Good will to all men? Not from the grumpy atheists! (Thank God not all atheists are grumpy but there sure seems to be a lot of them)
Why is it that so many in the atheist community cannot bring themselves to get past their anger whenever they engage in discussions? The language of many of their contributions in public debate is laced with invective and dripping with sarcasm and bile. There are exceptions of course, but they tend to fall more into the category of being the 'exception that proves the rule' when compared to the hostility of many of today's atheist posters. Comment offered by the theists in the public square is often depicted as being 'malicious' or 'venomous' and intended to enslave the 'feeble minded and weak' by those who post. Nothing could be further from the truth. Venom is something that is oriented to death. Christians are oriented in a 180 degree different direction. We speak not to the culture of death that grips our world but rather for the culture of life and light which ends with the gift of eternal life. For example, the Catholic Church in its hum...
I completely applaud this. When clergy leave the homily to lay people, they're abandoning their mandate to preach the word of God. It's one of their most important functions. I suspect that I could give a better homily than the majority of priests out there-- sorry, but most priests are boring, but I have no authority from the Church to do that. Priests should strive to be Christ-- Christ preached to the people.
ReplyDeleteI agree with a cardinal some years ago who said that homilies (priest/deacon) ought to be stopped for a year or more till they learn how to preach a homily.In a prefect world a parish would have a deacon/priest whose would be responsible for the homilies.Actually lay persons are permitted to give a 'talk' after the gospel is read (priest/deacon) but the explanation of the day's readings is the reserve of the priest/deacon.
ReplyDeleteIt is my understanding that the Code of Canon Law states that the homily "is reserved to a priest or deacon" (CIC 767).
ReplyDeleteAlso, the GIRM ( General Instruction of the Roman Missal 66) states that:
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.
So, the decision is definitely to be applauded!
Kathie: I agree with you. A homily must be reserved for a priest, deacon or bishop. But do you think that there could (or should) be some way to involve the laity in sharing their wisdom within a liturgical setting occasionally on topics that fall more within their purview than could be expounded on by a cleric?
DeleteFr. Tim
I was wrong to say that a lay person could 'give a talk' following the reading of the Gospel.Canons766 and 767#1 clearly state that though a lay person may give a 'talk' it may not be after the Gospel where a homily is reserved to a priest/deacon.
ReplyDelete