Events, Videos

Community Mass – 21st Sunday Ordinary Time – 8/23 11:15 am EDT

| St. Charles Borromeo

Please join us for our Community Mass for the 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time – Sunday, August 23 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.

Events

Next Book Discussion Begins on 9/3

| Mike McGowan

This Thursday at 7 PM, we will conclude our discussion of Field Hospital, and will have a discussion with the book’s author, Bill Cavanaugh.

Our next book will be the Thomas Merton classic New Seeds of Contemplation, which was originally written as a response to a college student’s question, “What is contemplation?” and is one of Merton’s most widely read books. The discussion will begin on Thursday, September 3 at 7 PM.

Messages from Parishioners

Our Fundamental Oneness – Alex Lerangis

| St. Charles Borromeo

Check any news outlet these days, whether in print or digital, on your phone or on your TV, and the top articles are bound to be divisive and in many cases critical of someone, some group, or some idea. The narrative that ‘nice’ or ‘positive’ stories don’t sell is a well-known trope at this point – but nonetheless sadly seems to remain true. With election season nearing full swing, the storylines and media surrounding us are only bound to increase in emphasizing the differences in one another, whether ideological, political, economic, demographic, or otherwise.

By way of a brief introduction, my name is Alex Lerangis and since joining St. Charles last year I have been a member of our parish’s Young Professionals Ministry. During a number of our monthly meetings this summer our discussion has focused on the social issues prominent in our community and how we can rely on our faith and the scripture to direct our actions. Despite the difficulty and uncomfortableness that these topics pose, our conversations to date have been respectful and enlightening, but more importantly, comforting and hopeful. Continue reading “Our Fundamental Oneness – Alex Lerangis” →

Messages from the Pastor

21st Sunday of Ordinary Time – Responding in Unity and Community

| Fr. William Smith

Jesus Giving Peter the Keys

Twenty-First Sunday of Ordinary Time
Romans 11:33-36
August 23, 2020

Several weeks ago when we looked at the ending of Romans 8 we saw that Paul can write individual passages that are so beautiful that we can forget that they are not meant to stand alone but to bring a section of the letter to a conclusion. We see the same today. This week’s passage is also meant to do double duty: conclude Paul’s teaching on the relationship between Jewish and Gentile Christians, Rom 9-11, but also the entire letter that went before. Paul as an artist was up to the task.

Continue reading “21st Sunday of Ordinary Time – Responding in Unity and Community” →
Homilies, Videos

20th 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.

The Jesus who we see in today’s gospel is disconcerting. His treatment of the Canaanite woman seems dismissive and condescending. Is this the good shepherd? Yes, it is, but here he is speaking and more to the point acting as a prophet. The Jews who first heard and observed him would have understood immediately as would the members of Matthew’s community who were born Jews. Those born gentile and indeed we ourselves may need some background to understand what Jesus is saying and doing and how it affects us. 

As on only child I bring a particularly valuable perspective to this passage because it has to do with being chosen. Only children are chosen. We are the center of the universe for our parents who must be particularly careful that we do not think that we are the center of the universe for anyone else. Otherwise the singleton can easily become an insufferable prig. This was the case with the Jewish people. They were chosen by God and he both lavished his unconditioned love on them but also needed to show “tough love” lest they forget that they were missionaries to the Nations. They were called indeed created and formed to make the presence of God known beyond their tribes or nation. 

Continue reading “20th Sunday Ordinary Time – Homily (Fr. Smith)” →