Sunday, January 14, 2007
Length of Sermons
Okay guys, I'm looking for a bit of help and your opinion. How long should a sermon go for at your average Sunday morning Mass? Should it be short, sharp, shiny and to the point (5mins) at one extreme, or should it ramble on and repeat itself to hammer in the point (15-20mins)? I'm looking for a opinions here and reasons.
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14 comments:
I think, on average, you dont need to speak for longer than 10 minutes to get your point accross - especially if you've actually prepared. I also dont think that people are able to concentrate for much longer than that unless unless they are actively taking notes.
By they way, I have a particularly pedantic friend who would tell you that sermons are what protestants have - catholics have homilies. He ALWAYS grills me when I say sermon!
Bec
Bec, my PP says that he gives sermons... homilies are what wishy washy liberal types give.
The length of the sermon depends on the skill and preparation of the priest. I've listened to sermons that were only a few minutes long, but they felt like an eternity. I've also listened to longer ones, and they've flown by (and left me wanting more)
15 minutes is probably the longest I'd want to cope with!
I'd say you should "say as little as necessary and nothing more". In general, 10 minutes seems to be the guideline around here, and it seems about the extent of peoples' attention span. I've been told by two different priests and the deacon at my parish that they are taught to target 10 minutes as the "ideal" length.
The problem with extended homilies is this: we have one priest who occasionally runs for up to 20 minutes in his homily and then rushes through the rest of the Mass to make up the time so that there isn't a huge traffic jam in the parking lot between Masses. While not the most spiritual of concerns, it is a real one and unfortunately means that we tend to lose the mystery of the Mass in the hurried gestures and prayers.
Of course, I don't think I need to go into the problems with "too-short" homilies as they're fairly self-evident. But better too short than not at all, eh?
I personally had (for reasons too big to re-tell here)the head of the Vatican Congregation for the Discipline of the Sacraments, Cardinal Arinze, tell me that 10 minutes is the optimal time for a Sunday sermon. He said he is constantly trying to stop his fellow African clergymen going for 40mins to an hour!
10 mins seems the length and was alss my guess. Especially when there is really only 1h15mins for Mass on a Sunday because of a mass following you.
If you want longer... go to talks... or better still get your PP to arrange something!
Something further? Should the sermon/homily ALWAYS be on the readings of the Mass?
I've never actually timed his homilies,but it seems like our PP gives the 10 minute variety as well. He often "jokes" that he's giving the shorter version-which is supposed to make everyone happy.I would rather he go on a bit longer.
As far as African priests are concerned, 40 mins to an hour if you are lucky! I was told by a Nigerian friend of mine that up to 2 hours is not unheard of. Also the whole thing is likely to start 2 hours late or whenever the priest shows up! Essentially you end up spending most of the day at church.
Bec
Accompanied by well prepared notes and a stopwatch, 10-12 minutes.
If the preacher is a dud then brevity Fogarty, brevity!
If the priest is going to get up and preach heresy and schism, as too many are wont to do, then I'd say keep it down to about 2 nanoseconds.
More call for 10mins... maybe we can campaign for a papal edict on it.
Like your comments Shan. I actually have to try very hard to concentarte during a sermon (when there is a priest worth listening too) because of being brought up with such shockers. The sermon has always beena time to "tune-out" for me...
I'm a 5-7 minutes priest myself - people seem to respond best to sermons that are sharp and concise (and full of substance - there's no time for long-winded stories), but it's partly a question of style.
I think also, in this age of mass ignorance, there is a place for thematic homilies - I wish somebody could devise a system linking the three year cycle to the Catechism!
10 minutes. After that, people start to sleep.
5 minutes but relevant please (so many daily mass homilies seem to be irrelevant to the Gospel) for daily Mass.
"The sermon has always been a time to tune out for me." Hrrumph.
Well is it any wonder priests couldn't be bothered preparing their homilies?
Depends - some subjects just can't be done in 20 minutes. And only a catholic could talk abt 15 mins as "hammering away"! As to peoples' attention spans, Google Mars Hill Church, and check out their pastor's sermons. An hour of teaching: relevant, engaging, challenging, and people download them to watch again and again and again! Why not take notes? Isn't the purpose to help us grow in faith? It'd be helpful if occasionally priests would just jettison the pericopes, and preach a sermon series on a topic, or one particular book.
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