How Often Does The Sunday Homily Hit You Like A Ton Of Bricks?

[icelandic_iceskater]

my priest has a horrible Vietnamese accent so his homilies are extremely hard to follow, especially since we go to 8am mass and I'm not really awake yet. His homilies tend to be border-lining 10 minutes and I usually sit there trying to to fall asleep. Oh! Back freshman year of highschool-ish I went to the Michigan Catholic Homeschooler's conference, and the homily during mass was over half an hour long, my friend timed it. This was after having sat through three hour long talks already that day... not cool.

But yea I don't pray for my priest before mass, but I do pray for him (and a bunch of other's) every night before bed. And I generally prefer homilies that I can learn from and be challenged by.

[BG45]

I null voted out of interest.

But, to semi-give an answer; I very rarely have heard a stimulating sermon in my church. I have however at camps, and on television.

[Deb]

I guess I was surprised at how many did not think to pray for their priest or get hit a lot by the homily.

I am at the church I am at because of the Priest. His homilies are a major part of it. I learn something every single time and most of the time it is an issue that affects me directly. At first, I thought maybe he could read my mind.

The daily mass homilies are always great. I don't know how he does so many a week and they are all so relevant and moving to me. I get his Sunday homilies on tape so I can listen to them several times. I wish they taped his dailies too. The homily is always tied into the readings, always includes a bible quote, usually something from a Saint and always something for me to take home and contemplate. I have learned more from Mass about my faith than any other source besides the bible.

I pray for all Priests and about eight by name every morning and every night. I pray for the Holy Spirit to fill my priest so that he may direct us all in the way of the Lord before every mass. I offer up at least one decade of the rosary a day to priests. Currently doing a novena for the priests who are consecrating themselves to the Sacred Heart of Jesus before Priest prayer day.
I love praying for priests. The ones I know, the ones all over the world and the ones in purgatory. Intercessory prayer is so powerful and this is the one thing I can do to show my gratitude and love for them, even if they never know it.

I can't wait until we get the Spiritual Mother program up and running in our Parish.
Oh, I also pray for seminarians, religious and all discerning a vocation to the Lord.

Come on guys. Every time you pray, toss an intention in for all priests.

[Thy Geekdom Come]

StColette posting.


Micah and I attended a Mass said by our new Bishop today. His homily was AMAZING!!! His main topic, it being Corpus Christi and all, was that we should become what we receive. He is just completely awesome!

[Lil Red]

[quote name='tgoldson' post='1541965' date='May 25 2008, 03:22 PM']I wish you could have heard ours today. I was brought to tears, but not from boredom.[/quote]
+J.M.J.+
i wish too.

[photosynthesis]

I go to an Institute of Christ the King parish... the priests are great, and their homilies are always 100% orthodox and true, which is a wonderful blessing because I know that even if it's boring and doesn't tug on my heartstrings, at least I can turn my Internal Heresy Meter off whenever I go there. One thing I've learned over the years is that there are many different types of priests, and some are better at preaching than others. I know I'm a horrible public speaker and know I'd die if I had to s peak in front of that many people, but at the same time it frustrates me as a writer when priests don't know how to organize their ideas into coherent sentences. But even though that homily doesn't do anything for me, it might convert someone else, so you never know.

[photosynthesis]

The Community of St. Jean priests (from France) never cease to amaze me with their awesome spiritual meditations & sermons.

[kujo]

Very seldomly.

[djninja2005]

I think that it hits me every now and then, like there is something going on in my life, and I'm thinking about it, it kinda hits me when I'm at mass. The priest could say something, and then I realize that everything is going to be okay.

[The Bus Station]

The last time I was really affected by a homily was Holy Week when we had a visiting priest. I think I was mostly struck because he was very old but more passionate a homilist than I can remember seeing. Besides that, it's rare.

[fides quarens intellectum]

[quote name='Theologian in Training' post='1541943' date='May 25 2008, 03:43 PM']10-15 minutes, in my opinion, is too long. My bishop once told me anything longer than 7 minutes is unnecessary and you start to lose them. I don't think I have ever gone close to 10, maybe the longest is 5 or 6.[/quote]

Wow. i think if i heard a short homily like that, i could probably remember it more after Mass. My former pastor usually spoke on many, many points for 20-35 minutes. Well-reasoned theological points, but i felt like i should be taking notes so that i wouldn't forget what he'd said after Mass.

[prose]

I pray for our priest all the time. Especially at Mass.

However, I get tired of people thinking that the homily is there to entertain us. Yes, God has gifted some priests better in the area of speaking than others, but at the end of the day, it is the Eucharist we are there for, and every priest is talented at that.

To be honest, I don't see why priests have to be the only ones to give the homily. I know that is Church norm, but I don't see why this is necessary. Eh. The pope probably can be trusted about this one.

[prose]

[quote name='fides quarens intellectum' post='1543342' date='May 26 2008, 10:57 AM']Wow. i think if i heard a short homily like that, i could probably remember it more after Mass. My former pastor usually spoke on many, many points for 20-35 minutes. Well-reasoned theological points, but i felt like i should be taking notes so that i wouldn't forget what he'd said after Mass.[/quote]

I heard a quip once that basically went like this:

Just because you can not remember what you ate for dinner a year ago, does not mean it didn't nourish you. Same thing applies about homilies. You don't need to always remember everything in order to be nourished.

[salterrae]

JM + JT

You made me want to pray for priests last nite. I couldn't help myself.

[AngelofMusic]

This is a very interesting poll! I have never thought to pray for my priest before... can't imagine why though. Everyone needs a good praying-for!

As for the homily's? GIVE ME A BREAK! I mean sure I love our priest to death... but seriously? I am so bored the entire time the homily is going on. He kinda rambles and it really doesn't make sense to me. And then he kinda touches on random topics that do not pertain to the readings at all!!

Our new bishop gave a video homily yesterday [it was from his ordination mass] and IT WAS AMAZING!!! Just the right amount of funny and hit you in the faceness.