Let art lead the homily: preaching the Ascension
Seventeen years ago, Ricardo da Silva, the host of this podcast, heard a homily that has stayed with him ever since. It was preached by his novice master, British Jesuit priest Paul Nicholson, and began with a simple but unforgettable image drawn from medieval art: Jesus’ feet dangling in the air, his body swallowed by clouds.
Preaching for the Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord, Year A, Paul returns to that homily, reflecting on how visual art and imagination can lead those who receive a homily beyond scriptural explanation or catechesis and into prayer. Together, he and Ricardo explore how this feast—so often understood as a moment of departure—can also reveal God’s nearness and how that insight might shape preaching at funerals and help preachers speak to grief, absence and hope.
Guest: Paul Nicholson, S.J., director of the Jesuit Institute in the United Kingdom.
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Preach: The Catholic Homilies Podcast
What makes a great Catholic homily, and what goes into the art of delivering it well? Preach is a weekly podcast from America Media hosted by Ricardo da Silva, S.J., a Jesuit priest from South Africa, associate editor at America and associate pastor at the Church of St. Francis Xavier in New York City. Each episode features a preacher’s homily for the upcoming Sunday or Solemnity—specially recorded for a podcast audience—followed by a conversation between the preacher and the host. Together, they explore how the preacher the Sunday Scriptures, and the inspiration and resources they draw on to make them some of the finest and most inspired preachers today.
Read featured homilies and get daily Scripture reflections at: americamagazine.org/subscribe
Preach is made possible by a generous grant from Lilly Endowment Inc., as part of its Compelling Preaching Initiative.
- No. of episodes: 84
- Latest episode: 2025-06-16
- Religion & Spirituality Christianity
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