A Plea for Funds During Mass

[chesterlab]

I converted to a latin rite roman catholic church last year and have attended the same church or almost 3 years now. I cannot recall a single time where the homily was replaced by an infomercial for some charity appeal. Those requests are done prior to or after the mass in my church. My church is very traditional however, so I suppose my parish is the exception to the rule. There is no substitution for a homily based on the word of God, in my opinion.

 

[SMHW]

Yes, the homilist can. But a homilist is always ordained clergy. Not so in the OP’s scenario.

Oh, I would agree that the homilist must be ordained. I was addressing some of the posters who seem to think that an appeal for money can not be a homily even if it is delivered by ordained clergy.
I do understand why non-ordained missionaries and other representatives of worthwhile causes like to speak at the time of the homily; that’s often the ‘best’ way to reach the people who leave directly after receiving communion. At least in my archdiocese some of the wealthier parishioners ARE the ones who leave early.

 

[chesterlab]

SMHW: an appeal for $ from the ordained priest is not exactly the same as someone outside the church, or someone representing a charity for an appeal, coming in to replace the priest/homily to make what I still consider to be an infomercial. The priest might mention the need for money, but he then continues on to his homily. And while a homily is not a “bible study” as evangelical sermons are,it is a tradition within the holy mother church and the priest hopes to teach us how to apply the gospel reading for that mass to our lives and for our edification.

 

[SMHW]

SMHW: an appeal for $ from the ordained priest is not exactly the same as someone outside the church, or someone representing a charity for an appeal, coming in to replace the priest/homily to make what I still consider to be an infomercial. The priest might mention the need for money, but he then continues on to his homily. And while a homily is not a “bible study” as evangelical sermons are,it is a tradition within the holy mother church and the priest hopes to teach us how to apply the gospel reading for that mass to our lives and for our edification.

Hopefully I made it clear that only a bishop, priest, or deacon should be giving the homily. (In fact, if a speaker is not ordained, any anything he or she says is not a homily by definition.) If the speaker IS ordained then I respectfully disagree with the idea that a charitable appeal cannot be a homily.

For one thing, the homily need not be about the Gospel. It can be on any of or all of the readings and texts of that day. On Sunday, September 13th of this year we will hear James 2:14-18 as the Second Reading. That would be a perfect opportunity for a homily calling us to give money to a missionary or charitable cause.

Now granted, not all readings are that obvious. But all Catholic missionary and charitable causes are about spreading the Gospel. A just appeal for money is an appeal to spread the Good News.

 

[pnewton]

I converted to a latin rite roman catholic church last year and have attended the same church or almost 3 years now. I cannot recall a single time where the homily was replaced by an infomercial …

What the OP presented was not an “infomercial”. Saving lives and acts of charity should not be equated with such frivolity to advertising, if we indeed value our commission to evangelize.

Now the use of a non-ordained for the homily is a legitimate point, the appeal is not. It is what we Christians do, even if it makes our pocketbook uncomfortable.