|
Published: March 15, 2010
Homilies should not exceed eight minutes
Advises Vatican prelate
Vatican City, Mar 11 (CNA) - In a new book consisting of reflections based on the 2008 Synod on the Word of God, the secretary for the Synod of Bishops, Archbishop Nikola Eterovic, writes that homilies should not last more than eight minutes.
In his book, The Word of God, the archbishop elaborates on methods priests can use in preparing their Sunday homilies. His first suggestion – taken from Pope Benedict XVI himself – advises that clergy members begin preparing for their Sunday homilies nearly a week in advance.
Archbishop Eterovic explains that each week the Holy Father begins his Sunday homily preparations on the Monday before, so he “has sufficient time to understand the passages from the Sunday readings. The readings become the object of profound meditation, in light of specific events, at personal and community levels.”
“Improvisations must be avoided,” the archbishop continues, “since the homily is too serious of a reality to be delivered to the faithful without adequate planning.”
The preparation for Sunday homilies, Archbishop Eterovic suggests, “can also take on the form of Lectio Divina.” He adds that priests who use this method usually “see generally positive results.”
The archbishop then notes five steps for improving homilies: “Determine the main theme of the homily, inspire interest in the faithful," and "do everything possible to transmit one’s own convictions by appealing to their hearts and intellects.
He also advises priests to help the faithful to memorize the theme of the homily … and prompt an active response in the faithful by suggesting concrete actions such as prayer, readings, activities in family, in the parish, at work or in society.”
It is “useful to remember that in general the homily should not be longer than eight minutes, the average time listeners can concentrate,” the archbishop says. “The preacher can write the homily, but at the time of delivery he should use an outline, a special guide that will allow him to follow a logical line of thought while looking at the faithful.”
Archbishop Eterovic also explains that in order to keep up-to-date, the preacher should use the Bible and a newspaper in preparing homilies.
Posted Monday, March 15, 2010 7:28 AM By Camille
The 8 minute rule for homilies is a good idea. Deacons should also be required to follow that rule. It is often they who deliver the most misleading talks about the faith. Certain Deacons, at least in my diocese are the ones to deliver the gospel according to politics.
|
Posted Monday, March 15, 2010 8:16 AM By Jean
Some of the best homilies I've heard have been short. I also think that homilies should be focused primamrily on the Scripture reading of the Mass and be meaningfully applied to everyday living and circumstances.
|
Posted Monday, March 15, 2010 8:44 AM By Jon
How about homilies on sin and hell? They do still exist, don't they?
|
Posted Monday, March 15, 2010 9:30 AM By Peter
That was always one of the big criticisms I had of the priesthood in the parish of my youth. The priests would try so hard to make the homily relative to their own life, with examples from their own lives, that often the obvious "meaning" of scripture was quickly glossed over for something more conducive to the direction they wanted the homily to go. (More of a convenience to them, it always seemed.) Any relevance to my life or those around me was completely lost or buried in a bunch of junk. I seem to recall that most of the time during the homilies I would stare at the church lighting until I saw spots, and them watch them float around over the altar.
|
Posted Monday, March 15, 2010 10:05 AM By Abeca Christian
Let us not forget, the homilies should also be a moment to teach what the church teaches such as Dogma. Sometimes we just received washing down of the faith and only lets all feel good homilies instead of the real deep stuff that can help us with everyday life struggles.
|
Posted Monday, March 15, 2010 10:43 AM By Rudy
The sermons at the Society of St. Pius X church I attend are generally at least a 20 minute catechism. I wouldn't have it any other way.
|
Posted Monday, March 15, 2010 1:31 PM By junev
The only good sermons I hear are from Father Corapi. I have been listening to the same Gospels and Epistles for almost 77 years. How can you make it interesting and keep the attentiton of the people?? My parish sometimes has sermons that last almost 20 minutes and are not that good. I heard good sermons until it was mandated they speak on the readings for the day. No wonder we didn't hear them speak about abortion in the last election, it wasn't in the Epistle or Gospel.
|
Posted Monday, March 15, 2010 2:25 PM By Christian
I don't think about time when I listen to a good sermon. When I hear a bad one, time is one of my first concerns.
|
Posted Monday, March 15, 2010 6:09 PM By Doug
My guess is our Lord didn't limit Himself to 8 minutes in His preaching before His apostles, disciples, or interested crowds. Could this be another spin on fast-spiritual food? Get the Vatican 2 membership in and out of the service in record time! Sermons are a great oratory opportunity for a priest to teach about Catholic Doctrine, Catholic Catechism and etc. So many members have lost the Catholic Faith and this is the best avenue for those whom attend weekend services periodically to at least get a little Catechism refresher. How many Vatican 2 members know what types of sins there are like venial and mortal? What constitutes a mortal sin? How to make a clear examination of conscience. The trouble is it appears the clergy is afraid to teach these subjects in fear of turning some members off/away. That is a mistake as the clergy will be held culpable for not teaching their parishoners, they and their parishoners will only suffer the worse in purgatory if they get so lucky! The list of sermon topics can go on and on! None of us knows our Catholic Faith as well as we should, and none of us practices our Catholic Faith as well as we should either, especially in regards to reverence and prayer to our heavenly Father, His Son, the Holy Ghost, and the Holy Family. Take for example offending God by using His holy name in vain. People say it so profusely, they seem to be unaware of doing so. Pray your Rosaries in reparation for the many offenses to our Lord's name, His Sacred Heart, and Blessed Mother's Immaculate Heart; because that is about all that is left for many of us to gain reparation and sanctifying graces.
|
Posted Tuesday, March 16, 2010 5:23 AM By RR
Before you know it, there will be a drive- through Mass. This reminds me of the time I went to Confession after the Saturday evening Novus Ordo Mass that was at 7:30 P.M. Confessions were immediately after the 7:30 Mass. I never went to the 7:30 Mass that evening, but I wanted to go to Confession after the Mass. I was standing in the back watching the Mass, it was just before Communion, and I saw a man reach for his cell phone and proceed to the back vestbule where I was at. I thought to myself that he must be a doctor and got a call or something like that. To my utter shock he came to the back vestibule, ordered a sausage and mushroom pizza, and went back in and got in line for Communion. I was speechless. What a way to prepare to receive Christ. It's very sad how little time Catholics today want to give to God. They go to Mass on Saturday or Sunday and that's it. No wonder the Church is in so much chaos.
|
Posted Tuesday, March 16, 2010 7:47 AM By Frank
Shame on you all who agree with the 8 minutes homily. You just want the homilies shorters so that you can go to your football games on time or go shopping. Why then you bother to go the church?
|
Posted Tuesday, March 16, 2010 8:46 AM By Robert Charron
Long, protracted homilies also serve to usurp the main focus of the Mass, the consecration of the bread and wine.
|
Posted Tuesday, March 16, 2010 11:24 AM By Abeca Christian
Frank thank you, because everyone knows that good homilies require more in depth and love of the faith and in Christ. It is bad homilies of the lukewarm priests that I wouldn't mind if they were shorter because sometimes I feel that they are actually sending people off to never never land and no real truth, no depth. The good ones, that are actually feeding my soul in addition to receiving the Lord, boy, those I love and don't want to end at all.
|
Posted Tuesday, March 16, 2010 3:47 PM By Kathy
The 8-minute guideline is very similar to what Toastmasters International uses as they train public speakers. The reason? People listen best in shorter segments and the discipline of 8 minutes forces the speaker to be highly organized and insightful to get across the most important and thoughftul insights. It is not a drive-by mentality! At the end of a good 8 minute sermon, I can take a nugget of education with me all week. At the end of a 20 minute sermon, there's usually too many points that were attempted to be made and there's too much for a listener to process.There's a lifetime of teaching and learning to be done---don't try to accomplish it all in one lengthy sermon. Keep us interested and engaged for shorter time and we'll keep coming back for more!
|
Posted Tuesday, March 16, 2010 5:20 PM By RR
I believe it is a drive-by mentality. Face it. Many Catholics do not want to take time out of their busy schedules and lives for Mass. To add to my prior post above, another incident happened another time when I was in the back of the same Church to go to Confession after Mass. The Mass was about to end and the preist said, "Mass is ended now go in peace." The normal response is, "Thanks be to God." Instead of, "Thanks be to God," an usher standing in the back of the church looked at the other usher and said, "Thank God!" They both began to laugh. This Mass is at the most 1/2 hour and I am not exaggerating. People attend this Mass because their is no sermon or singing. This Mass is packed. These people then have their Sundays to go golfing or shopping instead of keeping Sunday holy and for God. This is the mindset of many Catholics. It's very sad. The mindset is that if I'm obliged togo to Mass, then I'll get it over with Saturday night and it will be quick. I know this to be true because until 10 years ago when I found the Traditional Latin Mass I used to be one of these types of Catholics. Not now. I love my Traditional, Roman Catholic Church and my faith has grown tremendously. Nobody or nothing can take away the faith and love that I have found with the Traditional Latin Mass, the Mass of St. Pius V., the Mass of all times.
|
Posted Tuesday, March 16, 2010 5:29 PM By JLS
The "Bread and Wine" are not what man lives on alone, but on every word that proceeds from the mouth of God, according to Jesus. You cannot benefit from one without the other. Magisterium is filled with instruction and not with silence.
|
Posted Wednesday, March 17, 2010 9:30 AM By Tim
Thanks for the eight minute insight. At least folks shouldn't be nodding off. Concisely, sussinctly and to the point helps people better understand things. The Global Catholic Network should take a cue from this instead of forty minutes of going on and on just to fill up the hour long slot. Thanks again for the insights!
|
Posted Thursday, March 18, 2010 3:03 PM By Fr. Paul
I find that I have to compose my homily well in advance by prayer and consideration of the readings. I believe that if one is well prepared, with a central idea regarding the Catholic Faith and what the Church teaches, a homily of 7-10 minutes can be both enlightening and received by the faithful with attention. To "ad lib" is a disservice to the flock and is a waste of time. Priests (and deacons) must take their commission to know what they believe, to believe what they teach and to teach what they believe clearly and in complete accord with the Catechism and the teachings of the Church since the beginning. It is not difficult to understand that no priest (or deacon) has the right to make his homily a beacon shining on himself, but a light to shine so that the faithful can see and believe what Christ wishes to teach them.
|
Posted Friday, March 19, 2010 1:23 PM By Roseanna
Usually, the priest who talks on and on is just repeating himself. The best homilies I have heard a short, succinct, and leave the listener with something to think about. When the priest talks for 20-30 minutes, he not only loses the interest of the people, he begins to irritate them and especially their children. At a certain point, the homily becomes a showcase for the homilist. If you can't get your point across in 8-10 minutes you are not a very good homilist.
|
Posted Friday, March 19, 2010 4:17 PM By JLS
Guess I've been blessed with gifted orators who can go on and on and no one nods off, and everyone calls for more. Why try to dumb down the priests who are good or excellent simply because people or other religious aren't. God loves excellence or else He would not have provided it for us. Those who do not like excellence ... the heck with them.
|
Posted Friday, March 19, 2010 4:24 PM By JLS
Jesus teaches us that "man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds from the mouth of God": So make up your own religion that eliminates the Word of God, and see how far you get with it. After all, the Protestants gave up the Bread and Wine and kept the Word. I wonder if the problem today is not the giving up of the Word by so many Catholics over a few centuries ... would that explain the lack of even essential catechesis today, and the tens of millions of people who delusionally think they are Catholics but voted for abortion, contraception, homosexual sex parties in public and so forth? Shutting off the Word of God, namely the sermon is insulting God; it's the same as making up your own religion, which only you and God know about. It is another form of Protestantism, and worse because it is self condeming ... telling Jesus that He Who is the Word of God should stay out of your life. Maybe some reader can tell us what type of heresy it is to throw out the sermon from the Mass.
|
Posted Sunday, March 21, 2010 1:35 PM By Abeca Christian
JLS I completely agree. Have you noticed that in the more traditional Mass, that the homily is longer, better and truly preaching the word of God with conviction. Not only that but we actually get fed with more real teachings of the faith. Feed us, that is what we ought to be saying, feed us and remind us not to take for granted the Eucharist, with the word of God, that should awaken in us what we are lacking or taking for granted. It is like an exorcism that needs to happen to purge out of us the sins that enslave us, because we indulge in the daily ways of this life, the materialist and the laziness, selfishness that come with the ugly pride!
|
Posted Sunday, March 21, 2010 9:36 PM By JLS
Abeca, today in our traditional TLM, I noticed that no one was falling off even after countless minutes of sermon. Everyone, even the kids, were raptly focused on the priest giving the sermon, and it was a typical very very long sermon, and very deep. I used to hear many sermons before I was in the Catholic Church and typically they were an hour long. I also watched countless televangelists and those guys go on and on and on. The Catholic Church has spiritual and religious resources that make all others look like wading ponds.
|
Posted Tuesday, March 23, 2010 4:36 AM By Abeca Christian
JLS I am thankful that you too and others appreciate the homilies in depth. Today I was reflecting on what you said before about the protestants, they truly study the word of God, that is what a lot of Catholics are missing, we need that too, our kids need that too. JLS in the earlier times of the Catholic faith, the bible was studied and even verses were memorized, particularly the monks, they use to memorize all the Psalms etc. Your post was a great one, it rekindled in me to open up my bible again and not take for granted the living word of God!
|
Posted Saturday, March 27, 2010 10:28 PM By Dana
Shorter homilies are preferred to the ones where the homilist can't seem to land the plane and just keeps circling around the same idea again and again as if we don't get it. Say it then get out of the way and let God do some of the work within teh SILENCE of our souls. Also you don't have to share everything that's on your mind in one homily. Hopefully your priesthood or your service as a deacon is going to last 20 or 30 years.
|
Posted Sunday, March 28, 2010 9:14 AM By JLS
Sermon length, then, is not the real issue; the issue is whether the orator has any verbal skills or not. They are supposed to learn this is seminary ... So what the heck are they spending their time on instead? Learning how to arrange labyrinths?
|
© California Catholic Daily 2010. All Rights Reserved.
|