Author: St. Charles Borromeo

Homilies, Videos

27th Sunday Ordinary Time (Fr. Smith Homily)

| St. Charles Borromeo

Transcript:

The readings for Mass in Ordinary Time are chosen so that the first reading from the Old Testament connects to the Gospel reading. Sometimes this connection can seem tenuous at best, but today it is not only clear but necessary.  Everyone who heard this gospel would have known the “Song of the Vineyard” from our reading from Isaiah and understood its message. This included not only the original audience of the chief priests and other leaders of the Jewish people but also the Jewish Christians in Matthews audience who would have heard it since childhood and he gentile Christians for whom it would have been a key text in their Baptismal preparation.  

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Events, Videos

Community Mass – 27th Sunday Ordinary Time – 10/4 11:15 am EDT

| St. Charles Borromeo

Please join us for our Community Mass for the 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time – Sunday, October 3 at 11:15 AM EDT. It will be a public Mass celebrated in the church and also streamed online.

Instructions to view the Mass are available here. You can also watch the video via YouTube Live in the window here.

Homilies

26th Sunday Ordinary Time – Homily (Fr. Smith)

| St. Charles Borromeo

What an ugly week. Covid 19 deaths exceeded 200,000, fires and floods are still ravaging parts of our country and the fight for RBG’s seat is causing an even greater national divide. There were few bright spots but one of them for me was this week’s gospel and I hope it will be for you as well. But I warn you that to be enlightened by what it says requires a commitment to follow what it teaches. 

First let us look at what Jesus said and to whom he first said it. He is very shrewd. He first tells his listeners that this story will be about a vineyard. Vineyards were used in Jewish storytelling to refer to the entire people. He next asks a son to work in it. The son at first refused but then relents and goes. Then he asks another son to do the same. He at first agrees but then does not go. When asked about who did the father’s will the audience had to admit that it was the first son. Now this is a very special audience. It was composed of chief priests and elders of the people who in the previous chapter asked Jesus from where he got his authority. Jesus replied that he would tell them only if they told him if John’s baptism was of God or just a human invention. Knowing that the people considered John a prophet they would not anger them by saying that his baptism was unholy. When Jesus asks about the two sons, he is telling them to look at who is making a difference in the community, the vineyard, and why. People who were the most unlike the leaders – tax collectors and prostitutes – were accepting the invitation to work in the vineyard. They knew that John was righteous and sought forgiveness of their sins. The religious leaders however did not think that they needed to repent and thus accomplished nothing. 

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Events, Videos

Community Mass – 26th Sunday Ordinary Time – 9/27 11:15 am EDT

| St. Charles Borromeo

Please join us for our Community Mass for the 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time – Sunday, September 27 at 11:15 AM EDT. It will be a public Mass celebrated in the church and also streamed online.

Instructions to view the Mass are available here. You can also watch the video via YouTube Live in the window here.

Homilies, Videos

25th Sunday Ordinary Time – Homily (Msgr. LoPinto)

| St. Charles Borromeo

Permission to podcast/stream the music in this service obtained from ONE LICENSE with license #A-730437.

Transcript:

Today’s scripture has two, I think, insights into the Gospel. By way of insights, you also is encouraging us in our reflection today on Catechetical Sunday, the Sunday when traditionally we would begin all the religious education programs that would take place both for the young, as well as for those beginning in the RCIA programs, catechetical programs for those who would be interested in both entering the Church, as well as those who would be interested in completing their sacraments of initiation.

But this year is different, as all things are different this year. And so while we will reflect on Catechetical Sunday, we will also offer a blessing for all the catechists at the end of the Prayer of the Faithful, and will pray that we can all learn better to use the technology that’s available to us, because that will be the process that we will be using here at Saint Charles – as Father Smith has shared with me – that’ll be the process that we’ll be using for the religious education of the young.

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Events, Videos

Community Mass – 25th Sunday Ordinary Time – 9/20 11:15 am EDT

| St. Charles Borromeo

Please join us for our Community Mass for the 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time – Sunday, September 20 at 11:15 AM EDT. It will be a public Mass celebrated in the church and also streamed online.

Instructions to view the Mass are available here. You can also watch the video via YouTube Live in the window here.

Stay on after Mass for our quarterly leadership meeting. In person and Zoom attendees will be able to speak and participate.

Homilies, Videos

24th Sunday Ordinary Time – Homily (Fr. Smith)

| St. Charles Borromeo

Permission to podcast/stream the music in this service obtained from ONE LICENSE with license #A-730437.

Transcript:

St. Matthew was a pastor. He is writing his gospel to a community in which he himself is a leader. I have found him a great support and inspiration since I became a pastor myself but never more than now. His whole gospel has great relevance for parish leadership especially the 18th chapter which we proclaim today. Reading it urges me to act differently for the near future and I hope that you will feel the same.

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