>>> St CHARLES BORROMEO – Pray for Us!
BE WISE FOR THE THINGS ETERNAL
Introduction
Today’s saint, Charles Borromeo (1538-1584), embodies the renewal of the Church. Though through the abuses of his time, he became, as nephew of the Pope, a cardinal, secretary of State and archbishop of Milan, all at the age of 22, he was capable and not a part of any corruption. He played an important role in the final stages of the Council of Trent. Finally residing in Milan, he put the renewal of the Church mandated by the Council into practice by reforming diocesan structures, founding seminaries, doing pastoral visitation, giving away everything he had, including his beddings during an epidemic of pestilence. He died at the age of 46, consumed with the love and zeal of Christ.
Opening Prayer
Lord our God,
as Christians we need to be marked,
like St. Charles Borromeo,
with the life and death of your Son.
Give us the strength to renew ourselves,
that you may write straight
with the crooked lines of our lives
and make us instruments of your love
and witnesses to the Gospel
of Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen!
1 Reading PHILIPPIANS 3:17—4:1
Join with others in being imitators of me, brothers and sisters, and observe those who thus conduct themselves according to the model you have in us. For many, as I have often told you and now tell you even in tears, conduct themselves as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction. Their God is their stomach; their glory is in their “shame.” Their minds are occupied with earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we also await a savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. He will change our lowly body to conform with his glorified Body by the power that enables him also to bring all things into subjection to himself. Therefore, my brothers and sisters, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, in this way stand firm in the Lord, beloved.
Responsorial PSALM 122:1-2, 3-4ab, 4cd-5
R/ Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
I rejoiced because they said to me,
“We will go up to the house of the LORD.”
And now we have set foot
within your gates, O Jerusalem. R.
.
Jerusalem, built as a city
with compact unity.
To it the tribes go up,
the tribes of the LORD. R.
According to the decree for Israel,
to give thanks to the name of the LORD.
In it are set up judgment seats,
seats for the house of David. R.
Alleluia 1 JOHN 2:5
Alleluia, alleluia.
Whoever keeps the word of Christ,
the love of God is truly perfected in him.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel LUKE 16:1-8
Jesus said to his disciples, “A rich man had a steward who was reported to him for squandering his property. He summoned him and said, ‘What is this I hear about you? Prepare a full account of your stewardship, because you can no longer be my steward.’ The steward said to himself, ‘What shall I do, now that my master is taking the position of steward away from me? I am not strong enough to dig and I am ashamed to beg. I know what I shall do so that, when I am removed from the stewardship, they may welcome me into their homes.’ He called in his master’s debtors one by one. To the first he said, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ He replied, ‘One hundred measures of olive oil.’ He said to him, ‘Here is your promissory note. Sit down and quickly write one for fifty.’ Then to another he said, ‘And you, how much do you owe?’ He replied, ‘One hundred measures of wheat.’ He said to him, ‘Here is your promissory note; write one for eighty.’ And the master commended that dishonest steward for acting prudently. For the children of this world are more prudent in dealing with their own generation than the children of light.”
Commentary
Being Astute
The parable of the rich man and the steward has perplexed many Christians. Is Jesus recommending dishonest practices? Of course not. We must note that the protagonists in Jesus’ parables generally represent God or Christ himself. However, in this parable, none of the characters represents God or Christ. Both the rich man and the steward are unsavory people, their actions not worth imitating. Yet, we can still learn something from them! Jesus is using the parable only to teach his disciples as to the astuteness with which the “people of the world” approach their worldly affairs and to reflect aloud as to the need for approaching heavenly affairs with greater astuteness. If we so care for acceptance in this world that we go any length to ensure it, how much more should we care about acceptance in the world to come, and order our lives accordingly!
Intercessions
– For the Church, that it may be a serving Church and a Church of the poor, bearing witness to God’s gratuitousness as a living parable of sharing, we pray:
– For those in positions of responsibility in politics, finances and the economy, that honesty, justice and concern for the good of all may guide their decisions and actions, we pray:
– For those who live by the work of their hands, that people may recognize their dignity and the service they render to all, we pray:
Prayer over the Gifts
Lord our God,
you have made us responsible in your Church
for the lasting happiness of our neighbor.
Accept this bread and this wine
as signs that we want to share
our faith, our hope, our joy,
our time and our concern
with all those who need us and whom we need.
Give us this strength by the body and blood
of Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen!
Prayer after Communion
Lord our God,
you have nourished us in this Eucharist
with Jesus, your Son.
Give to your Church shepherds
like St. Charles Borromeo,
who nourish those entrusted to them
with the gift of themselves,
who know their people and who are known by them.
Inspire and lead them with the good Spirit
of Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen!
Blessing
God has entrusted much to us to be thankful for: our talents, our friends and relatives, other people, even nature. Let us care for everything entrusted to us. May Almighty God bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen!