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Formed in Christ

Friday, November 21, 2025Faith

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Gifts differ, as St. Paul reminds us, so that needs to be considered by both the homilist and assembly.

A key component of a homily is that it demands ability, willingness, and capacity for public speaking. It is an act of communication, on the part of the homilist and the listeners. So, a few thoughts about some "mechanics" of a homily.
When homilists are preparing for ordination, they typically have two or, at most, three courses titled homiletics. Most agree that this is not nearly enough time dedicated to a most important aspect of their formation.
The first course is usually dedicated to aspects of the homily as public speaking. As with many other characteristics, some homilists seem to have an almost natural knack, while others struggle, even heroically.
Here are some things taught in that course. Both homilists and listeners need to be aware of them.
The tone needs to be conversational, but not pedestrian. Good grammar and usage show attentiveness to the homily and respect for listeners. Homilists should not speak down to the assembly, nor should they try to impress by speech that would leave postgraduate students trying to figure out what they have said.
They need to have some contact with the rest of the assembly; eye contact is key.
The voice should be the homilist's own voice, not a practiced "stage voice."
Speech must be clear, enunciated, and easily heard by all. So, some homilists may need to moderate their volume so as not to seem to be yelling; some need to "speak up" so they can be heard.

This leads to amplification technology. Specifically, microphones and speakers. Microphones, whether those positioned on a stand at the celebrant's chair, or installed at the ambo, or portable and attached to the homilist's vestments, need to be adjusted appropriately and should usually be checked to see that they are in working order. Portable mics usually involve some kind of battery-powered transmitter, which should be regularly checked, certainly before Mass, by the homilist.
The Roman Missal, as we have previously noted, suggests in order of preference the place from where the homily is to be delivered: at the chair, the priest standing, the bishop seated with miter, and with or without crozier; or standing with same options; at the ambo, the priest or deacon standing, the bishop standing vested in miter and having crozier in left hand.
All may opt for another suitable place, but no guidance is given on this. "Place" does not include pacing or strutting back and forth in the sanctuary as if on stage or in and around the assembly, armed with props, sacred or secular.
Should the text be printed out and read? Or should the homilist have a one-page outline of the homily? Or should he have an index card with the reminders? It all depends on what works best for the homilist and the assembly. Gifts differ, as St. Paul reminds us, so that needs to be considered by both the homilist and assembly.
Archbishop Fulton Sheen told the story that early in his priestly ministry, he had prepared a very fine homily, and he read it clearly, audibly, and properly. At the end of Mass, a woman came to him and said, "Father, that was an excellent homily. And you read it beautifully . . . But if you can't remember it, why should I?" He said from that point on, he delivered his homilies without the prepared text. That form of delivery takes preparation, and it leads to the dangerous topic of the length of the homily.
First, the homily is one part of the whole Mass. So that context needs to be kept in mind. And there are some ethnic communities that expect longer homilies. For the most part, however, the following comments apply to the regular parish Sunday or weekday Mass.
Popes, bishops, pastors, and especially members of the assembly have their preferred length of homily. It is safe to say that most fall in the range of five to 10 minutes. Or the shorter the better. Homilists who can effectively preach for more than 10 minutes are rare, and most would say EXTREMELY rare.
The late Pope Francis suggested seven to 10 minutes. Some priests are so good at preaching at Mass that they can accomplish the sacred task in five minutes. These are as rare as those who can go beyond 10 minutes.
A good guide would be seven to nine minutes. Why? This is about the average length of a segment of your favorite television shows. The stuff between the ads. Think about ads. They're usually 20 to 30 seconds, maybe a minute, but they grab your attention and get the message across in that even more compact frame. We also know that this is not accidental. Attention spans are studied, and such decisions about segment and ad lengths are determined by how much the "user" can absorb and retain and use. This is good to keep in mind about homily length.