Moratorium on Homilies

by Sue Rakoczy · May 2, 2010

I have just endured another terrible homily at the liturgy this Sunday. The priest started off well, referring to the verse in the first reading from Acts about “putting fresh heart” into the disciples. But then he “lost the plot” and veered back into Holy Week and analysed parts of the narrative of the Passion. Why? �I have no idea why he ignored the Easter season to put us back in Holy Week.

As I sat there in utter boredom, I thought “No homily is better than an awful homily”. And I know that my experience is reduplicated thousands (millions?) of times each weekend.

So what about a moratorium on homilies? After a given date, no homily will be preached in South Africa (though it could extend around the world). The parish community will determine when homilies will begin again. If a parish is fortunate enough to have a gifted homilist, the community would ask for homilies to resume after a week or two of silence. �Mediocre homilists might have to wait a few months and incompetent homilists would never get the welcome back.

In place of the homily, the community would be invited to reflect silently on the readings. �The Spirit truly speaks to us all!