Plaidoyer pour « l’indispensable prédication »

Résumé Fr En

Le prédicateur ne prêche pas d’abord parce que son ministère lui en fait le devoir. Il prend la parole parce que la charité du Christ le presse. Indispensable, la prédication est pour celui qui la reçoit une parole prophétique, une bouée de sauvetage lancée pour son salut.

“Woe to me if I do not preach the Gospel” (1 Cor 9:16), exclaims St Paul. The compelling nature of preaching proceeds from this urgent need to proclaim to each person the salvation offered by God who is revealed in Jesus, “for the love of Christ impels us” (2 Cor 5:14). Through its prophetic nature, the homily proclaims salvation that is already here. Using parables, it invites the listener to perceive his or her daily life within the dynamic of the Kingdom. As a therapeutic act, it is not satisfied merely with talking about salvation, but offers an experience of it. Finally, through its spiritual function, the homily opens to the divine reality, hidden within and already active in each person. The homily is not a vain exercise in rhetoric. It is nothing less than an “emergency intervention” to save the listener! Indispensable indeed.