How Often Do You Preach?

[Tim Killmeyer]

Everybody is in a different situation and each parish has a different number of Masses, etc., so these are fairly general choices. Just try to pick the closest to your situation.
Sundays (including the Satuday Vigil) only. Don not include weekdays or holidays

When I was first ordained, we had a pastor and a parochial vicar and the pastor let me preach at one Mass, once a month. We have a 5:00 Vigil Mass and 8, 10, and Noon on Sunday and I would rotate through them over the course of 4 months so everyone got "exposed to the deacon."

Then we got a new pastor with no parochial vicar and I went to all Masses, once a month, which would give the pastor a break from writing a homily once a month.

Now we have the pastor, a priest-in-residence assigned to a diocesan office, and a retired priest who split up the Masses. Once a month I still preach at all the Masses. We've also added a Sunday evening Mass at 7pm, but I don't preach at that due to personal time constraints, but the priest-in-residence preaches my homily to the congregation when he has that Mass saying that it's good that the whole parish be on the same page at least once a month.

This poll will close in 30 days.

Tim

[Bill Ladroga]

Hardly ever on Sundays (except during emergencies) because we have the luxury of five priests in the parish. But I preach twice a week on Mondays and Thursdays both in the parish and at the Catholic Center where I work as Formation Director. I also preach once a month during our eight annual Formation Weekends when our Director (also my pastor) comes for Mass on Saturday evening after classes.

[fbh]

About every thrid Sunday at 2 or 3 masses (I preach at all the masses for one priest) and as requested. I responded 3 masses once a month

[cookydeacon]

Wow. I missed this one. On average, I preach each week. I am in a new parish-3rd year, and maybe not as much.
It started at my last parish, where the pastor could barely stand, and I told him the people need to hear something. So he allowed me to preach each weekend, sometimes 4 Masses. When a new pastor took over, he kept the practice by preferring I assist a retired priest. Of course, the celebrant had discretion, and sometimes decided to preach.
That is how it is now working. The pastor wanted me preaching at Masses I assisted, telling me I had powerful messages and he wanted the people to hear them. But of course, the celebrant decides.
What I have done with this parish is simply tell the pastor I will come prepared every week (as I have been doing for 13 years) and I am not offended if I do not preach. We now try to have me assigned to one priest each weekend, so he does not have to prepare.

How do I do it? Read, pray and reflect. But there are times when someone can say something in the sacristy before Mass and it changes my whole homily (or thoughts). Yes, that means I don't do it - it is the grace of God thru the Holy Spirit. And the bride tells me when I try to interject "my thoughts" (as she knows them), then I have difficulty landing.