Scriptual Commentary

1st Sunday of Lent – Committing to the Lord

| Fr. William Smith

Christ in the Wilderness, Ivan Kramskoi, 1872 (Tretyakov Gallery)

 At that time Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert
to be tempted by the devil.
He fasted for forty days and forty nights,
and afterwards he was hungry.
(Matthew 4:1–2)

Fr. Smith’s Commentary on the Second Reading
First Sunday of Lent
Romans 5:12–19
February 26, 2023

The Sunday Mass readings are organized in a 3-year cycle. During “Ordinary Time” the weeks of the year in which the priests’ vestments are green, the first reading is from the Old Testament and is chosen to reflect the Gospel. The second reading, usually from St. Paul, is on a separate theme. During other times, all three readings are chosen to reflect a single theme.

We discussed the letter to the Romans during the summer of 2020. It was at the height of COVID-19 and the Black Lives Matter movement. This Lent, we will read from Romans this week and then again the weekends of March 12 and 26. We will need to ask not only what the passages mean, but why they have been chosen to be read on these days.

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Homilies

Homily – 7th Sunday Ordinary Time (Fr. Smith)

| Fr. William Smith

We might first think that seeking to be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect is designed to frustrate us. How is that possible? The Father is God and without flaw or weakness. Another reaction might be relief. If perfection means doing all things well then it is clearly impossible for us and the Sermon on the Mount with its strange blessings and bewildering reversals of expectations contains just suggestions and perhaps a prospectus for the hereafter but is not meant to be seriously attempted.

 In both cases, we should pause for a moment. The good news of Jesus is for our own good both as a community and as individuals here and now. When I find that any part of the gospel seems irrelevant, I assume that I must dig deeper to understand. This is a great example. Translating the Greek word telos as perfect is not completely wrong but it is inadequate. It is better understood as “complete” or “whole“. The Father’s perfection is that he cares for all people, the whole of humanity. Our perfection must be the same, to love everyone. The two sections from the Sermon on the Mount which we read today are the most difficult but reveal why this is most necessary for individual completeness but more importantly for that of the church.

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Funeral

In Memoriam: Blanca Leonor Anchundia

| St. Charles Borromeo

Blanca Leonor Anchundia, the mother of Blanca Anchundia-Toala, our parish secretary, died last week in Ecuador. The funeral will be this Saturday, February 25 in our parish:

  • Viewing: 3 PM at the church (19 Sidney Place);
  • Mass: 4 PM at the church; and
  • Repass: held at the rectory (31 Sidney Place) following the Mass.

Eternal rest grant onto her, O Lord,
and let perpetual light shine upon her

Events, Videos

Community Mass – 7th Sunday Ordinary Time

| St. Charles Borromeo


On Sunday, February 19, 2023, join us in person or online for the 6th Sunday in Ordinary Time.

Our current Sunday Mass times are:

  • 9 AM ET – Morning Mass
  • 11:15 AM ET – Community Mass
  • 7:00 PM ET – Evening Mass

Watch the video live by clicking in the window above.
Automated closed captioning is available.
Subscribe to our YouTube channel stcharlesbklyn at this link to watch on your Internet enabled TV or viewing device.

Today’s readings will be from Cycle A.

Readings/Psalm – 1110

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

Seventh Sunday of Ordinary Time – Being a Temple of the Spirit

| Fr. William Smith

The Sermon on the Mount, Carl Bloch, 1877,
Museum of National History (Denmark)

You have heard that it was said,
An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.
But I say to you, offer no resistance to one who is evil.
When someone strikes you on your right cheek,
turn the other one as well.
(Matthew 5:38–39)

Fr. Smith’s Commentary on the Second Reading
Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time
1 Corinthians 3:16–23 (with reference to 1 Cor 3:1–3:9)
February 19, 2023

We will conclude our examination of the opening section of Paul’s “First Letter to the Corinthians” today. It is a Christian essential because it reveals the social consequences of accepting Jesus. A Christian has accepted Jesus and more specifically Jesus as the crucified Lord only when he has changed his or her entire life. This as we have seen includes what and who we deem important in our daily lives. By this point an honest reader will acknowledge that he or she may have accepted the doctrines but not the consequences. He will address that today. We will need however to look at several verses before the ones chosen for today’s readings.

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