On the Length of the Homily

Archdiocese of Washington ^ | 09-17-18 | Msgr. Charles Pope

[redhead]

Our liturgies last 2 hours. We stand. For the Epistle and the homilies we get to sit on the floor. Fritz would be outraged. Especially since the homilies pull no punches and are on spiritual growth, and taking up your crosses, not being dragged around by them...

[NKP_Vet]

Francis is your typical Jesuit. Most do what they feel like doing at Mass not what they are supposed to do. Francis hardly ever genuflects or makes the sign of the cross. He has always acted like he could careless about Mass. This is typical for snoddy acedemic liberal Jesuits.

[Gerish]

My late uncle, who was a Catholic priest until his death in 1994, always said the homily should be no more than 10 minutes. Anything over that causes loss of the congregations attention spans! He was absolutely correct!

[Buckeye McFrog]

Back in the day people would tune in on TV to hear Bishop Fulton J. Sheen talk for a solid 30 minutes. I have attended friends’ Protestant church services that lasted 90 minutes or more, with a 20 to 30 minute sermon. The time flies by if the speaker is talented and is making valid points.

Of course not everybody can be Fulton J. Sheen.

[pgyanke]

The congregation cheered when Pope Francis called for a 40 minutes Mass. I dare believe they would have cheered even louder if he had said Mass is no longer necessary. Very sad. The Mass is the merger of Heaven and Earth... I agree with wanting the homily to be relevant and no longer than necessary... but who wants to arbitrarily limit our communion with Heaven?

[NewHampshireDuo]

Our pastor’s sermons typically run in the 20-30 minute range, usually toward the upper end. He maintains interest.

[lupie]

It is not about the length of homily/sermon or the talent of the one giving it. It should be about the worship of the people hearing the Word of God as it works on their hearts. Those who love the Lord will not much think about the length, but only the content. Is the content something the Holy Spirit is using to convict them of sin, or to exult the name of Christ Jesus, etc. If someone is worried about the length, they don’t get it.

[dsc]

“If someone is worried about the length, they don’t get it.”

When a person gets a little older, sitting in the pew enjoying your arthritis, sciatica, asthma, fluctuating blood sugar, peripheral neuropathy, torn rotator cuffs, and assorted aches and pains from decades of broken bones and other injuries can make a person grateful for a shorter Mass.

[Salvation]

Sounds like you need a new orthodox-minded priest.

[Salvation]

Glad to hear both of you are OK.

[Salvation]

I’m a lector too. My priest has told me that I am a lector who enunciates so that people can understand.

I also “proclaim” the First or Second Reading as it might have been done in the days of Jesus, not shouting, but definitely emphasizing with my voice.

BTW, where are all the men lectors?

[Salvation]

**“If someone is worried about the length, they don’t get it.”**

Amen, brother!

[Phillyred]

In the northeast, that is extremely rare! I am not talking about just one priest or one parish. It’s everywhere! The church is infested.

[EDINVA]

I think Msgr is referring only to Sunday Mass homilies. His columnt is more about the freedom of a priest to choose, depending on his parish and the circumstances, how long a homily will last.

Msgr. Pope’s parish has a 9:00 am and 11:00 am Mass, in between which is Sunday School for children and for adults. There is also a Saturday vigil and Sunday 7:00pm Mass. I’ve attended his church (it’s now my parish) for 11:00a and 7:00pm.

The Sunday @ 11:00am is the long Mass, so there’s a lapse until 7:00pm. People in the parish know the drill. If you go to the 11:00am Mass, you know it’s going to last the better part of 2 hours. At that Mass, not only is the homily a full half hour, but it’s like a “high” Mass where everything is sung either by the (fantastic!) choir or the choir and congregation. And, week after week, that Mass is well attended. I personally hate to miss it. If a parishioner is short on time, they can go to one of the other Masses.

When I was young I lived near G’town Hospital and many grad students who were my neighbors would go to Mass in the hospital’s chapel ... in and out in 16 minutes!

[lupie]

I suffer with many of those and others. Still, it is not about the length, it is not about the comfort of my body, it is about the growth of my soul. Sad you don’t get that.

[dsc]

“it is about the growth of my soul. Sad you don’t get that.”

Sanctimonious much?

[boatbums]

I agree. What is more important is to hear and learn the truths of God's word. That's how the early church did it. I wonder what some would think hearing St. Paul preach? He would preach for HOURS. On one occasion, he preached so long a guy fell asleep and fell out of a window:

On the first day of the week we came together to break bread. Paul spoke to the people and, because he intended to leave the next day, kept on talking until midnight. There were many lamps in the upstairs room where we were meeting. Seated in a window was a young man named Eutychus, who was sinking into a deep sleep as Paul talked on and on. When he was sound asleep, he fell to the ground from the third story and was picked up dead. Paul went down, threw himself on the young man and put his arms around him. “Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “He’s alive!” Then he went upstairs again and broke bread and ate. After talking until daylight, he left. The people took the young man home alive and were greatly comforted. (Acts 20:7-12)