St. Charles Borromeo, bishop 

＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊

Romans 11: 29-36

 The call of God and his gifts cannot be nullified.

Through the disobedience of the Jews the mercy of God came to you who did not obey God. They, in turn, will receive mercy, in due time after this disobedience that brought God’s mercy to you.  So God has submitted all to disobedience, in order to show his mercy to all.

How deep are the riches, the wisdom and knowledge of God! His decisions can­not be explained, nor his ways un­derstood! Who has ever known God’s thoughts? Who has ever been his ad­­viser?  

Who has given him something first, so that God had to repay him?  For everything comes from him, has been made by him and has to return to him. To him be the glory for ever! Amen.

 

Ps   69   Lord, in your great love, answer me.

 

＊＊＊＊ Gospel ＊＊＊＊

Luke 14: 12-14

Jesus also addressed the man who had invited him and said, “When you give a lunch or a dinner, don’t invite your friends, or your brothers and relatives, or your  wealthy neighbors. For surely they will also invite you in return and you will be repaid.

When you give a feast, invite instead the poor, the crippled, the lame and the blind.  Fortunate are you then, because they can’t repay you; you will be repaid at the Resurrection of the upright.”

 

Gospel Reflection：

“WHEN YOU GIVE A FEAST, INVITE INSTEAD THE POOR, THE CRIPPLES, THE LAME AND THE BLIND.”

Wealth, power, and holiness are an awkward combination. But all these three are found in the life of St. Charles Borromeo.

St. Charles was born to a rich family in Italy on October 2, 1538. When his uncle rose to the papacy as Pius Ⅳ, he was made a cardinal and named archbishop of Milan while only 22 years old. Despite his youth, however, he lived with exemplary virtues. He instituted a program of discipline for the clergy, an initiative to propagate the faith, and a reform and restructuring of the missal and the Breviary. He also had schools, churches, and hospitals constructed in his diocese. He is remembered in history as the first bishop who built a seminary for the formation of the diocesan clergy. When a pandemic occurred in Milan in 1576-1578, he sold his possessions and some church properties to help the afflicted. From his hands, St. Aloysius Gonzaga received his First Communion.

Wealth and power need not be hindrances to holiness. They too can become our means if we are willing to make use of them for the glory of God. following the counsel of Jesus in the gospel can be a first step.