Homily

Definition: a usually short sermon; a lecture or discourse on or of a moral theme

I feel like this word gets used more in Catholic religious contexts that others.

Wikipedia says this:

In Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, and Eastern Orthodox churches, a homily is usually given during Mass (Divine Liturgy or Holy Qurbana for Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Churches, and Divine Service for the Lutheran Church) at the end of the Liturgy of the Word. Many people consider it synonymous with a sermon.

That places it squarely in a denominational context. I’m a Protestant Baptist, and we’ve never used the word “homily” to refer to what we call a “sermon” or “message.”

Why I Looked It Up

I saw a note on Facebook from a severely disabled man:

Recently, my bishop, Donald Degrood visited to offer the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. He preached at a beautiful homily, which proved to me that he “gets” redemptive suffering. Thus, he gets my mission. I wept all during the homily. It was a blessed time.