Truly "Traditional" sermons... from the 900s

[Basilian]

A happy and glorious festal Sunday to everyone!

Did you ever wonder what a sermon sounded like in a Catholic Church in the middle of the final century before the Great Schism? Have you ever heard of the “Blickling” Homilies?

In the mid-1800s, an English minister discovered manuscripts dating from about AD 970-980. They contain homilies by an anonymous Anglo-Saxon bishop on many Sundays of the liturgical year. Translated and published initially in 1874, in the town of Blickling, they are named after it. No one knows when or why they were recorded.

archive.org/details/blicklinghomili00morrgoog

The original manuscripts are possibly the oldest "first edition"s of any sermons known to Christians. Since they date from the pre-Schism period, I thought traditionalists would be interested. It’s fascinating that they focus quite heavily on morality, judgment, and heaven and hell - even on Easter Sunday! I wonder of this is a trend of those so-called “dark” ages, or if all homilies of the pre-Schism times were as… well, “forceful”? They sound very much like the “fire and brimstone” we often associate with medieval and traditional preaching, in my opinion.

Today being Palm Sunday, it might be appropriate to post the proper sermon in audio format:

youtube.com/watch?v=73aOQECKOis

 

[ServusHumilis]

Interesting… thanks.

 

[Basilian]

It* is* interesting to see how the narrative is unfolded by this unknown bishop…

He particularly focuses on Mary, Martha, and Lazarus before moving on through Judas to the festal entry into Jerusalem. The bishop was very focused on family life and individual morality/piety. He uses the incident of the precious ointment - that could’ve been sold for 300 pence - to give a lengthy discourse on the need for loving charity. There isn’t a huge amount of doctrine or dogma, but practical demands on the average Christian. Perhaps this was preached in a small cathedral out in a countryside still oppressed by Viking raids.

I wonder how a sermon on Palm Sunday from this time in England compares with sermons on the same subject from Church Fathers in 400 AD, and from Counter-Reformation figures in 1600 AD? Is there a discernible “traditional” Catholic way of preaching?

 

[Aramis]

A happy and glorious festal Sunday to everyone!

Did you ever wonder what a sermon sounded like in a Catholic Church in the middle of the final century before the Great Schism? Have you ever heard of the “Blickling” Homilies?

Several collections of Sermons of St. John Chrysostom survive. In the Byzantine Rite, it’s traditional that his Paschal sermon is read at Pascha (easter). Also, there are sermons for most major holy days, and if no priest or deacon is available to preach, these may be read by a reader following reader’s typica (layman or minor cleric lead liturgy of the word). Priests sometimes use them when unprepared to preach. (They were prepared to concelebrate, but the intended celebrant is ill or absent. )