No Homily Given At Mass?

[havok579257]

So I went to church today and there was no homily given. We finished the gospel and went right into prayer. Is the mass still valid? I am confused.

[Brother Adam]

The Mass would not be invalidated simply because there was no homily, however it is not to be omitted without serious cause. You can always ask the celebrant what that serious cause was if you are concerned.

From the General Instruction on the Roman Missal:

"66. The Homily should ordinarily be given by the priest celebrant himself. He may entrust it to a concelebrating priest or occasionally, according to circumstances, to the deacon, but never to a lay person.65 In particular cases and for a just cause, the homily may even be given by a Bishop or a priest who is present at the celebration but cannot concelebrate.

There is to be a homily on Sundays and holy days of obligation at all Masses that are celebrated with the participation of a congregation; it may not be omitted without a serious reason. It is recommended on other days, especially on the weekdays of Advent, Lent, and the Easter Season, as well as on other festive days and occasions when the people come to church in greater numbers."