Scriptual Commentary

32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time – Guided by Jesus

| Fr. William Smith

Center stained-glass window of St. Charles Borromeo parish
(About this Image)

The Church asks us to understand that Christ,
who came once in the flesh, is prepared to come again.
When we remove all obstacles to his presence he will come,
at any hour and moment, to dwell spiritually in our hearts,
bringing with him the riches of his grace.
(Pastoral Letter of St. Charles Borromeo )

Fr. Smith’s Commentary on the Second Reading
Thirty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time
2 Thessalonians 2:16–3:5
November 6, 2022

Last week, we began reading the “Second Letter to the Thessalonians” at Mass. This letter presents many complicated technical issues that may obscure a remarkably simple message about the afterlife, indeed, a very traditional one. Many Jews, most noticeably the Pharisees, believed that the Messiah would come, all the dead would rise from their graves and be divided between the good and bad. The 12 tribes of Israel would be restored and there would be an earthy reign of Justice. The early Church, most brilliantly but not exclusively St. Paul, adapted but did not fundamentally change this schema. Jesus would return, the dead would rise and be judged, but as he is more than the Messiah, all humanity would be brought into the kingdom which he would rule. Those who read this letter would have agreed with this. The problem was as Jesus has already been with us, why is he waiting so long to return and begin the kingdom and what are the consequences? A fuller account of this may be found in last week’s commentary.

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Homilies

Homily – 31st Sunday Ordinary Time (Fr. Smith)

| Fr. William Smith

The image of the Good Shepherd is universally beloved. Christians see Jesus seeking out a stray. This was the most popular statue of Jesus in the ancient world partially because Romans used the image of carrying a sheep for Apollo caring for his devotees. A Christian could go to a sculptor and ask for an Apollo with lamb without causing suspicion. Jews saw the dutiful Shepherd as a sign of divine rule and care as we know from the 23rd Psalm. Also, the prophet Ezekiel used the image of the bad shepherd as the ultimate condemnation of the leaders of Jerusalem. These are particularly powerful passages and many of Jesus’ original listeners would have thought they condemned Jesus for reaching out to Zacchaeus. Luke would have understood this feeling, used it and we can understand the power of this passage only if we do as well.

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Bulletin

All Saints/All Souls/St. Charles Week Schedule

| St. Charles Borromeo

Saturday, October 29

  • 5 PM – Novena to St. Charles Borromeo begins (via Zoom)

Sunday, 31st Sunday in Ordinary Time

  • 9 AM – Morning Mass
  • 10 AM – Family Faith Program
  • 11:15 AM – Community Mass
  • 5 PM – Novena to St. Charles Borromeo and Online Bible Study
  • 7 PM – Evening Mass

Monday

  • 8 AM – Morning Mass
  • 5 PM – Novena to St. Charles Borromeo and Rosary

Tuesday, All Saints Day – Holy Day of Obligation

  • 8 AM – Morning Mass
  • 12:10 PM – Weekday Mass
  • 5 PM – Novena to St. Charles Borromeo

Wednesday, All Souls’ Day

  • No food pantry; distribution occurs on alternating weeks
  • 12:10 PM – Weekday Mass
  • Following Mass, the church will be open for private prayer until 2 PM
  • 5 PM – Novena to St. Charles Borromeo and Rosary

Thursday, St. Martin de Porre

  • No food pantry; distribution occurs on alternating weeks
  • 12:10 PM – Weekday Mass
  • 5 PM – Novena to St. Charles Borromeo
  • 7 PM – Brownstone Brooklyn & Beyond book group

Friday, St. Charles Borromeo (to be observed in our parish on Sunday)

  • 12:10 PM – Mass
  • 5 PM – Novena to St. Charles Borromeo and Evening Prayer

Saturday

  • Weekly email, including Fr. Bill’s commentary on the readings

Sunday, November 6:  St. Charles Borromeo patronal feast day observed

  • 9 AM – Morning Mass
  • 10 AM – Family Faith Program
  • 11:15 AM – Community Mass
  • 7 PM – Evening Mass
Events, Videos

Community Mass – 31st Sunday Ordinary Time

| St. Charles Borromeo

On Sunday October 30, 2022, join us in person or online for the 31st Sunday in Ordinary Time.

Our current Sunday Mass times are:

The readings will be from Cycle C.

Entrance: All Creatures of Our God and King – 611

Readings/Psalm – 1184

Offertory: How Great Thou Art – 578

Communion: Christ, Be Our Light – 590

Closing: All the Ends of the Earth – 70

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 .

Bulletin

Changes to Mass Protocols Starting Next Week

| St. Charles Borromeo

Last week, the diocese issued updated guidance to churches throughout Brooklyn and Queens that lifts most of the remaining COVID restrictions introduced when churches were first re-opened in Summer of 2020.

We have reviewed the guidance and will be making the following changes at St. Charles Borromeo starting next Sunday, November 6:

  • Masks will no longer be required at the 9 AM Mass – A main reason that we kept this restriction when we last updated our guidance this spring was that many young children who were not yet eligible to be vaccinated attend this Mass. Since then, a COVID vaccine was made available for children six months and older. We will now join others, including the New York City schools, in lifting the mask mandate. While masks will not longer be obligatory, some people may choose to wear masks and that is to be respected. The coronavirus pandemic is not over even if the threat is better understood and there are more vaccines and treatments available. 
  • Masks will no longer be required for Communion – Masks will still be available at the back of the church, but we will not have ushers stationed near the front of the communion line handing out masks.
  • We will resume the offertory procession of gifts – We will resume having parishioners bring the bread and wine to the altar when the offertory gifts are presented. At the 9 AM Mass, this, like the offertory collection, has been traditionally handled by the children of the parish. At our other Masses, we invite the family requesting the Mass intention or other parishioners to bring up the gifts. If you are able to assist, please mention it to an usher before Mass.
  • Holy Water fonts – We plan to resume filling the Holy Water fonts at the church entrances. The timing of this is not yet set since it depends on having sufficient volunteers to regularly clean and refill the fonts. In the interim, we remind you that the font in front of the altar dispenses Holy Water.

The diocese guidance does not allow for Holy Communion under both species, so we will continue our current practice of only offering the Precious Body (and not the Precious Blood) at communion.

Bulletin

Novena to St. Charles Starts Today

| St. Charles Borromeo

The Memorial of St. Charles Borromeo is next Friday, November 4. We will observe it as a parish next Sunday, November 6.

In preparation, we are hosting a novena, which begins today and ends on November 6. The novena will be held on Zoom, not in the Church, and will take just a few minutes each day, starting at 5 PM, during the 9-day time period. On the days when we have Rosary, Vespers or Bible Study, the Novena prayers will be said first and will be followed by the regularly-scheduled prayers.

The prayers for the novena are available here. There will be no Zoom meeting next Saturday (Day 8). You should pray that day’s short prayer on your own.

Don’t worry if you can’t make all nine days. Join in whenever you wish to pray to St. Charles Borromeo, the patron saint of learning, the arts, and of catechists.