Homily

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The wordhomily is derived from the Greek wordhomilia (fromhomilein), which means to have communion or hold intercourse with aperson. In this sensehomilia is used in1 Corinthians 15:33. InLuke 24:14, we find the wordhomiloun, and inActs 24:26,homilei, both used in the sense of "speaking with". InActs 20:11, we meet the termhomilesas; here it is used, for the first time, to signify a sermon to theChristians in connexion with the breaking of bread: it was evidently an informal discourse, or exposition ofdoctrine, for we are told thatSt. Paul "talked a long time . . . until daylight". Thereafter the word was used as a sign ofChristian worship (Justin, "Apol. I", c. lxvii; Ignatius, "Ep. ad Polyc.", v).Origen was the first to distinguish betweenlogos (sermo) andhomilia (tractatus). SinceOrigen's time homily has meant, and still means, a commentary, without formal introduction, division, or conclusion, on some part ofSacred Scripture, the aim being to explain the literal, and evolve the spiritual, meaning of the Sacred Text. The latter, as a rule, is the more important; but if, as in the case ofOrigen, more attention be paid to the former, the homily will be called expository rather than moral or hortatory. It is the oldest form of preaching. Christ himself may be said, but with a difference to be noted later, to have preached in this style (cf.Luke 4:16-20). It was the kind of preaching that was used by theApostles and Fathers in addressing thefaithful. In the "First Apology" ofJustin Martyr (c. lxvii) we read: "On the day called Sunday, all assembled in the same place, where the memorials [apomnemoneumata] of the Apostles and Prophets were read . . . and when the reader has finished, the bishop delivers a sermon", etc. In this connexion, the "Encyclopaedia Britannica" (ninth edition) says: "The custom of delivering expositions or comments more or less extemporaneous on the lessons of the day at all events passed over soon and readily into theChristian Church" [i.e., from the Jewishsynagogue]. From this theCatholic view differs, and maintains that the kind of homily referred to byJustin was not a continuation of the Jewish commentary on Scripture, but was an essential part ofChristian worship, a continuation of the Apostolic sermon, in fulfilment ofChrist's commission to His disciples. Both indeed had an external similarity (seeLuke 4:16-20), but in essence one differed from the other as much as theChristian religion differed from the Jewish.

The oldest homily extant is the so-calledSecond Epistle of Clement to the Corinthians; it is now generally admitted, however, that it is not by Clement (see Bardenhewer, "Patrologie", tr. Shahan, p. 29). We have a hundred and ninety-six byOrigen; some fromSt. Athanasius, although he was more of a controversialist than a homilist; the brief and antithetic homilies ofSt. Leo the Great have also come down to us; and the more important ones ofSt. Gregory the Great. Also well-known homilists are: Hilary,Ambrose,Chrysostom,Jerome,Augustine, Fulgentius,Isidore,Bede,Bernard of Clairvaux; and there are many others. Even after the art of rhetoric was brought to bear on preaching, the homiletic form continued, so that there were recognized two styles of preaching, the extempore, unpolished, or familiar, and the polished, or carefully prepared, style. Fine examples of both may be seen inSt. Chrysostom; also inSt. Augustine, who, in referring to his homiletic preaching, said that he humbled himself that Christ might be exalted. The homiletic was the favourite style of preaching during theMiddle Ages; and many of the sermons then preached might, from the frequent use of the Sacred Text, be called Scripturalmosaics (see Neale, "Mediaeval Sermons").

At present there are four recognized ways of treating the homily, but not all to be equally commended.

The advantages of the homily are that it is a form of preaching which was in use from the very beginning ofChristianity; it is simple and easily understood; it affords a better opportunity than the formal sermon for interweavingSacred Scripture. The most appropriate time for the homily is at the early Mass; for the formal sermon, at the principal Mass; and for thecatechetical sermon (seeH), at the evening devotions. As to its place in the Mass, the homily is usually preached after the first Gospel; butSt. Francis de Sales would prefer that it come after the Communion, and in his letter to theArchbishop ofBourges he quotes the words ofSt. Chrysostom: "Quam os illud quod SS. Mysteria suscepit, daemonibus terrible est"; also those ofSt. Paul (2 Corinthians 13:3): "in experimentum quaeritis ejus, qui in me loquitur Christus."

For Clementine Homilies, seeCLEMENTINES.

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