Category: Messages from the Pastor

Messages from the Pastor

December 8 Collection for Religious Retirement Fund

| St. Charles Borromeo

Thank You Gathering for Sisters of St. Joseph, Oct. 2010

The priests who have served St. Charles in its almost 150 year history have been “diocesan” priests. That means that they were ordained to serve the people of the Diocese of Brooklyn. The bishop and people of the diocese have the responsibility of caring for us when we are sick or infirm. Your generosity in the “Generations of Faith Campaign,” 40% of which went to build up the trust funds for priests, was deeply moving to us all.

The sisters and brothers as well as priests from religious orders who were not ordained for the diocese were not covered in this campaign. As members of religious communities, they can come from anywhere and serve anywhere. A national solution was needed to help them. This is the origin and meaning of the collection for retired religious which will be taken up next week in every parish in the country. It is, to me, the most important collection of the year and will be taken up next week, Dec 8th.

The religious women, who did so much to form me and my sense of vocation, and the religious men, who I met later in life worked incredibly long hours for little payment. If there were any plans for retirement at all, it would have been based on new members filling the ranks. As we know the numbers have declined and they now need our help.

Although this collection is national and it may seem to bring in considerable money, it really does not even touch the surface of the problem. Orders have had to sell off property and join together to save money. This collection is helpful financially but, as my “religious” friends tell me, it is usually the largest special collection and they take that as a sign of support and love.

Let be so generous that they will all know our love for them and gratitude to them. You can give online at https://stcharlesbklyn.weshareonline.org/ws/opportunities/ReligiousRetirementFund or at the collection taken up at Mass next Sunday, December 8.

In Christ,
Fr. Bill

PS – A letter – hand written the way they taught so many of us – means more than anything else. If you know the address of a religious who taught or inspired you: WRITE HIM OR HER NOW!

Messages from the Pastor

33rd Sunday Ordinary Time – “Rule the Earth with Justice”

| St. Charles Borromeo

St. Elizabeth of Hungary from our sanctuary stained glass. A princess, she gave up her position of royalty and wealth to serve the poor, endearing her as the patron saint of charities. Her feast day is November 17.

From the Bishops Conference

This week, the American Bishops met to discuss issues facing the Church. One of them was Catholic participation in electoral politics. They decided to reissue “Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship” with an update but without substantial revision. This was written 12 years ago before the election of Pope Francis and there was concern that the document did not recognize his perspective especially on the interrelatedness of all matters of life. The suggestion to include paragraph #101 from Francis’ Apostolic Exhortation “GAUDETE ET EXSULTAT” in its entirety was  rejected as too long. You however may find these less than 200 words enlightening and informative.

101. The other harmful ideological error is found in those who find suspect the social engagement of others, seeing it as superficial, worldly, secular, materialist, communist or populist. Or they  relativize it, as if there are other more important matters, or the only thing that counts is one particular ethical issue or cause that they themselves defend. Our defence of the innocent unborn, for example, needs to be clear, firm and passionate, for at stake is the dignity of a human life, which is always sacred and demands love for each person, regardless of his or her stage of development. Equally sacred, however, are the lives of the poor, those already born, the destitute, the abandoned and the underprivileged, the vulnerable infirm and elderly exposed to covert euthanasia, the victims of human trafficking, new forms of slavery, and every form of rejection.[84] We cannot uphold an ideal of holiness that would ignore injustice in a world where some revel, spend with abandon and live only for the latest consumer goods, even as others look on from afar, living their entire lives in abject poverty.

Malachi 3:19-20a
33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time
Nov. 17, 2019 

The prophet Malachi, who we read today, lived in Jerusalem after the temple was restored (515 BC) but before Ezra came to reform its administration. (450 BC).  About 460 BC would be a good estimate. This situation is reflected in his message.  

As we have seen many times, the Jews who responded to the call to return to Jerusalem and rebuild it were pioneers despite themselves. They began with high hopes that they could replace everything which was lost but discovered that clocks do not move backwards. None of them would have had personal memories of Jerusalem or the temple and they often lapsed into romanticizing the glories of the past and underestimating the difficulties of the present. These illusions were quickly ended.  

The rebuilt temple was adequate, but no more than that, and the institution of Kingship was effectively eliminated. The Persian overlords would support a restored temple but not a king. The temple alone would be the sign of unity for the Jews. Malachi’s job as prophet was to strengthen it, despite the less than stellar quality of the religious leadership.  

As our Patron Charles Borromeo discovered, reforming the clergy is not for the faint of heart and it takes the direct action of God himself to accomplish anything. Malachi uses the traditional language of the “Day of the Lord”.  

God tells the people:
Lo, I am sending my messenger
to prepare the way before me;
And suddenly there will come to the temple 
the LORD whom you seek (Mal 3:1)  

This will not be a social call:  

For he is like the refiner’s fire, 
or like the fuller’s lye.
3 He will sit refining and purifying (silver), 
and he will purify the sons of Levi, (Mal 3:2–3). 

Then, as now, reform needs to start with the clergy, “the sons of Levi”. Where the clergy contains the priesthood, as with the Jews of this day and Catholics always, the integrity of the sacrifice is of key importance.  

Refining them like gold or like silver 
that they may offer due sacrifice to the LORD.
4 Then the sacrifice of Judah and Jerusalem 
will please the LORD (Mal 3:3–4). 

 After the clergy have been cleansed, those who are most influential need to be confronted: 

 5 I will draw near to you for judgment, 
and I will be swift to bear witness
Against the sorcerers, adulterers, and perjurers, 
those who defraud the hired man of his wages, 

Against those who defraud widows and orphans; 
those who turn aside the stranger,
and those who do not fear me, says the LORD of hosts (Mal 3:5) 

Note how he puts all of these together as those who do not “Fear me”. These are people who through great success or great failure have lost their awe of God.   

They show that by ceasing to obey the law of God: 

Surely I, the LORD, do not change,
nor do you cease to be sons of Jacob.
7 Since the days of your fathers you have turned aside 
from my statutes, and have not kept them.
Return to me, and I will return to you, 
says the LORD of hosts. (Mal 3:6–7). 

This robbed them of their enthusiasm, but they must begin to be restored to the Lord’s favor: 

Yet you say, “How must we return?”
8 Dare a man rob God? Yet you are robbing me!
And you say, “How do we rob you?” 
In tithes and in offerings!
10 Bring the whole tithe
into the storehouse,
That there may be food in my house, 
and try me in this, says the LORD of hosts. (Mal 3:7–10). 

The decline is most clearly seen in failing to supply the needs of worship. Worship is a matter of Justice. We owe God obedience and submission. It is mandatory. Tithes not only supported the maintenance of the temple but the care of the clergy who at that time had no other source of income and we have seen again the care that God wishes of the poor in Mal 3:3-5. 

If they return to proper worship and wider justice, all nations will call you blessed, for you will be a delightful land, says the LORD of hosts. (Mal 3:12). 

We now come to the section selected for us this week. Malachi is structured around six pronouncements with several debates. Each debate begins with the Lord accusing the people of turning away from Him. Today we hear:  

13 You have defied me in word, says the LORD, 
yet you ask, “What have we spoken against you?”
14 You have said, “It is vain to serve God, 
and what do we profit by keeping his command
(Mal 3:13–14) 

They then list the times they have seen the wicked prosper (Mal 3: 15) but God assures those who fear him that there is a record book which lists them as well as those who do not (Mal 3:16) This book will not opened in heaven at a final judgment of all but in this world when the Lord comes to judge the world: 

Then you will again distinguish between the just and the wicked,
Between the person who serves God, and the one who does not. (Mal 3:18)  

The day of the Lord is like the power of the Sun. For those who do not fear the Lord the Sun will be experienced as an oven that will set them on fire and render them into stubble, mere cut stalks of grain. Indeed, they will be burned so completely that there will not even be that:  They will set them on fire, leaving them neither root nor branch. (Mal 3:19) 

For those who fear the Lord, however, the sun will be experienced as justice with healing rays or wings. 

There is much that we could say here but let us limit ourselves to two: 

Malachi assumes that this reckoning will be a purely earthly affair. The just will be given honor in the sight of their enemies. But this did not happen. There was improvement with the reforms of Ezra, but nothing was really overturned. Compare this to the reading from Maccabees last week. There we saw that the reward for the just would be physical, because they would get their bodies back – but in the future. In the 300 years between Malachi and 2 Maccabees, the Jews came to realize that there would not be purely earthy vindication of God’s justice. Yet God is just before all else, and so there must be an Afterlife. We can never emphasize enough that the resurrection of the Body was revealed and understood to proclaim the LORD’S commitment to justice for His people. If there was no afterlife, then the LORD would be accused of not fulfilling his promises and be thus either a charlatan or simply deluded. This is not true to revelation so there must be something after this. The afterlife is not to reward our faithfulness, but to proclaim God’s truthfulness.  

The other observation is that Worship is a matter of Justice. I was underwhelmed when I first heard this in the seminary decades ago. Yet, as the professor assured us that with experience, we would not only see this, but its effects as well. He was certainly correct. Failing to worship God is doing Him an injustice, and if we treat Him unjustly, should we be surprised if we treat others unjustly as well? It works the other way as well. Those who treat others unjustly will pull back from worshiping a living God. They may build wonderful buildings but will not give their hearts. Justice and Worship are always linked.  

At the inaugural meeting of our group for young professionals, one of the members said: “Don’t let Monday ruin your Sunday”. We might add, nor the LORD’s Sunday. On Sunday at St. Charles, we praised Him in word and song, offered our hearts, and pledged to rebuild His Church, but if we do not act justly, then all this is empty and hollow.  

Malachi tells us that the “sun of justice will arise with healing in his wings”. Let us show that we love Him on Monday by fulfilling the words of the prophet Amos: “But let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream”. (Amos 5:24) 

Homilies, Messages from the Pastor

31st Sunday Ordinary Time/St. Charles Borromeo – 11:15 am (Fr. Smith homily)

| St. Charles Borromeo

We celebrate today the feast of our Patron Saint, Charles Borromeo. To list even the most basic facts of his life, much less his accomplishments, would be an impossible task for a brief homily. Even more amazing is that he was only 46 when he died in 1584.

High points are found in the main window above the main altar. The principal scene is St. Charles distributing communion to a sick person on a stretcher. This commemorates his distribution of the Eucharist to the sick during a plague and for having Mass said in the open air, allowing the afflicted to more easily attend. If you look above the main window there are three windows with angels: the one on the left shows a scroll referring to his institution of religious education in his Diocese of Milan. He is considered the founder of both Catholic schools and Sunday school. On the right, the window reflects his emphasis on the Sacrament of Penance. In the central window, two angels bear a crown which foretells his canonization after his death. Not on our window is the clearest sign that he was a reformer: one of his priests who did not want to be reformed tried to assassinate him.

We remind everyone that there is more information on St Charles and the art in the church on our website. https://www.stcharlesbklyn.org/history/stained-glass-windows/

We could say much more about St Charles, but more relevant for us today is his cousin and successor Federico Borromeo. Like Charles, he was born a rich man destined for effortless success. He originally wanted to become a Jesuit, but although he did not, he was nonetheless claimed by the Church and named a cardinal at the age of 23. A most cultured man, he was dedicated to scholarship and moved by beauty. He created leaned societies and the first truly public library on the European continent. He wrote over 100 books and monographs on many subjects and, why we remember him especially today, can be credited as publishing the first hymnal for lay people. He also renovated the Cathedral in Milan, shoring up its foundations and beautifying its interior.

Now I do not mean to suggest that he was a mere aesthete. During the great famine of 1627-1628 he fed 2,000 poor people daily at the gates of his residence from his own income. He was an example of such absolute heroism that nearly one hundred of his clergy died caring for their flocks in the famine and resulting plague. This is beautifully told in Alessandro Manzoni’s novel “The Betrothed”. I should note that this is Pope Francis’ second favorite novel; coming after only the Brothers Karamazov. In it, Federico is portrayed as the model priest, and I must admit that I give it to young priests particularly to read his admonition to a well-meaning but cowardly pastor. I have no reason to believe that this did not reflect his actual beliefs and actions. After his death, the citizens of Milan erected a statue in his honor and wrote on the pedestal: “He was one of those men rare in every age, who employed extraordinary intelligence, the resources of an opulent condition, the advantages of privileged station, and an unflinching will, in the search and practice of higher and better things.”

He demonstrates the connection between beauty, worship and charity. Much of our efforts as a parish for at least the next 3 years will be to renovate the fabric of the Church building. There will be no major changes in the sanctuary or nave – the major visible changes will be decent bathrooms and a usable basement. Through it all, we must seek not to lose the forest for the trees and must remember that this building exists for worship: turning our minds and hearts to God. Beauty has always been the handmaid of worship, and a church needs to be a place where we recognize that we are doing something different. A church such as ours can literally stop us in our footsteps, slow us down and center us on the most important things. Given the distractions of our times, this is more important and needed than ever

Although I hope that people leave here feeling blessed and holy, worship is ultimately judged not by what we feel on Sunday but what we do the rest of the week. Who is better off among your family and friends or in our community because you went to Mass today? Did you help someone at work, did you show kindness to an annoying person, did you take time to offer your services to someone who needs them? The needs are endless, the opportunities without limit, and the power that comes from true worship beyond comprehension. Yet, how much of Jesus do we see in a country in which most people call themselves Christian, and more to the point what does St Charles add to this community? Who outside these walls would know or care if we disappeared tomorrow?

Today we will add another aid to our worship with our new hymnals.

We are bodily creatures and the more senses we can engage in our worship, the more effective it will be. Philosophers (eg. Suzanne Langer) tell us that each art form allows our bodies to connect with a dimension in the real world. Buildings engage us in space. A grand church building can be literally awesome and an intimate one engenders a serenity that no other structure can provide.

Music in this theory connects and develops our sense of time. Many of us seem dominated by time and trying to make each second effective. No wonder time itself may seem exhausting. Great music can suspend time and give us a taste of the infinite and a moment’s peace to gather ourselves together to praise and worship God

Please embrace this opportunity. We bless not so much the hymn books as ourselves, and desire to offer not only everything to God, but every moment. Unlike Federico Borromeo, we may not have extraordinary intelligence to display, nor either the resources of an opulent condition nor privileged station, but we can ask for an unflinching will to – by our worship – search for and practice higher and better things.

Homilies, Messages from the Pastor

29th Sunday Ordinary Time – 9 AM (Fr. Smith Homily and Stewardship)

| St. Charles Borromeo

We many times hear that we should act with a “preferential option for the poor” This phrase dates to 1968 but is simply an elegant way of expressing a biblical truth. Jesus tells us in the always disconcerting chapter 25 of Matthew’s gospel ““Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.” This however has roots deep in the Old Testament.  

The Jewish law itself stated: “Cursed be he who violates the rights of the alien, the orphan or the widow!’ (Dt 27:19). 

God himself takes the part of the poor and those who we would consider marginalized.  

The LORD protects the stranger,  

     sustains the orphan and the widow, 

     but thwarts the way of the wicked. Ps 146:9 

 

The Lord is particularly concerned that Justice be done for them by the leaders of the people: “Make justice your aim: redress the wronged, hear the orphan’s plea, defend the widow” (Is 1:17) 

Let us look now at the characters and situation in today’s parable. The widow is among the poor to be protected. The judge is at very least indifferent to her predicament. He did not respect any one much less a poor woman. He also showed that he did not fear the God who has claimed the poor as his own.  

Yet she will receive justice because he is afraid that she will treat him violently. If a truly bad man will listen and act properly how much more will God hear the cry of the poor? (Ps 34) 

This would have had a very special meaning to the early Christians. They had declared themselves followers of Jesus and now awaited his return. They are as innocent as the widow but have found many in authority who were as wicked as the judge. Jesus had told them that they would be hauled before judges (Lk 12:11) and indeed there would be division within their own families (Luke 12:50-53) But they are finding this too long a wait and want Jesus to act now. If not an immediate return a little smiting of their enemies would certainly be appreciated.  

Luke’s response to this is very subtle and profound. He compares them to widows. people to whom God has shown preferential care. They are loved and protected; they are part of God’s plan not the all of it. Luke does not compare them to Kings, or Prophets or Priests or even messengers whose power is found in their strength but in a widow, a person powerless by definition.  

Look now at the ending: “I tell you, he will see to it that justice is done for them speedily. But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” (Lk 18:8). 

The disciples might very well say that if this is Jesus’ idea of speedy then He may well find very few people waiting. There is something here of course, we may be widows and orphans protected and loved by God, but we can find that love very far away and our oppressors very close indeed. Certainly, we all need to pray for patience, forbearance and hope. 

Yet this is the Gospel of St Luke and there is another dimension:  

37 Blessed are those servants whom the master finds vigilant on his arrival. Amen, I say to you, he will gird himself, have them recline at table, and proceed to wait on them. (Luke 12:37) 

 

We read this passage several weeks ago and saw that vigilance meant looking not up the in sky for the Lord’s return but at the needs and wants of those around us. (Lk 12: 42-45) That is true here as well this is how Jesus will know if there is faith. 

 

Last week we celebrated the feast of St Pope John 23rd who called the second Vatican Council in whose spirit I was formed. One sign of this is a desire to see everything through the lens of the scriptures. I find it significant that we have begun looking at stewardship while reading St Luke’s gospel at Mass. Of all the gospels his is the most concerned with why Jesus has called us to belong to a community and the necessary spirituality for it. Next year when we will be implementing how we wish to be stewards we will read from St Matthew’s Gospel which can be read as a handbook for building a church. Scriptural Serendipity. 

 

So, let us look at the results so far. 

 

Last week I asked those who were present to make a renewed commitment in support of our parish. ​One of the realities of this community is that many of us travel a great deal and are not able to be present here at St Charles every week. Therefore, we must do everything several times to reach everyone. I ask the forbearance of those who heard this and filled out the card last week as I address those that did not.  

 

Over the past few years our weekly offertory has consistently been one of the lowest in the Brooklyn both in amount and per capita.  Over that same span of time bills and costs at the parish have steadily risen. As our next financial report, which will be published in a few weeks, will reveal we have had to use some of our rental income to pay operating expenses. 

It will take a greater sacrifice to St. Charles Borromeo to maintain much less expand our ministries. As we all make our commitments today, remember that we are truly returning to God what has first been given to us. The ownership lies with Him.​ 

 

Here’s how this will work:  My goal is to receive a card from every family attending this Mass today. ​Today is very important. Tomorrow I will meet with parish leaders and our accountant to plan our strategy for a loan to complete the work on the church in a timely manner. We will need to have a much better idea what we can reasonably expect in our regular collections and if we will have to direct some of our rental money. As most of you know better than I the more we can direct to this project the better the terms we can expect and the faster this will be accomplished. So: 

  1. If you have brought your own Commitment Card from the mailing with you today, we greatly appreciate it and we’ll collect them in a moment. ​ 
  2. If you didn’t bring the one that was mailed to you, or you didn’t get the mailing, the ushers are going to walk down the aisle right now and distribute Commitment Weekend forms to everyone who doesn’t have one.  ​ 
  3. If you have already returned your Commitment Card to the parish office take one of the forms the ushers have and simply indicate that you have already returned your card. 

 

  • For those filling out the forms, please print your name and address on the bottom portion of the card. ​ 
  • We ask that you please include your cell number and email address. Our parish would like to use this opportunity to update our records. ​ 
  • Next, please indicate the amount you typically give to the collection at the top of the card. ​ 
  • Then on the next line, please indicate the new amount you are committing to going forward.​ 
  • I would like to remind you that this is not a pledge of any form. It should serve as a promise between you and God. ​ 

. 

  1. Next, please check one of the four options:​ 
  • Yes – I am interested in increasing my offertory through my parish’s online giving portal. Please send me more information.​ 
  • I encourage you to consider signing up for electronic giving through WeShare.  It is a simple and convenient process for you that takes no more than a few minutes to complete.  It also greatly benefits our parish by reducing mailing costs and accounting for weekly offertory fluctuation.. As I have noted we are a very mobile parish and it is important that we recognize that the parish exists during the weeks we are not here as well as when we are. This is not a pew rental for single events. 
  • You can have your offertory charged to your credit card (earn reward or loyalty points) or simply have it deducted from your bank’s checking or savings account. Mark the appropriate box if you are interested and make sure to write out your email address neatly.  We’ll send you some information and a link to get started.​ 
  • Yes – I am interested in increasing my offertory with envelopes. If you are currently not receiving envelopes and wish to receive them, please include your telephone number. ​ 
  • Praying – I am still praying about my decision​ 
  • Amen- I am unable to increase my regular giving at this time. ​ 

I thank you for your commitments and may God bless us.​ 

.  

 

Homilies, Messages from the Pastor

22nd Sunday Ordinary Time – Fr. Smith homily

| St. Charles Borromeo

At the beginning of the summer the priests of the diocese held a dinner for Bishop Di Marzio’s  75th birthday. The committee that organized it sat the priests according to year of ordination with the most newly ordained priests and the most senior sitting with the Bishop. Truly an elegant solution to a potentially difficult situation. Yet isn’t it interesting that it is a persistent problem. Eating together is such a sign of intimacy and harmony that the Bible uses it as an image of the kingdom of God yet so often it reflects people’s attempts to assert power and position. Luke today is showing us what is at stake and what we can do 

This is the third time that Jesus has accepted an invitation to eat with Pharisees on the Sabbath in Luke’s gospel. (See Luke 7:36, 11:37) It did not go well either time and it presumably will not be particularly pleasant this time out. The passage today opens with:  

On a sabbath he went to dine at the home of one of the leading Pharisees, and the people there were observing him carefully. (Lk 14:1) 

They were so carefully observing him because previously he cured people at the meal on the Sabbath. This was a violation of Jewish law. This is also the case here, but our reading today skips over it. Let us for a moment however examine this passage 

A man, presumably a guest, is suffering from dropsy. This is edema or swelling caused by excess fluid.  As this is a chronic condition and not an emergency, Jesus could have told him to come back the next day to be cured but instead he cures him immediately. Celebrating a meal with Jesus cures and frees anyone humble enough to ask. Luke may be so specific with the disease because dropsy is often occasioned by great thirst and so the victim will drink more water which only makes it worse. It was used as a metaphor for greed, in this case the insatiable desire of the Pharisees for honor and position. Would they ask to be healed or even know that they needed it?  Continue reading “22nd Sunday Ordinary Time – Fr. Smith homily” →

Messages from the Pastor

21th Sunday Ordinary Time – Isaiah’s Warning: Avoid Corruption; Unite the Community

| St. Charles Borromeo

A Plate of Cakes, Jehan Georges Vibert, circa 1840–1902, private collection (WikiArt)

FIRST READING:
August 25, 2019
Isaiah 66:18-21

Several weeks ago on July 7, we read a section from Isaiah (66:10-14c), which comes a few verses before today’s selection (66:18-21). We saw then that these verses were written by the third person to use the name Isaiah. The first lived in Jerusalem around the end of the 8th century BC, the second in Babylon about 540 BC, and this Isaiah sometime around 515 BC while Jerusalem was being rebuilt.

The Second and Third Isaiahs did not choose the name casually. Although they lived in different times and/or places, they all shared a few common beliefs. The most important was that the God of the Jews was the Lord of History. By the time of Third Isaiah, this meant that He was not only God but also that the Lord controlled world history from the beginning of time, not just the destinies of the Jews. This meant that He expressed Himself in concrete events and our relationship with Him was to be more than verbal.

To use the name Isaiah meant that the author understood that worship and justice were inseparable. This is the special theme of chapter 66. When we examined this last month, we emphasized that the call of the Jews and now indeed ourselves was to be the “light to the nations.” Now let us look at the corrosive effects of corruption on leaders. Continue reading “21th Sunday Ordinary Time – Isaiah’s Warning: Avoid Corruption; Unite the Community” →

Messages from the Pastor

20th Sunday Ordinary Time – Visions of Justice and Faith in God’s Covenant

| St. Charles Borromeo

The Prophet Jeremiah, Michelangelo, circa 1508–1512, Sistene Chapel (Wikipedia)

Jeremiah 38:4-6, 8-10
Aug. 18, 2019

We read this Sunday from the Book of Jeremiah. He is called the weeping prophet of the Old Testament because he lived to see the city of Jerusalem destroyed. He might also be called its Cassandra as well. It was her curse to see the future of Troy and speak the truth, but never be believed. So it was with Jeremiah. Continue reading “20th Sunday Ordinary Time – Visions of Justice and Faith in God’s Covenant” →