The lecture affirms that preaching’s purpose is spiritual: to turn words into life. The preacher is not merely a conveyor of information, but a steward who prepares his word so it affects people’s hearts and leads them to a deeper relationship with God.

Foundations of preparation and timing

• The sermon linked to the Divine Liturgy should be delivered immediately after the Gospel, not during distribution.

• The preacher must consider the listeners’ time: do not lengthen the sermon so they tire, nor shorten it so it loses its meaning.

• The preacher watches the listeners’ feelings and stops or shortens if they appear tired.

Choosing the audience and content

• Each audience (servants, youth, parish, villages, funerals) requires an appropriate type of sermon; the same sermon is not suitable everywhere.

• In funerals do not praise the deceased personally; rather speak about eternity, the resurrection, asceticism and the death of the righteous.

Method of presentation and substance

• Choose a small focused point and deepen it: for example (a sin of the tongue) or (signs of repentance). This is better than a superficial general approach.

• Collect verses, sayings of the Fathers, stories of the saints, and appropriate historical information to support the point.

• Beware of intellectual display; the goal is a practical spiritual effect that leads to Christian behavior.

Educational and theological aspect

• Theological issues must be simplified and given in limited minutes or reserved for specialized meetings.

• If you encounter difficult verses, refer back to the sayings of the Church Fathers (Athanasius, Basil, John Chrysostom, Augustine…) instead of personal interpretation.

Spiritual traits of the preacher

• Be a disciple and lover of knowledge: study to teach others. Labor in preparing teaching has reward.

• Do not be a transmitter of knowledge without conviction; your conviction appears in your voice and spirit and influences listeners.

Practical advice

• Beware of choosing examples that do not fit the listeners’ condition (do not speak about money before the poor like that).

• When speaking about a virtue, indicate the practical obstacles and the spiritual ways to overcome them.

• Use simple, clear, spiritual language from the perspective of Coptic Orthodox faith.

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