Sermon or Homily?

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What is the difference between a sermon and a homily? I know that at the Latin Mass the priest gives a sermon and at the NO he gives a homily. Are they just two different words with the same meaning? Thank You.

ajpirc
 
I always thought (and someone can correct me if I’m wrong) that a “homily” had to follow from the readings, whereas a “sermon” could be on any topic.
 
Dictionary.com definitions:
Homily -
  1. a sermon, usually on a Biblical topic and usually of a nondoctrinal nature.
Sermon-
  1. a discourse for the purpose of religious instruction or exhortation, especially one based on a text of Scripture and delivered by a member of the clergy as part of a religious service.
 
ndismyhome said:
Dictionary.com definitions:
Homily -
  1. a sermon, usually on a Biblical topic and usually of a nondoctrinal nature.
Sermon-
  1. a discourse for the purpose of religious instruction or exhortation, especially one based on a text of Scripture and delivered by a member of the clergy as part of a religious service.
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So by these definitions they are the same. It says a Homily is a sermon.
 
Garyjohn2 said:
So by these definitions they are the same. It says a Homily is a sermon.
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Not exactly; and presuming you can get a clear definition from a secular dictionary is chancey at best.

Sermons were given before the changes to the Mass; they were directed by the bishop and were to be treated in all parishes on that particular Sunday. They did not necessarily have any connection to the readings.

The change was made that homilies were to be given, which was to bring greater emphasis to the liturgical readings - readings which had been expanded, so that the Old Testament reading foreshadowed the Gospel reading. Previously, there were almost no OT readings throughout the entire year.
 
readings which had been expanded
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Expanded in the number of different readings which came up over the year(s), not expanded in the number of different readings at a particular Mass.

OF: 1st Reading, 2nd Reading, Gospel= 3 readings
EF: Epistle, Gospel, Last Gospel= 3 readings

Pax
 
Also, the term homily is proper to the mass. In other words, it is the sermon that is preached at mass or other liturgical function and can only be delivered by an ordained cleric. Sermon is more general. It can be the homily at mass, but it can also be a teaching outside of mass. For example, in my religious tradition, the friars all preached sermons. Most Franciscans are were not priests, today it’s the other way around, about 60% are priests. However, they could preach sermons. They did it on the streets, retreats, parish missions and other venues. Only the ordained can preach the homily at a mass.

For a long time, it was believed that St. Francis was a deacon, because he preached sermons. Now we’re not so sure about this, because all of the brothers preached sermons and there is no evidence that he did anything else that would be a function of a deacon. It is more likely that he preached, but not homilies and that the word sermon was the misleading term.

The term became popular after the 1960s because all of us, whether you’re going to be a priest or not, if you go for the four-year degree in theology, you must take a course called, Homiletics. This has been around for ages. It’s not a new discipline. The Dominicans and Jesuits introduced it a long time ago. It is a very complex course on preaching. It’s not just standing and delivering a speech. It covers the entire history of the ministry of preaching, the theology of preaching, the focus and different schools of preaching, and the place of preaching. While there is lot of practice where you actually get up and deliver a homily, that’s a small part of the course.

I have always felt that some people should have spent more time on the actual speaking part and less on the abstract, because they’re not great preachers, even though they have something to say. But that’s just me. 🤷

I was also terrified of this course. I would shake when I had to get up to preach in front of my pears. It’s a horrible experience. :eek:

Fraternally,

Br. JR, OSF 🙂
 
JReducation said:
I was also terrified of this course. I would shake when I had to get up to preach in front of my pears. It’s a horrible experience. :eek:

Fraternally,

Br. JR, OSF 🙂
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I would hate to preach in front of fruit too:D;)
 
Modern Catholic Dictionary:

HOMILY. A sermon or informal discourse on some part of the Sacred Scriptures. It aims to explain in an instructive commentary the literal meaning of the chosen text or subject and from this develop a practical application for the moral or spiritual life. The oldest extant homily is the sermon of Peter on Pentecost Sunday. Since the Second Vatican Council the homily has become an integral part of every Mass, always the Sunday Mass, but also whenever a number of the faithful are present or the occasion calls for an exposition of the Scriptures. The methods of giving a homily include: treating separately one or more parts of the biblical reading; combining the Scripture texts into a single idea; concentrating on some virtue or vice suggested by the Gospel text; paraphrasing a Bible passage as a basis for an exhortation to the people. (Etym. Greek homilein, to consort with, address.)
 
In terms of what they are within the context of the Mass (i.e., the priest preaching on a topic related to the day’s readings, or the priest directly preaching on the day’s readings) they are synonyms.
 
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