Abstract
This article reflects on the enduring legacy and contemporary relevance of Fulfilled in Your Hearing, the 1982 U.S. bishops’ official statement on the Sunday homily. Written by the document’s principal drafter, the piece explores the text’s revolutionary methodological shift: moving the starting point of preaching away from the preacher or the isolated text and toward the assembly gathered for Eucharist. The author argues that the homily is not an exegetical lecture or a discourse on morality but a sacramental interpretation of human existence through the lens of Scripture that calls the assembled worshippers to conversion, thanksgiving, and service. Central to this vision is the concept of "taking the 'I' out of homily"—a discipline of "chastened" self-reference inspired by the craft of memoir writing. Ultimately, the article concludes that the document’s vision is not a static achievement but an ongoing fulfillment, calling preachers to consistently re-center their ministry on the intersection of the living Word and the concrete life of the people of God.
Recommended Citation
Skudlarek, William OSB. 2026. Fulfilled in Your Hearing: What Has Been Fulfilled; What Remains to be Heard. Obsculta 19, (1) : 191-197. https://digitalcommons.csbsju.edu/obsculta/vol19/iss1/26.
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