Priest's actions during homily

[SHoJ]

For years, I have gone to a nearby parish for Mass when I can’t make Mass at my own parish. The former priest there would read the Gospel, then come down from the ambo to give his homily. He always stayed on the raised area that delineates the sanctuary/altar area from the rest of the nave. I always figured it was so he could be “on our level” or be appear more “friendly” or whatever. I thought it was strange, but I read here that it’s allowed as long as he stayed on the raised area.

There is a new priest there who also comes down from the ambo after reading the Gospel, but he comes off the raised area and walks up and down the aisles at the beginning of his homily asking people a question (that he ties into his homily). My first reaction was to tell him, “Get back up on the altar where you belong!”

I’ve been going to this parish more in recent months because of personal issues, and it still bothers me when he leaves the altar during his homily. Is this a liturgical abuse? What document supports whether it is or isn’t? Should I ask him about this?

 

[agnes_therese]

I would suggest consulting the GIRM before throwing down the “liturgical abuse” card.

 

[SHoJ]

I would suggest consulting the GIRM before throwing down the “liturgical abuse” card.

I didn’t say, “It is an abuse.” I asked, “Is it an abuse?” BIG DIFFERENCE! Please don’t twist my words.

There are many people here much more learned and more well-read about such things and I was asking if it is (with supporting documents), and if it is, whether I should ask him about it.

 

[St_Hilary]

For years, I have gone to a nearby parish for Mass when I can’t make Mass at my own parish. The former priest there would read the Gospel, then come down from the ambo to give his homily. He always stayed on the raised area that delineates the sanctuary/altar area from the rest of the nave. I always figured it was so he could be “on our level” or be appear more “friendly” or whatever. I thought it was strange, but I read here that it’s allowed as long as he stayed on the raised area.

There is a new priest there who also comes down from the ambo after reading the Gospel, but he comes off the raised area and walks up and down the aisles at the beginning of his homily asking people a question (that he ties into his homily). My first reaction was to tell him, “Get back up on the altar where you belong!”

I’ve been going to this parish more in recent months because of personal issues, and it still bothers me when he leaves the altar during his homily. Is this a liturgical abuse? What document supports whether it is or isn’t? Should I ask him about this?

 

[St_Hilary]

St_Hilary:
A priest should not leave the ambo.

Although I knoow many priests who stand in the middle of the aisl;e too give his homily,

I look at it this way. The priest does what he does, the bishop rarely interfers, ther ebishops do as they want to do etc.

It is nice that the priest stands in the middle so you can hear him better and see him

God bless you now

 

[triumphguy]

Our Bishop does that too.

 

[SHoJ]

A priest should not leave the ambo.

Although I knoow many priests who stand in the middle of the aisl;e too give his homily,

I look at it this way. The priest does what he does, the bishop rarely interfers, ther ebishops do as they want to do etc.

It is nice that the priest stands in the middle so you can hear him better and see him

God bless you now

See him? Maybe, except he’s walking to the end of the aisle and back. I guess this lets people see him up close and personal.

Hear him? He wears a microphone. You can hear him everywhere: in the nave, the narthex, the chapel…

I guess there’s no “stay on the altar” during Mass mandate for priests …

Thanks for the reply.

 

[SuscipeMeDomine]

The GIRM says:

1. The Priest, standing at the chair or at the ambo itself or, if appropriate, in another worthy place, gives the Homily. When the Homily is over, a period of silence may be observed.

Is there some reason to think the aisle of the church is an UNworthy place?

 

[Joe_5859]

I don’t know the citations, but a priest I know who is very liturgically minded once told me that the priest is supposed to give his homily either from the ambo or from the chair.

That said, this one generally doesn’t bother me that much. That’s probably because the pastor at the parish I grew up in would do this all the time. I mean, he’d walk all the way to the back of the Church and it was a fairly decent-sized Church. So I guess I got used to it.

Okay, now I just looked it up in the GIRM:

1. The Priest, standing at the chair or at the ambo itself or, if appropriate, in another worthy place, gives the Homily. When the Homily is over, a period of silence may be observed.

So I guess it depends on how you interpret “another worthy place”. I don’t think I’d go to the mat arguing with a priest over what I believe is meant by “another worthy place.” There are definitely worse things he could do.

 

[Joe_5859]

The GIRM says:

1. The Priest, standing at the chair or at the ambo itself or, if appropriate, in another worthy place, gives the Homily. When the Homily is over, a period of silence may be observed.

Is there some reason to think the aisle of the church is an UNworthy place?

I guess I’m too slow in my posting.

 

[SHoJ]

The GIRM says:

1. The Priest, standing at the chair or at the ambo itself or, if appropriate, in another worthy place, gives the Homily. When the Homily is over, a period of silence may be observed.

Is there some reason to think the aisle of the church is an UNworthy place?

Thank you (and Joe 5859) for this. I had never seen any other priest do this and thought it was weird. I guess the aisle is as worthy a place as any inside the church. Now I can put this out of my mind and really focus…

 

[centurionguard]

Traditionally as I have witnessed in the last five decades the priest always gives the homily from the Ambo.

With the advent of new technology in wire-less microphones some priest traditionally stay at the Ambo, some at the Presidential Chair, others may choose to be more expressive with their hands etc and give their homily in front of the Altar but never leaving the Sanctuary.

I have noticed on rare occasions on certain Missions with visiting priests from Africa and South America giving their homily from their main ailse at certain times during the Mass.
But not altogether totally unforseen. Sometimes a culture thing, yet moving none the less.

 

[TimothyH]

Whenever I hear about priests and homilies, I remeber Paul’s Paul’s homily in Acts 20.

There were many lamps in the upstairs room where we were gathered, and a young man named Eutychus who was sitting on the window sill was sinking into a deep sleep as Paul talked on and on. Once overcome by sleep, he fell down from the third story and when he was picked up, he was dead. (Acts 20:6-9)

Paul’s homily went on so long that the guy fell asleep and fell out the window!

Be glad that the priest cares enough to give a good homily and don’t worry about whether the aisle is a worthy place, how far too far from the ambo is or where the sanctuary begins and the nave ends.

-Tim-

 

[Cavaille-Coll]

There was a school of thought in seminaries that preaching from among the people would somehow make it more personal and less “preachy.” Unfortunately, that kind of thinking tends to put undue emphasis on the priest and less on Whom he stands for. This has been the result of Masses said versus populum as well.

 

[R_C]

How about the interaction with the faithful? Last time I checked, the priest is teaching us, not having a conversation with us. This “blurring” of the difference between a priest and a lay faithful cannot benefit us. He acts in the person of Christ the Head, he’s not, spiritually speaking, just like you and me. This idea that the priest must walk down, approach, question the people to be “more friendly” is nowhere to be found in the GIRM, and certainly when we speak of “worthy place” we don’t refer to any place that lowers the high dignity of the priest by equaling him to a lay faithful who is not marked with the seal of the Holy Orders. I have nothing against the priest walking down the ambo or down the steps, but it most definitely is - as far as I know - an innovation and a departure from the past 10-15 centuries of Catholic liturgy.

 

[SuscipeMeDomine]

I guess I’m too slow in my posting.

This reminds me of a story. I was chatting with a priest one day when he asked about whether something or other was permitted during Mass. I have the GIRM bookmarked on my phone so I pulled it up, found the right section, and gave him the answer.

He stood there staring at me for several seconds. Finally he said “I’m amazed. First that you have the GIRM right at hand…and then that you could find the right section so quickly.” He shook his head and just repeated “I’m amazed.”

I also have the catechism and code of canon law bookmarked. You never know when you might need them.

 

[triumphguy]

How about the interaction with the faithful? Last time I checked, the priest is teaching us, not having a conversation with us. This “blurring” of the difference between a priest and a lay faithful cannot benefit us. He acts in the person of Christ the Head, he’s not, spiritually speaking, just like you and me. This idea that the priest must walk down, approach, question the people to be “more friendly” is nowhere to be found in the GIRM, and certainly when we speak of “worthy place” we don’t refer to any place that lowers the high dignity of the priest by equaling him to a lay faithful who is not marked with the seal of the Holy Orders. I have nothing against the priest walking down the ambo or down the steps, but it most definitely is - as far as I know - an innovation and a departure from the past 10-15 centuries of Catholic liturgy.

Really? - You’ve obviously never been to a Redemptorist mission before V2 took hold then! They were affectionately called Redempterrorists for a reason!

The priest walks up and down the aisle fixing people with his steely gaze as he preaches on sin, stalks back to the front of the aisle, takes his large cross off from round his neck, and thunders “And this is what you do to Jesus when you sin” and hurls his crucifix down the aisle.

Old ladies faint, grown men weep etc etc.

I sometimes think that some posters who say they have never seen x, y, or z haven’t been around the church that long, and have not experienced some of the things that have long been traditional in the church.

On at least one occasion St. Francis preached NAKED from the ambo! (Thank God it WAS from the ambo!) He was always getting naked!

 

[L_Marshall]

I believe that if the Homily was specifically meant to engage the Faithful in the manner of dialogue, it would be appropriate to give it from the center aisle. For instance, the Bishop of my Diocese often does this when preaching to groups of children (Confirmations, et cetera). I believe his reasoning is that it will keep the children a little more occupied and more focused, which can be difficult in some cases.

 

[Joe_5859]

This reminds me of a story. I was chatting with a priest one day when he asked about whether something or other was permitted during Mass. I have the GIRM bookmarked on my phone so I pulled it up, found the right section, and gave him the answer.

He stood there staring at me for several seconds. Finally he said “I’m amazed. First that you have the GIRM right at hand…and then that you could find the right section so quickly.” He shook his head and just repeated “I’m amazed.”

I also have the catechism and code of canon law bookmarked. You never know when you might need them.

That’s awesome.

 

[red85]

Whoa, peace.

I’ve been here before. These kinds of scruples can really consume you.

Try not to worry too much over those details. It’s really the job of the clergy. If your priest misteps, someone will straighten him out, eventually.

St. Francis had the deepest love for the priest. He treated even wicked priests with affection. Not saying your priest is a bad guy, but you get the principle. Charity.