Each of us have a different opinion about those that preach and the words they say. Admittedly, we have our biases. Some of us like a homily that is brief. Others prefer something with a bit of humor. Still others are perfectly content in the absence of a homily.
I should mention that if you’re a reader of the blog and aren’t Catholic, a homily is a fancy word for a sermon, typically delivered after the reading of the Gospel at Mass.
Back to the topic at hand- good preaching. Good preachers are very rare. As a result, most homilies aren’t particularly strong. I used to be shy about this topic but after decades of kind assessment, it’s time for us to name the elephant in the room.
We need better preaching.
While Catholics understand that no preacher is perfect and that the Mass is more than the homily, that shouldn’t mean that we settle for low quality preaching. Deacons, priests and bishops shouldn’t settle either. Maybe, in charity, we can hold one another to a higher standard.
I met a priest a few years ago who boasted of his lack of preparation related to preaching. “I just step behind the ambo and let the Holy Spirit tell me what to say…” Apparently, the Holy Spirit wasn’t saying too much based on his preaching. This approach is a cop-out and a misunderstanding of preaching. Of course the Holy Spirit can inspire a preacher in-the-moment but that shouldn’t be at the expense of sound preparation.
It’s ultimately about a combination of the Holy Spirit’s direction and personal preparation.
This isn’t about perfection. Who among us can be held to that standard? Still, we should receive better preaching than is typically offered in a daily or Sunday Mass. Better is what we are aiming for. Progress is our goal.
What makes for a good homily? Of course that depends on whom you ask. For my money, this is what I’d like to see in each homily:
An outline: a clear sense of one thought that flows to another; there is a beginning and an end. Tell people what you’ll be talking about, talk about it and then remind people what you’ve just talked about. People like that.
Brevity: not in the 1-2 minutes sense but regarding the idea that a good concept shouldn’t take 20 minutes to deliver. A daily Mass homily can be between 2-4 minutes. A Sunday Mass homily can stretch to 7-9 minutes. Is it possible that a gifted preacher can go longer? Sure. Still, in my experience, it’s better to aim for brief. Get to the point. Be succinct. Know the key point you’re trying to make. Force your mind to get clear and then marry that clarity with your words.
Depth: let’s skip homilies that encourage us to be nice or flirt with grand concepts. Give us the goods and help us go deeper today with the Lord than we did yesterday. A homily is a place to hold folks to a high standard. I recommend avoiding “grenades” in preaching. It’s perfectly acceptable to talk about abortion or any of the Church’s other “hot button” topics. It’s not ok to drop a bomb and walk away. If you want/need to address a difficult topic, do so with charity and if possible, use a series of homilies to ramp up to the topic and then ramp down from it.
Personal: not all about the preacher but let’s have homilists that reveal something about themselves. “I can relate to this idea…” or “I once had an experience related to this…” No need to reveal deep, dark secrets but personal reflection on the topic is very useful. Plus, people want to get to know their preachers. We want to see that they’re human, like us. By using every day examples, listeners can better relate to what their priest or deacon is saying.
Practical: I think that most (although not all…) people who go to Mass know that God loves them. The hard part is to put that reality into action. Think of the typical layperson- stressed, disorganized and anxious. How can a homily meet them where they are and also point them towards excellence and holiness? Give practical, simple examples of how the Gospel influences daily living. Give them hope and remind them of the richness of our faith and the awesome power of God.
This is a hard topic. There’s a need for compassion for the art of preaching and I write this as someone who isn’t a preacher.
We should pray for our homilists, that God would gift them with solid preparation and key insights. Let’s encourage those that preach and give them charitable feedback when we can. With that said, I’d like to hold up good preaching and encourage other laypeople to do the same.