tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4808375493800890797.post7759808738964078052..comments2024-03-27T13:12:39.343-04:00Comments on A Concord Pastor Comments: On not preaching a homily...Concord Pastorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18322127779647130869noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4808375493800890797.post-63123928378763150392011-07-16T19:58:23.158-04:002011-07-16T19:58:23.158-04:00Wow. Thanks for the lesson. In particular, "...Wow. Thanks for the lesson. In particular, "...the homily is to enable the gathered congregation to celebrate the liturgy with faith, the preacher does not so much attempt to explain the Scriptures as to interpret the human situation through the Scriptures."<br /> I understand this. And I understand the lesson on sinful sex. I'm glad I asked.Faithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13945662015612932618noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4808375493800890797.post-81415401325593613232011-07-16T14:00:43.849-04:002011-07-16T14:00:43.849-04:00Faith, I just came across this article which inclu...Faith, I just came across this article which includes more response to your question regarding the what the Church teaches regards sexuality:<br /><br />http://www.catholicpreaching.com/index.php?content=articles&articles=20110715anchorConcord Pastorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18322127779647130869noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4808375493800890797.post-22525705744042246552011-07-16T11:50:13.733-04:002011-07-16T11:50:13.733-04:00Faith, these paragraphs from FIYH might offer a go...Faith, these paragraphs from FIYH might offer a good response to your question about the purpose of the homily:<br /><br />The fact that the homily is addressed to a congregation of believers who have gathered to worship indicates that its purpose is not conversion from radical unbelief to belief. A homily presupposes faith. Nor does the homily primarily concern itself with a systematic theological understanding of the faith. The liturgical gathering is not primarily an educational assembly. Rather the homily is preached in order that a community of believers who have gathered to celebrate the liturgy may do so more deeply and more fully – more faithfully -and thus be formed for Christian witness in the world. (No. 43)<br /><br />It is to these given texts that the preacher turns to prepare the homily for a community that will gather for the Sunday liturgy. Since the purpose of the homily is to enable the gathered congregation to celebrate the liturgy with faith, the preacher does not so much attempt to explain the Scriptures as to interpret the human situation through the Scriptures. In other words, the goal of the liturgical preacher is not to interpret a text of the Bible (as would be the case in teaching a Scripture class) as much as to draw on the texts of the Bible as they are presented in the lectionary to interpret peoples’ lives. To be even more precise, the preacher’s purpose will be to turn to these Scriptures to interpret peoples’ lives in such a way that they will be able to celebrate Eucharist-or be reconciled with God and one another, or be baptized into the Body of Christ, depending on the particular liturgy that is being celebrated. (No. 52)Concord Pastorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18322127779647130869noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4808375493800890797.post-23456457459948777062011-07-16T10:43:50.013-04:002011-07-16T10:43:50.013-04:00On the topic of playing back one's own homilie...On the topic of playing back one's own homilies I thought you might appreciate the humour in these :-)))<br />(They would never apply in your case)<br /><br />http://thefuerstshallbelast.files.wordpress.com/2010/06/boring-sermon.gif<br /><br />http://thefuerstshallbelast.files.wordpress.com/2010/06/pretend-to-listen.gifBlue Eyed Ennishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06181985609681328032noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4808375493800890797.post-45795651104988267892011-07-16T10:36:29.571-04:002011-07-16T10:36:29.571-04:00Good questions, Faith! Here are some quick answer...Good questions, Faith! Here are some quick answers. To know more about the purpose and function of homilies, you should read "Fulfilled In Your Hearing" from the USCCB. You'll find a fine series of commentaries on this at Todd Flowerday's "Catholic Sensibility," here: http://tinyurl.com/63qa8nt<br /><br />Rather than my offering a critique of what's happening in your parish, you might compare your experience with FIYH.<br /><br />In a nutshell: the Church teaches that genital sexual activity is a gift from God to a man and woman in marriage for the purposes of developing mutual affection and unity in the couple and for the procreation of children. The Church teaches that any genital sexual activity outside such a marriage is morally wrong. Since same sex unions or cohabitational sex or pre-marital sex or extra-marital sex, one-night-stands or masturbation fall outside the marriage of a man and a woman, all of these are judged to be morally wrong by the Church. A quick response in a combox hardly says it all so I'd refer you to the Catechism of the Catholic Church (see my sidebar) for further reading. Does your diocese have a Family Life Office? a diocesan newspaper? I'd guess that both would be sources for more information. <br /><br />I hope that's helpful.Concord Pastorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18322127779647130869noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4808375493800890797.post-87275643427713086362011-07-16T09:52:57.016-04:002011-07-16T09:52:57.016-04:00I've often wondered if priests are taught to p...I've often wondered if priests are taught to preach certain methods for homilies. For example, the Xaverian Missionaries from Fatima Shrine in Holliston help our parish. Every single one of them approaches the homily the same way, i.e., they explain the First Reading, then the Second Reading, and lastly, the Gospel. Most of the time I appreciate this because I wonder why these Readings are together. However, it seems that our parish priests always give homilies on the theme of the Gospel.<br /> One time during a church meeting, I happen to express the thought that I wish the priest would give some catechesis. Another parishioner snapped at me, "That's not what a homily is for!"<br /> Since then, I've wondered about the purpose of a homily. This came to mind last night while discussing the "gay marriage" vote in NY. There were about six of us, and we had to confess that we were unable to defend the church position on it. We know that the Church is against "gay marriage," but we're unable to articulate in an intelligent manner why. In fact, what little we do know about it, we've garnered from the anti-Catholic sound bites. That's our catechesis. That's our adult Catholic education--the anti-Catholic venom. That's how we know the Church's stance on current issues.<br /> Once in awhile, we do get a message from the pulpit, that the church is against this or that, but we're not told why. It's not explained thoroughly.<br /> Anyway, what is appropriate for homilies? I guess that's my question.Faithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13945662015612932618noreply@blogger.com