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Posted by Rebecca Teti in News on Friday, March 12, 2010 6:00 PM
Cardinal Ratzinger, while visiting America some years ago, told someone in conversation that American homilies are too long, and should generally not exceed eight minutes.
So someone told me, though I wasn’t sure it was true.
I’d have forgotten it, except that appears to be one of the recommendations from the Synod on the Word of God.
And it does seem to come from the Pope.
I won’t be telling any priest I know this vital information, however.
Comments
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Posted by Kathleen's Catholic on Friday, Mar 12, 2010 10:26 PM (EDT):
I don’t know about you, but there have been days when I desperately wanted to hear a good, long homily… and was blessed enough to hear one. There’s nothing better than listening to a talented priest (young, old, or in between) open wide the gospel and spill it into our hearts with enthusiasm and without an eye on his wrist watch. There was a time when I wished priests would keep homilies to just 10 minutes, but nowadays this harried Catholic homeschooling mom is looking for more excuses to sit and enjoy our Lord. I love our Holy Father, so I hope his advice is not taken—or given—as a mandate. Even homilies wrought with tangents can be very useful; if you get lost, silently say the rosary and smile and love the Lord with all your heart. Your kids can learn to sit for a wee bit more, no? If they can’t: remember, this too will pass. They will grow out of it: a year makes a big difference. You might be surprised to learn that my two boys (ages 12 and 14) actually listen to the long homilies. 
Posted by Jo Flemings on Saturday, Mar 13, 2010 1:47 AM (EDT):
My former Protestant sensibilities have me hyperventilating!!! ONLY 8 minutes?! Wow, well, I guess that might teach a real refinement in efficiently using language. Only 8 minutes- oh, I am going to have to really think about that one. And you are right, I won’t be telling my pastor or my parochial vicar that little tidbit- we live in the south it takes us 8 minutes just to say hello..to all y’all, and how’s your mom, ‘n ‘em?, etc… ;o)
Posted by Jay on Saturday, Mar 13, 2010 2:09 AM (EDT):
Thank you! I got a good chuckle from this. I’m curious what the reasoning is-I would think the Holy Spirit would have more to do with it. On a related note, one Sunday I started to get angry when before the final blessing we watched a video and a testimony promoting a study. (the kids were crazy and always feel like we are being held hostage when there is something before the final blessing). In was a moment of grace where my anger left and I offered the inconvenience up for the souls God was asking to join. It is wonderful program.
Posted by Carol Kennedy on Saturday, Mar 13, 2010 3:23 AM (EDT):
I think that part of the reasoning behind this is that the homily can overpower the liturgy itself. The homily is not meant to be a lengthy catechesis, but rather a brief explanation of the lessons in the scripture readings of the day. The 45 minute homily becomes the focus of the Mass.
The liturgy, the Mass or any other liturgical event, is separate from catechesis. It is prayer…family prayer. It is a participation in the Heavenly Liturgy. Catechesis is more like preparation for the Heavenly Liturgy. That is why all the “innovations” that priests and liturgists make in the name of teaching something or other are wrong….the Mass is not to be “used” as a catechetical tool.
On a practical note…in terms of whether or not an “explanation” of the readings is good…shorter is usually better. It forces the priest to find the one or two important points and focus briefly on it.
Just my 2 pence from the UK.
Posted by Lina MGM on Saturday, Mar 13, 2010 10:22 AM (EDT):
amen!
.i also think trying to keep it short (not necessarily 8 min, but short-ish) forces the priest to be concise - to chose his words carefully and allow the Holy Spirit to speak through him, rather than letting himself do the talking.
.
Posted by Kathleen's Catholic on Saturday, Mar 13, 2010 12:44 PM (EDT):
I’m reminded of what my father once told me, about a conversation he had with a few priests at a dinner table. His thought was that for most priests the Sunday Mass is the only time they can reach many of the parishioner’s hearts. Most parishioners (and we sadly know this in our hearts to be true) make Sunday the only time they spend with their Lord, and it’s the only time a priest has the opportunity to inspire—and educate—them. If the Holy Spirit moves them to a lengthy, inspirational talk, then so be it! And if they can do this in the presence of Our Dear Lord Jesus Christ, all the better. To be honest, it was the homilies of our dear priests that stirred my heart and encouraged me to find salvation through Our Christ. It was the homily that brought me to the realization that our Dear Lord is physically present in the Eucharist. It was the homily that encouraged me to continue raising my children Catholic in the face of our worldly culture. I can’t imagine where I, a cradle Catholic, would be if it weren’t for the homily!
Posted by Jennifer on Saturday, Mar 13, 2010 1:03 PM (EDT):
My brother is a priest and I (along with my mother and my siblings) will gently suggest to him that he should be able to make his point and wrap it up in a reasonable amount of time. As anyone who does a fair amount of public speaking knows, the old adage is true - you have to know how to land the plane before it takes off!
Posted by Patricia on Saturday, Mar 13, 2010 1:44 PM (EDT):
A dear priest friend of ours always removes his watch as he is vesting for Mass. He does so because, as he says, he is now entering the heavenly realm that is outside of our sense of time as we know it.
We are grateful to have a priest who shepherds our souls in the way that the Holy Spirit guides him—be that in 10 or 45 minutes. Many of today’s Catholics are woefully lacking in proper catechetical formation, & knowledge of the Scriptures & our Faith—so I think this is an opportunity for the priest to catechize & lead us in to prayer & a deeper relationship with our Lord & Savior, Jesus Christ. Whenever I overhear a parishioner gripe to Father that his homily was too long, I try to give him an encouraging word about the homily, or at least thank him for it.
Posted by Carol Kennedy on Sunday, Mar 14, 2010 9:16 AM (EDT):
Patricia,
I agree that many of todays Catholics are virtually uncatechized. But that also means that they are unlikely to be able to listen to a lengthy homily and get anything out of it. In fact, I would wager that you average adult has about an 8 minute attention span 
. This is why it is even more important that the priest get to the point, make it good one, and leave them to think in silence for a minute. Hard to do….but the best way to give them something to hold onto for the rest of the week is to be brief.
Posted by Rebecca Teti on Saturday, Mar 13, 2010 3:02 PM (EDT):
If you care to vote on this topic, Fr. Z’s taking a poll.
http://wdtprs.com/blog/2010/03/wdtprs-poll-length-of-sunday-sermons/
Posted by Michelle Reitemeyer on Saturday, Mar 13, 2010 4:21 PM (EDT):
I noticed that a large number feel that they just want it good - no matter the length. I’m in that number. The problem is it’s very difficult for us to know if our own homily (blog post?) is “good” without feedback. And one person’s good is not so interesting to another. And I don’t care how interesting it is, if the toddler is squirming, the only good homily is a short one!
I’m working on a column for a magazine - 500 words max. Talk about concise! It seems onerous to tackle large concepts in few words, and it certainly is challenging. However, the distilled result packs a powerful punch. I think many priests could use a little encouragement to go for the jugular, so to speak. My current parish priest is one to expound…and it is somewhat interesting. But my husband and I notice that the Euharistic Prayer is said so quickly, and you have to wonder which part the priest feels is more important.
Posted by Rebecca Teti on Saturday, Mar 13, 2010 4:33 PM (EDT):
Michelle, you’re certainly right about the power of being concise. Winston Churchill once responded to an invitation to give some brief remarks that he didn’t have time to craft a brief response!
I posted this for the amusement value, but the old radio hand in me feels compelled to point out that eight minutes is a pretty long time, especially for a daily mass.
Posted by Jennifer on Saturday, Mar 13, 2010 5:44 PM (EDT):
Michelle,
I agree with you. I do think there are some priests who can “wing it” and stay on point and be concise, but that is a learned skill and it does require some talent as well. I much prefer my priest to have an outline or something written down, in other words, to be prepared. As I have been attending Mass more frequently during the week, I don’t have the patience any more for overly long, unprepared Sunday sermons. If priests can stay on topic during weekday Masses, they should be able to do it on Sundays as well.
Posted by Patricia on Saturday, Mar 13, 2010 6:01 PM (EDT):
The Anaphora (Eucharistic Prayer) of the Byzantine Rite (Eastern Catholic Churches), chanted/prayed during the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom or the Divine Liturgy of St. Basil the Great, would probably be considered quite long for those accustomed to the Eucharistic Prayers commonly heard during the Novus Ordo. Nonetheless, it is very beautiful.
Posted by crystal on Saturday, Mar 13, 2010 6:05 PM (EDT):
All I can say is that the homilies that I remember most were the ones where the priest said the least - I have heard that the average person’s mind begins to wander and they get restless after being in one spot for 45 minutes. There is another old adage “tell ‘em what you’re going to say, say it, then tell them what you said”, meaning reiterate the message three different ways. I think that is overkill! Most priests are very well educated these days and have the capability of being succinct; and as a person who studied composition, writing and speaking, I think lengthy homilies lose more people than they reach. Talking too long is self-indulgent. Choose your words carefully, make eye contact and pauses for effect, and then get on with it.
Posted by Carol Kennedy on Sunday, Mar 14, 2010 9:11 AM (EDT):
Crystal,
I agree….I also taught speaking (as a teacher trainer in various settings) and it is always better to be economical with your words, and never try to make more than one point. Lots of teachers and speakers end up saying a bunch of good things about a subject, but never really make a sticking point.
Was it Shakespeare that said “brevity is the soul of wit”? Whomever…I agree!
Posted by Susan on Saturday, Mar 13, 2010 7:21 PM (EDT):
I’ve been a daily communicant for almost 5 years now. I could probably count on one hand the homilies that I remember or think about after the Mass. For me, it has always been about the Eucharist. I’ve learned a lot from going to Daily Mass, about scripture and the major/minor prophets of Israel, about the Old Testament in general. But this is because I go to Mass frequently and I listen to the readings, not because of the homilies. I don’t mean to down play the homily, but what usually sticks with me is something in the scripture that is expounded upon during the homily. So it’s the one-two punch. A homily doesn’t need to be long to be effective.
Posted by abbie on Sunday, Mar 14, 2010 12:08 PM (EDT):
A very close priest friend (someone I knew long before he entered the seminary) once shared that during seminary they were trained with a saying, “The first five minutes are for Jesus, the second five minutes are for yourself, and if you go any longer, the next five minutes are for…” The point being, that often a long homily ends up becoming more about a personal agenda, then the Word of God.
Posted by Gwen on Sunday, Mar 14, 2010 1:24 PM (EDT):
When the homilies are really long I walk away wondering what it was about. The priests who actually have a point can get it across in 8 minutes. Some of the most profound homilies I have ever heard were only a few sentences!
My husband feels strongly that it protestantizes the mass to have really long homilies. The homily ends up competing with the eucharist!
I am really grateful that the Pope and Bishops are asking priests to prepare better homilies and I really hope that my parish priest listens.
Posted by Jo Flemings on Sunday, Mar 14, 2010 5:13 PM (EDT):
I already said it but again in the midst of overwhelming opinion to the contrary, I just have to say I hope that the priests I know will ignore the 8 minute time limit. And I hope especially your own Fr. John Bartunek- who blogs here will not catch wind of it. His blogs and books are really great but he is an absolutely phenomenal preacher- I cannot say enough good about his homilies etc.!
Posted by Danielle M. on Monday, Mar 15, 2010 2:20 PM (EDT):
I 2nd Jo Flemings’s comment in some cases. The pastor of my last parish was a brilliant gifted speaker. His homilies were 20 minutes long, but were so well crafted, you didn’t even notice. Even though I have moved 300 miles away, i still take advantage of the fact that they are available online and listen every week.
Much would be lost by limiting him to 8 minutes.
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