What is a homily?
A homily is an oral commentary by an ordained minister (bishop, priest, or deacon) on the readings for the day’s Mass. The homily takes place immediately after the reading of the Gospel. After the homily comes the Eucharistic liturgy. The Directory on the Homily, published in 2014 by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, reiterated that a homily is not a sermon on an abstract topic, nor an exercise in biblical exegesis, nor a catechetical lesson. Above all, the document emphasizes this: “the homilist is called to proclaim how God’s word is being fulfilled here and now.” (no. 6). It may include some suggestions for applying the Word to today’s world to enlighten the lay faithful. The Directory on the Homily invites the preacher to “suggest avenues of reflection about what the Word of God has to say to this community at this moment.” (no. 33)
In this article from Hozana, let’s explore the key questions and answers you need to know about a homily.
Who can deliver a homily?
Only ordained ministers (priests and deacons) may deliver a homily. In practice, there is sometimes an exception, whereby a candidate for the priesthood (a future priest) may deliver a homily. So let’s keep in mind that a lay person cannot deliver a homily.
At church funerals, we sometimes see laypeople speak after the readings from the liturgy: in this case, we are referring more to a commentary on the Word of God than to a homily.
Good to know: “Among the forms of preaching, the homily, which is part of the liturgy itself and is reserved to a priest or deacon, is preeminent; in the homily the mysteries of faith and the norms of Christian life are to be explained from the sacred text during the course of the liturgical year.” (Code of Canon Law, Canon 767 §1.)
Is the homily mandatory during Mass?
Let’s take a look below at what the Code of Canon Law says.
“A homily must be given at all Masses on Sundays and holy days of obligation which are celebrated with a congregation, and it cannot be omitted except for a grave cause.” (Code of Canon Law, Canon 767 §2.)
“It is strongly recommended that if there is a sufficient congregation, a homily is to be given even at Masses celebrated during the week, especially during the time of Advent and Lent or on the occasion of some feast day or a sorrowful event.” (Code of Canon Law, Canon 767 §3.)
Good to know: In practice, at some weekday Masses, there may sometimes be no homily, but a moment of silence instead. It’s also worth noting that weekday homilies are generally much shorter than those on Sundays.
How long does a homily last?
No Church text specifies the exact length of a homily. However, in The Joy of the Gospel, Pope Francis states that a homily should be brief: “It is a distinctive genre, since it is preaching situated within the framework of a liturgical celebration; hence it should be brief and avoid taking on the semblance of a speech or a lecture.” (no. 138).
However, a number of priests agree that a homily should not exceed 10 minutes. Others prefer to say 7 to 10 minutes. Finally, still others say that a homily should fit on a single sheet of paper (front and back) using a 12-point font.
How long does it take to prepare a homily?
Preparing a Sunday homily takes time. It can take several hours. Some priests devote half a day to it, although the homily is also prepared during personal prayer.
Pope Francis addresses the question of homily preparation in The Joy of the Gospel in paragraph 145: “Preparation for preaching is so important a task that a prolonged time of study, prayer, reflection and pastoral creativity should be devoted to it. […] I presume to ask that each week a sufficient portion of personal and community time be dedicated to this task, even if less time has to be given to other important activities. […] A preacher who does not prepare is not 'spiritual'; he is dishonest and irresponsible with the gifts he has received.” (no. 145).
Why do the lay faithful expect so much from a homily?
Laypeople expect a great deal from homilies because they generally want to better understand the texts of the Word of God, but they are also eager to receive practical guidance on how to apply the Word of God concretely in their daily lives. In fact, the homily is so important that no fewer than nine paragraphs are devoted entirely to it in Pope Francis’ The Joy of the Gospel (paragraphs 135–144).
Good to know: In response to the expectations of the lay faithful regarding homilies, a homily optimization service (SOS) was created in France to help preachers prepare and deliver their homilies.
Let’s pray for ordained ministers with Hozana
With Hozana, let us pray for all ordained ministers (bishops, priests, and deacons), as well as seminarians. To this end, Hozana offers several communities, such as:
- This
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