Preaching as Spiritual Leadership - Guiding the Faithful as Mystic and Mystagogue
In this unique resource, Fr. Michael E. Connors gathers and expertly
guides the collective wisdom of experienced preachers and homilists to
provide a unique resource that examines the preacher’s unique role as
shepherd and a spiritual leader. The chapters will investigate these
dual roles according to the roots of the Catholic spiritual tradition
and provide practical advice for priests, deacons, seminarians in
homiletics classes or preaching classes, retreat leaders, RCIA
catechists—all who preach. Preaching as Spiritual Leadership provides solutions to the following questions:
- How is preaching embedded in the Church’s pastoral mission?
- What does it mean to be a shepherd and spiritual leader for others?
- How can a preacher flourish in the role of spiritual leader?
- How can we lead others into committed discipleship through preaching?
To be a shepherd and spiritual leader, the preacher must be in some
sense a mystic, who is filled with the Lord’s gracious presence, a
presence to be shared with others. Homilists are a sacramental people,
they must also be a mystagogues: ministers who can both lead the
community’s ritual celebrations, and help the People of God to plunge
into the liturgy with lively faith, to touch the holy realities behind
the.
Paperback / 6" x 9" / 272 pages.