Memorial of Saint Charles Borromeo, Bishop
- Mary Jo Barr
- Nov 4
- 2 min read
Gospel Luke 14:15-24
One of those at table with Jesus said to him, "Blessed is the one who will dine in the Kingdom of God."He replied to him, "A man gave a great dinner to which he invited many. When the time for the dinner came, he dispatched his servant to say to those invited, 'Come, everything is now ready.'But one by one, they all began to excuse themselves. The first said to him,'I have purchased a field and must go to examine it; I ask you, consider me excused. 'And another said, 'I have purchased five yoke of oxen and am on my way to evaluate them; I ask you, consider me excused.'And another said, 'I have just married a woman, and therefore I cannot come.'The servant went and reported this to his master. Then the master of the house in a rage commanded his servant, 'Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in here the poor and the crippled, the blind and the lame.'The servant reported, 'Sir, your orders have been carried out and still there is room.'The master then ordered the servant, 'Go out to the highways and hedgerows and make people come in that my home may be filled. For, I tell you, none of those men who were invited will taste my dinner.'"
REFLECTION
Then the master of the house in a rage commanded his servant, 'Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in here the poor and the crippled, the blind and the lame.'
St. Charles (Carlo) Borromeo born into a wealthy family and in a time when most bishops were appointed and young men without inheritance would go into a monastery.
Charles' path was the Church. This was providential because he was instrumental in reforming priestly formation and instituting education for the laity by forming the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine (CCD).
He worked to establish a seminary in every diocese and to train young men in Latin grammar, chant, scripture, patrology, doctrine, liturgy and accounting. He also mandated that every seminary should consider training poor boys as well as the wealthy boys in the priesthood.
Charles also reformed religious orders. He established the Oblates of St. Ambrose. Some of the religious communities did not want to reform because they had become corrupt. They even tried to assassinate Charles, but their plot failed.
During Charles' lifetime, two events affected the people. There was a famine and then later a plague. In his compassion, he used his own money to feed the hungry and to give spiritual and material aid to the sick.
Charles Borromeo was canonized by Pope Paul V on November 1, 1610. He is the patron saint of seminarians and Catechists.
Let us pray for all Bishops and Cardinals to Catechize their people in the Truth and care for the formation of priests in the Catholic faith.
Let us pray the PAPA Prayer for vocations.
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