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LITURGY LESSON: HOMILY
(Given:
It would be interesting to have a "show of hands" and ask how many had ever heard the word "homily" prior to about 1965. On the other hand, most of those born since 1965 have rarely heard the word "sermon." What is the difference?
A sermon in the pre-Vatican church was usually an explanation of a doctrine or law of the Church with no
reference to the scripture readings. Often the bishop would send pastors a list
of sermon-topics to preach about during the year.
However, the homily is
an integral part of the Liturgy of the Word.
It is a tradition that dates back to the
earliest times of the Church and numerous homilies have come down to us from
that time by such great church leaders as St. John Chrysostom,
In the revision of the liturgy, the Church said, There must be a homily on Sundays...it should not be omitted without a serious reason."19 - But what is it? It is defined in the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy where it says:
The treasures of the bible are to be opened
up more lavishly so that a richer fare may be provided for the faithful at the
table of God's word. . . By means of the homily, the mysteries of the faith and
the guiding principles of the Christian life are
expounded from the sacred texts.
A homily, then, is usually to be based on the
readings of the Mass, and the priest or deacon is to draw
a lesson for us about what we believe or how we are to live what we believe. I think that we would all agree that since the
Vatican Council we have learned much more about the Bible than ever before.
Hopefully this has deepened our faith.
Today listen carefully because in the Gospel, Jesus is speaking directly to you.