Inside Archbishop Lori’s homily for the 250th anniversary of the United States

As we approach the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States, preachers face a sacred responsibility– to proclaim the Gospel and heed the signs of the times, without getting lost in political ideologies. When Archbishop William E. Lori of Baltimore was asked to preach at a Mass consecrating the United States to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, he did just that.

He joins “Preach” host Ricardo da Silva, S.J., to discuss his preparations for this auspicious occasion and what it means to consecrate the nation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Timecodes:

0:00 What does it mean to consecrate the nation to the Sacred Heart?

4:43 Setting the scene: Preaching at the spring plenary of the U.S. Bishops

7:42 Jesus’ high priestly discourse in the Gospel of John

9:05 Archbishop Lori’s homily

20:23 Preparing a homily for the nation’s 250th anniversary

23:40 How not to let your homily go off the rails

28:00 We must identify as Catholics first, before political affiliations

31:44 Preaching without jargon

34:10 What does it mean to preach for missionary discipleship today?