One of my great lay teachers once said that when we proclaim the readings to the people, there's a fine line between where their attention is drawn - - to God's Word or to ourselves.

When we try to be too dramatic, too eloquent or pontificating, we cross that line and cause too many of the people to miss the intended message of the reading.

We've all gotten wrapped up at times in TV commercials that are so entertaining that we don't even recall the product that the commercial was about. We get so caught up in the dramatics and antics of the messenger that we miss the real message. And this is exactly what happens when we get too carried away with ourselves when proclaiming God's Word.

To stay on the right side of the line... we must always strive to decrease ourselves. To aim for minimalism. To put our total being at God's disposal and become nothing more than a humble conduit for delivering His Word in a way that registers with our listeners and pleases him, not us.

We must fast from ourselves.

Real and effective fasting by a preacher is not fasting from food, but fasting from eloquence, impressive diction and everything that might hinder the Gospel of God... Oswald Chambers - My Utmost for His Highest.