The Effects of the Mighty Deed of Preaching

“But tell me: What would become of this world, of the Christian faith, if there were no preaching? Within a very little, our faith would have perished, for we should believe nothing of that which we now believe. And because of this, Holy Church has ordered that every Sunday there shall be preaching, much or little, but some preaching… For tell me, should you believe in the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar if this had not been preached in holy sermons? You have learned to believe in the Mass only from preaching. More than this, how ever should you have known what sin is, if not from preaching? What would you know of hell, if there were no preaching? What would you know of any good work, or how you should perform it, if not for preaching, or what would you know of the glories of heaven? All these things that you know came to you through the words heard by your ears, and it is in this wise that you come by knowledge to faith, and that which you know and which you have has come all through the Word of God. And this is a sovereign rule: that which we have of the faith of Jesus Christ has come merely through preaching. And this faith will never perish while it shall be preached.”

–Saint Bernardine of Siena