Better Preach

Have you ever heard a bad homily?  No clear connection to the readings, it rambled on and on, and didn’t in any way apply to your everyday life. While this may not be the case at every Mass, bad preaching happens more often than it should.  In my conversation with Fr. Joshua Whitfiled, we discuss where this crisis come from, and what can Priests and lay people can do about it, and among many other things - what role might the Liturgy of the Hours, yes the official prayer of the Church, might play in bringing about renewal of preaching in the Church. 

Fr. Joshua J. Whitfield currently serves as the Pastor of St. Rita Catholic Community in Dallas. A former Episcopal priest trained for ministry in England, after his conversion to Catholicism, he was ordained a Catholic priest through the Pastoral Provision of Pope Saint John Paul II in 2012. He and his wife Alli live in Dallas with their five children Originally from Glen Rose, Texas—the son of a football coach—he’s an alumnus of Texas Tech University, the University of Leeds, and Duke University. He is the author of several books including The Crisis of Bad Preaching: Redeeming the Heart and Way of the Catholic Preacher which is the subject of our conversation today. 

Book Recommendations: 

The Crisis of Bad Preaching by Fr. Joshua Whitfield 

Rhetoric by Aristotle

De Doctrina Christiana by St Augustine

The Book of Pastoral Rule by St Gregory the Great

The Joy of Preaching by Phillips Brooks

Connect with Fr. Joshua at his website. 

And on Twitter @frjoshtx

Links

For more information about the Better Preach Podcast visit: www.ryanohara.org/betterpreach

Better Preach Podcast is now on YouTube. Here’s a link to the channel.

Better Preach is a proud member of Spoke Street, a Catholic Podcast Network that amplifies the voice of the Creator through fostering content that invites. 

Check out Ryan’s FREE course on “sharing your faith as a Catholic.”

Follow Ryan on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, or Facebook 

Join the Better Preach email list.  

I made this podcast with help from Riverside FM. Want to try it out for your podcast? Here’s a link to get you started.

Description

Let’s be honest, the Great Commission of Matthew 28 won’t commission itself.  While it stands in graphic relief in the New Testament as the hinge between Jesus’ time on earth and the era of the Church, it must be encountered and announced to be unleashed. Because if you look around the Church today - it doesn’t appear to be an obvious self-evident truth, that we must preach the gospel to all nations.   We have to be reminded, exhorted, and given a living example to follow.  

Fr. Josh Johnson preaches and lives, lives and preaches the great commission.  He is a bright reminder that we’ve been given a task to get after.  And in his case - this task is taken up one set of parish boundaries at a time. What a great convo - we get into this topic about reaching everyone - not just Catholics - within the Parish Boundaries, we talk about the difference btw personal prayer and work prayer, and finally we dig into the challenges and necessity of preaching on issues of  justice in the midst of the divisions of our time. 

After powerfully encountering Jesus in the Eucharist as a teenager, Fr. Josh Johnson dedicated his life to becoming a wholehearted disciple of Jesus Christ. Ordained for the Diocese of Baton Rouge in 2014, he has since become a highly sought after conference speaker, podcaster and author. A man who loves God’s people (and this became so evident in our conversation) he serves his local Church with joy as Vocations Director for the Diocese, and pastor of Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish, in Baton Rouge. 

2021 article from Angelus News on the “Holy Six”

FORMED documentary on the “Holy Six” with Fr. Josh Johnson 

Link to Ascension Podcast: “Ask Fr. Josh”

Connect with Fr. Josh at his parish website.

And on Instagram or Twitter @frjoshjohnson

Links

For more information about the Better Preach Podcast visit: www.ryanohara.org/betterpreach

Better Preach Podcast is now on YouTube. Here’s a link to the channel.

Better Preach is a proud member of Spoke Street, a Catholic Podcast Network that amplifies the voice of the Creator through fostering content that invites. 

Check out Ryan’s FREE course on “sharing your faith as a Catholic.”

Follow Ryan on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, or Facebook 

Join the Better Preach email list.  

I made this podcast with help from Riverside FM. Want to try it out for your podcast? Here’s a link to get you started.

Description

As someone who speaks, teaches, or preaches for a living, one of the last things I would want to be called is “unoriginal”.   I associate that word “unoriginal” with words like boring, lame, predictable or unimaginative.  And one of my biggest fears as a communicator, especially one for the Gospel of Jesus Christ, is having people use any of those words to describe me or my speaking. 

And yet there it is, unoriginal, even with all of it’s negative connotations, is PRECISELY a word all Catholic speakers need to aspire to. My mind was changed through my conversation today with Hilary Draftz, the West Area Director for FOCUS, as she used this word, unoriginal, to describe an important conviction she has about speaking to Catholic audiences.  Stick around to find out what in the heck she is talking about!

Hilary Draftz became a full-time FOCUS missionary in 2005 after earning a bachelor's degree in Film Studies and English Literature from the University of Colorado in Boulder. Hilary is currently serving as director of the West Area, leading a team of 6 regional directors who work directly with over 200 missionaries on 44 college campuses from California to North Dakota. She earned a Master of Arts in Theology from the Augustine Institute in 2021. And also in 2021, Hilary and her husband Tim adopted 5 amazing kids. 

Connect with Hilary here: https://www.focus.org/missionaries/hilary-draftz

Links

For more information about the Better Preach Podcast visit: www.ryanohara.org/betterpreach

Better Preach Podcast is now on YouTube. Here’s a link to the channel.

Better Preach is a proud member of Spoke Street, a Catholic Podcast Network that amplifies the voice of the Creator through fostering content that invites. 

Check out Ryan’s FREE course on “sharing your faith as a Catholic.”

Follow Ryan on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, or Facebook 

Join the Better Preach email list.  

I made this podcast with help from Riverside FM. Want to try it out for your podcast? Here’s a link to get you started.

It has been said, from the perspective of Christian mission, that if you can “change the campus” you can “change the world.”  For better or for worse it is during these years in college where people decide, maybe once and for all, exactly who they are going to become.  Paths are chosen -, faith, worldview, marriage, career are DECIDED during this consequential season.  It was true for me and likely true for you.    I’ve had the honor of working with college students and young adults for more than two decades and I treasure this ‘season in life’ even more now than when I first began.  

Today, I am speaking with a Pastor at the local Catholic Church on campus, at the University of Minnesota, Fr. Jake Anderson.  We dig in to the unique opportunities, challenges, and techniques he uses to preach day in / day out  / week in / week out to this unique group of people.  

Fr. Jake Anderson, a native of Wisconsin, was ordained a priest of the Archdiocese of Mpls and St Paul in 2015.  He currently serves as the pastor of St Lawrence Catholic Church and Newman Center at the University of Minnesota.  An avid outdoorsman who enjoys fly fishing and bow hunting, he is also a member of the Companions of Christ, a community of diocesan priests who live a life of priestly fraternity, accountability, and support.  

Connect with Fr. Jake and the St Lawrence Newman Center here at the University of Minnesota  

Check out Fr Jake and the St Lawrence YouTube Channel, Gopher Catholic, here. 

Description

Here we go folks!  As promised at the beginning of Season 2 I plan on interviewing more and more priests in upcoming episodes.  Today we kick things off with Fr. Emmanuel Mansford for a great discussion about GOOD and BAD homilies.   He shares openly and vulnerably from his own experience of both. And what we people in the pews can do to help too! 

Fr. Emmanuel was born in London, England, and joined the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal in September of 1998. He was ordained in 2007, has served as the Vocation Director and now serves as Director of Formation. Fr. Emmanuel is a sought after conference speaker with a passion for evangelization and recently named one of 50 National Eucharistic Preachers with the Eucharistic Revival; the USCCB's three year effort to renew the Church by enkindling a living relationship with Jesus in the Eucharist. And last but not least also an alumni, from the way back, of NET and SPO. Fun fact!

Links

For more information about the Better Preach Podcast visit: www.ryanohara.org/betterpreach

Better Preach Podcast is now on YouTube. Here’s a link to the channel.

Better Preach is a proud member of Spoke Street, a Catholic Podcast Network that amplifies the voice of the Creator through fostering content that invites. 

Check out Ryan’s FREE course on “sharing your faith as a Catholic.”

Follow Ryan on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, or Facebook 

Join the Better Preach email list.  

I made this podcast with help from Riverside FM. Want to try it out for your podcast? Here’s a link to get you started.

Description

The principal agent of evangelization is the Holy Spirit. 

Today I want to share two convictions that I hold about how to actually follow the Holy Spirit in talks; two ways to think about how we can best be led by the Holy Spirit before, and during the talks that we give. Because after all the Holy Spirit is the principal, primary agent of evangelization. If anyone is evangelized it is because the Holy Spirit has intervened, and helped to make it so! 

As I mentioned in the first episode of season two, we’re going to vary it up with our episodes. First, interviews with prominent Catholic speakers and priests. Second, solo episodes with just me and the microphone And third guided conversations about particular topics related to speaking to Catholic audiences with my good friend Connor Flanagan. This episode is that third kind. Connor Flanagan is taking the lead and hosting this conversation: How to Follow the Holy Spirit in Talks. 

Looking for St Dominic’s Prayer Postures?  Click here

Links

For more information about the Better Preach Podcast visit: www.ryanohara.org/betterpreach

Better Preach Podcast is now on YouTube. Here’s a link to the channel.

Better Preach is a proud member of Spoke Street, a Catholic Podcast Network that amplifies the voice of the Creator through fostering content that invites. 

Check out Ryan’s FREE course on “sharing your faith as a Catholic.”

Follow Ryan on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, or Facebook 

Join the Better Preach email list.  

I made this podcast with help from Riverside FM. Want to try it out for your podcast? Here’s a link to get you started.

Description

Confidence (or lack thereof) has a way of shining through the moment you open your mouth to speak.  When it’s there - it puts everyone listening at ease.  When it’s not the audience remains vigilant and alert, worried more that this person makes it to the end in one piece. And forget remembering anything they had to say!  

My guest today brings the power, joy, and freedom of confidence to every talk she gives.  

Katie McGrady is a wife, mom, award-winning author, international speaker, podcaster & daily radio show host. And the perfect guest to kickoff Season 2 of Better Preach.  

Here’s the link to the talk (via podcast episode) that was mentioned at the end of the conversation.

Link to Katie’s website for speaking, books, and her accounts on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

Links

For more information about the Better Preach Podcast visit: www.ryanohara.org/betterpreach

Better Preach Podcast is now on YouTube. Here’s a link to the channel.

Better Preach is a proud member of Spoke Street, a Catholic Podcast Network that amplifies the voice of the Creator through fostering content that invites. 

Check out Ryan’s FREE course on “sharing your faith as a Catholic.”

Follow Ryan on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, or Facebook 

Join the Better Preach email list.  

I made this podcast with help from Riverside FM. Want to try it out for your podcast? Here’s a link to get you started.

Description

I want to share with you a short clip from an episode of another great podcast called “This Whole Life”.  This show is hosted by Pat and Kenna Millea, good friends of mine here in the Twin Cities.  Pat is a Catholic speaker, leader and podcaster - also a Better Preach alum - episode 21 - and his wife Kenna is a podcaster and licensed marriage and family therapist and their show, “This Whole Life” explores the crucial overlap of mental health and the spiritual life, sanity and sanctity.  

Recently they invited me on their show  to share a bit about my experience of the overlap of -  the spiritual life and mental health - from my perspective and experience with foster care and adoption.   We talked about how my wife Jill and I met, our struggles with infertility, the challenges and opportunities of foster care and adoption and in this short clip - I am talking about the difficulty of discovering that parenting our boys they way Jill and I were parented wasn’t going to work.  We had to learn new ways to engage, correct and bring about reconciliation in our home.  I hope you enjoy it. 

I’d love for you to listen to the whole episode - Episode 15 of “This Whole Life” wherever you find podcasts. 

Link to This Whole Life website: https://www.thiswholelifepodcast.com 

Link to Martin Center for Integration: https://martincenterforintegration.com/

I hope you’ll not only check out the full episode but follow that show too!  They are doing amazing work!

Links

For more information about the Better Preach Podcast visit: www.ryanohara.org/betterpreach

Better Preach is a proud member of Spoke Street, a Catholic Podcast Network that amplifies the voice of the Creator through fostering content that invites. 

Check out Ryan’s FREE course on “sharing your faith as a Catholic.”

Follow Ryan on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, or Facebook 

Join Ryan’s email list.  

I made this podcast with help from Riverside FM. Want to try it out for your podcast? Here’s a link to get you started.

Description

So today is Ryan’s turn in the hot seat. He invited his good friend and previous guest on this podcast, Connor Flanagan , to do the honors.  They talk about the chaos of family life, how it feels to get paid to preach the Gospel, some encouragement to those wanting to do more speaking, and what launched him into ministry in the first place!

Links

For more information about the Better Preach Podcast visit: www.ryanohara.org/betterpreach

Better Preach is a proud member of Spoke Street, a Catholic Podcast Network that amplifies the voice of the Creator through fostering content that invites. 

Check out Ryan’s FREE course on “sharing your faith as a Catholic.”

Follow Ryan on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, or Facebook 

Join Ryan’s email list.  

Description

Have you ever had to prepare a talk at the last minute?  Like day of or day before?  Not the fault of poor planning, but somebody gets sick or there’s car trouble.  There are any number of good reasons why your number might be called - to give a talk - without a ton of notice.  Well, if you have ever found yourself in that situation and are not sure how to whip up something solid in a timely way - I believe this episode can help.  

I’ve put together a simple four-part template that can guide you, even at the last minute, to put together a talk that can be inspiring, and actionable.

Here’s a link to the template for "How to Prep a Talk at the Last Minute.”

Links

For more information about the Better Preach Podcast visit: www.ryanohara.org/betterpreach

Better Preach is a proud member of Spoke Street, a Catholic Podcast Network that amplifies the voice of the Creator through fostering content that invites. 

Check out Ryan’s FREE course on “sharing your faith as a Catholic.”

Follow Ryan on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, or Facebook 

Join Ryan’s email list.  

I made this podcast with help from Riverside FM. Want to try it out for your podcast? Here’s a link to get you started.