Ron Hansen on bringing fiction-writing techniques to homily writing

Preach: The Catholic Homilies Podcast

Ron Hansen has written award-winning novels that have been turned into Hollywood hits. As an ordained deacon, he crafts equally compelling homilies.

This week on “Preach,” Deacon Ron Hansen, a permanent deacon in the Archdiocese of Washington and a prolific author, preaches for the Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord, Year B. His homily reflects on the physical reality of the Ascension and the promise it holds for us.

In the conversation after the homily, Ron and host Ricardo da Silva, S.J., talk about using homilies as a tool for building empathy, which Ron does by crafting vivid images that allow listeners to imagine themselves in the scene. They discuss the challenge of “writing for the ear” while preaching and using real-world examples that connect to deeper theological insights. Ron also makes his case for a short homily.

Read Ron’s homily

Read the Scripture readings for the Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord, Year B

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