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No matter the Rite, there is no power in preaching without prayer. None.

A priest or deacon who doesn't pray has no core. He thinks he can "wow" the congregation by himself--like a Tom Peters in a stole.

He fails to realize that it's the Holy Spirit who emboldens and empowers his words, not him.

If the Spirit is not in him, he's wasting everybody's time.

No matter the Rite, there is no power in preaching without prayer. None. A priest or deacon who doesn't pray has no core. He thinks he can "wow" the congregation by himself--like a Tom Peters in a stole. He fails to realize that it's the Holy Spirit who emboldens and empowers his words, not him. If the Spirit is not in him, he's wasting everybody's time.

Great point. And great post. This hits the nail on the head. What you are left with is the Rev. in "The Simpsons." I always think of him as the perfect representation of thinking that you can preach without the grace of the Holy Spirit. Might I suggest that this extends from the non-denominational protestants to the New Mass Catholics? The Simpsons church is not that different from a lot of New Mass parishes.

But you would never mistake it for a Latin Mass parish. The Latin Mass is the antithesis of preaching without prayer. Sometimes it might go to the extreme of prayer without preaching. But that is certainly preferable to the alternative.

No matter the Rite, there is no power in preaching without prayer. None. A priest or deacon who doesn't pray has no core. He thinks he can "wow" the congregation by himself--like a Tom Peters in a stole. He fails to realize that it's the Holy Spirit who emboldens and empowers his words, not him. If the Spirit is not in him, he's wasting everybody's time.

Great point. And great post. This hits the nail on the head. What you are left with is the Rev. in "The Simpsons." I always think of him as the perfect representation of thinking that you can preach without the grace of the Holy Spirit. Might I suggest that this extends from the non-denominational protestants to the New Mass Catholics? The Simpsons church is not that different from a lot of New Mass parishes.

But you would never mistake it for a Latin Mass parish. The Latin Mass is the antithesis of preaching without prayer. Sometimes it might go to the extreme of prayer without preaching. But that is certainly preferable to the alternative.

Do Novus Ordo priests practice mental prayer? When I was in the seminary, I was surprised so little emphasis was placed on a prayer life--and this was at a major seminary. More time and trouble was taken to make sure we got our phone lines connected than assigning spiritual directors. It was first come first serve among the latter--and mine was a guy who simply liked to schmooze. I ended up getting my own director away from the seminary at a monastery nearby--but I did it on my own, on the recommendation of a friend of my father. Our weekend recollection retreats away from the seminary wound up as parties. I've mentioned many times--the Blessed Sacrament was kept in a small room in the basement--something that amazed me. You had to take a service elevator to get to it--and it was never visited, exept by myself and one other seminarian. Nothing was more disillusioning nor less inspiring than what I had experienced--and it was typical.