Got a question about Homlies

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Catholic361

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I grew up in the protestant faith so the sermons were in the middle when it comes to how long they are. So my question is this why do Homilies seem so short and like tonight my priest read from his notes on how gentiles viewed christianity in the 2nd century.
Just curious about why they seem so short not like in 5 minutes or so long as in hours but in between like tonight’s homily .
 
In the protestant services I have been to (and I was a practicing Presbyterian for 20 years) the services are very sermon-centric. A Catholic Mass is mostly about the Eucharist . Also, you have to remember that a Catholic priest doesn’t have the luxury of just preparing one sermon per week. He’s busy with six other weekday Masses to prepare for.
 
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As others said, the Catholic Mass is focused on the Eucharist as being the unbloody sacrifice of Jesus. The homily is just meant to be a short teaching explaining the Scripture readings to the congregation.
My mother always said, “We don’t go to Mass to listen to the priest talk.” What she meant by that was, we were primarily going to Mass to see and receive Jesus in the Eucharist.

Most priests will keep homilies between 5 and 10 minutes, but some of them are longwinded. I sat through a homily the other night that was like 25 minutes long.

By contrast, many Protestant services don’t have communion or just have it as a “symbolic” meal, so there’s no Jesus in the Eucharist. At many of these services, the whole service consists of a praise band playing and then the minister preaches for an hour or more. People go just to listen to the minister preach.
 
That is how I grew up communion once a month and the rest of the time is spent on the sermons.
 
Look forward, @Catholic361, not back.
No need to concern yourself with what you used to do.
 
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