The catholic mass makes you "feel good" but can you remember the homily?

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I usually remember the main message of the homily, but details no, I won’t remember. The main message tends to reinforce what I already know, so it’s not so important to remember the details. A week later, I might not remember that homily at all, but it still reinforced certain aspects of the faith helping me recall them better when needed.

I do have trouble paying attention in mass though. For the readings, I try to get there early to read them and think about them before mass starts. I won’t retain anything from the readings in the middle of mass. I have to do that extra work before. I usually do better with homily. I can usually remember it the day I went to church but probably not the next few days. It depends on the priest though. Some priests are very charismatic, but for others, speaking is not their strength.
 
I only remember the interesting parts of the homily, but I remember the readings pretty well. I remember them when they come back around the next year. The Mass doesn’t really make me “feel good” though.
 
Generally I have never been impressed by a Catholic Homily. There was this one Priest which I really liked. He talked a lot. But he also attempted to delve deeper. I liked him.
 
The mass is not about making me/us feel good. Instead, it is about offering ourselves in prayer and worship within the context of the liturgy of the word and the liturgy of the Eucharist. There is no greater form of prayer or worship.

Remembering or forgetting the readings and or the homily is not a function of the mass, but a function of the level of attention within me/us. If one is having trouble in this area, it behooves that person to seek ways to stay focused, and ponder what is before them. Attending mass and receiving communion casually and thoughtlessly is a problem within us and not the mass. We are not there to be entertained, but are there to bring ourselves with our full attention, focus, love, thanksgiving, repentance, and strength for the worship of God. We have to ditch all of our other desires and concerns while at mass.

God bless.
 
Before Children?

I could likely tell you both readings, the Gospel and much of the homily.

After Children?

I can tell you I went to a Catholic Mass.

…I think…
 
Yes, I can usually always remember the topic of the homily, and at least the Gospel reading. This is a strange discussion topic in my opinion. Are Catholics supposedly less likely to remember these things than other Christians, or something?
 
If you “feel good” then you may not be as involved in the mass as you suspect. The torture and death of Christ are not feel-good acts. You should be crying - first out of sorrow, then out of joy, contemplating the resurrection. As to the homily, there are probably few that are truly memorable. Usually, it involves the last four things (death, judgment, heaven, hell) or something that sounds political - which is bound to enrage half the parishioners.

The homily is based on the readings, which you can receive via email daily from the USCCB. If you are vision impaired, or just busy, you can click on audio readings.
 
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I always remember the sermon and the Gospel and usually the 1st and 2nd readings.
Except when they bring in a guest priest asking for money, then I time out
 
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i don’t think the point of the catholic mass is the “homily”, which is a small & relatively minor part of the catholic mass
the “point” is that you are attending a “sacrament” and it is the best replication we can do, as humans, with regard to what the angels & saints in heaven do

please read" lamb’s supper" by dr scott hahn
 
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po18guy said:
If you “feel good” then you may not be as involved in the mass as you suspect. The torture and death of Christ are not feel-good acts. You should be crying - first out of sorrow, then out of joy, contemplating the resurrection. As to the homily, there are probably few that are truly memorable. Usually, it involves the last four things (death, judgment, heaven, hell) or something that sounds political - which is bound to enrage half the parishioners.

The homily is based on the readings, which you can receive via email daily from the USCCB. If you are vision impaired, or just busy, you can click on audio readings.
Click to expand...
As the mass is a worship from beginning to end, rather than picking on certain part/rite, example the readings and homilies, it can be a profound experience.

It is common for the tears just to flow as we follow the Lord to Calvary, as we remember our brethrens who have died before us, as we reflect on the love of the Lord and then invited to His table to partake in the feast which He offers us His own Body and Blood, of the risen Lamb, it is only human that we can be overwhelmed at any moment along the mass when we are touched.

I don’t understand that the OP mentioned being ‘feel good’ as if with a casual connotation about the mass, but if it is, it can be more than just that. Meeting the Lord in the mass and in Communion with Him, to see Him being broken for our sake, the feeling is undscribeable - awesome, thanksgiving or just speechless at what the Lord has done for us.

Of course, the readings are important, and the homilies, because the Lord is speaking, but our capacity is limited, the reason why we need to go to the mass often - we need to be reminded again and again; and again of Calvary, to make the reality check of where we were when the Lord was there.
 
It depends. There are absolutely homilies that I don’t remember - either because you were tired or because of other reasons - but then there are a few that get burned in my memory for years after. Usually it’s if I’m having a problem with faith or conscience, and the homily addresses my problem and gives a satisfactory answer.

Are you a bad son if you don’t remember everything your mother tells you? If not, then why are you a bad catholic if you don’t remember everything the Holy Mother Church tells you?
 
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If on the occasion there is a letter from the Bishop instead of a homily I won’t remember any of it, they are normally very long.
 
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