Homilies- how long is too long?

[mpav]

Ours is pretty uniformly 20 minutes, but then our pastor is George Rutler (sometimes on EWTN) and it’s always a pleasure, I always learn something, or find myslef considering my faith in a new way. Just above the pulpit there is a splendid new icon of John Chrysotom, patron of preachers, looking over the preacher’s shoulder, so to speak.

I still recall the sermons delivered by the pastor of the parish where I grew up. You just sort of sat expectantly waiting for his sermon to begin. He was dramatic, emphatic and embellished his sermon with anecdotes and stories of the saints. On one famous Sunday he ended the sermon with a sort of “to be continued”. We (and I was only about 12) couldn’t wait for the next Sunday to hear the rest of the story. God rest his soul.

 

[Kielbasi]

I think a 10 minute homily is pathetic. 30 minutes should be the norm. You can’t make any kind of point and get into ANY kind of detail in 10 minutes. Period. End of story.

I’d disagree with that, the pope at Christmas talked very short this year, but the previous years when he was in better shape 15 minutes was it, and he had to talk slower than most to let the translators catch up.

Unlike our protestant friends, the sermon isn’t the focal point of the mass and but expanding it to an unwieldly length sure makes it seem that way.

And of course an excessively long homily is a tad frustrating to our fellow Catholics who might not be familiar with the vernacular that the priest is speaking in.

 

[Sir_Knight]

It really depends on the content of what is being said. If it’s inspirational, even an hour can be too short. If it’s pointless rambling, then even five minutes can be too long.