Seemingly forbidden homily topics

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Lepanto

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Have you ever heard a homily which SUBSTANTIVELY addressed (not just mentioned) any of these topics?
  • Abortion
  • Apologetics
  • Contraception
  • Divorce/anullments
  • Eschatology (the end times)
  • Evangelization of non-Catholics (not just “dialoging” with them)
  • Fornication and adultery
  • Hell
  • Indulgences
  • Modesty in dress
  • Proper internal and external disposition to receive communion
  • Purgatory
  • Returning to the sacrament of confession
  • Vocations
  • Voting with a well-formed Catholic conscience
Are these topics taboo?
 
My pastor routinely comments on the evil of abortion, and just last week, our associate pastor talked about the necessity of going to confession regularly and not receiving Holy Communion if you’re in a state of mortal sin.
 
Lepanto said:
Have you ever heard a homily which SUBSTANTIVELY addressed (not just mentioned) any of these topics?
  • Abortion
  • Apologetics
  • Contraception
  • Divorce/anullments
  • Eschatology (the end times)
  • Evangelization of non-Catholics (not just “dialoging” with them)
  • Fornication and adultery
  • Hell
  • Indulgences
  • Modesty in dress
  • Proper internal and external disposition to receive communion
  • Purgatory
  • Returning to the sacrament of confession
  • Vocations
  • Voting with a well-formed Catholic conscience
Are these topics taboo?
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I’ve heard a good homily about the end times – none on any of the other topics listed.
 
Lepanto said:
Have you ever heard a homily which SUBSTANTIVELY addressed (not just mentioned) any of these topics?
  • Abortion
  • Apologetics
  • Contraception
  • Divorce/anullments
  • Eschatology (the end times)
  • Evangelization of non-Catholics (not just “dialoging” with them)
  • Fornication and adultery
  • Hell
  • Indulgences
  • Modesty in dress
  • Proper internal and external disposition to receive communion
  • Purgatory
  • Returning to the sacrament of confession
  • Vocations
  • Voting with a well-formed Catholic conscience
Are these topics taboo?
Click to expand...
Possibly you would like to see these topics treated in a homily since for all too many adults the homily is the only catechesis they get. However, the purpose on the homily is to expound on one or more of the readings. I’m a reader at mass so I suppose I could take my lector’s workbook and see where the above topics might fit in. Then I could write to the bishop with suggestions and ask that he communicate them to the priests…

I don’t think these topics are taboo. At least three of them have been mentioned at my parish recently. I do think they can best be dealt with outside of mass but who will come and listen? Maybe a bulletin handout with followup discussion groups?

My pastor is very open to suggestions as long as the complainer, er concerned parishoner, is willing to be part of the solution.
 
My parish had a mother-daughter workshop on modesty in dress with a teen fashion show with modest attractive outfits modeled.
 
Lepanto said:
Have you ever heard a homily which SUBSTANTIVELY addressed (not just mentioned) any of these topics?
  • ?
Click to expand...
yes frequently, especially when the readings lend themselves to references to these sins, when the bishop has asked a letter on on of them to be read, or when such a reference is timely, such as right to life Sunday. our bishop has called for a diocesan-wide emphasis on the sacrament of penance and proper conscience formation during Lent, so we will be, hopefully, hearing a lot more.
 
More:
  • Apparition discernment
  • Receiving communion worthily
  • Missing Mass as a mortal sin
 
Let me see:nerd:, the only ones I haven’t seen addressed thoroughly would be “indulgences”, “Proper internal and external disposition to receive communion” and “modesty in dress”. If all the other subjects have been addressed the “proper…disposition…” one has already been dealt with. For the most part we dress modestly at our Parish and when in the summer months we have some people not dressing properly Msgr. will write about it in his weekly notes in the bulletin.

As for indulgences, hmmm, that may have been talked about but Fr. or Msgr. will talk to anyone who has a question about that…

Brenda V.
 
Lepanto - you uunderstand that a homily is to address the readings, yes? So it’s hard to imagine that a priest could bend the topic of the readings to what you’ve suggested as “substance” although certainly Portestant ministers do that.
 
The only one I cannot remember a specific homily devoted to would be indulgences, they are mentioned on Divine Mercy Sunday, but, I’ve not heard it as a full homily.

From the things you bring up in your posts, I really wonder about the place you go to Church. It does not sound like the Catholic Parishes I know.
 
Lepanto said:
Have you ever heard a homily which SUBSTANTIVELY addressed (not just mentioned) any of these topics?
  • Abortion
  • Apologetics
  • Contraception
  • Divorce/anullments
  • Eschatology (the end times)
  • Evangelization of non-Catholics (not just “dialoging” with them)
  • Fornication and adultery
  • Hell
  • Indulgences
  • Modesty in dress
  • Proper internal and external disposition to receive communion
  • Purgatory
  • Returning to the sacrament of confession
  • Vocations
  • Voting with a well-formed Catholic conscience
Are these topics taboo?
Click to expand...
I’ve heard all thest hings–it depends on the Gospel–that limits the particular homilies topic. Thus, on All Souls you’ll hear about Purgatory and before Advent (and during Advent) you hear about eschatology–in the Gospels that discuss Hell, it will be mention in the homily, in the one that discusses th permanence of marriage you’ll hear about divorce/annulments, etc., etc.

I’ve never heard about “dialoging” but have heard about sharing our faith and bringing it to the world. But, most of us are not effective preachers–so dialogue is often the best approach. By actually having a conversation with someone, you can learn where you have common ground to build from, where ideas come from, why someone believes what they do, etc. When you actually know the person and personally care about them (and they understand you do personally care), you’ll have a much better chance of sharing the truth.

I’ve also never heard apologetics, but the Bible study run by our pastor is specifically advertised in the Bulletin as incorporating “references to the catechism and apologetics.”
 
As a deacon, I have either preached on all of the above topics or I have written about them in our weekly parish bulletin.
The Jesuit priest who visits us from time to time regularly dialogs as well as preaches on all of the topics as well.

Our pastor picks the less controversial and preaches.
 
  • Abortion
  • Contraception
  • Eschatology (the end times)
  • Hell
  • Indulgences
  • Modesty in dress
  • When it’s appropriate to receive communion
  • Purgatory
  • Returning to the sacrament of confession
  • Vocations
I’m lucky to have a priest who is not afraid to preach on these more difficult issues. And I have never ever once heard any complaint from any parishoner who felt offended. We are truly a blessed parish!
 
As has been pointed out, the homily needs to fit the Scriptures. Mass is simply too short a time to cover these topics in the detail that they deserve. However, I heard all of the above in RCIA in great detail.

My parish encourages Catholics to attend RCIA for the educational value at any or all of the classes. The topic for each week is in the bulletin in advance. We have some auditors every year who basically “refresh” themselves on their faith.

We also have adult education at my parish on Wednesday nights with regular in-depth teaching on basically everything listed by the OP. We have Lenten missions that go for an entire week with a different theme each year. Many 1000s of adults attend every year, so they get more in depth teaching at that time also.
 
Lepanto said:
Have you ever heard a homily which SUBSTANTIVELY addressed (not just mentioned) any of these topics?
  • Abortion
  • Apologetics
  • Contraception
  • Divorce/anullments
  • Eschatology (the end times)
  • Evangelization of non-Catholics (not just “dialoging” with them)
  • Fornication and adultery
  • Hell
  • Indulgences
  • Modesty in dress
  • Proper internal and external disposition to receive communion
  • Purgatory
  • Returning to the sacrament of confession
  • Vocations
  • Voting with a well-formed Catholic conscience
Are these topics taboo?
Click to expand...
While our priests and deacons cover some of the topics when consistent with the lectionary, our pastor makes sure that the faithful are properly instructed through catechism classes on Sunday mornings before or after Mass. The classes cover all the age groups from kindergarten to senior citizens. Such classes are often advertised during Mass. Usually the people that are not interested in the classes are the same people that yawn during the homily and do not care to hear of such topics.
 
Our new pastor touches on the homily of the day, but always ends up with the same message…go out and spread the good news. Be a good Catholic.🙂
 
It seems to me that most of the topics are appropriate for cathechesis(sp) but not for a homily.

Homily’s should illuminate the word of God that is read on the particular Sunday/feast. It’s kind of a concern to me when we bend the word around whatever we are hoping to hear about on a given Sunday.

That’s not to say there are not times when these topics would not be appropriate, but to assume they are ‘taboo’ is to miss the point.
 
catharina said:
Lepanto - you uunderstand that a homily is to address the readings, yes? So it’s hard to imagine that a priest could bend the topic of the readings to what you’ve suggested as “substance” although certainly Portestant ministers do that.
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True; however, the homily can also deal with the saint of the day (Feast of the Chair of St. Peter or the Assumption of the BVM), a special occasion (Papal visit or canonization or an extraordinary event) or a particular concern such as what Lepanto referenced.

Yes, the readings are important. However, an excellent homilist can tie these matters to the readings, as our Holy Father has done on numerous occasions. These are not necessarily mutually exclusive and can become very effective tools for reinforcing Church teaching.

Now, eschatelogical homilies are best preached in November because the readings lend themselves to the topic, especially from All Souls Day downward. My PV does this every November. It’s really good because he’s one of the few, if not the only one one, who does this in my city. Furthermore, homilies of this nature are also excellent for funerals.
 
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