Taking Notes on the Homily

[Truthstalker]

In my Protestant church space is provided in the bulletin for notes you might want to take on the sermon. When I look around at Mass NOBODY has a Bible and NOBODY takes notes. Are there Catholic churches where people bring their Bibles to Mass and take notes on the homily every week?

 

[Wendy-Kay]

I laughed when I read this! I actually did, but I tried to be discreet. One of our priests gives longer homilies, but they are really good and full of little church history facts, for example Pope Leo XIII said this and the third pastor of our parish, Fr. X in 1927 did this and so on. That way on the car ride home (husband driving, naturally) I could go over it and absorb the more interresting things. I have no short term memory.
I can’t do it anymore since I have a toddler now. I would be interrested in knowing if anyone else did this though!

 

[mkw]

Many of our Religious Ed. teachers take notes on homilies. Sometimes rolleyes: ) the children may not be paying close attention, and by taking notes, the teachers can re-enforce what they didn’t get the first time.

 

[Brenda_V]

Well, Bibles aren’t necessary for Mass as the readings from the Bible are there in the Missal so you won’t find many Catholics bringing Bibles.

Now for the note taking - it depends on a lot of things from if something really caught my ear and needed to be remembered better, I know that if I write it down I am far more likely to remember it even if I never look at my notes again - take for example the acronym ACTS in referrence to prayer - I heard it and really liked it so jotted it down as a way to pray - an order of my prayers to be more exact: A(doration) - praise God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit, C(ontrition) - ask God for forgiveness for my sins and be sorry for them, T(hanksgiving) - thank God for all that He has given me, and S(upplication) - now this is where I ask God for what I would like or feel I need always keeping in mind that His will be done!

I have heard of Confirmation students being required to take notes as well for the Homily so, although note taking isn’t a common thing it has been done. I have also never seen it done in Protestant Churches I have attended with my Lutheran husband except for the same kinds of reasons I gave.

Hope this answers your question.

Brenda V.

 

[MariaG]

I haven’t done it recently, but then I have had trouble paying attention since my now 5 year old (today!) takes up most of my attention trying to get him to behave.

But I have jotted down scripture or points that I particularly like.

But as a revert, I was used to taking notes too.

I don’t take my bible into Mass because it is so much easier to have the scripture readings right there in the missal without having to find the scripture readings in my own bible. I did once write in a missal since it was the last day it would be used (or maybe a few more dailies?) and so I took it home with me that day also.

But I don’t see any others taking notes. Part of that is that Catholics tend to view it as more worship and less study, maybe?

God Bless,
Maria

 

[InLight247]

In my Protestant church space is provided in the bulletin for notes you might want to take on the sermon. When I look around at Mass NOBODY has a Bible and NOBODY takes notes. Are there Catholic churches where people bring their Bibles to Mass and take notes on the homily every week?

I am glad to know other Catholics take notes too. I wrote done the key points so when I ask my CCD students in the class, I know how to elaborate. I have Sunday evening class, so I always ask them who have attended Sunday Mass and what was the main points of the homily. Hopefully this can help the kids pay attention during Mass.

 

[plato3]

A great help to the faithful is the use of the Church Calendar. We can go on line and look up the scripture that will be read at each Mass for the next 20 years or more. Each Sunday has bible readings that are read in every Catholic Church in the world. Our name Catholic means “Universal.” The Pope will preach on the same readings that every church will hear on Sunday. Some Protestant ministers, that I know, wish that they had this aid because sometimes they can’t decide on what they want to preach about. Some Protestant ministers use the calendar. At this moment, anyone can go on line and look at next Sunday’s readings and research or study them.(But few do.)

 

[jc-servant]

Because it is easy for us to look ahead on the liturgical calendar and see what Scriptures will be read (and the homily based upon), I think many of us have our notes at home. I get emails of the daily mass readings a couple of weeks in advance, so I have time to read them and the attached commentary about the Scriptures. When I get to mass I concentrate on what is being said and then if something sticks out that I want to look up later or remember in the homily, I write it down.

I have seen some people taking notes during the homily for their own personal journals too.

As someone previously mentioned, we have a somewhat different focus during mass because it is not just the proclamation of the Word, but meeting Jesus in the Eucharist as well. We are fed in two ways every Sunday (and weekday if we so desire also).

 

[jrabs]

My BF brings his bible and takes notes weekly - however he has a Baptist background so maybe that is his inspiration.

 

[Wendy-Kay]

I have also never seen it done in Protestant Churches I have attended with my Lutheran husband except for the same kinds of reasons I gave.

I think it is more of a fundamentalist thing. Growing up and going to several of these churches, we would always take our bibles and highlighters. I really don’t know why I did this. I was too young to remember.

 

[JC_Nixon]

We are participating in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, not attending a lecture or study session! I can’t imagine taking notes at Mass.

The homily is supposed to be based on the day’s readings. So if you have read the readings for the day, you have some knowledge of what the homily is preached on. If something truly strikes you in the homily, it is not out of line to ask the priest if you might have a copy of his homily. True, some give it right ‘off the cuff’ with no notes, but many priests have notes that they are more than happy to share. I have asked on a number of occasions and the priests graciously gave me a copy for further reflection and to share with others.

 

[MariaG]

We are participating in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, not attending a lecture or study session! I can’t imagine taking notes at Mass.

The homily is supposed to be based on the day’s readings. So if you have read the readings for the day, you have some knowledge of what the homily is preached on. If something truly strikes you in the homily, it is not out of line to ask the priest if you might have a copy of his homily. True, some give it right ‘off the cuff’ with no notes, but many priests have notes that they are more than happy to share. I have asked on a number of occasions and the priests graciously gave me a copy for further reflection and to share with others.

Respectfully, while you cannot imagine doing so, there is nothing wrong with doing so. It is not as if one was taking notes through the consecration.

Some of us remember things better when we jot down little notes.

God Bless,
Maria

 

[jbuck919]

I only ever once witnessed taking notes during a service and it was when I attended an untra-fundamentalist independent church by invitation while in college. It seemed perfrectly ridiculous to me and still does. In the first place, it implies that the preacher is some great teacher, when almost none of them are (in any denomination, including Catholicism), and in the second, it was of course a phenomenon of Biblical fundamentalism, which the Catholic Church rejects.

Sometimes I muse as to why there is a sermon at all. Prior to the innovations introduced by Vatican II, the sermon was considered an interruption to the liturgy, though of course it was encouraged and common. It was used for announcements, to repeat the readings in the vernacular, and very occasionally for the priest to say something worth listening to. It was only after Vatican II that the homily became the proper and mandatory conclusion of the Liturgy of the Word, but that did not magically make every priest a better preacher, and most homilies are still the low point of the Mass in my opinion. I attended a traditional Chysostom Service in Greek some years ago and they had the sense to know that nothing could be added by offering a sermon, even though St. John Chysostom himself was one of the great preachers of all time.

 

[Wendy-Kay]

In the first place, it implies that the preacher is some great teacher, when almost none of them are (in any denomination, including Catholicism).

You will have to speak for yourself. There are many, many very holy priests with a lot to offer the world and they reach many lost sheep for God with thier homilies. So, just because your chickens lay bad eggs don't assume the rest of them stink, too.

 

[MariaG]

I only ever once witnessed taking notes during a service and it was when I attended an untra-fundamentalist independent church by invitation while in college. It seemed perfrectly ridiculous to me and still does. In the first place, it implies that the preacher is some great teacher, when almost none of them are (in any denomination, including Catholicism), and in the second, it was of course a phenomenon of Biblical fundamentalism, which the Catholic Church rejects.

Sometimes I muse as to why there is a sermon at all. Prior to the innovations introduced by Vatican II, the sermon was considered an interruption to the liturgy, though of course it was encouraged and common. It was used for announcements, to repeat the readings in the vernacular, and very occasionally for the priest to say something worth listening to. It was only after Vatican II that the homily became the proper and mandatory conclusion of the Liturgy of the Word, but that did not magically make every priest a better preacher, and most homilies are still the low point of the Mass in my opinion. I attended a traditional Chysostom Service in Greek some years ago and they had the sense to know that nothing could be added by offering a sermon, even though St. John Chysostom himself was one of the great preachers of all time.

Well, I am glad that you understanding of scripture is so good that you don’t need instruction as to it’s meaning.

Others of us are not so intellectual and appreciate some glimmer of understanding and help from our pastors. And others even still do not have a memory that can remember certain points if not written down.

God bless,
Maria

 

[aurora77]

I’ve definitely taken notes during a homily. I feel wierd doing so, but sometimes a priest says something I’ve got to remember. Plus, it beats trying to rack my brain for what it was I wanted to remember. It’s paid off–my PSR class talked about Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead last week, and I was able to ask the kids some questions based on a homily I’d heard a couple of years ago that got them to think about the meaning behind the miracle.

 

[Syele]

It seemed perfrectly ridiculous to me and still does. In the first place, it implies that the preacher is some great teacher,

I think it implies that people hope to learn something. Even a bad teacher occasionally makes a good point, and some really bad teaching has spurred me on to write it down and see how to refute it. This has lead to some very enlightening Bible Studies for me. I would think only God Himself would be so knowledgeable as to never have need to learn anything.

 

[milimac]

The emphasis is different in Catholic liturgies compared to Protestant. In Catholic liturgies, the homily is actually the lowest, least important part, by design, and I believe it’s usually supposed to be somewhat brief (~15 minutes or less). The Eucharist is the highest point. Granted, it’s great when there’s a dynamic, engaging homily, and it still is important, but not in comparison to other parts of the liturgy.

There are many other resources for Catholics to go deeper into scripture, and they should. I do see the problem though that many do not do more to understand and enrich their faith through scripture study and spiritual reading. It seems that Protestants may set a good example for Catholics in this regard. I think that Catholics are coming around though. In my parish we have a Wednesday night program where the pastor or director of evangelization speaks on various topics, and there are also many other talks, programs, and retreats in our archdiocese. We should never stop learning.

 

[aurora77]

In the first place, it implies that the preacher is some great teacher, when almost none of them are

Please, don’t lump all priests/preachers together. Our parish is blessed to have a priest who gives excellent homilies that I always learn from. We’ve been very lucky in that regard; I can think of several priests who’s homilies I learn something from nearly every time I hear them talk.

 

[Damascus]

The problem I see with either veiwpoint is this -

Pro taking notes: I am too distracted taking the “notes” to really listen to what is being said! Maybe I need a tape recorder! maybe I’ll be too worried about the details and miss the point!

The Homily does not always EXPLAIN the scripture. IT shows us how to APPLY the scripture to our everyday lives!

Pro not taking notes: You can get a better understanding of the INTENTION of the Homily and not distract others while doing so-
and go home and reflect in PRAYER about what was said and READ the Scripture again!

but that might take more effort than knocking Catholics for not being like some heterodox denominations.