St. Charles Borromeo

 

Lk 14:12-14

 

 Give Without Seeking a Reward

 ¹² Then Jesus said to his host, “When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or sisters, your relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. ¹³ But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, ¹⁴ and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”

 

We celebrate the life of St. Charles Borromeo who was the Cardinal Archbishop of Milan in the mid 1500's. The Diocese had not had a bishop for 80 years,so there was a lot of "cleaning up" to do and Charles did his best to rectify the mess. He implemented the reforms of the Council of Trent, and began religious education for children...the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, which still exists today.  During the plague of 1576 he used his own resources to provide for the sick and the dying. Despite his small stature and quiet voice, he was a powerful instrument of reform and pastoral ministry, a model for Church leaders even till today, living out the advice of Jesus in the above two verses. He died at the age of 46. 

Bro. Rene

Dear God, inspire our Church leaders and all of us with the zeal and sincerity of St. Charles Borromeo, that we might continue his reforms in our day. Amen.

 

Love God, Love Neighbor

 

 

Mk 12:28b-34

The Greatest Commandment

²⁸ One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”

²⁹ “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. ³⁰ Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ ³¹ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”

³² “Well said, teacher,” the man replied. “You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him. ³³ To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”

³⁴ When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And from then on no one dared ask him any more questions.

As we return to standard time and darkness comes earlier each afternoon but mornings are brighter for awhile, we are reminded of the passage of time, and our need to use it well.  Jesus sums it up succinctly: love God, love neighbor, not acquire wealth, nor write a great book, nor build the most beautiful building. We've heard this teaching over and over and know it's not as simple and easy as it sounds.  It is the work of a lifetime, a daily effort, and one with many failures and setbacks, but it is the key to eternal life. As we pray for the Holy Souls this month, let us ask for their quick entry into Paradise and their intercession for us as we try to implement these two commandments into our daily lives.

 

Bro. Rene

 

Dear God, thank you for making your commandment to love so clear; grant me the grace to live it as best I can. Amen.

Praying for the Deceased

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jn 6:37-40

 

None Shall Be Lost

³⁷ All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away. ³⁸ For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. ³⁹ And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all those he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. ⁴⁰ For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.”

Yesterday we celebrated with great joy the myriads of saints who are enjoying their eternal reward with God in heaven, and today we offer prayers for those who await the great day of entrance into the Kingdom of heaven.  They are a step closer, but not fully there yet.  Our prayers, our Masses are offered in abundance for them.  Indeed, a priest is allowed to offer three Masses today.  Let us make a special effort to offer our prayers and sacrifices for the souls in purgatory, particularly for family, friends and the most forgotten.  The whole month of November is dedicated to the Souls in Purgatory, so let's remember them in the days ahead as well.

Bro. Rene

Dear God may the souls of all the faithful departed rest in peace, Amen.  

Called To Be Saints

 

 

Mt 5:1-12a

 

Introduction to the Sermon on the Mount

5 Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, ² and he began to teach them.

The Beatitudes

He said:

³ “Blessed are the poor in spirit,
    for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
⁴ Blessed are those who mourn,
    for they will be comforted.
⁵ Blessed are the meek,
    for they will inherit the earth.
⁶ Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
    for they will be filled.
⁷ Blessed are the merciful,
    for they will be shown mercy.
⁸ Blessed are the pure in heart,
    for they will see God.
⁹ Blessed are the peacemakers,
    for they will be called children of God.
¹⁰ Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
    for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

¹¹ “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. ¹² Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

 

As we celebrate the Solemnity of All Saints we meditate on the Beatitudes, the roadmap to holiness. Following this simple instruction, is both simple and challenging, but in any case, DOABLE! Why shy away from this simple path? Why not embrace it with all our being? Countless numbers before us have done it, and at this moment legions are attempting to live them.  Let us take them one by one by one, meditate on them and try to live them as best we can.  We are in good company and have support from those who have gone ahead of us and from those who walk with us this very day. We are each called to holiness, to be saints; may God's will and plan for us be accomplished!

 

Bro.. Rene

 

Dear God, you have called countless numbers to holiness...Help me to answer the call with all my heart and soul. Amen