The Homily And How Things Go Sideways

Been there heard that?

Next to the music of the Mass, the homily or sermon suffers the most and, like the music of the liturgy, it is still in need of improvement in many parishes.

There have been repeated official attempts to inspire positive change.

There is no shortage of gifted orators. Sadly, sermons are too often filled with banal wanderings and cheap references. A younger generation of priests is stepping up to the challenge by following clear guidance that - if unimpeded by leaden thinking that traps clergy in the mess of an older generation's rebellion - can lead to profound positive renewal. Certain older prelates - not all, mind you - have little formation, or have abandoned what formation they were given, to celebrate Mass in a way that acknowledges the sublime character of the Sacred Liturgy. They seem to demonstrate antipathy toward anyone or anything that promotes beautiful - artful, good, traditional - liturgy.

A younger generation is reclaiming authenticity.

Those who are bringing back an emphasis on integrity and liturgical authenticity are those who have seen and experienced the worst, or who find God through the lasting beauty of forms that are wildly filled with generous portions of truth, goodness and beauty. They are not afraid of the soaring details of traditional liturgy. They dive deeply into history and the architecture of the Mass. To adapt a phrase of Newman's: to be deep in history is to cease to be progressive. Progressive - in the sense of mindlessly hung up on reinventing a perfectly good wheel. Progressivism is its own kind of protestant rebellion.

Contrary to Pope Francis' frequent digs against conservers of noble liturgical practice and worship befitting the King of kings, it is those without intellectual paddles nor the anchor of wisdom nor the tiller prudence who are on a collision course with a reef in high seas. Contrary to the opinion of an Argentine prelate or two, those lacking common sense are the ones stubbornly clinging to a suicidal path.

1. Prudence. i.e., knowing when and where to talk about the dirty laundry.
• Priests that blather aimlessly about parish politics should take the time to better know their audience. During a typical parochial Mass, harping on the changes made to a set of readings is neither the time nor place. Nuanced analysis even about the rubrics of the Mass requires more time than a typical homily allows.
• The homilist's time is better spent on exploring the meaning of the texts as they relate to the spiritual needs of the people in order to prepare them to encounter Christ in the Mass - in the Liturgy of the Word and the Holy Eucharist - and in their daily lives, than putting the Mass up on blocks to look at its undercarriage.
2. Catechesis - yes and no.
• Homilies that wax poetic about the nature of the Mass are essential. However, comparing one kind of liturgy to another, i.e., favouring one liturgy over another, say the Novus Ordo Liturgy versus the 1962 Missal, can stray dangerously close to creating a sense of antipathy toward a version of the Mass that, despite protests to the contrary, has been determined to be a valid expression of the Roman Liturgy. It would be like asking, "Why can't you be more like your brother?" Let's call that the 'Cain and Abel effect.' Too much cane and you might dis-able (diss Abel).
• Calling people to reverence is one thing. Beating them over the head with even well established facts during the Liturgy can be, and with no little amount of irony, a distraction from the reverential celebration of the Mass.
• Offer the Mass as it should be celebrated and, if necessary, explain the nature of the Mass in concise but thorough snippets. Link snippets to a central theme that always brings the listener back to Jesus Christ and the path of holiness. Call people to be saints and provide the wisdom for them to seek God's grace to help them grow in holiness.
3. Lives of the Saints.
• An extended biography of a saint's life is not necessary during a weekday Mass. Explain how the saint modelled the Gospel and readings of the day, and invite consideration about how we, like the saints, can model that wisdom in our own circumstances. The readings of the day were chosen for a reason. Yes, it may be that the lectionary might be revised in due course to provide greater connection between the readings themselves. In the meantime, use the lections wisely to direct attention to the fact the canonized saints lived well the life to which Christ called them, so much so that requests for their intercession have resulted in miracles.
4. The contentious homilist.
• Father Fault-Finder finds fault with just about everything, except perhaps his own actions. The need to take a break and reorient his thinking may not escape him. He uses the pulpit, however, as a security blanket for himself and a whip to snap at others. Souls are on the line, and a homilist that merely and repeated beats people up with things about which they cannot do anything - except to write the bishop about and to register a concern or complaint - is abusive.
• A homily riddled with minutia can indicate insecurity and the need to prove just how intelligent a homilist is. Trivia about his prior experiences can be an attempt to prove his worthiness or quite possibly to curry favour with a congregation.
• Pride precedeth a fall. The homilist who tries to convince himself by rehearsing trivia to a point of personal satisfaction misses the fact that the sedative (or toxic) effects of the commentary are killing the attention and quite likely the commitment of the listener.
5. One-sided theological debate is not debate, and a sermon should not be a debate.
• As a rhetorical tool, it may be useful and even amusing to capture a hypothetical or even real (though anonymous) conversation between two or more parties in order to illustrate a point about the limits or advantages of certain ways of thinking. Flinging concepts around like lead bullets is likely to wound others in ways that lead to an emptying of pews.
• Theology requires a forum in which ideas can be thoroughly analyzed and conclusions can be derived without creating unnecessary confusion.