Good homilies matter — and inspiring preachers need inspiration, too.

Sunday to SundayAs congregations begin to celebrate Advent, you will almost certainly hear the hymn “O Come, O Come Emmanuel.” It is an embrace of the liturgical cycle in song, combining a 15th-century French chant with an ancient Latin text. First printed in German hymnals, the text was later translated into English by James Mason Neale in 1895. His efforts helped launch the Oxford Movement, a path of spiritual renewal in the Church of England that enlisted into its ranks the likes of John Henry Newman and so many others.

How do our religious leaders launch this spirited season in the hope of spiritual healing in our often conflicted society and polarized churches? Above all else, Saint Paul counsels: “Don’t stifle the spirit!” (1 Thes 5:19)

How do our religious leaders launch this spirited season of Advent in the hope of spiritual healing? Above all else, Saint Paul counsels: “Don’t stifle the spirit!”

I have seen firsthand how one Catholic parish in Santa Monica, Calif., under the pastoral leadership of Msgr. Lloyd Torgerson, has embraced the needs of their community and reached out well beyond their boundaries.

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