St. Augustine began one of his homilies with the following prayer which, with proper adjustments, could be said by both preacher and congregation as the preacher begins to speak:May the Lord help us by your prayers so that I say what I should say and you should hear, so that the Word of God may be useful to us all.[EnPs 139[140], 1: PL 37: 1803]

Rev. Joseph A. Komonchak, professor emeritus of the School of Theology and Religious Studies at the Catholic University of America, is a retired priest of the Archdiocese of New York.

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