Homilies

Homily – 2nd Sunday of Advent (Fr. Smith)

| Fr. William Smith

It has often been said that “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it,” but a wise community organizer added to this “If it is really broken, don’t fix it, break it completely and start over.” To phrase it more politely there are times we must “disorganize to reorganize.” St. Matthew understands this very well and shows us why and how in today’s reading.

We meet John the Baptist in the desert of Judea. This is a difficult 20 miles from Jerusalem and a trip no one would make on a whim. Why would people go? It was not to receive a soothing message. He told people to “repent” Repentance is not reform, it requires acknowledging our brokenness and turning our lives around. Matthew adds “for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Matthew’s audience understands Judaism. The kingdom means the fullness of God’s power here on earth to be inaugurated by the Messiah. The change that he will preach cannot be understood through the philosophers of Greece but only through the prophets of Israel. Continue reading “Homily – 2nd Sunday of Advent (Fr. Smith)” →

Events, Videos

Community Mass – 2nd Sunday of Advent

| St. Charles Borromeo

On Sunday, December 4, 2022, join us in person or online for the 2nd Sunday of Advent.

Our current Sunday Mass times are:

Today’s readings will be from Cycle A.

Entrance: On Jordan’s Bank – 418

Readings/Responsorial Psalm – 994

Offertory: Prepare the Way – 400

Communion: Like a Shepherd – 402

Closing: O Come, Divine Messiah – 401

The Gather 3rd Edition Hymnal/Missals are available for use in the church – pick one up as you enter and return it after Mass. Instructions on how to use the hymnal missal are available here: https://www.stcharlesbklyn.org/hymnal-missal/ .

Today’s readings are also available to read online at the USCCB website https://bible.usccb.org .

Scriptual Commentary

Second Sunday of Advent – Persevering in the Way

| Fr. William Smith

John the Baptist, Alexandre Cabanel, 1849, Musée Fabre (France – Montpellier)

John the Baptist appeared, preaching in the desert of Judea
and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!”
It was of him that the prophet Isaiah had spoken when he said:
A voice of one crying out in the desert,
Prepare the way of the Lord,
make straight his paths.
(Matthew 3:1–3)

Fr. Smith’s Commentary on the Second Reading
Second Sunday of Advent
Romans 15:4–9
December 4, 2022

Because scholars assert that the scriptures tell us not to be afraid 365 times, an enterprising printer has made a calendar with a quote for every day of the year. This is the phrase most used in the Bible because it reflects both that God is a protector, who will stand with us, but also Lord, who we approach only with his permission. There are other common ideas. We would not be able to complete a year’s calendar with encouragement for endurance and perseverance, but we could easily get a month. This is especially important in the New Testament because Jesus has promised to return and relatively quickly, the faithful got anxious and asked not only why he was delayed but also what does this mean for them. Every New Testament writer has examined this question from his own perspective. As we will see today Paul emphasized that we need endurance not only or even especially from threats from outside the community but more importantly from within. We must persevere to maintain harmony. This is a theme throughout his letters but is especially important in Romans. Continue reading “Second Sunday of Advent – Persevering in the Way” →

Homilies

Homily – 1st Sunday of Advent (Fr. Smith)

| Fr. William Smith

After Roe v. Wade was overturned this year pro-life groups had to determine their next moves. As we saw, some decided to push for very restrictive statewide laws, which failed everywhere they were presented. The Catholic Church, as most clearly seen in the statements by statewide Bishop’s conferences hailed the end of Roe, but proposed a path for the future which included pre- and post-natal care for the child and basic protections for the mother. This reflected basic Catholic Social Teaching which is often called the Church’s best-kept secret. Catholic Social Teaching is not difficult to understand, but very hard to live out and so is rarely applied. The Dobbs decision, however, demanded that our leaders either state these teachings and their consequences or by their silence deny them. As St. John Paul 2 said we must stand for “the incomparable and inviolable worth of every human life” or fall ignominiously. (Evangelium Vitae: paragraph 2) Simply put, concern for all from womb to tomb. This means that Catholics must be prepared to expand and deepen our commitment to others. We need to be truly pro-life and not just pro-birth.

Continue reading “Homily – 1st Sunday of Advent (Fr. Smith)” →

Events, Videos

Community Mass – 1st Sunday of Advent

| St. Charles Borromeo

On Sunday, November 27, 2022, join us in person or online to begin our preparations for Advent.

Our current Sunday Mass times are:

As the new liturgical year begins, the readings will be from Cycle A.

Entrance: The King Shall Come When Morning Dawns – 414

Readings/Responsorial Psalm – 991

Offertory: Creator of the Stars of Night – 420

Communion: Taste and See – 930

Closing: City of God – 766

The Gather 3rd Edition Hymnal/Missals are available for use in the church – pick one up as you enter and return it after Mass. Instructions on how to use the hymnal missal are available here: https://www.stcharlesbklyn.org/hymnal-missal/ .

Today’s readings are also available to read online at the USCCB website https://bible.usccb.org .

Scriptual Commentary

1st Sunday of Advent – Entering the Light

| Fr. William Smith

Photo by Ethan Milrad on Unsplash

In days to come,
the mountain of the LORD’s house
shall be established as the highest mountain
and raised above the hills.
All nations shall stream toward it;
many peoples shall come and say:
“Come, let us climb the LORD’s mountain,
to the house of the God of Jacob,
that he may instruct us in his ways,
and we may walk in his paths.”
(Isaiah 2:2–3)

Fr. Smith’s Commentary on the Second Reading
First Sunday of Advent
Romans 13:11–14
November 27, 2022

For three of the four Sundays of Advent, our second reading will be from St. Paul’s “Letter to the Romans.” We have read this letter together many times and indeed spent an entire summer on one section. You may find our introduction to the Letter to the Romans helpful. We need only note now that Paul as a Roman citizen could not be executed as cavalierly as a non-citizen. He was being sent to Rome as a prisoner to be tried by the Emperor. The Roman prison system was somewhat haphazard, and a well-connected detainee could arrange for what would amount to house arrest. Paul needed the help of the Roman Church to do this, but he had become very controversial. This letter was at least in part his attempt to show that he was, in our terms, an orthodox believer and a stable person. It is a great gift to us because it provides Paul’s clearest attempt to present his teachings in an orderly manner.

The passages that we will read for the next two weeks are Paul’s comments on the return of Jesus and the establishment of the kingdom. This is fitting for the Advent season. Advent means “arrival or coming” We immediately think of Christmas, but the liturgy of the church focuses on this for only the last week of Advent. Until December 16, the readings and prayers look at the consequences of the return of the Lord.

Continue reading “1st Sunday of Advent – Entering the Light” →