Scriptual Commentary

4th Sunday in Ordinary Time – Boasting in the Lord

| Fr. William Smith

The Beatitudes Sermon, James Tissot
c. 1890, Brooklyn Museum

When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain,
and after he had sat down, his disciples came to him.
He began to teach them, saying:
“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
(Matthew 5:1–3)

Fr. Smith’s Commentary on the Second Reading
Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time
1 Corinthians 1:26–31
January 29, 2023

Last week’s reading ended with Paul saying that he did not preach the gospel with the wisdom of human eloquence “so that the cross of Christ might not be emptied of its meaning”. (1 Co 1:17) By human eloquence he meant the techniques of classical rhetoric that were considered the marks of education, breeding and intelligence. He thought that these bells and whistles might distract from the meaning. We see that today with preachers who are better versed in marketing conventions than scripture. Paul sees that the cross destroys all pretense and continues with:

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Bulletin

Homily – 3rd Sunday Ordinary Time (Fr. Smith)

| Fr. William Smith

Long quotes from the Old Testament , like the one which opens today’s Gospel, are not the most exciting passages in the scriptures. They may be important for scholars, but do not engage the common believer. Yet we ignore any passage of scripture at our peril. The Gospels, in particular, are written with great economy and every word is meaningful. This passage is important for understanding Jesus’s intentions and illuminates this week’s special celebration.

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Events, Videos

Community Mass – 3rd Sunday Ordinary Time (Word of God Sunday)

| St. Charles Borromeo

On Sunday, January 22, 2023, join us in person or online for the 3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, which Pope Francis has designated as the Sunday of the Word of God. Our newest young member of our parish will be baptized at the 11:15 AM Community Mass.

Our current Sunday Mass times are:

Today’s readings will be from Cycle A.

Entrance: Boundless Love – 700

Readings/Psalm – 1098

Offertory: Lord, When You Came – 781

Communion: Christ, Be Our Light! – 590

Closing: How Can I Keep from Singing? – 685

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

3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time – Becoming Closer to Christ and Each Other

| Fr. William Smith

Calling of Saints Peter and Andrew, Caravaggio
c. 1603 – 1606, Hampton Court Palace


He said to them,
“Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
At once they left their nets and followed him.
(Matthew 4:19–20)

Fr. Smith’s Commentary on the Second Reading
Third Sunday in Ordinary Time
1 Corinthians 1:10–13, 17
January 21, 2023

In a previous assignment, I sent a group of parishioners to a leaders’ meeting to organize for a neighborhood initiative. When the time came to energy where they were from, they called out “Father Smith’s Church.” A Baptist minister who was present, a wise man and good friend, called me that night. He said that in his experience this was a sign of admiration and affection but also presented grave dangers. When a church becomes overidentified with any human being, it is in danger of losing sight of both Jesus and neighbor and is an invitation to factionalism. I addressed it with several homilies at Mass but not, alas, with the reading today. Human beings need affirmation and recognition, but Paul is reminding both leaders and followers that for Christians that can only come by putting Jesus first. Everything and everyone else are secondary.

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Homilies

Homily – 2nd Sunday Ordinary Time (Fr. Smith)

| Fr. William Smith

Jesus was a member of a circle of young men around John the Baptist.  Men in groups tend to be very close and marked by the rivalry to be closest to the leader. I imagine the others first thought with today’s reading was “Why Him” and their second “What does the Lamb of God mean”? These are good questions for this weekend, and we will start with the second one.

A Lamb was a powerful symbol for Jews. It connected them to the exodus. In the exodus, God led the Israelites through the desert to the promised land, but it began with the Passover meal while still in captivity in Egypt. Jews celebrate the Passover meal every year and it requires a lamb. As they were now under roman domination many Jews felt that they needed a new exodus. But they wanted a lion: a general or a king who would throw off their captors. But this would be a single victory, there would always be a need for another. Jesus, the lamb, will not improve the world, he will change existence.

Lambs were also the sacrifice of choice in the temple. It was how the covenant between God and the Jewish People was proclaimed and maintained. If made with the right intention these animal sacrifices could show that God had forgiven an individual or group. Yet the idea that a person could be sacrificed for the covenant was never explicitly held in Judaism. That Jesus – the lamb – would take away the sin of the world, would be bewildering. His listeners would know that it was connected to the covenant and forgiveness but not how.

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