Greek term that indicates “exposition in a meeting”. Liturgically, it is the living and applied exposition of the Word of God in a remembrance and celebration. It is not a “sermon”, subjective to the one who pronounces it, nor an entertainment for the one who listens to it. It is an adaptive proclamation of the very Word of God made spiritual food.
The Second Vatican Council said: “It is strongly recommended as part of the Liturgy itself, the homily, in which the mysteries of faith and the norms of Christian life are exposed during the liturgical year, from the sacred texts. Even more: in the masses that are celebrated on Sundays and in holy days of obligation, with the assistance of the people, the homily should never be omitted unless it is for a serious reason.” (Sacr. Conc. 52)
The religious elements of the homily are its reference to the Word of God, the memory of God’s gifts that are appreciated and celebrated, the participatory sense of the community that identifies with the sentiments and ideas expressed, the faith that inspires the group that receives it and the person of religious authority that pronounces it.
That is why the homily is not just any exposition, exhortation, conference or pious colloquium that is offered to a group.
It is a “Ministry of the Word” that culminates the value of the other ministries: evangelization to announce, catechesis to form, theology to deepen. The homily is a liturgical action to celebrate. And it is the closest ministerial form to catechesis, especially when it is timely, pleasant and planned, never improvised, with a view to the formation of the faith of the listeners who come to celebrate it in community.
It was the way of vivifying the faith and communicating it in the community to others, which was most used among the first Christians. It was always done in an experiential style, that is to say with the fraternal word, although many times it was recorded in writing by some significant authors. Some of the best memories can be cited in those pronounced and proclaimed by Saint Clement to the Corinthians, by Saint Justin, Saint John Chrysostom, Saint Cyril of Jerusalem, Saint Gregory Thaumaturge, Saint Ambrose, Saint Augustine.
Pedro Chico González, Dictionary of Catechesis and Religious Pedagogy, Editorial Bruño, Lima, Peru 2006
Source: Dictionary of Catechesis and Religious Pedagogy
Share the liturgical celebration
The expression “homily” indicates family conversation or communication. It is a special moment of evangelical preaching, since the gospel is announced in the environment of an ecclesial community that celebrates the mysteries of the Lord. The liturgical and family dimension communicates the “homily” note to Christian preaching.
In the homily it is announced by commenting or conversing, in a family context, what the entire Church is celebrating at that moment, in heaven and on earth. Since it is in the Eucharist that the death and resurrection of the Lord is celebrated and made present in a special way, it is also then mainly that the homily takes place. Preaching in other celebrations of the sacraments, liturgy of the hours, parties, etc. is also a homily.
inspirational fonts
The sources from which the homily is inspired are Scripture (with Tradition) and the liturgy that is celebrated, “since it is a proclamation of the wonders worked by God in the history of salvation or the mystery of Christ, who is always present and works in us particularly in the celebration of the liturgy” (SC 35). The homily “is part of the liturgy itself… starting from the sacred texts, the mysteries of faith and the norms of Christian life” (SC 52). From these sources, we want to respond to the concrete personal and community reality. It is not enough to share some experiences.
The homily is inspired by the biblical Word, within the liturgical context, where the human situation or reality resonates. It is the ministerial service of announcing the “today” of salvation history, in the style of Jesus in Nazareth “Today this scripture has been fulfilled that you have just heard” (Lk 4,21). Getting to grasp this “today” presupposes, on the part of the preacher (in collaboration with the ecclesial community), a contemplative attitude and biblical, liturgical, theological and pastoral study.
Internal and evangelizing dynamics
The homily has a peculiar internal dynamic if it starts from the Word of God or from the mystery of Christ that is celebrated, to respond to the concrete situations of people and communities (inductive line). Since the Word of God itself has been inserted into human reality (cf. Jn 1:14), one can also start from the same reality or human situation to seek the light in the Gospel message (deductive line). It addresses the concrete man in his circumstance, to announce the “today” of the Word of God.
When the homily takes place in the Sunday Eucharistic celebration, it acquires its maximum degree of evangelization, since Christ, dead and risen, present and communicated, is announced. The life of the apostle who preaches forms part of the proclamation as a personal sign or testimony. The homily “certainly has a place in evangelization, to the extent that it expresses the deep faith of the sacred minister who preaches, and is imbued with love… Many communities, parish or otherwise, live and are consolidated thanks to the homily of every Sunday” (EN 43).
References Announcement, evangelization, kerygma, preaching, testimony.
SC 52 Document Reading; IN 43.
Bibliography AA.VV., The art of the homily (Barcelona, CPL, 1979); (Episcopal Liturgy Commission, Spain), Breaking the bread of the word. Guidelines on the ministry of the homily (Madrid, PPC, 1985); L. DELLA TORRE, Homily, in New Dictionary of Liturgy (Madrid, Paulinas, 1987) 1015-1038; M. MAGRASSI, L’omelia, prolungamento della Parola (Padova, Messaggero, 1974); L. MALDONADO, The need for preaching (Salamanca 1972); R. SPIAZZI, Teologia pastorale didattica kerigmatica e omiletica (Torino, Marietti, 1965).
(ESQUERDA BIFET, Juan, Dictionary of Evangelization, BAC, Madrid, 1998)
Source: Dictionary of Evangelization
SUMMARY: 1. Contributions of Vatican II. – 2. Steps in the homily: 2.1. Homily and joyous proclamation. 2.2 Homily and memorial. 23. Homily and today of the community.
Within current pastoral theology and kerygmatic theology, the homily has a very specific meaning. It is the preaching that takes place within the liturgy and in a very special way, within the framework of the Eucharist.
It is true that, since ancient times, Christian preaching in general has been called a homily. As a verb (“homilein”) it appears already in Acts 20, 21. And as a noun we find it in Ignatius of Antioch (Poi. 5, 1), in Eusebius of Caesarea (HE VI, 19) and in Gregory the Great (Ep. 10 , 52).
1. Contributions of Vatican II
The most particular and specific sense of liturgical preaching is imposed from the time of the Enlightenment. Vatican II consecrates it with the Constitution “Sacrosanctum Concilium” in its number, 52, which states: “It is strongly recommended, as part of the same liturgy, the homily, in which, during the cycle of the liturgical year, are exposed, from the sacred texts, the mysteries of the faith and the norms of the Christian life. Moreover, in the masses that are celebrated on Sundays and holy days of obligation with the assistance of the people, it should never be omitted, unless it is for a serious cause”.
The best exemplification of this conciliar doctrine is found in one of the oldest texts of the apostolic Church on the primitive liturgy, namely, the Apology 1 of Saint Justin written around the year 153. There we find the following descriptive account: “The called day of the sun, there is a meeting in one place of all those who live in the cities or in the fields. And the memoirs of the apostles or the writings of the Prophets are read while time permits. Then, when the reader has finished, the presider issues an invitation and an exhortation to imitate these exalted things. Then we all get up as one and recite prayers. And… when we have finished praying, bread and wine and water are presented, and the one who presides raises… thanksgiving… And the people acclaim saying: Amen” (4). The term used by Justin to refer to the homily (exhortation or “proklesis”) is a variant of the one used to describe Paul’s preaching after Pentecost (Acts 2, 41 “paraklesis”). In this last passage it is linked as a synonym to the verb “bear witness” that we know as the usual term for preaching or kerygmatic ministry.
It is clear from the above texts that the homily is part of the liturgy. How? According to SC 52, through the relationship that this preaching has, and should have, with the liturgical year and with the mass; more specifically, with its sacred texts or biblical readings.
Well then, the concrete question is: how can this conciliar teaching be carried out? What exactly does it mean to be part of the liturgy or to be within the liturgy? Because, obviously, being inside or taking part should not be understood in an extrinsic, external way, as a mere external circumstance, but as something internal and intrinsic. The homily cannot be a foreign body within the liturgical whole, but an element tuned from within with the whole of the celebration. This should not be a mere context but a determining co-cause of its inner reality.
2. Steps in the homily
Let’s discuss the steps the homiletical preacher must take to accomplish this task.
First of all, it will show the concrete relationships that exist between the Word of God proclaimed in the readings and the commentary on this Word, on the one hand, and the liturgy on the other. These relationships are three: the joyful announcement or proclamation, the memorial and today. Let’s see it.
2.1. Homily and joyous proclamation
Not only Christian preaching is an evangelization, that is, the proclamation and proclamation of the Good News. So is the liturgy, specifically the Eucharistic liturgy. Indeed, Saint Paul, at the end of describing the Eucharist, according to the tradition that he had received, makes a kind of final synthesis of what the Eucharistic celebration is and what it does. He then says: “For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you announce the death of the Lord until he returns” (1 Cor. 11, 26). The verb that we find in the main sentence of this Pauline affirmation is the verb “katagllein”, synonymous with “evangelize”. The two have the same root “proclaim the Good News”. Therefore, Paul affirms that the Eucharist is a joyous proclamation as is Christian preaching. They coincide and have in common this kerygmatic, evangelizing character (we must not forget that kerygma also means proclamation, proclamation).
But the parallelism does not end here. Not only is the act similar to but above all the object of the act (or direct complement): what the Eucharist announces is death…