Author: St. Charles Borromeo

Messages from the Pastor

Fr. Smith’s Commentary on the Second Reading – “See How These Christians Love One Another”

| St. Charles Borromeo

Sixth Sunday of Easter
May 17, 2020
1 Peter 3:15–18

Lucian of Samosata was a Roman Satirist who flourished around 180 AD. He would be a combination of Jay Leno and P.G. Woodhouse. He is mostly remembered now because of his satirical portrait of Christians and writing the first known work of Science Fiction. He thought that because Christians believed that, through the resurrection they had a literally new life both now and in heaven, they were extremely reckless and incurably gullible. The Christian would accept death rather than offering a bit of incense up to the gods but also would care for just about anyone without the simplest background check. His “Passing of Peregrinus” is still, I must admit, funny. He, quite possibly, coined the expression “See how these Christians love one another.”

It was not a compliment. Continue reading “Fr. Smith’s Commentary on the Second Reading – “See How These Christians Love One Another”” →

Homilies, Videos

5th Sunday of Easter – Homily (Msgr. LoPinto) 

| St. Charles Borromeo

As we come to this fifth Sunday of Easter, we again find ourselves with the Lord and the disciples in the evening of the Last Supper, as recorded for us by John.  And there is a dynamic that’s going on here: Jesus is speaking to the disciples and knows what will occur as the evening transgresses, and knows that they will all be very disturbed in the sense of frightened and anxious.  And so He opens with the words, “Do not let your hearts be troubled,” and invites them to faith.

And it’s interesting as you progress in the presentation – literally the discourse of Jesus – you find that there are different elements. In one case, Jesus is telling them that he’s going, and they want to know where are you going. They’re not familiar with that. In Jesus comes with that very beautiful line:”I am the way, and the truth, and the life,” then He goes on and talks about His identity.  This is a critical part of the presentation, for Jesus basically is announcing to them the intimacy that is there between Himself and the Father. Continue reading “5th Sunday of Easter – Homily (Msgr. LoPinto) “ →

Messages from the Pastor

Fr. Smith’s Commentary on the Second Reading

| St. Charles Borromeo

Fifth Sunday of Easter
1 Peter 2:4–9
May 10, 2020

In today’s reading St Peter says “let yourselves be built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. (1 Pt. 2:5). We, who are accustomed to using Priest only for those ordained, may find this curious to say the least. The original hearers would have as well and for the same reason. We are all gentiles and to understand this passage we need to first comprehend the Jewish idea of covenant.

A covenant is an agreement that is more than a contract. It is a pledge to share life. A tribe would make a covenant with a King for protection or a nomadic chieftain with a landowner for grazing land. These were both life and death issues and the covenant was sealed by a meal to show its seriousness. An animal was sacrificed, and the parties ate it to share that life. Covenants require priests and the person who offered the sacrifice and recited the terms of the agreement acted as a priest. The nature of the priesthood depends upon the covenant. Uniquely, the Hebrews showed their fidelity to their covenant not only or even principally by offering sacrifices and gifts, but rather by adopting a way of life. Thus, obeying the law was the principal sacrifice. Continue reading “Fr. Smith’s Commentary on the Second Reading” →