Our parish is participating in Sacred Sites Open House, an event organized by the NY Landmarks Conservancy that celebrates the art, architecture, and history of New York State’s amazing ecclesiastical buildings. Visitors can participate in self-guided tour of local churches.
Our church will be open to visitors today Saturday, July 23 from 12 to 5 PM.
Our Family Fellowship group will meet on Sunday, July 31 at 10 AM for a family social gathering in the rectory garden. We will have snacks/drinks to share.
Please also mark your calendars for our upcoming gatherings. We will meet on Sunday, August 21 at 10 AM also in the rectory garden. Starting on September 11, we will meet regularly on the second Sunday of the month at 10 AM.
For more information about our group, please check out the article in Tablet in which we were featured: “At St. Charles, a Baby Boom Brings Parents Together in Fellowship.” The full article is available on our website, on a poster in the back of the church, and is excerpted below:
[T]here’s a new family fellowship in the church that’s specifically designed to bring parents of young children together to tell their stories, share advice and discuss raising their children in the Catholic faith.
[…]
At that first session, parents spent time discussing their choices for the best books with religious themes to read aloud to children, Father Smith said.
Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread, Rudolf Eickemeyer,
c. 1906, Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division
“Lord, teach us to pray just as John taught his disciples.”
He said to them, “When you pray, say:
Father, hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come.
Give us each day our daily bread
and forgive us our sins
for we ourselves forgive everyone in debt to us,
and do not subject us to the final test.”
(Luke 11:1–4)
Fr. Smith’s Commentary on the Second Reading
Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Colossians 2:12–14
July 24, 2022
Despite the fall in regular participation in Sunday services, most Americans still want Jesus to be a part of our lives. Jesus, however, wants to be the totality of our lives. This is a problem and, as we will see in today’s reading from the “Letter to the Colossians,” an ancient one.
Epaphras, a leader in the church of Colossae and its surrounding towns, has come to Paul or his successor to help him combat the corrupting influence of false teachings. He refers to these as “philosophy.” By philosophy he did not mean an academic subject but a way of life. It is hard to discover what the actual beliefs and practices are from the letter. Paul does not seek to be mysterious and his readers no doubt knew exactly what he meant, but there is much assumed and shared knowledge. This is not surprising. Two thousand years from now an article about a burning issue of our day, no matter how clearly written and well translated, will lose the subtleties of the discussion. We will find with this passage from Colossians however that, although we might not be able to define who the false teachers were or the details of their teaching, we can see why Paul and Epaphras were concerned. There are disturbing parallels with today.
Continue reading “17th Sunday in Ordinary Time – Christ’s Call for Our Entire Being”
Please download the worship aid to participate in Friday’s evening prayer, which will begin at 5 PM.
Instructions on how to join are available here.
Last week, we read the parable of the Good Samaritan and saw the importance that Jesus places on practical charity. We might then find his meeting with Martha and Mary somewhat surprising. Martha is busy preparing for guests and Mary is sitting at Jesus’ feet listening to him speak. Martha asks Jesus to have Mary help her, but he not only refuses but tells her that she, Martha, is overly concerned about the wrong things and that she should join Mary.
This is a set up. Jesus and Luke know that we are siding with Martha just as a few weeks ago we sided with the potential disciples who wished to bury a father or take leave of family before following Jesus. (Lk.9:51-61, 13th Sunday of Ordinary Time) The message is clear: when in the presence of Jesus, sit down and listen.
Continue reading “Homily – 16th Sunday Ordinary Time (Fr. Smith)”On Sunday, July 17, 2022, join us in person or online for the 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time.
Our current Sunday Mass times are:
The readings will be from Cycle C.
Readings/Psalm – 1139
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 .
Christ in the House of Martha and Mary,
Diego Velázquez, 1618, National Gallery (London)
(About this Image)
“Martha, Martha, you are anxious
and worried about many things.
There is need of only one thing.
Mary has chosen the better part
and it will not be taken from her.”
(Luke 10:41–42)
Fr. Smith’s Commentary on the Second Reading
Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Colossians 1:24–28
July 17, 2022
We continue this week with a reading from the “Letter to the Colossians.” Although for convenience, we will refer to the author as St. Paul, there is some dispute if wrote it himself or if it was the work of a disciple or successor. For our purposes it is important that the leaders of the church at Colossae sought the authority of Paul to combat false teachers. Last week, we read about what the real good news is. Next week we will look at who the opponents were. Today, we will see what we can expect from a leader in the church. Continue reading “16th Sunday in Ordinary Time – Christ in Us”
