Memorial of St Charles Borromeo

"Charles, of the noble family of Borromeo, was born at Milan.  In foretoken of his holy life, God caused a bright light to shine by night over the chamber where his mother lay in travail.  As soon as his age would allow him, he received the tonsure.  When he was twelve years old, he was made Abbot but reminded his father that the revenues thereof were not be used as mere family property.  His father, to whom the administration of these revenues fell during his son's non-age, still gave them forthwith over to him, and whatever was left over, he gave to the poor.  While he was young he studied letters at Pavia.  He kept his purity thoroughly, so that he scared away the unclean women, of whom many were set upon him, to overthrow his self-control.  In the twenty-third year of his age, his uncle, Pius IV, made him a Cardinal, in which dignity he was a burning and shining light of godliness and all graces before the whole of the Sacred College.  About forty days afterwards the same Pope created him Archbishop of Milan.  As such it was his great desire to order the Church committed to his charge in accordance with the requirements of the most holy Council of Trent, which was in great part by his labours brought to a conclusion.  To raise up the degraded lives of the people, he oftentimes held Synods, but himself set an example of deep godliness.  He worked earnestly to purge the parts about the Alps and borders of Switzerland of heresy, and brought many of the heretics to the Christian faith.

Charity was the brightest mark of his life.  His principality of Oria he sold for forty thousand crowns, and gave the whole sum to the poor in one day.  Twenty thousand crowns being left him as a legacy he gave the whole to the poor.  The incomes of the benefices wherewith he had been loaded by his uncle, he spent upon the needs of the poor, except what he used for himself.  When the plague grievously raged in Milan, he gave up to the sick poor the furniture of his own house, even to his own bedding, and thenceforward slept upon the boards.  He constantly visited the sick, cheered them by his fatherly kindness, and wonderfully comforted them, ministering to them with his own hands the Sacraments of the Church.  At the same time he drew near to plead for them with God in lowly entreaty, and ordered a public Procession wherein he walked himself carrying a Cross, with a rope halter round his neck, and his bare feet bleeding from the stones, and fain to turn away the Divine anger by offering himself as a scapegoat for the sins of his people.  He was a stout defender of the freedom of the Church.  But in the Church he was an earnest reformer of discipline, and once, when he was engaged in prayer, some conspirators took a shot at him with a blunderbuss, but, though the ball struck him, the power of God kept him unharmed.

He was remarkable for his abstinence.  He very often fasted upon nothing but bread and water, and sometimes nothing but lupines.  He tamed his body by depriving himself of sleep, by very rough haircloth, and by constant scourging.  He was an earnest practiser of lowliness and meekness.  However much he was taken up with business, he never gave himself relaxation from prayer and from preaching the word of God.  He built many churches, convents, and schools.  He wrote much matter, useful more especially for the good of Bishops.  The publication of the Parish Priests' Catechism was due to his care.  In October 1584, he withdrew himself, for the purpose of making a retreat, to the Sacro Monte of Varallo, an hill whereon the incidents of the Lord's sufferings are represented in life-size groups of coloured figures.  He was taken ill of an ague, and lived there for some days a life of torture by voluntary suffering, but of sweetness by thoughts of Christ's woes.  After his return to Milan, his sickness became hopeless, and early in the night between the 3rd and 4th days of November, in the 47th year of his own age, and in that of our Lord 1584, covered with ashes and sackcloth, and with his eyes fixed upon the image of Christ crucified, he exchanged earth for heaven.  He was famous for miracles, and Pope Paul V numbered him among the Saints."

-- From the Breviary of St Pius X (1955 ed)

** Painting by Giovanni Battista Crespi il Cerano

Memorial of St Charles Borromeo

"Saint Charles Borromeo (1538-1584) was born at the family castle at Arona in Lombardy of a noble family in the year 1538. He studied at the Benedictine abbey at Arona and later studied civil and canon law in Milan receiving his doctorate in 1559 at the age of 21. The same year his uncle was elected Pope Pius IV. He was made Secretary of State to the Pope. In 1562 he was instrumental in having Pius reconvene the Council of Trent. Charles played a leading role in guiding it and in fashioning the decrees of the third and last group of sessions. He was ordained a priest in 1563 and consecrated bishop of Milan the same year. Charles oversaw the catechism, missal and breviary called for by the Council of Trent and instituted radical reforms, despite great opposition and was even wounded by an assassin. But he was so successful, his diocese became a model see. He put into effect measures to improve the morals and manners of clergy and laity, established seminaries, and founded the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine for religious instruction of children. He increased assistance to the poor and needy and during his bishopric held eleven diocesan synods and six provincial councils. He helped mitigate the famine that struck Milan in 1570 by feeding three thousand people a day for months. When a plague struck Milan in 1576 Charles mobilized the clergy and religious to aid the stricken after the governor and other officials fled the city, and personally ministered to the afflicted. He was one of the towering figures of the Catholic Reformation, preaching against the heresies of Protestants all-the-while evidencing humility and personal sanctity in his efforts to reform the Church of the evils and abuses so prevalent among the clergy and nobles of the times. He died on November 3, 1584.

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I admit that we are all weak, but if we want help, the Lord God has given us the means to find it easily. One priest may wish to lead a good, holy life, as he knows he should. He may wish to be chaste and to reflect heavenly virtues in the way he lives. Yet he does not resolve to use suitable means, such as penance, prayer, the avoidance of evil discussions and harmful and dangerous friendships. Another priest complains that as soon as he comes into church to pray the office or to celebrate Mass, a thousand thoughts fill his mind and distract him from God. But what was he doing in the sacristy before he came out for the office or for Mass? How did he prepare? What means did he use to collect his thoughts and to remain recollected?

Would you like me to teach you how to grow from virtue to virtue and how, if you are already recollected at prayer, you can be even more attentive next time, and so give God more pleasing worship? Listen, and I will tell you. If a tiny spark of God's love already burns within you, do not expose it to the wind, for it may get blown out. Keep the stove tightly shut so that it will not lose its heat and grow cold. In other words, avoid distractions as well as you can. Stay quiet with God. Do not spend your time in useless chatter.

If teaching and preaching is your job, then study diligently and apply yourself to whatever is necessary for doing the job well. Be sure that you first preach by the way you live. If you do not, people will notice that you say one thing, but live otherwise, and your words will bring only cynical laughter and a derisive shake of the head.

Are you in charge of a parish? If so, do not neglect the parish of your own soul, do not give yourself to others so completely that you have nothing left for yourself. You have to be mindful of your people without becoming forgetful of yourself.

My brothers, you must realize that for us churchmen nothing is more necessary than meditation. We must meditate before, during and after everything we do. The prophet says: I will pray, and then I will understand. When you administer the sacraments, meditate on what you are doing. When you celebrate Mass, reflect on the sacrifice you are offering. When you pray the office, think about the words you are saying and the Lord to whom you are speaking. When you take care of your people, meditate on the Lord's blood that has washed them clean. In this way, all that you do becomes a work of love.

This is the way we can easily overcome the countless difficulties we have to face day after day, which after all, are part of our work: in meditation we find the strength to bring Christ to birth in ourselves and in other men."
 
-- From the Liturgy of the Hours