Priests please respond: Homilies

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I’m going to jump in here even though the OP asked for priests to replyl. As a deacon who preaches regularly I fully understand the difficulties of trying to present the Gospel in a way that people can live out while, at the same time, trying to present the teachings of the Church in a way that people can grasp them – and do this all in 10 minutes or so.

About a year ago my bishop asked that all priests and deacons incorporate a catechetical aspect to their homilies. I do preach on the sacraments in my Latin parish, and the Mysteries in my Melkite parish (I’m a bi-ritual deacon).

Yesterday I preached on the poor – Luke’s Beatitudes include four blessings and four woes. I tied this in with Jesus teaching us that the poor will always be with us. That this doesn’t mean we can ignore them and go on our merry way, but that they are there to be cared for as Jesus cared for them.

I have preached on the Real Presence almost constantly during the 12 years I’ve been ordained. I preach on confession frequently. I try to hit the core teachings as often as I can – but I also have to consider that we have to teach how to live out the Gospel in this Godless world in which we live.

It’s a balancing act – and it’s not easy.

Deacon Ed
 
I think it gets to a point when a Priest, realizing how crippled His flock is, has to know that they need to be bandaged and lifted on his shoulders and carried for a little bit until he tries to feed them something.
Teach the faith because the homilies will be worthless unless we have some kind of foundation for the preaching to rest on.
We need to be catechized. Period.

Mordocai
 
MusicMan said:
Could you provide some evidence to support this statistic, please?
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I HOPE THIS STATISTIC DOES NOT INCLUDE PRIESTS BECAUSE WE ARE IN BIG TROUBLE THEN!!!

It was a gallup poll. I cannot get the actual info. because I would have to pay for it. Here is some info below:

Modern Misconceptions About the Eucharist

Joseph Cardinal Bernardin stated that “according to a Gallup poll only thirty percent of our faithful believe what the Church teaches on the presence of Jesus in the Eucharist.”[1] Once more, there is also a campaign to eliminate kneeling during the entire Eucharistic Prayer of the Mass.[2] The cause of these two related phenomena can be discovered by examining past and present Catholic theology of the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. Let’s first look at Scripture.

catholicculture.org/docs/doc_view.cfm?recnum=243

Thus, the Council of Trent (1545-1563), in harmony with St. Thomas infallibly taught:

“If anyone says that in the sacred and holy sacrament of the Eucharist there remains the substance of bread and wine together with the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, and denies that wonderful and singular conversion of the *whole substance of the bread *into the Body, and of the entire substance of the wine into the Blood, the species (appearance) of the bread and wine only remaining, a change which the Catholic Church most fittingly calls transubstantiation: let him be anathema.”[10]
 
When I was certified in homiletics…we were taught, and I implement this every time I preach…

Bring the people to the altar. No matter what you are talking about…whether it is on sin, the beatitudes, creation story, etc…everything can be linked to the great sacrifice of our Lord and Savior and His Real Presence in the Eucharist. So whenever I preach as a deacon ( we do rotation at our parish) and it is at least every 3 weeks at all the Sunday masses…I always talk about Jesus in the Eucharist. So whenever someone says it cannot be done, I prove them otherwise.

Just a suggestion, see if your pastor is willing to form or maybe there already is a homily review committee or even a liturgy committee that makes suggestions of how to meet the needs of the parish family…which includes the effectiveness of the homilies on Sunday.
If you are really concerned, this may be God’s way of calling you to volunteer. And when you do, do it with kindness and constructive criticism, not malice and disgust. You catch more with honey than vinegar as the old saying goes.

With all things, pray, pray and pray some more.
 
Indeed, however, the good Cardinal’s statement seems to indicate the people are aware of the teaching and have chosen to deny it.

This is different than not knowing about the Church’s teaching, which it appears is what you’re suggesting has happened.
 
MusicMan said:
Indeed, however, the good Cardinal’s statement seems to indicate the people are aware of the teaching and have chosen to deny it.

This is different than not knowing about the Church’s teaching, which it appears is what you’re suggesting has happened.
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I said:

" Knowing the horrifying reality that 70% of catholics :eek:** do not know/believe** in the Real Presance why is it that I only hear about it maybe, at max, twice per year? The source and summit of our christian faith and I only hear about at two masses?"

I put in both because I have run into both, personally. I ran into this article after I wrote this post. I initially heard about the statistic elsewhere.

Regardless, when the flock is denying an absolute, fundemental, required belief of the faith there needs to be something done with homilies because most catholics only go to mass and that is it. I have heard countless homilies that could have served the people better than hearing about a golf game or a trip. I also have heard homilies that have nothing to do with the readings at all. Very sad.
 
The Vatican and the Pope think differently. In fact, they are issuing homilies that include Catechesis. As I recall these will be available for Priests to use as an option.

One other point, the Catechism is the Bible explained.
 
buffalo said:
The Vatican and the Pope think differently. In fact, they are issuing homilies that include Catechesis. As I recall these will be available for Priests to use as an option.

One other point, the Catechism is the Bible explained.
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Good point.

Remember, God created Scripture and the catholic church.
 
Actually, Jay, the Cardinal died in 1996, so the poll is not really current, if it was at all valid in the first place. The statistic did not reveal where this poll was taken, and how many samplings there were; i.e., did it include those who are not attending church at all?

To be honest, polls are unreliable, since it depends on the framing of the question and to whom it was addressed. A similar poll was discussed on the forum recently, and found to be inaccurately depicted by a questionable website. 😉

Did you happen to see Father Corapi last evening? He implored the faithful to pray for priests, love them back into holiness, and stop the criticizing. I think you have adequately voiced your discontent with homilies, but it doesn’t reflect the experience of many here. I am truly sorry you feel that your parish is not being fed the truths of our faith. Maybe that is a valid assessment, maybe not.

I watched the life of St. Bernadette on EWTN Saturday night, and the remarkable thing that struck me was how very illiterate she was, and could not even recite the Apostles Creed. She had a heart full of love for Our Lady and wanted so much to make her first communion at an age well beyond when many of us have already received. You have a disdain for “love” stuff, but it is the essence of sanctity, rather than knowledge … which, by the way, tends to puff some up. A simple old lady with her faith in Jesus, but without knowing the 4 marks of the Church will be just fine in her relationship with Christ. 👍

That’s not to say knowledge is not important, it is. But I trust that if there is something we lack in faith formation, those who are seeking and trusting will manage to hear it. Our priests have a special charism from Holy Orders to impart the faith to others, and we need to have a greater trust that God is leading them. If they are not, we need to pray our little hearts out! 😃
 
I think the love stuff is OVERDONE.

When people deny this:

Catechism:

**1324 **The Eucharist is “the source and summit of the Christian life.” “The other sacraments, and indeed all ecclesiastical ministries and works of the apostolate, are bound up with the Eucharist and are oriented toward it. For in the blessed Eucharist is contained the whole spiritual good of the Church, namely Christ himself, our Pasch.”

What are they TRULY denying? What effect does that denial have on everything else in terms of the above? Without the belief in the Eucharist, what do you have?
 
Jay, maybe you find alarm where there is no fire. If your poll is accurate, maybe there is just cause to be stirred up. I have not found that this is the case in many parishes I have attended, though you may find deficiencies where you worship. One will not be a member of a Catholic church very long without at least hearing the truth regarding the Eucharist frequently through many years of regular attendance. I really disagree with you there.

For those who attend Mass during the annual “must-do’s” of Christmas and Easter, they certainly miss a great deal of teaching. I support your analysis that these might be really lacking solid instruction. But how deep is their faith and love for Christ, if “knowing” the truth, they bypass it for bi-annual attendance?
 
Joysong said:
Jay, maybe you find alarm where there is no fire. If your poll is accurate, maybe there is just cause to be stirred up. I have not found that this is the case in many parishes I have attended, though you may find deficiencies where you worship. One will not be a member of a Catholic church very long without at least hearing the truth regarding the Eucharist frequently through many years of regular attendance. I really disagree with you there.

For those who attend Mass during the annual “must-do’s” of Christmas and Easter, they certainly miss a great deal of teaching. I support your analysis that these might be really lacking solid instruction. But how deep is their faith and love for Christ, if “knowing” the truth, they bypass it for bi-annual attendance?
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 I believe the cardinal in what he has stated for he must have believed in that poll himself. From '96 to the present with church attendance at the lowest, I don't think it must have improved since, maybe even worse.
What I am saying is this: Why I am hearing pointless homilies, that sometimes have nothing to do with the readings, while the congregation remains poorly catechized on the absolute basics of the Faith?

Without the belief in the Eucharist, you don’t have much.
 
As Catholics… The written Gospels are only part of our faith. The Priests have a duty to preach the FULL Apostolic Tradition embodied in both written and oral tradition.
 
What is the difference between the homily and teaching the Faith?

Without the belief in the Eucharist, you don’t have much.
 
jay29 said:
I said:

" Knowing the horrifying reality that 70% of catholics :eek:** do not know/believe** in the Real Presance why is it that I only hear about it maybe, at max, twice per year? The source and summit of our christian faith and I only hear about at two masses?"
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But how many of those 70% actually go to Mass more than twice a year? After all, only 30% or less of baptized Catholics attend Mass weekly. The rest of them are Catholic in name only, not in practice. In many cases, their baptism was the last time they were in a Church. Then there are some who may attend Mass at Christmas and Easter, and otherwise you don’t see them except at a wedding or funeral. Irregardless of what the homily is about, those people won’t be in Church to hear it anyway.
 
The 70% statistic is something that used on CAF all the time to justify what the person using the statistic thinks that Catholics or clergy should be doing. The statistic is used without support, as if it is a known, understood, and accepted fact. I do not accept it as evidence in-and-of-itself. I have also seen the statistic as high as 90% and as low as 60%. Makes me question it even more.

I don’t see what you’ve posted as supporting evidence to be sufficient. As had been stated, the good Cardinal passed away 11 years ago, making that poll out-of-date. Additionally, what you quoted really isn’t sufficient for me to accept this as evidence, and I’m not going to pay to be able to read the article. The burden of proof is on you.

How many Catholics were surveyed in this poll? Was it a good cross-section of the faith, ones who go to church every Sunday, or ones who go to church on only Christmas and Easter? I question the validity of an over 10-year-old Gallup poll on determining what Catholics believe today.
 
MusicMan said:
The 70% statistic is something that used on CAF all the time to justify what the person using the statistic thinks that Catholics or clergy should be doing. The statistic is used without support, as if it is a known, understood, and accepted fact. I do not accept it as evidence in-and-of-itself. I have also seen the statistic as high as 90% and as low as 60%. Makes me question it even more.

I don’t see what you’ve posted as supporting evidence to be sufficient. As had been stated, the good Cardinal passed away 11 years ago, making that poll out-of-date. Additionally, what you quoted really isn’t sufficient for me to accept this as evidence, and I’m not going to pay to be able to read the article. The burden of proof is on you.

How many Catholics were surveyed in this poll? Was it a good cross-section of the faith, ones who go to church every Sunday, or ones who go to church on only Christmas and Easter? I question the validity of an over 10-year-old Gallup poll on determining what Catholics believe today.
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I was quoting the cardinal on that poll. Obviously, he took it as real. Do you really think things have improved since that poll with all the reconfigurations?

How about abortions? Contraceptives? Pre-marrital sex? Don’t hear much about them except for pro-life week.
 
It’s not a change of parish you need, but a time machine to take you back to the Middle Ages.
 
MusicMan said:
The 70% statistic is something that used on CAF all the time to justify what the person using the statistic thinks that Catholics or clergy should be doing. The statistic is used without support, as if it is a known, understood, and accepted fact. I do not accept it as evidence in-and-of-itself. I have also seen the statistic as high as 90% and as low as 60%. Makes me question it even more.

I don’t see what you’ve posted as supporting evidence to be sufficient. As had been stated, the good Cardinal passed away 11 years ago, making that poll out-of-date. Additionally, what you quoted really isn’t sufficient for me to accept this as evidence, and I’m not going to pay to be able to read the article. The burden of proof is on you.

How many Catholics were surveyed in this poll? Was it a good cross-section of the faith, ones who go to church every Sunday, or ones who go to church on only Christmas and Easter? I question the validity of an over 10-year-old Gallup poll on determining what Catholics believe today.
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I was quoting the cardinal on that poll. Obviously, he took it as real. Do you really think thinks have improved since that poll with all the reconfigurations?
 
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