Memorial of Saint
Charles Borromeo, bishop
(Philippians 3:17-4:1; Luke 16:1-8)
Few churchmen have accomplished as much as Charles
Borromeo. He forsook an aristocratic
life to give himself to ecclesiastical reform.
He oversaw the production of the catechism, missal, and breviary which the
Council of Trent ordered. As bishop of
Milan, he was frequently challenged by errant clerics and once was wounded in
an assassination attempt. When the
plague threatened his city, he was on the front line with relief. He might be seen as a disciple of St. Paul
who pleads for imitators in today’s first reading.
Paul’s labors in preaching the gospel truly elicit
admiration. He not only tirelessly preached
and taught the gospel throughout the Asia Minor and Greece; he did so under the
severest of conditions. He suffered
shipwreck and beatings multiple times. But
Paul does not ask those to whom he writes to undertake these risks. But he does insist that they not conform to
the times by obsessing over food and sex.
We might see ourselves as reformers like St. Charles and
St. Paul. By gracious care for all we
will show the world that God is not just a pious idea but is working in their
midst. The benefits may appear trivial, but
they will make a marked difference in a few lives, including our own.
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