Carolus Borromeus

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Wednesday, 4 November 2020 : 31st Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Charles Borromeo, Bishop (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this day we heard from the Scriptures the need for us to consider the path going forward in our lives, on whether we want to follow the path that the Lord has set before us, or whether we rather choose the alternative path of this world and not following the Lord and His ways. All of these have been given to us freely to choose, and we have been given the wisdom and free will to decide.

In our Gospel passage today, the Lord spoke to His disciples and the people using a parable in which He described the actions of kings and rulers of nations who were about to go to war with each other, as well as builders and architects who wanted to build a house. The Lord used these as examples to show that no matter in what situation, everyone’s actions are often likely planned and well-thought of beforehand.

Yes, definitely there will be unforeseen circumstances and changes along the way no matter how well we have planned for everything. Yet to go and enter into something, or to act without any plans at all often leads to not just negative, but even disastrous outcomes and consequences. And the Lord linked all these to what He said before He told them the parable.

The Lord said that no one who loves their fathers, mothers, family members, spouses, relatives and friends, or anyone else more than they love Him can have any share in His kingdom, and unless they carry the burden of their crosses and follow Christ, they cannot be His disciples and consequently have no part of the grace and inheritance God had promised them through Christ, His Son.

What the Lord told the people did not mean that He asked them to abandon everyone and love Him alone, as what some people would have easily misunderstood the true meaning and purpose of what He had said. In truth, through these words, the Lord is reminding each and every one of us His faithful, that we must not forget that God must be first of all and first in our focus, attention and love. And if we love God, then we naturally will also love all those whom God had loved, that is our brothers and sisters.

We should not love something or someone greater than our love for God, but we are called to love everyone as greatly as how we have loved God and ourselves. This is the true intention and meaning of His words and the parable He mentioned, in presenting before us, the truth that He has unveiled before us, and the clear choices that we have to make if we are to be faithful disciples and followers of the Lord. We cannot treat our faith as a mere formality alone.

We know that the path that we follow in the Lord will lead us to eternal life and glory with God, for it is what He Himself has revealed to us. And yet, we often rather chose to follow different paths in life, refusing to follow the Lord and indulging in our own personal desires and selfish agendas. Truly, we know that doing so will lead us to ruin and yet we still carry it out nonetheless. Truly, we have been fools more often than we are not!

That is why today, all of us should look upon the good examples set by St. Charles Borromeo, the Cardinal Archbishop of Milan and great Reformer of the Church, a paragon of faith and virtue in his many contributions especially in his efforts in spearheading the Counter-Reformation within his diocese and beyond as an influential adviser to the Pope and the Roman Curia. St. Charles Borromeo, despite his great influence and power at that time, was however a humble person, who cared for the people of God and spent his life in reaching out to them.

St. Charles Borromeo loved God above all things, and at that time, when many of the clergy and also laypeople were corrupted by the excesses of worldly wealth and glory, he worked hard to purge the corruptions from within the Church, reforming the way the Church and the priests and its laypeople lived, to distance themselves from sin and evil, and to embrace fully the way of the Lord. Clearly, St. Charles Borromeo had chosen the Lord’s path to be his path, and we too should do the same.

St. Charles Borromeo dedicated himself to the people whom God had entrusted to him, showing just how he loved God first and greatest of all, and then he showed the same love to his brethren as well, and not putting or allowing his selfish desires and the temptations to sin to distract him. It was told that he tried his best to feed his flock when a great famine struck Milan and its surroundings, and the holy man of God devoted much of his effort to care for the most needy.

Are we able and willing to follow in the footsteps of St. Charles Borromeo, brothers and sisters in Christ? As mentioned earlier, we have given the choice to make, to choose between God and His righteous path, or the path of the world and personal self-satisfaction and indulgence. Shall we choose consciously with faith, the path that we are going to take in life, brothers and sisters in Christ? Let us all commit ourselves to God anew as Christians from now on, in each and every moments of our lives, that by our every actions, words and deeds, we will always glorify God in all things. May God bless us all, now and always. Amen.

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Wednesday, 4 November 2020 : 31st Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Charles Borromeo, Bishop (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Luke 14 : 25-33

At that time, when large crowds were walking along with Jesus, He turned and said to them, “If you come to Me, unwilling to sacrifice your love for your father and mother, your spouse and children, your brothers and sisters, and indeed yourself, you cannot be My disciple. Whoever does not follow Me, carrying his own cross, cannot be My disciple.”

“Do you build a house without first sitting down to count the cost, to see whether you have enough to complete it? Otherwise, if you, have laid the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone will make fun of you : ‘This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.'”

“And when a king wages war against another king, does he go to fight without first sitting down to consider whether his ten thousand can stand against the twenty thousand of his opponent? And if not, while the other is still a long way off, he sends messengers for peace talks. In the same way, none of you may become My disciple, if he does not give up everything he has.”

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Wednesday, 4 November 2020 : 31st Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Charles Borromeo, Bishop (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White

Psalm 26 : 1, 4, 13-14

The Lord is my Light and my Salvation – whom shall I fear? The Lord is the Rampart of my life; I will not be afraid.

One thing I ask of the Lord, one thing I seek – that I may dwell in His house all the days of my life, to gaze at His jewel and to visit His sanctuary.

I hope, I am sure, that I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Trust in the Lord, be strong and courageous. Yes, put your hope in the Lord!

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Wednesday, 4 November 2020 : 31st Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Charles Borromeo, Bishop (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Philippians 2 : 12-18

Therefore, my dearest friends, as you always obeyed me while I was with you, even more, now, that I am far from you, continue working out your salvation “with fear and trembling.” It is God Who makes you, not only wish but also, carry out what pleases Him.

Do everything without grumbling, so, that, without fault or blame, you will be children of God, without reproach, among a crooked and perverse generation. You are a light among them, like stars in the universe, holding to the word of life. I shall feel proud of you, on the day of Christ, on seeing that my effort and labour have not been in vain.

And if I am being poured out, as a libation over the sacrifice, and the offering of your faith, I rejoice and continue to share your joy; and, you, likewise should rejoice and share my joy.

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Tuesday, 4 November 2014 : 31st Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Charles Borromeo, Bishop (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today we celebrate together the memory of a great saint of the Church and a faithful son of the Church, that is St. Charles Borromeo, or St. Carolus Borromeus, or in his original native language, San Carlo Borromeo, an Italian saint who was a Cardinal of the Holy Roman Church and the Metropolitan Archbishop of Milan, a great diocese of the Church, and one of the most influential figure in Christendom at his time, and a great champion of Counter-Reformation.

St. Charles Borromeo was born to a rich and noble family, the younger son of that noble family, who were not expected to succeed the family riches and titles, and thus as was usual at that time, he entered the seminary at a young age, and was prepared for a church career path. And when his uncle was elected as the Pope, he was invested with the red hat of the cardinalate, as what is now known as a ‘Cardinal-Nephew’.

St. Charles Borromeo nevertheless stood apart from many of his generation’s peoples and their vices, and he stood apart from the other Cardinal-Nephews and from the other servants of the Church. He was incredibly humble and devoted in his life, and in his ministry to the works of the Church and to the people of God. St. Charles Borromeo lived simply during his time in Rome to help the administration of the Holy Roman Church.

When his elder brother died, his family wanted him to quit the church career, to marry and produce heir to continue the family legacy. But St. Charles Borromeo remained true and faithful to his ministries and calling, and devoted himself to aid the growth and reform of the Church, through his crucial and important role in the Council of Trent.

And in accordance to the reforms of the Council of Trent, he wanted to devote himself better to the Church, and therefore decided to go through the full process of devotion, through his ordination to the priesthood, and then as a bishop, vested with the full gifts and authority of the sacred order of God. And he was made the Metropolitan Archbishop of Milan, a great honour but also a great challenge, being the largest Archdiocese in the entire Europe and indeed in the entire Christendom.

The Church in Milan was large and have numerous Catholics, but as a whole, the priests and the laity alike had been unfaithful to the teachings of Christ in the Church. Wickedness and vices were plenty, and many succumbed to the temptations of the flesh and the soul. Selling of indulgences, simony, selling of church titles and positions were rampant. And in accordance with the pious reforms of the Council of Trent, St. Charles Borromeo set about to address all those issues and rejuvenate the Church in Milan.

Under his stewardship, the Church under his care was thoroughly cleansed from the vices and evils which it had accumulated prior to the ministry of his pious undertakings. He cleansed the Church from impurities and wickedness, and realising that all these vices were caused by the lack of education and preparation for the priests, the shepherds of the people, he established many seminaries and institutes to help better equip and prepare priests in their upcoming ministries.

Through his hard works and crucial inputs into the Council of Trent, and through his devoted works towards reform in the diocese he had been entrusted with, he brought much grace and saving grace to the people of God. And through these actions he had done, and from the works he had committed, we can also learn a lot of things and be inspired that we may also follow in his footsteps and do what is righteous in the sight of God.

And how is the life of this saint relevant to the Scripture readings we heard today? That is because St. Charles Borromeo represent the attitude of obedience and listening to the will of God, as what St. Paul wrote to the Church in Philippi, where he highlighted the obedience of Christ, the full and complete obedience without being distracted and misled by the concerns of the world and the self. Christ obediently carried the cross of mankind’s sins to His death, so that we may be saved by that act of ultimate love.

And in the Gospel we heard about Jesus telling His disciples and the people a parable, in which a person held a great feast and invited many guests to come to the feast. Yet, despite the very kind and good offer, the people who were invited refused to come to the feast and instead they went about doing their own activities and routines.

This is much like us, brothers and sisters in Christ. Our Lord Jesus Christ who has prepared a banquet and feast for us, to share in His Body and Blood, which He gave us freely through the sacrifice on the cross, has given us a free gift of salvation and life in Him, and yet we refused to listen to Him and indeed we rejected that generous offer of our Lord, thinking that we can find better options and pleasure in this world.

And thus we often sin, brothers and sisters, we often disobeyed the Lord’s will and preferring to listen to our own desires. We acted like those guests who were invited and yet refused to come. And thus, if we continue on this path, what lies for us ahead is only damnation and destruction. We will also not share in the goodness of the Lord, which He will offer to others willing to listen to Him and change their ways.

Therefore, shall we reflect on our own lives and then also think of what I have shared with you on the life and works of St. Charles Borromeo, the humble and holy saint of God? Let us dwell no longer in our sinfulness, but embrace the love of God, and say yes to Him as He invites us to His feast of everlasting life. In that way therefore, let us be faithful and accept the Most Holy Eucharist, our Lord’s ultimate way of showing His obedience and love for us, with joy and thanksgiving.

May Almighty God guide us always, so that we may grow lesser and smaller in our ego and pride, and instead grow stronger in our charity and love. Let us seek the Lord with hearts full of love and zeal, following in the footsteps of St. Charles Borromeo. St. Charles Borromeo, faithful and true servant of God, pray for us sinners! Amen.

 

First Reading :

https://petercanisiusmichaeldavidkang.com/2014/11/03/tuesday-4-november-2014-31st-week-of-ordinary-time-memorial-of-st-charles-borromeo-bishop-first-reading/

Psalm :

https://petercanisiusmichaeldavidkang.com/2014/11/03/tuesday-4-november-2014-31st-week-of-ordinary-time-memorial-of-st-charles-borromeo-bishop-psalm/

Gospel Reading :

https://petercanisiusmichaeldavidkang.com/2014/11/03/tuesday-4-november-2014-31st-week-of-ordinary-time-memorial-of-st-charles-borromeo-bishop-gospel-reading/

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Tuesday, 4 November 2014 : 31st Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Charles Borromeo, Bishop (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Luke 14 : 15-24

At that time, upon hearing the words of Jesus, one of those at the table said to Him, “Happy are those who eat at the banquet in the kingdom of God!”

Jesus replied, “A man once gave a feast and invited many guests. When it was time for the feast, he sent his servant to tell those he had invited to come, for everything was ready. But all alike began to make excuses.”

“The first said, ‘Please excuse me. I must go and see the piece of land I have just bought.’ Another said : ‘I am sorry, but I am on my way to try out the five yoke of oxen I have just bought.’ Still another said, ‘How can I come, when I have just got married?'”

“The servant returned alone, and reported this to his master. Upon hearing his account, the master of the house flew into a rage, and ordered his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town, and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame.'”

“The servant reported after a while, ‘Sir, your orders have been carried out, but there is still room.’ The master said, ‘Go out to the highways and country lanes, and force people to come in, to make sure my house is full. I tell you, none of those invited will have a morsel of my feast.'”

 

Homily and Reflection :

https://petercanisiusmichaeldavidkang.com/2014/11/03/tuesday-4-november-2014-31st-week-of-ordinary-time-memorial-of-st-charles-borromeo-bishop-homily-and-scripture-reflections/

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Tuesday, 4 November 2014 : 31st Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Charles Borromeo, Bishop (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White

Psalm 21 : 26b-27, 28-30a, 31-32

I will fulfill my vows before all who revere You. The lowly will eat and be satisfied. Those who seek the Lord will praise Him. May your hearts live forever!

The whole earth will acknowledge and turn to the Lord; the families of nations will worship Him. For dominion belongs to the Lord and He reigns over the nations. Before Him all those who rest in the earth will bow down, all who go down to the dust.

My descendants will serve Him and proclaim the Lord to coming generations; they will announce His salvation to a people yet unborn, “These are the things that He has done.”

 

Homily and Reflection :

https://petercanisiusmichaeldavidkang.com/2014/11/03/tuesday-4-november-2014-31st-week-of-ordinary-time-memorial-of-st-charles-borromeo-bishop-homily-and-scripture-reflections/

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Tuesday, 4 November 2014 : 31st Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Charles Borromeo, Bishop (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Philippians 2 : 5-11

Your attitude should be the same as Jesus Christ had : Though He was in the form of God, He did not regard equality with God as something to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking on the nature of a Servant, made in human likeness, and in His appearance found as a Man.

He humbled Himself by being obedient to death, death on the cross. That is why God exalted Him and gave Him the Name which outshines all names, so that at the Name of Jesus all knees should bend in heaven, on earth and among the dead, and all tongues proclaim that, Christ Jesus is the Lord to the glory of God the Father.

 

Homily and Reflection :

https://petercanisiusmichaeldavidkang.com/2014/11/03/tuesday-4-november-2014-31st-week-of-ordinary-time-memorial-of-st-charles-borromeo-bishop-homily-and-scripture-reflections/