Homilies

Most Holy Trinity – Homily (Fr. Smith)

| Fr. William Smith

Some of the most satisfying experiences of my life have been in community organizing but I must admit that I was never a first-rate organizer.  Nonetheless I was invited to meetings for which, by most measures, I was not qualified to attend. I eventually realized that it was because I had some grounding in Catholic Social Teaching and it was thought important to have it represented, I agree and discovered that what we as Catholics have to offer is that our teachings are based on our understanding of the Trinity. The Trinity affects every aspect of our view of society, but we will only look at two: where do human rights come from and how should they be implemented? But first let us look at why we need to start with Trinity. 

The Catholic Doctrine of the Trinity tells us that all we know of God is that he exists in relationship and that those relationships are sustained by love. “To be” and “to love” are the same. (#1, see below) The Church asks us to look at our own lives, are we not formed by who we love, by our own relationships? The Catholic insight is that because of the Trinity this is not a primarily psychological or sociological insight but a theological and metaphysical one. The universe reflects its creator, and its central reality is that we exist as humans because we can form loving relationships. (#2, see below) 

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Events, Videos

Community Mass – Trinity Sunday

| St. Charles Borromeo

On Sunday, June 12, 2022, join us in person or online for the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity.

Our current Sunday Mass times are:

The readings will be from Cycle C.

Entrance: Holy, Holy, Holy! Lord God Almighty! – 567

Readings/Psalm – 1088

Offertory:  Eye Has Not Seen – 728

Communion: How Great Thou Art – 578

Closing: O God, Almighty Father – 566

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

Holy Trinity Sunday – Ministry of Service

| Fr. William Smith

The Trinity, Andrei Rublev
1411 or 1425–27, Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow
(About this Image)

Fr. Smith’s Commentary on the Second Reading
Most Holy Trinity
Romans 5:1–5
June 12, 2022

This week, we celebrate the solemnity of the Blessed Trinity, and the church has chosen a selection from the letter of Paul to the Romans as our second reading. We looked at Romans in some detail two years ago and will not review the background again for this passage. (You may find the earlier commentary at Introduction to the Letter to the Romans.) Paul’s style may be somewhat convoluted for our taste, but this passage is well worth following to a most satisfactory indeed inspiring conclusion.

Besides decidedly Pauline themes, we will find some areas of connection with the Gospel readings from St. John of last few weeks. We begin with “Therefore” and can be relatively certain that a conclusion follows. In this case, Paul has developed the concept of justification for four chapters and in chapter five, which we read today, he will tell us the benefits of being justified. Briefly and superficially justified means that a person has a relationship with God. The Greek word from which it derives, dikaiosunē, means righteousness. We are made righteous by the death and resurrection of Jesus. For Catholics, this is a process that requires being led by the Spirit and thus is a this worldly and in that sense very practical experience.

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Homilies

Pentecost – Homily (Fr. Smith)

| St. Charles Borromeo

Today’s gospel reading may sound familiar. It was read the week after Easter. I did not want to repeat myself too much so I reread my homily for that day. This is not for the faint of heart. There was something wrong with it and it was at first hard to define exactly what that was. The interpretation of the scriptures was fine, the examples were good and phrasing acceptable. But then I remembered a quip by the famous British Catholic wit G K Chesterton. When asked by a newspaper to answer the question what is wrong with the world. He answered, “I am what is wrong with the world.’ What is wrong with that homily? I am what was wrong with that homily.

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Events, Videos

Community Mass – Pentecost Sunday

| St. Charles Borromeo

On Sunday, June 5, 2022, join us in person or online for Pentecost Sunday.

Our current Sunday Mass times are:

The readings will be from Cycle C.

Entrance: Come, Holy Ghost – 559

Readings/Psalm/Sequence – 1084

Offertory: O Breathe on Me, O Breath of God – 902

Communion: One Bread, One Body – 932

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 .