Last night ashes at 7 pm mass.  Priest blesses them on the spot, which I do not remember from other years.  So freshly blessed ashes on one’s forehead.  I got mine at a noon Liturgy of the Word at another parish, where the pastor said the old line, Remember (not man, he knows me and said Jim), you are dust and to dust you shall return.  Far better than years ago at Old St. Pat’s west of the Loop, where the lady said something akin to Have a nice day, whatever she said, it said nothing about my returning to dust some day, as if let’s not think about that, if you don’t mind.

At our church the priest, who also knows me and I him, lo these 62 years, said a few words at sermon time.  He gave a sermon, that is, but shorter than usual because he had ashes to bless and paste on foreheads.  I can’t tell you the relief I felt when he finished in one-third the time or the usual, and he’s a very good preacher!

What if sermons were in general half the usual length?  Would they be twice as effective?  Assuming the roughly twice the time put into preparation to make the point clear and punchy in the shorter time, yes.

Why assume twice the preparation for half the time preaching?  Well, the old, oft told story of the preacher asked how long it would take to be ready to preach, beginning with a very short sermon and moving to the very long one, saying he needed lots of time and less as the length lessened, until finally given no time limit and announcing, “I’m ready right now!”

So what about it?  Sermons so well constructed they take half the usual time?  (Good idea, Jim!)