I am edified this morning as I hear that the Church of England Funeral Service for His Royal Highness, Prince Phillip will not include a homily/sermon or eulogies! Yes, you heard that correctly, no blah, blah, blah, blah!
Prior to Vatican II only the Sunday Mass was to have a “sermon.” But the sermon was clearly seen as “stepping” out of the Mass into the realm of priestly teaching and ability or disability. This was/is signified by removing, at the least, the maniple and at the most, the chasuble too.
I don’t think any priests preached during daily Mass prior to Vatican II.
With the 1970’s Roman Missal, preaching a homily was reiterated for Sunday Mass, but as a homily, focusing in on the Lectionary as opposed to a sermon which is topical and not necessarily linked directly to the lectionary.
It is highly recommended that a homily be preached at daily Mass and other Sacraments.
I have done so faithfully for over 41 years now.
Except with my once a week daily EF Low Mass. I don’t preach at it.
The EF Mass is more contemplative than the OF Mass is and it is more like Adoration is compared to the OF Mass. Thus no homily is in perfect continuity with contemplation and adoration. So, too, is the laity not actually receiving Holy Communion. Of course, the priest must consume the ‘Holocaust” in order to conclude the Sacrifice and make it efficacious.
I might add, though, my OF daily homilies are no more than two or three minutes. My Sunday Mass homily is 7 to 9 minutes long.
6 comments:
Most homilies come across as a bored and boring formality by priests and to flocks on a regular basis. Sometimes there is an interesting historical or translation tidbit thrown out, oftentimes a clever bit of humor, but almost always it ends up entirely worldly in focus as if a recitation of the school code of conduct.
The daily homilies even less edifying and seemingly given simply to give one to check off another box, never delivered as if anyone actually cared, including the priest, and interrupting in the newer Mass about the only contemplative Masses available for parishoners.
We could do without both of those nearly entire.
What we need are homilies drawing upon the just pronounced scripture leading flocks to truly experience God with solid spiritual instruction.
I am a fan of daily Mass without a homily, at least some of the time, because:
- the priest may not really have anything to say; ideally we are well prepared, but I can distinctly recall having plenty of time as new priest to prepare daily homilies, but since becoming a pastor, not so much;
- the readings very often can indeed speak for themselves;
- the Mass without any sermon or homily has a certain flow to it that can be edifying;
- the faithful need more silence -- the rubrics of Mass call for silence -- and this is a way to do it.
That said, I give daily homilies perhaps more often than I ought to -- i.e., almost every day; occasionally, I will omit it because of my own weariness or because time is short. But I have found a number of the faithful will express a desire for a daily homily, and I don't like to disregard that; and I do like to teach about the readings, particularly when they hard to understand and, therefore, easy to misconstrue.
My daily homilies are almost never written out (whereas virtually all my homilies for Sunday are), and sometimes I have only a sketchy idea to work from. As a result, I sometimes go on too long. A text is useful as a leash.
The distinction between "sermon" and "homily" seems pretty artificial to me.
The very word 'homily' is problematic in English, with overtones of a sanctimonious little lecture. Fifty-odd years ago the Church encouraged a stripped-down liturgy in baby language which presumably explained itself. However, if delivered 'straight' it would not last more than ten minutes, and so had to be padded out with homilies, mini-homilies and extemporized commentaries which do little more than restate the obvious. Oh, and throw in a few non-liturgical hymns to pad it out still further.
Yet these same people disparaged the pre-V2 Low Mass for its alleged brevity (which was exaggerated) and the Solemn Mass for is alleged length. They had the cheek to talk about 'useless repetition' yet introduced a 'responsorial' psalm which enshrines the principle.
That the Novus Ordo is not entirely despicable is no thanks to those who fabricated it. I have heard some good Sunday sermons, but even more bad ones. I don't often attend weekday Masses owing to distance considerations but do not go to Mass to be preached at, so would in any case avoid the OF.
In the 'bad old days' working men would go to Mass on their way to work, and Communion was often given after Mass (thanks to Coronavirus the latter has made a comeback). My advice to priests would be to address God more and the (dwindling) congregation less.
No, don't need one for daily Mass, but I would expect one on Sunday---not more than 10 minutes typically---as grandpa would say, if you can't get your message out in 10 minutes....
In other words, if you don't strike oil, stop boring.
No homilies sounds like a great idea, especially considering the Protestant drivel spewed by most priests today. Ugh.
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