Feeling the need for more fire-and-brimstone homilies

[Maxirad]

Personally, I think that fire-and-brimstone homilies should be delivered more often at Mass, particularly those that attack such things as abortion and embryonic stem-cell research. I think they’d help me pay more attention to what the priest or deacon delivering the homily is saying. If you’d like to see where I’m getting at, check out the following link:

youtu.be/jo0ElZMS7EY

I would have to admit, however, that a fire-and-brimstone homily attacking homosexuality would probably not go over well in my parish. (I live in the San Francisco Bay Area.)

 

[svid2]

Maybe the Bay area is EXACTLY where these sermons should be preached!

 

[utah_rose]

Maybe the Bay area is EXACTLY where these sermons should be preached!

As Jesus said, “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life”. If people don’t get the truth from the Church and the pulpit, where will we get it?

I believe most priests are afraid of offending people and making waves. The priests in our parish emphasize the “love” but don’t talk about sin.

Perhaps if your Parish made a point of condemning also heterosexual cohabitation outside of marriage (which again most priests don’t) along with homosexual relations, and emphasized chastity (one of the virtues) it would not seem to be poking fingers at a particular group of people.

I’ve heard Fr. Benedict Groeshel mention on one of his programs the reason many priests aren’t condemning abortion in the pulpits is fear of offending some parishioners who have had them. Somewhere a line has to be drawn between misplaced compassion and “telling it like it is”.

 

[ZDHayden]

One of the priests in town, an excellent homilist and confessor, is the pastor at the Newman Center and gives Fire and Brimstone homilies each Lent he’s been here, and whenever there is any mention of destruction of sinfulness mentioned in the readings, he pulls out the fire-and-brimstone style. The Catholics at the university are among the most conservative people I’ve met my age (and that includes me, even though I no longer go to that parish).

 

[dsmantz]

I think you don’t understand what a homily is and how it differs from a sermon. A homily is an explanation of the Liturgy of the Word, and how it can be incorporated into our daily living.

A sermon on the other hand, might jump from verse to verse, chapter to chapter, or have absolutely nothing to do with the reading that day. It is meant as an explanation of Christian doctrine and belief, and used to correct or lead the congregation in the direction that the pastor or whatever leading council wanted the go.

Fire and brimstone homilies won’t be the norm, that’s for sure. Mainly because most priest who have been properly trained on homilies understand that fire and brimstone preaching rarely does anything but get folks all riled up and then you wind up with Westboro Baptist Church…

If you wish your priest to address certain issues that might be causing trouble in your parish, address it with him in private and see if he might be able to introduce it into his homilies. But you certainly won’t start hearing “Repent or spend the rest of your life in the eternal torment of Hell.”

 

[utah_rose]

I think you don’t understand what a homily is and how it differs from a sermon. A homily is an explanation of the Liturgy of the Word, and how it can be incorporated into our daily living.

A sermon on the other hand, might jump from verse to verse, chapter to chapter, or have absolutely nothing to do with the reading that day. It is meant as an explanation of Christian doctrine and belief, and used to correct or lead the congregation in the direction that the pastor or whatever leading council wanted the go.

Fire and brimstone homilies won’t be the norm, that’s for sure. Mainly because most priest who have been properly trained on homilies understand that fire and brimstone preaching rarely does anything but get folks all riled up and then you wind up with Westboro Baptist Church…

If you wish your priest to address certain issues that might be causing trouble in your parish, address it with him in private and see if he might be able to introduce it into his homilies. But you certainly won’t start hearing “Repent or spend the rest of your life in the eternal torment of Hell.”

Maybe so, but there’s plenty of opportunity when this is mentioned in the Gospel’s or readings. Funny, because the priests in the 50’s and pre Vatican II had no problem preaching these, especially during Lent.

When we attend a TLM Mass, the priest frequently does talk of these things, and warns people. Of course he is a Polish elderly priest and doesn’t mince words. To my knowledge no one has stopped attending his Masses because of these, rather they’re a refreshing change from the Masses we attend at our parish.

 

[dsmantz]

Huuuuge difference between mentioning it when it comes into the Gospels, or during Lent for 40 days for life, and bringing the subject up every Sunday, or the vast majority of them. As important the need for abortion to be rendered something of the past, we must not forget many other commandments and instruction. I find this with quite a few of my Catholic friends, it’s only abortion. That’s what they care about, and nothing else. No working the soup kitchens, no visiting the sick and imprisoned. It’s all abortion. Drives me up the wall, because I see it as half the Gospel.

Anyway, we must understand the needed balance between Mercy and Justice. Once again, if you feel that a certain subject needs to be addressed from the pulpit at your parish, speak with your pastor. I certainly don’t see John Paul II or Benedict screaming out fire and brimstone…

 

[gez722]

I would have to admit, however, that a fire-and-brimstone homily attacking homosexuality would probably not go over well in my parish. (I live in the San Francisco Bay Area.)

Maxirad,

Having written a very orthodox Catholic article for your diocesan newspaper a few months ago, I can vouch for that! Needless to say, I got plenty of “fan” mail…

As far as “fire and brimstone” homilies, I personally enjoy them. However, I was told by a priest that I trust (he’s totally loyal to Church teaching) that Catholics won’t listen to that type of preaching any more. He does a good job “telling it like it is”, while still holding back a bit.

God Bless,
Gary

 

[Maxirad]

Actually, Mr. Zimak, my parish is located within the Diocese of Sacramento.

 

[TrueLight]

I find homilies in general to be extremely bland and I wish they were more meaty.

I do attend a VERY traditional parish sometimes, and the homilies at that parish are more like sermons.

No mincing words about sin.

The parishioners love them.