  On top of this, too often the laity thinks of sin as simply “breaking a rule” or “making a mistake”.  Neither of these helps them to understand the deeper evils that sin brings to our lives.

Try describing sin on a more existential footing.  The following statements (albeit less theologically nuanced) do resonate with a modern audience:

• To choose to allow sin in your life is to choose to be an awful human being. 

• Sin is destructive and ruins one’s relationships.

• Sin is choosing to hurt one’s loved ones. It is ego and selfishness. 

• Sin destroys our families and our lives and robs us of beauty and goodness. 

• A life full of sin is an awful and horrible life.

So, in preaching, avoid falling into the trap of talking as if sin was “making mistakes” (minimizing sin) or sin as “either mortal or venial” (theorizing sin).  Rather, make it personal and thus more impactful.