Walking out of a homily

by Sue Rakoczy · October 27, 2008

A while back a friend told me that she is considering writing a book called Silent Homilies. I told her that I have a sub-title: “Preaching to Ourselves”.� One chapter can be titled “When to walk out of a homily”.

I have done so twice this year. The first was on Trinity Sunday. After 20 minutes�of being told over and over: “Today is Trinity Sunday. The Trinity is� a dogma of the Roman Catholic Church. There are three persons in one God. That is the Trinity” I had enough and walked out to take a break and wait til this jackhammer of a “homily” was finally over.

The second time was during a liturgy in which the priest told stories (actually stupid stories) for 20 minutes while he pranced around the sanctuary, trying to “work” the congregation much as a stand-up comic might do. When he began yet another story with “Now I want to tell you about a woman…” I had more than enough and walked out.

Both experiences are examples of verbal abuse. In the first, the priest actually had nothing to say about the texts of the feast and how they might relate to our lives; in the second, the priest mistook the liturgy for a Comedy Club.

So, when to walk out? I suggest that if you feel so frustrated that you cannot “preach to yourself” (a silent homily) and your focus on the liturgy is gone, then do yourself a favour and walk out, take a break and return when you feel centred and focused. I doubt that the priest or deacon�will notice.

One of the bishops at the recently concluded Synod on the Bible suggested that there be an intensive “Year of Preaching” since the quality of homilies around the world is so poor. It can’t come too soon for we suffering members of the People of God!