Quick Question: Lay giving a 'personal testimony' during homily

[NewsTheMan]

My Priest recently suggested that at least once a month he wants a lay person to give a ‘personal testimony’ during the Homily. I am 99.999% sure this is absolutely not allowed and I have these links:

forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=3272
forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=34338

However, the wording used in those is “Gospel reflection” rather than ‘personal testimony’ so I just need to make sure so when I bring it up with my Priest there are no questions as to what the Church instructs.

This seems to be some form of Evangelism creeping into my local Church

 

[puzzleannie]

My Priest recently suggested that at least once a month he wants a lay person to give a ‘personal testimony’ during the Homily. I am 99.999% sure this is absolutely not allowed and I have these links:

in the first place you say this is during the homily so I assume at least part of the time the priest is speaking so the norms are being followed. By definition a personal testimony on the part of the layperson is not a homily so as long as this does not regularly replace the homily, but fits in with the overall message, I really don’t see the problem in doing this occasionally. This time of year often that testimony comes from RCIA candidates and is appropriate. The timing might be better but as long as the homily is not left out altogether, the priest probably feels it works best his way.

This seems to be some form of Evangelism creeping into my local Church

I certainly hope this is true since all Catholics are called by their baptism to evangelize

 

[benedictgal]

This is not a good practice. In fact, Redemptionis Sacramentum also addresses the issue of these so-called “testimonials”:

. Preaching
[161.] As was already noted above, the homily on account of its importance and its nature is reserved to the Priest or Deacon during Mass.260 As regards other forms of preaching, if necessity demands it in particular circumstances, or if usefulness suggests it in special cases, lay members of Christ’s faithful may be allowed to preach in a church or in an oratory **outside Mass **in accordance with the norm of law.261 This may be done only on account of a scarcity of sacred ministers in certain places, in order to meet the need, and it may not be transformed from an exceptional measure into an ordinary practice, nor may it be understood as an authentic form of the advancement of the laity.262 All must remember besides that the faculty for giving such permission belongs to the local Ordinary, and this as regards individual instances; this permission is not the competence of anyone else, even if they are Priests or Deacons.

I hope this helps.

 

[Myqyl]

I certainly hope this is true since all Catholics are called by their baptism to evangelize

Amen!

Trust the authority of your priest. He has resources far beyond that of an online forum.

God bless

 

[thomas_jd]

in the first place you say this is during the homily so I assume at least part of the time the priest is speaking so the norms are being followed. By definition a personal testimony on the part of the layperson is not a homily so as long as this does not regularly replace the homily, but fits in with the overall message, I really don’t see the problem in doing this occasionally. This time of year often that testimony comes from RCIA candidates and is appropriate. The timing might be better but as long as the homily is not left out altogether, the priest probably feels it works best his way.

I certainly hope this is true since all Catholics are called by their baptism to evangelize

 

[beafedor]

No, lay people are not supposed to give testimonies during the homily. No one but a Priest or Deacon is supposed to speak at the pulpit before Consecration (except for a lectors). I have shared a testimony a couple of times after Mass, just after announcements and before the final blessing. This is fine.