Jokes to Close the Homily

  • Thread starter Thread starter Bernard_Sudbury
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
B

Bernard_Sudbury

Guest
I read a new article from Australia where a Bishop had forbade his priests from telling jokes at the end of Mass because it takes away from the reverence due to it.
At my parish [edited] our priest ends the homily with a joke. Today June 28, he ended with two. They had nothing to do with the topic of the homily, or anything else. The first was about Paris Hilton, who was asked a Trivial Pursuit question “If someone asked you a question while you are in a vacuum, can you here it? She then asked, Is it on or off” The second was about Nicole Richie who introduced her two new dogs to Paris, who’s names were Rolex and Timex, Paris asked why these names, and she said, “Da, they are watch dogs”
I agree with the Australian Bishop, reverence is at an all time low, talking and chatting at an all time high. What I would like to know, is whether this is breaking any Liturgical norm, or even a Canon Law? Is this priest, simply irreverent, or is this practice more serious?
 
unfortunately, there isn’t much legislating what can or cannot be in a homily. Technically speaking, at least in the EF, the homily isn’t even a part of the Mass.

Does that mean jokes should be told? no, but there isn’t really anything to mandate that.
 
Personal opinion here. If a clean joke has relevance to the topic of the homily, I see no objection to including it. I think it could make the listeners more receptive and also it might make the whole homily more memorable. If you can remember the joke and its relevance, you can probably remember the whole point, and that’s good, right?

However, that stupid Paris Hilton joke was totally worthless and inappropriate, as are all jokes told only for their own sake in a homily.

Betsy
 
I imagine priests that make jokes at the end of a homily do so because they are nervous speaking in-front of so many people. Or maybe that’s the only way they believe they can make their parishioners lively. One or two light, APPROPRIATE jokes could be when said the homily starts, just to get everyone’s attention. I don’t think talking about Paris hilton is appropriate. It is on the border of publicly judging her.

Is this a young or new priest who does this?
 
I’ve been to Mass where the priest will say a joke in the beginning of the homily…I think it’s done to get everyone’s attention…
 
I don’t see a problem with a joke as long as it’s tasteful and clean.
 
Humor in a homily is ok if it is relevant and rare
.
Unfortunately, there are those who have to always start with a joke, as if they wouldn’t get our attention otherwise. It’s a crutch all too often for the unimaginative speaker.

It also gives the implied message, “I don’t take it too seriously, so why should you?”
If priests are so enthusiastic about their ministry, why don’t they show it with a serious, no-kidding homily that demonstrates their fervor?

I do not think Mass has to be so solemn that you can’t crack a smile, but there should be enough seriousness to show you mean business.
 
Kind of off topic, but I went to Mass at a different parish this past Saturday and the pastor told a joke that no one laughed at. He just stood there for a few moments, said something like “tough crowd” and went about the homily.
 
Thanks for your responses, the priest is in his 40’s, and will not speak publicly unless he has a prepared speech. His homily on Corpus Christi he described the Eucharist as “the essence” or the “soul” of Christ. Immediately I thought of Con-substantiation and realized that he denied the “real presence” of Christ as “Transubstantiation”.
I’ll tell you a story, I was elected to the parish council, and was assigned to “education”. I ended up doing lessons for First Communion and First Reconciliation. ( would have preferred adult education). So, I ended up doing a lesson on Communion, and said the word “Transubstantiation” and mentioned that the Eucharist after consecration tasting, feeling and looking like “bread” was an “accidental”.
Well, after this lesson, this same priest announced that he had arranged for his own “teacher” to give all remaining lessons, so the rest of us would only have to worry about coffee, treats, and greeting the parents and children
I guess, I’m just feed up with the undermining of authentic Catholic teaching, so I’m disturbed by this priests lack of reverence and total denial of Church Teaching.
Wow, how we are abandoning authentic Catholicism, its mind boggling.
Why are we so confused, we have such a wide range of thinking from Sedevacantists to Liberals, protestants, liberals, conservatives, orthodox, and then the “ultra” form of each of these. We are so caught up tearing each other down we don’t have a clue that Satan is behind all this division.
LET’S PRAY FOR GOD’S WILL TO BE MANIFEST IN OUR HOLY CHURCH!!
I Love all my Catholic brothers and sisters, and pray we all come to the truth Jesus intended us to have. Come Lord Jesus, Come in your Glory!!!
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top