Better Preach

DescriptionA picture is worth a thousand words. We know that saying very well, and it's, it's really true. In fact, I was just on a call with a colleague from across the country earlier this week and you know, when you're on, or Zoom and, and you're talking to one another and you're trying to describe what it is that you're planning on or thinking, and if there's a document or even better kind of an image or a diagram that kind of lays out what you're describing, you wanna say just like, well, hey, can I just show you?You know, can I just share my screen? I'm sure you've been there and after I shared my screen. Then everything kind of made sense. I was able to explain it better. The other person was able to see it better, uh, not you know, listening to me describe it, but actually to see it on paper. Really made the difference.And,. I think the same thing can be true in Catholic talks and in particular how we might employ the beauty, the evangelizing. Beauty of sacred art. Today I want to dig into how and why we might use sacred art in our talks.Here’s an image of the bronze sculpture that made such an impact on me at the Vatican Museumshttps://www.everypixel.com/image-12179653852684922977LinksFor more information about the Better Preach Podcast visit: www.ryanohara.org/betterpreachBetter Preach Podcast is now on YouTube. Here’s a link to the channel.Check out Ryan’s FREE course on “sharing your faith as a Catholic.”Follow Ryan on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, or FacebookJoin the Better Preach email list. 

DescriptionI’ve often repeated the phrase that “communication is not what is said, but rather what is heard”, which is similar to Thomas Aquinas when he says that “everything that is received, is received in the mode of the receiver” (not the deliverer or presenter).  Through many incredible stories (which included one of my favorite “worst talk stories” ever), ministry convictions, and tons of practical examples, Michael Marchand always aims to lean into the wisdom and life experiences of the audiences he speaks to.  More than just ‘knowing your audience’, he and his colleagues at Project YM have made a habit of seeking out deep, meaningful engagement with the audiences they are serving, training, and leading.  BioMichael Marchand is a preacher, teacher, and innovator who is focused on serving his (second) favorite group of people on the planet: Catholic youth ministers. After years of working in parish youth ministry, Michael cofounded ProjectYM to do just that. Since then, his work with ProjectYM has taken him across the country and around the world – training, equipping, and supporting thousands of youth ministry leaders...and letting them know that they matter.Link to Project YM’s special page for listeners of Better Preach  - https://projectym.com/preachLinksFor more information about the Better Preach Podcast visit: www.ryanohara.org/betterpreachBetter Preach Podcast is now on YouTube. Here’s a link to the channel.Check out Ryan’s FREE course on “sharing your faith as a Catholic.”Follow Ryan on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, or FacebookJoin the Better Preach email list. 

Description When you are giving a talk there are many things that can go wrong, apart from anything related to your content, preparation and delivery.  What do you do when the mic fails, video glitches, or powerpoint dies?  How do you react when no one shows up to your talk or teenagers won’t stop looking at their phones?  In this conversation with my trusty occasional co-host, Connor Flanagan we dig into each of these questions and more…Things will often go wrong   How will you respond?  There’s a lot more riding on your response than you might think. LinksFor more information about the Better Preach Podcast visit: www.ryanohara.org/betterpreachBetter Preach Podcast is now on YouTube. Here’s a link to the channel.Check out Ryan’s FREE course on “sharing your faith as a Catholic.”Follow Ryan on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, or FacebookJoin the Better Preach email list. 

DescriptionIn the immediate aftermath of George Floyd’s death a few years ago, the conversation in the Church and America turned swiftly to race.  And as often is the case those national conversations make their way into (and in a few years) out of, our lives.  Today, I’d like to send that email again and you know,  bring it to the top of your inbox.  The discussion about race is an important one - not just for Americans at large, but for Catholics in the US, as well. The issue is personal for me. My family, as you know is multi-racial - my youngest son is African American -  and living in the Twin Cities through George Floyd, and the riots that followed - this question of racism and its effects has been top of mind since.  In fact, the overlap of racial justice and poverty has been the context for the works of mercy God has invited my family into since 2020.  Along the way I started listening to Gloria Purvis’ podcast, who I am excited and honored to interview. Her podcast and writing has been a wonderful education on what it means to be black and Catholic in the US today.  I encourage you to check it out if you haven’t yet. 10/10 recommend!Gloria Purvis is an author, commentator and the host and executive producer of The Gloria Purvis Podcast.  Through her media presence, she has been a strong Catholic voice for life issues, religious liberty, and racial justice. Link to Gloria Purvis’ talk at the National Eucharistic Congress https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QWAxXDYNr38Information about the process of Canonization for the first African American Saint.  There are currently seven, underway.  https://www.usccb.org/committees/african-american-affairs/road-sainthood-leaders-african-descentBook: Slavery by Another Name by Douglas Blackmonhttps://www.amazon.com/Slavery-Another-Name-Re-Enslavement-Americans/dp/B002D1W8ZYWatch: Eyes on the Prize (2 Seasons) on Prime. There is a paywall, but the series is available here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/amzn1.dv.gti.26619625-5243-4ea9-8b09-850310b93c4d?autoplay=0&ref_=atv_cf_strg_wbBook: When Affirmative Action was White by Ira Katznelsonhttps://www.amazon.com/When-Affirmative-Action-White-Twentieth-Century/dp/1324051086?adgrpid=180140477444&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvadid=748008426879&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=776688375324422722&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9019551&hvtargid=dsa-2414841786926&hydadcr=&mcid=&hvocijid=776688375324422722--&hvexpln=67&tag=googhydr-20&hvsb=Politics_d&hvcampaign=dsadeskLinksFor more information about the Better Preach Podcast visit: www.ryanohara.org/betterpreachBetter Preach Podcast is now on YouTube. Here’s a link to the channel.Check out Ryan’s FREE course on “sharing your faith as a Catholic.”Follow Ryan on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, or FacebookJoin the Better Preach email list. 

DescriptionSo in my opinion, AI, and this is probably your opinion too, AI is here to stay and preparing talks as one example, which we'll get into, get into today, will never be the same. And I'm a bit late to the game for sure on this one, as many of you have been asking me, Hey, what are your thoughts on AI and preaching and that sort of thing?And, and I think this is a great question and I'm excited to kind of dig into it today. And, um, to do that, I wanna share three simple ways that I use AI for many of the talks that I develop. Nowadays, I'm wondering if you do the same thing. In fact, I've put together a poll question on Spotify for any of you Spotify listeners out there, the video is on there as well.The video that I throw on YouTube. Um, asking this very thing, a poll question on Spotify, how do you use AI with talk or homily prep? Please check that out. I would love to hear your thoughts. In addition to the three ways that I use ai, I also share two cautions that I hold as well when it comes to the overlap of preaching and this technology stick around.That's sort of at the end and a really fun part of the conversation. Joining me today and sharing. His insights as well from the perspective of songwriting is my trustee occasional co-host, the One and only Connor Flanagan. Please be sure to answer the poll question on Spotify and stop by and say hi on Instagram at Better Preach.LinksFor more information about the Better Preach Podcast visit: www.ryanohara.org/betterpreachBetter Preach Podcast is now on YouTube. Here’s a link to the channel.Check out Ryan’s FREE course on “sharing your faith as a Catholic.”Follow Ryan on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, or FacebookJoin the Better Preach email list. 

DescriptionFather Luke Marquard is a Priest of the Archdiocese of St. Paul Minneapolis and a member of the Companions of Christ. Ordained in 2013, he serves as the pastor of St. Joseph's here in West St. Paul, along with a Master of Divinity degree. He also holds a master's degree in Education from the University of Notre Dame.Check out St Joseph’s Website: www.churchofstjoseph.orgLinksFor more information about the Better Preach Podcast visit: www.ryanohara.org/betterpreachBetter Preach Podcast is now on YouTube. Here’s a link to the channel.Check out Ryan’s FREE course on “sharing your faith as a Catholic.”Follow Ryan on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, or FacebookJoin the Better Preach email list.  

DescriptionRyan shares about some exciting upcoming episodes and asks you to join him for a special prayer request!LinksFor more information about the Better Preach Podcast visit: www.ryanohara.org/betterpreachBetter Preach Podcast is now on YouTube. Here’s a link to the channel.Check out Ryan’s FREE course on “sharing your faith as a Catholic.”Follow Ryan on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, or FacebookJoin the Better Preach email list. 

DescriptionAfter many years of praying with the scriptures on a daily basis, I, I read the daily readings and. Kind of go through a process of, of Lexio, Davina and meditation with the scriptures. Each day I've seen that more and more and more. There's this sort of merging and kind of overlapping of how I approach the scriptures.In prayer and how that informs my preparation for preaching. And I thought, oh, you know, it'd be fun. It'd be fun to talk about that. And I'd love to hear how you see this overlap in your own life between your prayer life and how preaching and teaching unfolds, um, in your life. So today we're gonna dig into each of the four steps of Lectio Divina, and how there is a connection and an overlap as we prepare for preaching.LinksFor more information about the Better Preach Podcast visit: www.ryanohara.org/betterpreachBetter Preach Podcast is now on YouTube. Here’s a link to the channel.Check out Ryan’s FREE course on “sharing your faith as a Catholic.”Follow Ryan on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, or FacebookJoin the Better Preach email list. 

DescriptionIs there an overlap between the art of preaching and the skill of acting? This is something that I have wondered about for a long time.  Having spent time on only a few acting stages - not the lease of which earned me a college best actor award at my alma mater for playing a young man with elephant ears - but I digress?   Is preaching performative? Yes, in some ways. Is preaching the same as acting? No, of course not, but the overlap and where that line is fascinating and what preachers can learn from great actors is super practical.  In my conversation with Tanner Kalina today we dig in to these very questions and might even have discovered some answers!  Check it out!++Tanner Kalina is a Catholic evangelist living with his wife, Alli, in northern Colorado. They enjoy camping, snowboarding, and living life on mission together. Using his experience as a professional comedian and actor, Tanner travels all across the United States to share the Gospel. He relates to audiences through humor, high levels of energy, and an egregious amount of research.His online videos have accumulated millions of views, and he’s had the opportunity to create additional video resources with Ascension Presents, Ascension Press, EWTN, FOCUS, Life Teen, YDisciple, and others.Alongside two of his best friends, he is a Co-Founder of the Saints Alive Podcast on Hallow, which inspires hundreds of thousands of families all across the world to chase holiness. His debut book, Aching for Greatness, is out now wherever you get your books, and he’s in works on his second book. Check out Tanner’s Website: www.tannerkalina.comLinksFor more information about the Better Preach Podcast visit: www.ryanohara.org/betterpreachBetter Preach Podcast is now on YouTube. Here’s a link to the channel.Check out Ryan’s FREE course on “sharing your faith as a Catholic.”Follow Ryan on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, or FacebookJoin the Better Preach email list.  

DescriptionTo celebrate 100 episodes I am featuring and discussing seven different messages from listeners of the Better Preach Podcast. Thanks to each of the following for their wonderful contribution!Karl Hendrickson - Teacher, School Administrator and Community formation teacherwww.saintagnesschool.orgMegan Copeland - Podcaster and Catholic Speakerhttps://www.hisbelovedcatholic.comSr. Nicole - Religious Sister with Salesian Sisters of St John Boscohttps://www.salesiansisters.orgChris Hurtubise - Director of Evangelization and Missionary Discipleship with the Diocese of Superiorhttps://catholicdos.org/people/chris-hurtubiseNikki - Canadian Catholic Coachhttps://www.instagram.com/canadiancatholiccoach/Nick Longo - Youth Minister and founder of SENT Parishhttps://sentparish.comColleen Vermeulen - Director of Mission with Catholic Biblical School Ministryhttps://catholicbiblicalschool.orgLinksFor more information about the Better Preach Podcast visit: www.ryanohara.org/betterpreachBetter Preach Podcast is now on YouTube. Here’s a link to the channel.Check out Ryan’s FREE course on “sharing your faith as a Catholic.”Follow Ryan on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, or FacebookJoin the Better Preach email list. 

DescriptionI want to hear from you! Would you be willing to record a voice-text (90 sec or less) and send it to me? If so, here are the four questions I’d like you to answer!1) Name2) Ministry / Role (if applicable)3) How has the podcast supported you as a teacher/preacher? 4) What was one of your favorite episodes and why? or Favorite takeaway from of the episodes?If interested - go to this link: www.ryanohara.org/betterpreach and send me an email through the CONTACT FORM on the middle of the page and use the subject line: VOICE TEXT. I’ll send you the details from there! Again, don’t forget I am shooting to have these by end of day, Friday June 6th, 2025. And while I can’t wait to hear your comments I will be selecting a handful to share on the show for episode 100!Please reach out to with any questions!LinksFor more information about the Better Preach Podcast visit: www.ryanohara.org/betterpreachBetter Preach Podcast is now on YouTube. Here’s a link to the channel.Check out Ryan’s FREE course on “sharing your faith as a Catholic.”Follow Ryan on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, or FacebookJoin the Better Preach email list. 

Description  Are you Like me? I always watch TV shows and movies at home with captions on. It's one of the reasons I don't want to go to the movie theater. Because I can't do the captions. I don't know if I'm getting old or what it is, but it's just so much better with the captions .I can follow every little thing that's said, and I feel like I'm understanding what's going on much better, because I can hear it and I can read it. That's kind of the idea that I'm tapping into today. There's this psychological theory called the “dual coding theory. It says that we store information in two ways, words and images.And if you put them together, there's a much better likelihood that you'll remember the idea. Words connected to images.Most people are running away from slides. I think you have an opportunity to make incredible slides that can really reinforce the big ideas. From your talkIt's really helped me to communicate ideas better using slides sparingly, but strategically. So I wanna share three principles that really help guide me in that during this episode: 1) Think Images not Text2) Think Phrases not Paragraphs3) Build it LastToolsFor designing slides: canva.comFor finding great free images: unsplash.comCaravaggio’s “The Call of Matthew” - https://www.caravaggio.org/the-calling-of-saint-matthew.jsp#google_vignetteLinksFor more information about the Better Preach Podcast visit: www.ryanohara.org/betterpreachBetter Preach Podcast is now on YouTube. Here’s a link to the channel.Check out Ryan’s FREE course on “sharing your faith as a Catholic.”Follow Ryan on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, or FacebookJoin the Better Preach email list. 

Description I don't know if you know this, but Father Mike Schmitz is a huge fan of Superman, but in my conversation today, you get the really strong impression that he's got a lot more in common with the everyday man, just you and me and the kinds of things that we struggle with. And he shared just humbly and honestly about some of his speaking missteps and struggles and the questions that he has around preaching.It gives us this beautiful window into the man, the disciple that's, you know, behind the crazy number of views on YouTube and downloads on podcast apps. And by doing so, he gives us each permission to be real with each other and with the Lord, and to name those struggles in our spiritual life.That we might normally, you know, keep under wraps, but when we share it, it really does shed light on our own lives and the lives that we're in community with. This was a fantastic conversation. I'm so excited for you to hear it. ++Father Mike Schmitz is the Director of Youth and Young Adult Ministry for the Diocese of Duluth, as well as the chaplain for the Newman Center at the University of Minnesota Duluth. He has preached to thousands locally and nationally, and is the host of the widely popular Podcasts Bible in a year, and the Catechism in a year, produced by Ascension. Father Mike also offers weekly homilies on iTunes, hallow, and bulldog catholic.org, and weekly videos viewed by millions on YouTube through Ascension presents.Connect with Fr. Mike and learn more about his mission in campus ministry at University of Minnesota-Duluth here: www.bulldogcatholic.orgLinksFor more information about the Better Preach Podcast visit: www.ryanohara.org/betterpreachBetter Preach Podcast is now on YouTube. Here’s a link to the channel.Check out Ryan’s FREE course on “sharing your faith as a Catholic.”Follow Ryan on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, or FacebookJoin the Better Preach email list.  

DescriptionOne of my favorite questions to ask anyone that I'm interviewing on this podcast is first or worst, I want to hear a story about their first talk or their worst talk. And this is probably the one shot. This is the one shot that I've got on. Better preach to comment on a Pope's first homily, like as a pope, not his very first homily.But anyway, Pope Leo, Pope Leo the 14th, Hauss Popham, we've got a Pope from America. He comes out swinging and I'm so excited to share a little bit about. Uh, this homily that he preached, uh, to the Cardinals.I decided to do this episode for two reasons. One, I didn't wanna miss out on discussing the first Pope born in the us. Lots of ink and airways have been spilled and spoken into about this historic moment in the church, and I wanted to share a few of my thoughts, but I wanted to make sure that we kind of aimed those thoughts, uh, in a quintessentially better preach direction, which is to say, you know, let's talk shop about the Pope's preaching.Link to text of Homily: https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/263981/full-text-pope-leo-xiv-s-homily-at-mass-with-the-cardinal-electors-in-the-sistine-chapelLink to video of Homily: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lYhfqwFaHTcLinksFor more information about the Better Preach Podcast visit: www.ryanohara.org/betterpreachBetter Preach Podcast is now on YouTube. Here’s a link to the channel.Check out Ryan’s FREE course on “sharing your faith as a Catholic.”Follow Ryan on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, or FacebookJoin the Better Preach email list. 

DescriptionAlliteration is like a specialized tool that can unlock understanding and retention for the people who are listening to your talks. And those are two things that we want to make sure our talks are always aiming at.Are people picking up? We're laying down and are they walking away with something that can change their lives? Alliteration, I think, can help us do both of those things.And today I'm gonna cover the when, the why, and the how of using alliteration in your talks.LinksFor more information about the Better Preach Podcast visit: www.ryanohara.org/betterpreachBetter Preach Podcast is now on YouTube. Here’s a link to the channel.Check out Ryan’s FREE course on “sharing your faith as a Catholic.”Follow Ryan on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, or FacebookJoin the Better Preach email list. 

DescriptionIn the wake of the news this week of Pope Francis’ death, I immediately wondered what we could do here at Better Preach to honor his legacy, teaching and example - particularly around Preaching.  For a while I wanted to do a dive into his first major letter to the Church, the Joy of the Gospel, from 2013, and look closely at his lengthy section in that document on homiletics.  And thanks to Fr. Craig Vasek, who joined me way back in the beginning on episode 2 of Better Preach, he agreed to join me again at the last minute here to look back at Pope Francis’ longest magisterial teaching on Preaching.  Father Craig Vasek currently serves as pastor of St. Bernard's Catholic Church in Thief River Falls, Minnesota. Ordained in 2010 as a priest of the Diocese of Crookston, Minnesota, Fr. Vasek is a graduate of the Pontifical North American College in Vatican City, having obtained a Licentiate of Sacred Theology in 2011.  Father Vasek has worked extensively with the Missionaries of Charity of Saint Teresa of Calcutta in Europe, Asia, Africa, and North America. He has produced works on the topics of Scripture and the Spiritual Life, and served as Specialist for the National Eucharist Revival with the US Conference of Catholic Bishops.Check out Fr. Vasek’s homilies here on: Podbean: https://stbernards.podbean.comSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6mwAvHPBm7c0pjGYUZxWEdLinksFor more information about the Better Preach Podcast visit: www.ryanohara.org/betterpreachBetter Preach Podcast is now on YouTube. Here’s a link to the channel.Check out Ryan’s FREE course on “sharing your faith as a Catholic.”Follow Ryan on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, or FacebookJoin the Better Preach email list.  

DescriptionEvery once in a while you come across a new perspective, fresh eyes, on an age old challenge > and it breaks through lots of baggage and pre-conceived notions.  And this podcast in the grand sense is about addressing the age old challenge of reaching everyday Catholics in the pews with the Gospel.  Kristin Bird helped me see this perennial challenge with fresh eyes.  And she conceives of this challenge and talks about it in a way that is so helpful and accessible.    Stick around..this is a good one folks!Kristin Bird is a wife, mother, disciple of Jesus, and an on fire Catholic.  She serves as the Executive Director of Burning Hearts Disciples and is a popular speaker and consultant with a long history of helping Catholic parishes and schools facilitate deeper discipleship and conversion.  Kristin and her husband Tony live in Oshkosh, WI with their three teenage children. When she gets out from behind the computer screen, you can usually find her quoting movies with her husband, laughing at bad puns with her children or with her nose in a book.Connect with Kristin’s apostolate “Burning Hearts Disciples” at www.burningheartsdisciples.orgLinksFor more information about the Better Preach Podcast visit: www.ryanohara.org/betterpreachBetter Preach Podcast is now on YouTube. Here’s a link to the channel.Check out Ryan’s FREE course on “sharing your faith as a Catholic.”Follow Ryan on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, or FacebookJoin the Better Preach email list.  

Description In this episode I discuss the reasons why we are afraid of the PAUSE in our talks and three reasons why your next talk needs the PAUSE. LinksFor more information about the Better Preach Podcast visit: www.ryanohara.org/betterpreachBetter Preach Podcast is now on YouTube. Here’s a link to the channel.Check out Ryan’s FREE course on “sharing your faith as a Catholic.”Follow Ryan on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, or FacebookJoin the Better Preach email list. 

DescriptionAs you listen to this episode, I think it will be abundantly clear that you're witnessing me in real time have something of an “aha” moment. I went in thinking one way: that to teach and preach about same sex attraction to all God's people, including those who experience it, it was really about a technique or a method or a kind of a tweak in style of communication.And that's not at all where we ended up, by the end of the episode, even though I kept yanking the conversation in that direction. The secret is embedded in the title, but I want you to go on this journey yourself too. A huge thanks to my guest, Kim Zember, who preached to me all throughout the episode. I think I finally got it at the end.You'll have to stick around and find out. Kim Zember speaks internationally about the love and freedom she has found from leaving a homosexual lifestyle. She loves people and strives to be totally transparent, to help others know they're safe to do the same. When Kim is not at home in Dallas, Texas, she's most likely found in her base for her ministry in Ethiopia, surrounded by 400 plus children.Check out Kim’s website here: www.boldlybeloved.com LinksFor more information about the Better Preach Podcast visit: www.ryanohara.org/betterpreachBetter Preach Podcast is now on YouTube. Here’s a link to the channel.Check out Ryan’s FREE course on “sharing your faith as a Catholic.”Follow Ryan on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, or FacebookJoin the Better Preach email list.  

Description The most precious real estate of any talk, I would say is that first 90 seconds where the audience is trying to figure out: Are they gonna stay tuned or are they gonna tune out? Today I wanna share with you what not to do, and hopefully what to do in those first 90 seconds to make sure that you make the most of that precious real estate.LinksFor more information about the Better Preach Podcast visit: www.ryanohara.org/betterpreachBetter Preach Podcast is now on YouTube. Here’s a link to the channel.Check out Ryan’s FREE course on “sharing your faith as a Catholic.”Follow Ryan on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, or FacebookJoin the Better Preach email list.