HUNGER IN THE PEWS: CATECHESIS AND THE SUNDAY HOMILY
by Father Benedict Auer, O.S.B.


Sunday after Sunday, parishioners file into churches throughout this country hungering for the Word of God or even an inspirational word or two. The amazing thing is that Catholics keep coming back Sunday after Sunday in the face of almost endless disappointment hoping beyond hope that they may get something to take back home with them to help them through their week. It has always been proverbial that Catholic priests are probably the worst homilists, frequently giving "canned" homilies borrowed from magazines or purchased from publishing companies. I know of one woman who was very impressed by the homily that her pastor had given and later on that same Sunday went to a parish in another part of the state and heard the exact same homily given by another priest. These homilies are often well written but totally removed from the needs of a given parish or the people who struggle within the parish's boundaries. Yet it is better "canned" than rambling and poorly written. Since Vatican II there has been some improvement in the quality of the homily - priests are often better prepared in Scripture and homilies at least tap into that resource. But priests may be tapping too much into that resource and missing the opportunity to catechize or instruct their people in the rudiments of their faith. The pews are filled with Christians begging for answers or at least asking pertinent questions. They come to church hoping to hear something that will help them with their daily struggles to survive in a world filled with secularism, violence and even anti-Catholicism. This article will hopefully contain a few ideas that might help priests and parish personnel think along some new lines with regard to their parish Sunday liturgies.

First, we are raising a whole generation of Catholic illiterates, just as many of our public schools are producing a generation of illiterate youngsters, so our Catholic religious education programs are frequently not producing people who know the teachings of their faith. Many young Catholics, ages 14 through 35, are fundamentalists in their approach to Scripture and their faith. These young Catholics are easily drawn into "Bible" centered Protestant Churches or the Mormon Church because they have no real basis for their faith other than emotion or vague relative ideas such as "Isn't it all the same God anyway" and "All you need is love".

G. K. Chesterton wrote that "The purpose of an open mind is the same as that of an open mouth - that having opened it, one might close it again on something solid." For most Catholics, the something solid is not there. The only place where any instruction might take place is at the Sunday Liturgy, and it is not taking place there, so many Catholics find there is no built in support system for their faith commitment. Since these young Catholics are not instructed or kept current in their faith, their natural reaction is to seek a place that does that - namely, another Church. That other church may not just fulfill a social need, but a hunger for simplicity of faith. Sadly that is where many of our young people are going. When was the last time you heard a sermon that explained why we do things or why we believe something. I recall one feast of the Assumption I explained the origins of the dogma and when it was defined and why. Practically everyone in the Church thanked me for that homily. The reaction was basically why don't our local clergy explain these things to us. Why? Maybe that is where we have to start.

Parish clergy and personnel have to keep current in the field of theology and have a strong sense of their spiritual identity. Sadly many of our parish personnel are well intentioned, but poorly prepared. Even many priests have not read current theology since they left the seminary. I recently heard one priests brag that everything he needed for his priesthood was learned during his seminary days - over thirty years ago and much outdated. I believe that in order for priests and parish personnel to be current that not just workshops and a few guest speakers are needed, but solid academic preparation which lays a foundation for intelligent catechesis. A parish must give scholarships that empower their people to become informed not just in leadership techniques but in the Roman Catholic religion as well. It may not be feasible to send off personnel for a year or a sabbatical, but it is possible at least to send them during the summers to programs at various Catholic Universities throughout the nation. And priests need sabbaticals as well - and should be forced to take them. How often I hear: "Well I just can't get away." My response is "If you died tonight the diocese would find a replacement."

Second, in order to counter Catholic illiteracy, we must use some of our Sunday homily time to catechize our parishioners. Catechesis is teaching. The faith in some countries has been passed on by osmosis , a biological term that comes in handy. But today our faith cannot be based on pure emotion or just by example alone. We must base our faith on solidly on rock and not sand. The winds of the twentieth century are blowing and many a house of weak faith has fallen in recent years. I am not suggesting that scripture exegesis and explanations of the scripture are unimportant, but there are many other questions not being addressed. For instance, a few years ago I explained the origin and meaning of the word "Epiphany," in other words, "a manifestation of God," from the burning bush to the infant Jesus. I told the origins of many of the rituals - from the three magi and the blessing of homes, to the countries that celebrated this feast as a holy day of obligation. People came to me once again amazed. Why didn't any ever explain these things? We have a hunger in the pews and people desperately asking to be fed - not just cute stories and simple tales, but facts and information.

A third point to be made is that many Catholics are buying the new Catholic Catechism . Look at the lines that occurred at book stores to get a copy of this new catechism in Seattle (a city in a state in which only 10% of the population practices any religion) . But on opening it up and attempting to read this heavy tome, these same well intentioned Catholics have put it down frequently not to pick it back up. It is not easy reading. Commentaries are now appearing written by major theologians who have frequently made the murky waters of the catechism even darker. Even presentations by local bishops trying to explain the catechism are only moderately attended. So when will the average Catholic hear the catechism explained to him or her. Probably never. A few priests are trying to include some instruction in their homilies. But there is a general need to explain this new catechism for the media already has sown the seeds of destruction through its Catholic bashing. Television and newspapers abound with criticisms of the catechism based on hearsay, public opinion, and cursory reading of the book. Each week, the average Catholic is bombarded by anti-Catholicism in the media from "Picket Fences" to "NYD Blues," from the evening news to the latest talk show. Yet this media beseiged Catholic has little if any ammunition to fight back with. Catholics are portrayed as non-thinking persons usually of inferior (at least the media's standards) ethnic groups, stereotypes as Italian gangsters or lazy Hispanics. To be a Catholic in the medias eye's is to be "dumb" and often worse "guilt ridden" and unable to think for him or herself. Yet what ammunition do we give to our Sunday Catholics - sometimes only boredom and even that usually doesn't last too long since the person usually doesn't remain a Catholic for too long after apathy or boredom sets in. Why? Media pressure. Nuns are portrayed in the media as mean. Priests are child molesters. This latter image is so warped. I have a classmate who is a Presbyterian minister and wrote his thesis on this subject - including the fact that in one Massachusetts county seven ministers and one priest were accused of sexual crimes and only the priest's name appeared in the paper. In addition, Catholics are shown as ignorant people who support unpopular issues - abortion, right to life, and other unpopular topics which the media laughs at or at least sneers at as if to say "What dumb people!" Church personnel and priests have to counter this deluge of Catholic bashing by the media, but it will take a big effort.

The best means is instruction. But instruction must take place at a relevant time. Using a weekday evening often does not work. People are often much too busy. But priests and catechists will reply that they should make time for such important issues. True, but is that realistic. As an assistant professor of education, I see that many people just do not have time for much of anything other than TV, work, and possibly a Sunday service every so often. Catholics have been acculturated into United States society. Educators find it very difficult to get people out to a parent's nights at local elementary schools so why do Catholics think that their clientele will come to an evening workshop or information night. It is usually the same people who attend everything anyway - and sadly those people are usually the ones who need it least. But many of the people we are trying to reach are still attending Sunday Mass not as frequently as in years past but still attending - so why not hit them in the pew.

About twenty years ago while I was still a layperson, our local pastor asked if one Sunday I would explain why we do things the way we do during a Mass for our young people. Not long explanations, but rather short explanations of the origins of the penitential rite, the use of incense, and so forth. I was leery about such an approach, but did it. Last year, as a priest, I said Mass in that same parish, and a number of young marrieds came up and thanked me for twenty years ago. People are hungry not for milk, but substance. Information is not a dirty word. When else will we inform our Catholic population of the fundamentals of our faith if we don't grab them where they are at. My contention is that the Sunday homily can be used periodically for catechisis and information. It always seems permissible to use it for collection appeals, stewardship, promotions for the missions, and so forth. Why can't it be used for catechesis.

As a former Campus Minister, I would set aside certain Sundays aside for different forms of catechesis. For instance, the first Sunday of Advent to explain the liturgical year, the change of colors for the vestments, and how Advent came about. That can be covered in just a few minutes or even in the introduction to the Mass. The homily then becomes scriptural, but informative. For instance, in Advent, the theme of joy not penance is proper - but how often we hear priests still mouthing a penitential tone to their homilies. The readings are "advent" oriented with joy as their unlying theme, yet often parishioners go out of church feeling "Lenten." Why? Poorly prepared clergy and liturgical coordinators who have not upgraded their theology in years.

We are not without topics that could be covered and updated in our parishes. The seven sacraments might be a start. That is a topic or topics rarely touched on in Church. When was the last time you heard a really good homily or catechesis on the Eucharist. The real presence is seldom touched on, yet a recent survey stated that fifty per cent of our Catholic population does not believe in the real presence, and transubstantiation is beyond comprehension. Maybe the problem is even more basic - some priests and parish personnel may be unsure as to what the "real presence" is or feelt unqualified to instruct about this dogma of our faith. My suggestion is that substance requires a struggle with difficult doctrines in an attempt to express them in terms understanable to an average person (whatever an average person may mean in this day and age). I truly believe that a homily is not bought from a homilectic service, but hammered out with blood, sweat, and tears from our lives as Christians. Our lives should be evidence of our belief. Once a missionary speaking at a local parish asked us "How long would it take for a person to realize you were a Christian? A hour. A day. A year." I wonder. On hearing a homily at a Church would a listener be able to see the witness of the speaker's faith. A homily that is homogenized from popular psychology magazines and sounds like a new age advertisement is not what people seem to be looking for in our Sunday homilies. Rather they want something to chew on that strikes at the heart of their systems of belief and often challenges them.

Does someone who preaches at a Sunday Liturgy have to have a Doctorate in theology? No. In fact, it often hinders the articulation, but I believe the speaker has to be interested in religion, literature, art, film, and so forth. In a sense, a preacher has to be a poet, not literally, but a poet in the Jesus sense of capturing the eternal in the ordinary. Recently I preached on the corrupt judge (Luke 18:1-8), and the widow. I drew from contemporary exegesis pointing out how the widow represents the unempowered as does the orphan, the Samaritan, and the publican. But then I brought in my most recent reading of Kenzaburo Oe, the 1994 Japanese winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature. His protangonist in his novel, The Silent Cry , like the Jesus of Luke, found the kingdom in losers, rejects, and sinners. The startling truth is that it is these people - the anawim, the lowly - where God is truly found and the kingdom is present. How many people have now started to read this wonderful novel since the homily - I know of a few - but the purpose was not to get them to read Oe, but rather to think about the Kingdom of God. One person came to me recently and said, "You always impart some new idea to us." I really don't for even Scripture assures us there is nothing new under the sun, but rather I like to give a little different twist or thought, a new approach or maybe just a reiteration of an idea that was on a back burner. A good homily may not give an answer, but rather only ask another pertinent question. That question may be on the silent lips of many of our parishioners, but until it is articulated in the homily it may be without words. Anguish might be characterized as a new Christian virtue. How can I live my life in a totally secularized world where there seems to be no hope or understanding? This seems to be a universal questions begging for an answer or at least an attempt to answer.

I believe we have to come up with a new way to instruct our people in the faith. The passing on of our faith in a traditional manner from parent to child, a sort of faith by osmosis, just isn't working. We need to find a place to instruct the faithful in their religious practices and the dogmas of the Church. Where? The Sunday liturgies seem to afford us at least periodically with an occasion, but we must plan how and when to use it. Although this approach may seem to go against the purpose of a homily as opposed to a sermon or preaching, I do not think it does. The two methods are not opposed to one another, but walk hand in hand. The Catholic Church is based not just in Scripture but in Tradition as well. Somehow we seem to be short changing the "Tradition" part of our heritage. My suggestion is simply to periodically use the homily as an instructional instrument to inform our people about the traditions of our faith. Maybe then we can start to feed some solid food to those who hunger in our pews.

Accepted 12/2/94
Pastoral Life