A surefire way to lose your congregation is to start a homily with “In today’s Gospel reading,” says Thomas Groome. “The purpose of good preaching,” he says, “is to bring our lives to God and God to our lives.” A homilist’s job, then, is to facilitate a meaningful conversation between the two.

Statistician Ryan Burge set out to learn how many Catholics agree with church teachings on three key pro-life issues: abortion, euthanasia and the death penalty. The answer? Fewer than 1 percent.

This week on "Inside the Vatican," hosts Colleen and Gerry discuss Pope Francis’ proclamation of Jubilee Year 2025 and also review a global synod meeting of 200 parish priests held outside Rome earlier this month.

Though Jesus preached in parables that still captivate us, not every story told in a homily has a similarly lasting impact. The Rev. Christopher Clohessy shares how preachers can craft stories that linger long after Mass is over.

On Jesuitical, Zac and Ashley speak with Andrea Von Kampen about her new album “Sister Moon,” which draws on the spiritual and ecological wisdom of St. Francis of Assisi and Pope Francis’ “Laudato Si’.”

“There’s also a lot of manipulation. And not every expression of support for the Palestinian people can be then condemned as antisemitism,” says David Neuhaus, S.J., “This is a very dangerous game.”