homily

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

• noun A sermon, especially one intended to explain the practical and moral implications of a particular scriptural passage.
• noun A moralizing lecture or admonition that is often tedious or condescending.
• noun A platitudinous or inspirational saying.

from The Century Dictionary.

• noun In early Christian use, a colloquial and familiar discourse in exposition of Scripture; in modern use, an expository sermon, or one which interprets and applies a particular passage of Scripture rather than elucidates a particular doctrine or theme.
• noun Any expository or hortatory discourse.
• noun [capitalized] In the Ch. of Eng., one of the two series of discourses called “The First” and “The Second Book of Homilies,” the former of which appeared in 1547 and the latter in 1563, appointed to be read in the churches when the sermon was omitted. Synonyms Exhortation, etc. See sermon.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

• noun A discourse or sermon read or pronounced to an audience; a serious discourse.
• noun A serious or tedious exhortation in private on some moral point, or on the conduct of life.
• noun A collection of authorized, printed sermons, to be read by ministers in churches, esp. one issued in the time of Edward VI., and a second, issued in the reign of Elizabeth; -- both books being certified to contain a “godly and wholesome doctrine.”

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

• noun A sermon, especially concerning a practical matter.
• noun A moralizing lecture.
• noun A platitude.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

• noun a sermon on a moral or religious topic