ŚLĄSKIE STUDIA HISTORYCZNO-TEOLOGICZNE

The Sources of Changes in the Contemporary Fundamental Homiletics
The theological reflection flowing from the God's revelation was always the base of the catholic homiletics. However, the retoric - especially recommendations concerning the methodics and the form of sermons - have dominated in it now and then. Polish manuals on homiletics from 19th and the first half of 20th century are the good examples of this opinion. In the first half of the past century - especially after the Second Vatican Council - the catholic homilets increased their interests as regards God's word and the biblical kerygmat. The main reasons of the changes in the fundamental catholic homiletics of that period are: development of the biblical research and emphacizing of the kerygmatic theology, revival of lithurgy along with the speciall accentuation of God's word, ecumenical dialogue arising from achievements of protestant theologians. As the crisis of preaching and nowadays still widening dechristianization have been evident, it was necessary to pay bigger attention to authentic God's word which - when spread - has its redemptive efficiency. That is why the contemporary homiletics stands on the strong theological foundations; owing to this, it delivers the deep supernatural motivation either to the preachers, as well as to the listeners to God's word. Numerous publications concerning this subject evidently confirm this fact.

Kerygmat Versus an Event in Proclaiming Miracles of Jesus
Contemporary homilets of German language area are vividly interested in a message and historical nature of evangelical description of miracles.Like in the Gospels whose character is of historical-kerygmatic nature - similarly in description of Jesus miracles they are closely united and create both the event and the meaning element.In the apostolic preaching the theological interpretation of miracles has been united with their existence and narration. To explain the listeners the contents of miracles in the best way, the preacher ought to distinguish in them a literary form, a kerygmat and an event.
If the preacher wants the kerygmat to be understood and still actual, he is obliged to accentuate historicity of miracles of Jesus. In this way, the preacher will be able to act against the tendencies of lay and liberal specialists in religious studies who undermine historicity of the Gospel - also description of miracles.Therefore, looking properly at evangelical description of miracles - and through them - the preacher will be able to bring closer to us the redemptive wonders of Christ who "is just miracle of all miracles" (Alfred Läpple).

THE CHRISTOCENTRISM IN THE PRIEST'S WORD MINISTRY
Contemporary homiletists in their works on priecher's homilies stress a principle concentrating them round the main imperative - the Christocentrism. In Polish homiletics of the first half of 20th century under the influence of German homiletics and biblical and liturgical current one may see that the Christological sermons has been stressed. In turn - under the impact of kerygmatic revival - more and more the principle of the Christocentrism in the post-Vatican II theology and in homiletics based on it has been developped. The Christocentrism is then the main principle that allows to select and put the sermon in a right way. It has its deep biblical justification, arises from the teaching of the Second Vatican Council and post-Vatican II popes' teaching - especially from the teaching of John Paul II (among others "Redemptor hominis"). The preacher should take under consideration the principle of the Christocentrism while teaching about the faith truths (e.g. about the Church, Virgin Mary and saints, liturgy) and about principles of Christian life. His word ministry will not be then only a dry and abstractive interpretation of doctrine, but through Christ in the Holy Spirit it will lead the listeners to unity with God the Father. The Christocentrism from its nature will force the priest to accentuate the truth about the influence of the Holy Trinity on people lives.

DER EINFLUSS DES PREDIGERS AUF DEN WILLEN DER PREDIGTHÖRER
Wer eine gute Predigt halten will, soll den Hörern Gottes Wort verkünden und sie ermutigen, es im Alltag zu erfüllen. Die polnischen Homiletiker des XIX. und der ersten Hälfte XX. Jahrhunderts schrieben oft über die Einwirkung des Predigers auf den Willen seiner Hörer. Der Prediger soll nicht vergessen, dass das Gefühl der Freiheit zu den wichtigsten Eigenschaften des Menschen gehört. Deshalb muss er die Freiheit der Hörer schätzen, ihnen etwas vorschlagen wissen und sie dazu ermuntern, dass sie sich persönlich entscheiden können. In der Einwirkung auf den Willen der Hörer ist die Formation ihres Gewissens besonders wichtig, das der Prediger auf Gottes Wort und gute Menschenkenntnisse stützen soll. Eine wesentliche Rolle in dieser Formation spielt übernatürliche und natürliche Motivation, die u.a. durch positive Beispiele zur Ermunterung und negative zur Warnung unterstützt wird. Der große Einfluss auf die Hörer übt die Geistigkeit des Predigers, sein Gebet, seine Askese und Entsagung und schließlich Aufopferungsfähigkeit zum Wohl der Gläubigen aus. Als Beispiel des erfolgreichen Einflusses auf den Willen der Predigthörer dienen heilige und große Prediger der Kirche..

DONIOSŁOŚĆ SŁUCHANIA SŁOWA BOŻEGO. Streszczenie
Człowiek ze swej istoty jest słuchaczem słowa, dzięki czemu czerpie wiedzę i mądrość życiową. Szczególnie ważne i doniosłe w jego życiu jest słuchanie samego Boga, pełni prawdy i mądrości. Religia chrześcijańska opiera się na słuchaniu i wypełnianiu słowa Bożego. Pismo Święte Starego Testamentu często mówi o wielkim znaczeniu słowa Bożego w życiu ludzi i całego narodu wybranego. Słuchanie tego słowa jest źródłem światła, nadziei, błogosławieństwa, radości i pomyślności. Dlatego człowiek powinien bardzo cenić sobie słowo Boże i żyć nim na co dzień. Jeżeli zaś nie wierzy, zamyka uszy i serce na słowo Boże, odrzuca je, czekają go nieszczęścia i kary. W Nowym Testamencie Jezus Chrystus - Słowo Boże wcielone - objawia ludziom miłość Boga i wzywa do przyjmowania z wiarą dobrej nowiny. Błogosławieni są ci, którzy z wiarą słuchają słowa Bożego, zachowują je w sercu i wypełniają, a Maryja jest najlepszym tego wzorem. Każdy chrześcijanin powinien usilnie prosić Ducha Świętego o łaskę słuchania słowa dla siebie i dla swoich bliźnich. Słuchanie słowa Bożego zobowiązuje człowieka do dawania świadectwa wiary słowem i życiem. Apostołowie odważnie głosili Ewangelię; mimo prześladowań stwierdzali: "Bo my nie możemy nie mówić tego, cośmy widzieli i słyszeli" (Dz 4,20). Dlatego kaznodzieje powinni częściej pouczać wiernych o wielkim znaczeniu słuchania słowa Bożego, zarówno w czasie liturgii, jak i poza nią, uczyć ich przyjmowania tego słowa w duchu głębokiej wiary i posłuszeństwa. Wychowywanie wiernych do słuchania słowa Bożego należy do węzłowych problemów homiletycznych.

The Meaning of Motivation in the Preacher’s Word Ministry. Summary
A good motivation is an important condition of fruitful proclaiming of God’s word – as listener to it should know why he should reach saintliness, choose virtue and avoid sin. Polish homilets of 19th century and the first half of 20th century paid attention to this problem writing about priest’s influence on the human will. This problem is still actual as the right motivation and reliable argumentation also determine worth of the sermon. The preacher should fully draw positive preternatural motives from Divine revelation which show that God loves us from the beginning and craves for our happiness (heaven). The response to God’s love should be the whole Chritian life. As people sin against God and deserve God’s punishment, there is also necessary the preternatural motivation in a negative aspect (hell). That is why the preacher should also praize the natural motivation – pointing at the fruits of virtuous life and the fatal effects of vices and sins. An abundant source of motivation is Bible and tradition of Church’s faith; helpful will also be examples drawn from hagiography, history and life experiences of people. So it is worth to study motivations of contemporary preaching to know its model and defy against errors that may be found as regards that matter.

The rule of Christocentrism in preaching. Summary
The rule of Christocentrism has strong biblical basis and is deeply rooted in contemporary theology – which is also reflected in homiletics.As the preacher should bring a full image of C hrist (totus Christus) closer to the faithful, the author presents five aspects of homiletic Christocentrism.So it is a theocentric aspect – as proclaiming Jesus leads towards doctrine of One God; it is also a Trinitarian aspect – as acting of separate Divine Persons should be emphasized in a sermon. Christ established the Church, is her Head and acts in her through Holy Spirit, so Christocentrism has an ecclesial aspect. The pneumatological dimension is connected with this aspect because Holy Spirit makes present the saving work of Christ and helps the priests to actualize the Gospel. It is necessary to speak about Mother of God and about saints in the spirit of Christocentrism, stressing their union with Saviour and total fulfilment of His Gospel. The Christocentric dimension exists in the preacher’s mystagogy - as in it we instruct the faithful that in liturgy of the C hurch the Paschal mystery of Christ is present and trough it appears His salutary power. For the whole Christians life is in the close union with Christ who trough Holy Spirit leads God’s people towards sanctity. The word ministry is drawing „to sum up all things in Christ, in heaven an on earth” (Eph 1:10).

The Lectionary for Massasa Basis for Interpretation of Moral and Political Issues
The Holy Scripture concerns many issues, among them also moral problems of a social and political nature. The Lectionary for Mass reflects this fact to a certain extent – as it contains among others the texts that indicate directly (explicite) or indirectly (implicite) such problems. The author of the article attempted to divide the biblical readings into two groups explaining that such distinctions of the pericopes, although clearly emphasizing the discussed problem, may be controversial. The Lectionary contains also many other texts of moral, social and political nature – therefore those of them have been chosen which express the problem in a better way and may help people exercising power and politicians to find guidance in the Divine Revelation. It is worthy stressing that the lists of biblical texts should spur the priests to proclaim God’s Word faithfully and courageously; the priests should also actualize it taking under consideration the specific social and political life conditions. The preacher of the Word of God may, however, fall into disfavour of with such politicians who promote the laic style of life and even impose it on others taking advantage of their power. Jesus Christ is the best example of courageous and uncompromising proclamation of the Good News and He grants the preachers salutary power that allows them to follow Him faithfully.