When a Priest Quoted a Billboard Hit

I was born and raised Catholic. Catholic grade school. Catholic high school. A Christian university. It’s safe to say I’ve been to thousands of Masses in my life. I can still sing along to nearly every hymn I’ve ever heard in church. But when it comes to homilies? I remember only a handful.

Until a few weeks ago.

At my daughter’s school Mother-Daughter Brunch, the priest, visiting from St. Joseph’s University, began his homily not with scripture, but with the lyrics to the song Golden.

I’ll be honest: I didn’t even know that was the title of the song. The congregation chuckled. Moms smiled at each other. The girls sat up, suddenly paying attention. And from there, he drew a beautiful parallel between the lyrics of that Billboard hit and Mary, the figure at the center of the day’s reading.

That small, intentional shift created something profound:

✨ A moment.

✨ A memory.

✨ A connection.

The homily was no longer something to sit through - it became something to carry forward.

And that’s the essence of experience. It doesn’t have to be expensive. It doesn’t have to be elaborate. But it does have to be meaningful. It has to connect with its audience. It has to bring people together.

When we create moments that are relatable, surprising, and purposeful, we don’t just fill space, we fill hearts and minds. And that’s where lasting impact lives.