Memorial of Saint
Charles Borromeo, Bishop
Lectionary: 485
Lectionary: 485
Brothers and
sisters:
The gifts and the call of God are irrevocable.
Just as you once disobeyed God
but have now received mercy
because of their disobedience,
so they have now disobeyed in order that,
by virtue of the mercy shown to you,
they too may now receive mercy.
For God delivered all to disobedience,
that he might have mercy upon all.
Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God!
How inscrutable are his judgments and how unsearchable his ways!
For who has known the mind of the Lord
or who has been his counselor?
Or who has given him anything
that he may be repaid?
For from him and through him and for him are all things.
To God be glory forever. Amen.
The gifts and the call of God are irrevocable.
Just as you once disobeyed God
but have now received mercy
because of their disobedience,
so they have now disobeyed in order that,
by virtue of the mercy shown to you,
they too may now receive mercy.
For God delivered all to disobedience,
that he might have mercy upon all.
Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God!
How inscrutable are his judgments and how unsearchable his ways!
For who has known the mind of the Lord
or who has been his counselor?
Or who has given him anything
that he may be repaid?
For from him and through him and for him are all things.
To God be glory forever. Amen.
Responsorial PsalmPS 69:30-31, 33-34, 36
R. (14c) Lord, in your great love, answer me.
But I am afflicted and in pain;
let your saving help, O God, protect me.
I will praise the name of God in song,
and I will glorify him with thanksgiving.
R. Lord, in your great love, answer me.
“See, you lowly ones, and be glad;
you who seek God, may your hearts revive!
For the LORD hears the poor,
and his own who are in bonds he spurns not.”
R. Lord, in your great love, answer me.
For God will save Zion
and rebuild the cities of Judah.
They shall dwell in the land and own it,
and the descendants of his servants shall inherit it,
and those who love his name shall inhabit it.
R. Lord, in your great love, answer me.
But I am afflicted and in pain;
let your saving help, O God, protect me.
I will praise the name of God in song,
and I will glorify him with thanksgiving.
R. Lord, in your great love, answer me.
“See, you lowly ones, and be glad;
you who seek God, may your hearts revive!
For the LORD hears the poor,
and his own who are in bonds he spurns not.”
R. Lord, in your great love, answer me.
For God will save Zion
and rebuild the cities of Judah.
They shall dwell in the land and own it,
and the descendants of his servants shall inherit it,
and those who love his name shall inhabit it.
R. Lord, in your great love, answer me.
GospelLK 14:12-14
On a sabbath Jesus went to dine
at the home of one of the leading Pharisees.
He said to the host who invited him,
“When you hold a lunch or a dinner,
do not invite your friends or your brothers or sisters
or your relatives or your wealthy neighbors,
in case they may invite you back and you have repayment.
Rather, when you hold a banquet,
invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind;
blessed indeed will you be because of their inability to repay you.
For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”
at the home of one of the leading Pharisees.
He said to the host who invited him,
“When you hold a lunch or a dinner,
do not invite your friends or your brothers or sisters
or your relatives or your wealthy neighbors,
in case they may invite you back and you have repayment.
Rather, when you hold a banquet,
invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind;
blessed indeed will you be because of their inability to repay you.
For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”
Meditation: "You
will be repaid at the resurrection of the just"
Who do you honor at your table? The Lord is always ready to
receive us at his table. As far as we can tell from the gospel accounts, Jesus
never refused a dinner invitation! Why, in this particular instance, does Jesus
lecture his host on who he should or shouldn't invite to dinner? Did his host
expect some favor or reward from Jesus? Did he want to impress his neighbors
with the honor of hosting the "miracle worker" from Galilee?
Jesus probes our hearts as well. Do you only show favor and
generosity to those who will repay you in kind? What about those who do not
have the means to repay you – the poor, the sick, and the disadvantaged?
Generosity demands a measure of self-sacrifice. It doesn't impoverish, but
rather enriches the soul of the giver. True generosity springs from a heart
full of mercy and compassion. God loved us first, and our love is a response of
gratitude to his great mercy and kindness towards us. We cannot outgive God in
his generosity towards us. Do you give freely as Jesus gives without
expectation for personal gain or reward?
"Lord Jesus, fill me with gratitude for
your unboundless love and mercy towards me. And purify my love for others that
I may seek their good rather than my own benefit or gain. Free me to love
others as you love."
 Our Invitation List |
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Memorial of Saint
Charles Borromeo, bishop
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Father Steven
Reilly, LC
Luke 14: 12-14
Jesus went to dine
at the home of one of the leading Pharisees. He said to the host who invited
him, "When you hold a lunch or a dinner, do not invite your friends or
your brothers or your relatives or your wealthy neighbors, in case they may
invite you back and you have repayment. Rather, when you hold a banquet,
invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind; blessed indeed will you
be because of their inability to repay you. For you will be repaid at the
resurrection of the righteous."
Introductory
Prayer: Oh God, thank you
for allowing me to come into your presence. Your love enlarges my soul. I
long to see your face! I come to this prayer with a thirst to just be in your
presence, to relax under your loving gaze. May my presence here be an
expression of my love for you.
Petition: Lord, grant me the grace to put your
interests before my self-interest.
1. “You Scratch My
Back…” “… And I’ll scratch yours.” Unique is the individual who doesn’t keep at least one
eye on his own self-interest at all times. For many, life is about leverage,
and good deeds are investments that will reap future profits. In this
parable, Jesus invites us to think outside that human box and more in the
divine one. God derives no personal benefits through showing us immeasurable
love. We can’t, after all, give him anything that he doesn’t already have.
Maybe we should be expanding our list of dinner invitations?
2. The Poor, the
Crippled, the Lame, the Blind: Blessed Mother Teresa lived this Gospel verse in exemplary
fashion. The story is told of a dying man, found lying in the street and
brought to the Missionaries of Charity’s House of the Dying. They gave him
dignity that he had never known: “I have lived like a dog all my life. But
now I will die like an angel.” Sometimes we also have opportunities to help
others in dire need. Sometimes, more often, we can come to the aid of the
person who is spiritually poor or crippled. Perhaps it is that person who is
always in a foul mood, or that other who once spread a rumor about me.
“Blessed will you be because of their inability to repay you.”
3. Self-interest vs.
Resurrection: Fr. Joe always used
to say this about his priesthood: “The pay is lousy, but the retirement
benefits are out of this world.” Self-interest is about getting the positive
payback here and now. True love and charity do not keep a score card to make
sure that “it’s worth it.” No, we are living for eternity. Let’s ask the Lord
to give us a better sense of the big picture, to see that those unrequited
good deeds are the best ones. So you parents of the world, take heart! Your
sacrifices will indeed find their reward, “in the resurrection of the
righteous.”
Conversation with
Christ: Dear Lord, how often
I am thinking, “What’s in it for me?” Help me to reach out to others beyond
the limits of my group. Help me to see that you are in every soul, not just
the ones that in some way gratify me.
Resolution: I will do an act of charity for someone who
doesn’t like me.
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MONDAY, NOVEMBER 4,
LUKE 14:12-14
(Romans 11:29-36; Psalm 69)
(Romans 11:29-36; Psalm 69)
KEY VERSE: "For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous" (v 14).
READING: When Jesus was invited to a banquet at the home of an influential religious leader, he used this opportunity to teach both host and guests about the equality of all God's people. Jesus told them that when they gave a dinner party, they should not invite only those who were in a position to return the invitation. They should also invite the disadvantaged who had no means to repay them. These anawim were the ones to whom Jesus addressed his proclamation of the reign of God (Lk 4:18). His followers had no need to be repaid for their generosity in serving him and God's people; God would reward them in the resurrection of the just. Can we imagine what it would be like if banquets were held in honor of the poor and deprived instead of the rich and famous? How would this change us? How would it change the world?
REFLECTING: Can I apply Jesus' teaching to my everyday life?
PRAYING: Lord Jesus, help me to see everyone as my brothers and sisters.
November 4, Memorial of Charles Borromeo, Bishop
Charles Borromeo was
born to a wealthy, noble family in northern Italy, 2 October, 1538. He was the
Papal Secretary of State of Pope Pius IV, a civil and canon lawyer at age 21,
cardinal at 22, Archbishop of Milan at 24. Charles spent his life and fortune
in the service of the people of his diocese. He used his influence to bring
about the re-assembling of the Council of Trent, which had been suspended since
1552. He directed and fervently enforced the decrees of the Council, and fought
for peace in the wake of the storm caused by Martin Luther. Charles founded
schools for the poor, instituted children's Sunday school, established
seminaries for clerics, hospitals for the sick, and conducted synods. He was
teacher, confessor and parish priest to Aloysius Gonzaga. Charles did great
public and private penance, and worked tirelessly among the sick and dying
during the plague. He died at Milan, 3 November, 1584, and was canonized in
1610 by Pope Paul V.
Lord, in your great love, answer me.
How inscrutable are the ways of God.It is fascinating to notice the daily miracles of God’s providence in ways big and small. Surprises are always on offer and a gentle nudge from God comes via most unexpected people and situations. St Ignatius trained himself in the awareness of responding to God’s nudge. He learned to test the ideas to see if they were indeed to the greater glory of God. In the divided and corrupt church of the 16th century, the people had no clear vision of a life lived in Christ. A young nobleman, Charles Borromeo, worked to bring goodness and holiness back to the church, acting as a faithful guide to popes and cardinals. Inspiring both Aloysius Gonzaga and Edmund Campion, his reach was wide. He wished only to be in a place of prayer and quiet, with the God he loved above all.
www.churchresources.info
November 4
St. Charles Borromeo
(1538-1584)
The name of St. Charles Borromeo is associated with reform. He
lived during the time of the Protestant Reformation, and had a hand in the
reform of the whole Church during the final years of the Council of Trent
(1545-63).
Although he belonged to Milanese nobility and was related to the
powerful Medici family, he desired to devote himself to the Church. When his
uncle, Cardinal de Medici, was elected pope in 1559 as Pius IV, he made Charles
cardinal-deacon and administrator of the Archdiocese of Milan while he was
still a layman and a young student. Because of his intellectual qualities he
was entrusted with several important offices connected with the Vatican and
later appointed secretary of state with responsibility for the papal
states. The untimely death of his elder brother brought Charles to a definite
decision to be ordained a priest, despite relatives’ insistence that he marry.
Soon after he was ordained a priest at the age of 25, he was consecrated bishop
of Milan.
Because of his work at the Council of Trent, he was not allowed to
take up residence in Milan until the Council was over. Charles had encouraged
the pope to renew the Council in 1562 after it had been suspended for 10 years.
Working behind the scenes, St. Charles deserves the credit for keeping the
Council in session when at several points it was on the verge of breaking up.
He took upon himself the task of the entire correspondence during the final
phase.
Eventually Charles was allowed to devote his time to the
Archdiocese of Milan, where the religious and moral picture was far from
bright. The reform needed in every phase of Catholic life among both clergy and
laity was initiated at a provincial council of all the bishops under him.
Specific regulations were drawn up for bishops and other clergy: If the people
were to be converted to a better life, he had to be the first to give a good
example and renew their apostolic spirit.
Charles took the initiative in giving good example. He allotted
most of his income to charity, forbade himself all luxury and imposed severe
penances upon himself. He sacrificed wealth, high honors, esteem and influence
to become poor. During the plague and famine of 1576, he tried to feed 60,000
to 70,000 people daily. To do this he borrowed large sums of money that required
years to repay. Whereas the civil authorities fled at the height of the plague,
he stayed in the city, where he ministered to the sick and the dying, helping
those in want.
Work and the heavy burdens of his high office began to affect his
health. He died at the age of 46.
Comment:
St. Charles made his own the words of Christ: "...I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me" (Matthew 25:35-36). Charles saw Christ in his neighbor and knew that charity done for the least of his flock was charity done for Christ.
St. Charles made his own the words of Christ: "...I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me" (Matthew 25:35-36). Charles saw Christ in his neighbor and knew that charity done for the least of his flock was charity done for Christ.
Quote:
"Christ summons the Church, as she goes her pilgrim way, to that continual reformation of which she always has need, insofar as she is an institution of men here on earth. Consequently, if, in various times and circumstances, there have been deficiencies in moral conduct or in Church discipline, or even in the way that Church teaching has been formulated—to be carefully distinguished from the deposit of faith itself—these should be set right at the opportune moment and in the proper way" (Vatican II, Decree on Ecumenism, 6, Austin Flannery translation).
"Christ summons the Church, as she goes her pilgrim way, to that continual reformation of which she always has need, insofar as she is an institution of men here on earth. Consequently, if, in various times and circumstances, there have been deficiencies in moral conduct or in Church discipline, or even in the way that Church teaching has been formulated—to be carefully distinguished from the deposit of faith itself—these should be set right at the opportune moment and in the proper way" (Vatican II, Decree on Ecumenism, 6, Austin Flannery translation).
Patron Saint of:
Catechists
Catechumens
Seminarians
www.americancatholic.orgCatechists
Catechumens
Seminarians
LECTIO: LUKE 14,12-14
Lectio:
Monday, November
4, 2013 - 14
Monday - Ordinary Time
1) Opening prayer
God of power and mercy,
only with your help
can we offer you fitting service and praise.
May we live the faith we profess
and trust your promise of eternal life.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
2) Gospel reading - Luke 14,12-14
Jesus said to his host, 'When you give a lunch or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relations or rich neighbours, in case they invite you back and so repay you. No; when you have a party, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind; then you will be blessed, for they have no means to repay you and so you will be repaid when the upright rise again.'
3) Reflection
• The Gospel today continues to present the teaching which Jesus was giving about different themes, all related to the cure in the environment of a banquet: a cure during a meal (Lk 14, 1-6); an advice not to take the first places (Lk 14, 7-12); advice to invite the excluded (Lk 14, 12-14). This organization of the words of Jesus around a determinate word, for example, table or banquet, helps one to perceive the method used by the first Christians to keep the words of Jesus in their memory.
• Luke 14, 12: Interested invitation. Jesus is eating in the house of a Pharisee who has invited him (Lk 14, 1). The invitation to share at table is the theme of the teaching of today’s Gospel. There are different types of invitations: the interested invitations for the benefit of oneself and disinterested invitations for the benefit of others. Jesus says: "When you give a lunch or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relations or rich neighbours, in case they invite you back and so repay you”. That was the normal custom of the people: to invite friends, brothers and relatives to eat. And nobody would sit at table with unknown persons. They would sit around the table only with persons who were their friends. That was the custom of the Jews. And even now we also act in the same way. Jesus thinks differently and orders to invite unknown people; these were invitations which nobody used to make.
• Luke 14, 13-14: Disinterested invitation. Jesus says. “On the contrary, when you have a party, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind; then you will be blessed, for they have no means to repay you. So you will be repaid when the upright rise again.” Jesus orders to break the closed circle and asks to invite the excluded: the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. This was not the custom and it is not either today. But Jesus insists: “Invite these persons”. Why? Because in the disinterested invitation, addressed to excluded and marginalized persons, there is a source of happiness: “And then you will be blessed for they have no means to repay you”. This is a strange type of happiness, a diverse happiness! You will be blessed, for they have no means to repay you. It is the happiness that comes from the fact that you have done a gesture totally gratuitous, without asking for anything. Jesus says that this is the happiness which God will give us in the resurrection; the Resurrection which he will give us not only at the end of history, but even now. To act in this way is already a resurrection!
• It is the Kingdom which will be confirmed. The advice which Jesus gives us in the Gospel today recalls the sending out of the seventy-two on the mission of announcing the Kingdom (Lk 10, 1-9). Among the different recommendations given on that occasion, as signs of the presence of the Kingdom, there is: (a) the invitation to the table and (b) the acceptance of the excluded: “Whenever you go into a town, where they make you welcome, eat what is put before you, cure those who are sick and say: the Kingdom of God is very near to you!” (Lk 10, 8-9) Here, in these recommendations, Jesus orders to transgress that norm of legal purity which prevented fraternal living together.
4) Personal questions
• An interested or disinterested invitation: which of these takes place in my life?
• If you invited in a disinterested way, would this cause some difficulties? Which ones?
5) Concluding prayer
Yahweh, my heart is not haughty,
I do not set my sights too high.
I have taken no part in great affairs,
in wonders beyond my scope.
No, I hold myself in quiet and silence,
like a little child in its mother's arms,
like a little child, so I keep myself. (Ps 131,1-2)
www.ocarm.org1) Opening prayer
God of power and mercy,
only with your help
can we offer you fitting service and praise.
May we live the faith we profess
and trust your promise of eternal life.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
2) Gospel reading - Luke 14,12-14
Jesus said to his host, 'When you give a lunch or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relations or rich neighbours, in case they invite you back and so repay you. No; when you have a party, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind; then you will be blessed, for they have no means to repay you and so you will be repaid when the upright rise again.'
3) Reflection
• The Gospel today continues to present the teaching which Jesus was giving about different themes, all related to the cure in the environment of a banquet: a cure during a meal (Lk 14, 1-6); an advice not to take the first places (Lk 14, 7-12); advice to invite the excluded (Lk 14, 12-14). This organization of the words of Jesus around a determinate word, for example, table or banquet, helps one to perceive the method used by the first Christians to keep the words of Jesus in their memory.
• Luke 14, 12: Interested invitation. Jesus is eating in the house of a Pharisee who has invited him (Lk 14, 1). The invitation to share at table is the theme of the teaching of today’s Gospel. There are different types of invitations: the interested invitations for the benefit of oneself and disinterested invitations for the benefit of others. Jesus says: "When you give a lunch or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relations or rich neighbours, in case they invite you back and so repay you”. That was the normal custom of the people: to invite friends, brothers and relatives to eat. And nobody would sit at table with unknown persons. They would sit around the table only with persons who were their friends. That was the custom of the Jews. And even now we also act in the same way. Jesus thinks differently and orders to invite unknown people; these were invitations which nobody used to make.
• Luke 14, 13-14: Disinterested invitation. Jesus says. “On the contrary, when you have a party, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind; then you will be blessed, for they have no means to repay you. So you will be repaid when the upright rise again.” Jesus orders to break the closed circle and asks to invite the excluded: the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. This was not the custom and it is not either today. But Jesus insists: “Invite these persons”. Why? Because in the disinterested invitation, addressed to excluded and marginalized persons, there is a source of happiness: “And then you will be blessed for they have no means to repay you”. This is a strange type of happiness, a diverse happiness! You will be blessed, for they have no means to repay you. It is the happiness that comes from the fact that you have done a gesture totally gratuitous, without asking for anything. Jesus says that this is the happiness which God will give us in the resurrection; the Resurrection which he will give us not only at the end of history, but even now. To act in this way is already a resurrection!
• It is the Kingdom which will be confirmed. The advice which Jesus gives us in the Gospel today recalls the sending out of the seventy-two on the mission of announcing the Kingdom (Lk 10, 1-9). Among the different recommendations given on that occasion, as signs of the presence of the Kingdom, there is: (a) the invitation to the table and (b) the acceptance of the excluded: “Whenever you go into a town, where they make you welcome, eat what is put before you, cure those who are sick and say: the Kingdom of God is very near to you!” (Lk 10, 8-9) Here, in these recommendations, Jesus orders to transgress that norm of legal purity which prevented fraternal living together.
4) Personal questions
• An interested or disinterested invitation: which of these takes place in my life?
• If you invited in a disinterested way, would this cause some difficulties? Which ones?
5) Concluding prayer
Yahweh, my heart is not haughty,
I do not set my sights too high.
I have taken no part in great affairs,
in wonders beyond my scope.
No, I hold myself in quiet and silence,
like a little child in its mother's arms,
like a little child, so I keep myself. (Ps 131,1-2)
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