What makes a homily good?
At each Mass, the homily is a bridge in several ways:
Between the strange world of the Bible and our own experience.
Between listening to God and responding to him.
Between the Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist.
As a guide to the mysterious Word of God just proclaimed, the homilist correlates the questions of human existence with the answers of divinity. Scripture tells us the great story to which we belong. The homily is the interpretation of Divine scripture in the context of the present moment. God continues to speak and His people then speak back through the Creed. (Video length 11 minutes)
Questions for Reflection:Â
- What is a mystagogue and how does the homilist act as one?
- What is the congregation’s responsibility when it comes to the homily?
- Next Sunday, listen attentively to the Scripture readings and homily, and find something that speaks to your own personal experience. Then reflect on that, bring it to God in prayer, and ask him for additional insight.