Layman "Homily" During Mass

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El_PAso

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Hi,

My local parish has been having a stewardship drive. Each Sunday at Mass they bring up a parishioner who is a former evangelical minister. Great guy! But NOT a priest.

2 weeks ago he spoke after the Eucharists and reread the Gospel and gave a “homily” on how it affects stewardship. 20 minutes long! Then the blessing and end of Mass.

Last week I left Mass after the Eucharist as it just drove me nuts. Evidently many did because…

This week he did the same right after the priest gave a homily; in the middle of the Mass. Read an abridged version of the Gospel and lined it up with stewardship…Basically got 2 readings of same Gospel and 2 “homilies”.

Now I’ve been to Mass’s before and they’ve had videos for causes so I guess approved but can a layperson really get up in the middle of Mass and read part of the Gospel and preach on it?

Thanks,

EP
 
Why don’t you speak with your pastor about this? That would be much better than posting on the internet about how upset you are.
 
The only people allowed to preach a Homily and read the Gospel in the context of the mass are Deacons, Priests, and Bishops. People are occasionally invited up to talk about some cause that the parish are supporting etc. But as far as I know, it’s not right to have two different homilies in the mass. If it were after the final blessing that’d be better. But my sense is that they probably do it this way to avoid people leaving.
 
For starters, it is debatable as to whether or not he is preaching, It might be better if he did not read the Gospel a second time, but the laity is allowed to give a personal reflection on the Gospel,

Interesting that some people might leave before he gets through the appeal. Given that Catholics are notoriously poor givers (the average collection amount is figured at about 2%), I have to wonder how many of the people who leave and/or complain about the stewardship talk give even 3% of net (not gross).
 
(tongue in cheek, since it is none of my business…but,) So, how much did you pledge?
 
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Don’t tell your bishop, until you have talked to your pastor, and feel he did not answer adequately!
 
Surely it would be better to find a time and a place for this person to do a lecture series
 
Since it was for a stewardship drive, the best place for a talk like this would be at the end of Mass. Having the man do it right after the priest finishes the homily is not good…
 
One of my favorite websites, so of course this will be covered on there. Thanks for posting this!
 
Hmmm . . . maybe a famous EWTN lay person would be more appealing lol
 
Well this fellow did not give a homily because, in the first case, it was not at a part of the Mass were a homily can be given, and in the second case, because the homily had already been given by the priest.

But on the other hand, it seems as if he came dangerously close to “preaching”.

We all hate those annual appeal speeches. They come every year. There’s usually one for the parish and another for the diocese. If the parish wants to build a hall, if the school needs a new roof, if the parish wants to purchase an organ, or if the parish wants to replace the old warn out kneelers with nails sticking out, then there are going to be even more appeals. But these appeals are ultimately telling us how to buy the bread and wine we will use for the Eucharist. Our discomfort is irrelevant.

After Communion is the ideal place for this, but as the OP mentioned, people left. So the appeal got moved to the spot right after the homily. Oh well.

Do I think this particular fellow should have reread the Gospel? Not really, although it was probably good to reference it. Appeals often come on Sundays where the readings have to do with multiplying our talents or taking care of poor. Do I wish these appeals were shorter? Of course. Many things can and should be said more quickly than the time that is actually used.

But again, oh well. At least in the United States, the money used by the local parish and by the diocese all comes from parish donations.
 
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