Author: St. Charles Borromeo

Homilies

First Sunday of Lent – What Follows from Obedience to the Will of God

| St. Charles Borromeo

The Rebuke of Adam and Eve, Domenichino, 1626, National Gallery of Art (Washington)
(About this image)

FIRST READING
Genesis 2:7–9; 3:1–7
March 1, 2020

Our first reading today is from the book of Genesis. It is often called the story of the creation of Adam but is more accurately depicts the formation and then dissolution of the perfect community.

This creation story is one of two in Genesis and, although placed second, was written earlier. The narrative we read first was written by priests and is concerned with how the Jewish people were to connect to the Cosmos. (Ge. 1) Today’s passage however describes the relationship that God wishes to establish with us and assures us that it was forged at the very beginning of time. The first version of this text was most likely written at the beginning of the Davidic Dynasty. (c. 1,000 BC) and is a call to the king to restore the God-given order. It then became part of the expectation of the Messiah.

This section begins with a desolate world while “as yet there was no field shrub on earth and no grass of the field had sprouted.” (Ge. 2:5a) To be fruitful, it needed rain and someone to care for the land. First came the water “but a stream was welling up out of the earth and was watering all the surface of the ground” (Ge. 5:6) then, the point where we begin today: Continue reading “First Sunday of Lent – What Follows from Obedience to the Will of God” →

News

Update on Church Restoration

| St. Charles Borromeo

St. Charles Borromeo, Renato F. De Araujo, November 2009.

Below is an update on the church renovations prepared by Nick Strachovsky, our client representative at K.O.W. ARMA:

As spring approaches, our exterior renovation project is nearing completion. With warmer weather arriving in the upcoming weeks, some work that has been held can get started.

Work above the sidewalk bridge is well advanced. Masonry restoration work is nearly complete with some minor areas to touch up once the weather is on our side. All work at the top of the church is complete which is why the scaffolding was removed. Roof work is complete at the rear low roof on the north side of the church. Slate repair is in progress on the south side low roof. Gutter replacement work is almost done with minimal leader work remaining. All details have been worked out for the protective window system.

Stained glass repair is still in progress. Once complete the glazing system will follow. After the protective glazing is installed we should be looking toward removal of the sidewalk bridge. Once down there is some restoration work that remains at the 1st floor. The entry steps to the church are slated to be reset and straightened. As many have noticed, some of the fencing along Aitken Place has been restored. The remainder of the fencing along that side will be removed shortly to be restored as well. This is being coordinated with some repair work that is needed on the ramp.

We are awaiting a schedule update from the contractor so we can share some more precise timing on work being fully complete. We are coming into the home stretch. Bathroom work is now being coordinated for the interior. We are days away from Landmarks’ approval. There is still a bit of time left for review by the building department, but our team is ready to get started as soon as permits are in hand.

Homilies

7th Sunday Ordinary Time – Fr. Smith Homily

| St. Charles Borromeo

This week, Jesus continues his reinterpretation of the Torah, which we usually translate as the Law.  As an Evangelist, Matthew will organize these as 6 comparisons. “You have heard that it was said,” and then “but I say to you”. For those of you who do crossword puzzles, these are called the great Antitheses. They are very bold because they show that Jesus has power over the Law. This has great indeed cosmic consequences. But Matthew the Pastor has the more practical concern of organizing and leading his Parish, and in many ways that is what gives his passage its particular power.  

In the first Antithesis that we examine today, Jesus agrees with the precept of the law but wants his disciples to go deeper to grasp its truest meaning. He states the law of retribution: “an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth”. This may sound savage, but is the root of civilization. Before this, a relatively minor infraction could set off a blood feud which could take many lives. By the time of Jesus, this had been further refined so that a monetary payment could be made to take the place of the body part. Yet, Jesus wants more.  Continue reading “7th Sunday Ordinary Time – Fr. Smith Homily” →

Events

Ash Wednesday Schedule

| St. Charles Borromeo

Distribution of Ashes: Our church will open at 7 AM and ashes will be distributed throughout the day until 3:45 PM. There will also be ashes distributed at all the Masses and the service.

Mass with distribution of ashes: 7 AM, 12:10 PM, 7 PM. 

Service for Children and Families: 4 PM.

Service at Pierrepont House: 1:30 PM.

Confessions: after the 7 AM Mass; before and after the 12:10 PM Mass; before and after the 4 PM Service (until 6 PM); after the 7 PM Mass.

Homilies

7th Sunday in Ordinary Time – Wasting Time with the Lord

| St. Charles Borromeo

Elderly Couple in an Interior, Frans van Mieris, c. 1650-1655 (Leiden Collection Catalogue)

FIRST READING
Leviticus 19:1–2, 17–18
February 23, 2020

This week we read from the Book of Leviticus for the first time. It is one of the books of the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Bible, and literally means the book of the tribe of Levi. This tribe was given the responsibility of maintaining the Temple and its worship, and not unsurprisingly, most of the book pertains to cultic matters. It will however show us that, for the Jews, worship and justice are both needed for holiness and the road to holiness may seem a detour from what we find truly important.

Leviticus begins where the book of Exodus ends. There is little action in the book, and it is mostly composed of the LORD speaking to Moses. More importantly is the time of its composition and final edition. We have seen many times before that the historical books of the Old Testament were competed after the return of significant numbers of the Jewish leaders to Jerusalem from Babylon. The first group went between 538 and 515 BC and another about 450 BC. Their concerns may be found in prophets such as (Third) Isaiah, Zechariah, and Haggai and in the historical writings of Ezra and Nehemiah. Through them, we have examined the nature of God’s reign in history, the relationship of the Jews to other peoples, and the developing notion of the Messiah.

They were recreating their society, and this was reflected in rebuilding their temple. Leviticus was written after the work of Ezra and Nehemiah. These were officials sent by the Assyrian king when it had become obvious that the colony was failing. They recognized that this was more than a management issue but required a return to tradition. Leviticus is composed of basically two parts: “The Priestly Book” (Chapters 1-16) and the “Holiness Codes” (Chapters 17-26). The priestly book defines sacred space and what is needed for worship. The holiness code shows how the sacred can be integrated into life.

It is in the holiness code that the Jewish calendar is formalized, literally making the sacred a part of daily life and the rhythm of the seasons. This is done in mind-numbing detail which is one reason why it not often read in church. Yet in the opening section we read today, the author is careful to give us the full and beautiful picture of holiness and its consequences. Continue reading “7th Sunday in Ordinary Time – Wasting Time with the Lord” →