I am often asked about the cultural references I use to open most of my Sunday homilies. Sometimes I am asked if the references are a “gimmick” designed to get attention.  Others wonder how I decide which reference (e.g., movie, play, book, song) to use.  Because the reference comes first, I am sure some of you guess that I settle on the cultural reference and then build the homily around it.

In homiletics (the study of preaching) the introduction is usually brief and should lead to the focus and function of the message. My openings (the word I prefer in lieu of introduction) are intended to be a fuller concrete expression of the theology and scripture interpretation that will be presented in the homily. My goal is to catch the listener’s attention with something that they most likely will already know or identify. I present information about the movie, play, book, or song to give the listener the opportunity to bring their recollection or understanding to mind.  The goal is to get the listener familiar with the cultural reference as it is going to be applied to different material. I love when a listener tells me they begin wondering how I am going to connect it to the scriptures they just heard. 

In my Sunday homily two weeks ago, I opened with the Pink Floyd song, “Comfortably Numb” and then used the lyrics to demonstrate the opposite—Jesus never became comfortably numb to the pain and affliction around him. Instead, Jesus embraced the pain on the cross as he suffered and died in satisfaction for our sins. Jesus demonstrates that true discipleship means our embracing the cross and never ignoring the pain and suffering of this world. 

When did I choose the Pink Floyd song to open the homily?  In almost every case I can remember, the opening reference comes to me last, after the theology and scripture applications are finished. Because I study and pray as I work on a homily, I believe the Holy Spirit is involved, inspiring me with connections. Some listeners may find this technique distracting and may lose attention, never fully listening to the message.  However, the cultural reference is a concrete example of the abstract theology.  The listener does the work and, in the best of circumstances, finds an application that pertains to their lives.  The cultural reference is not a gimmick, but rather an established method of helping my listeners engage thoughtfully with the word of God.                                                                   Fr. Gary