Date04/11/2025 Memorial of Saint Charles Borromeo, Bishop
A reading from the Letter of St. Paul to the Romans
12:5-16ab
Brothers and sisters:
We, though many, are one Body in Christ
and individually parts of one another.
Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us,
let us exercise them:
if prophecy, in proportion to the faith;
if ministry, in ministering;
if one is a teacher, in teaching;
if one exhorts, in exhortation;
if one contributes, in generosity;
if one is over others, with diligence;
if one does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.
Let love be sincere;
hate what is evil,
hold on to what is good;
love one another with mutual affection;
anticipate one another in showing honor.
Do not grow slack in zeal,
be fervent in spirit,
serve the Lord.
Rejoice in hope,
endure in affliction,
persevere in prayer.
Contribute to the needs of the holy ones,
exercise hospitality.
Bless those who persecute you,
bless and do not curse them.
Rejoice with those who rejoice,
weep with those who weep.
Have the same regard for one another;
do not be haughty but associate with the lowly.
From the Gospel according to Luke
14:15-24
One of those at table with Jesus said to him,
"Blessed is the one who will dine in the Kingdom of God."
He replied to him,
"A man gave a great dinner to which he invited many.
When the time for the dinner came,
he dispatched his servant to say to those invited,
'Come, everything is now ready.'
But one by one, they all began to excuse themselves.
The first said to him,
'I have purchased a field and must go to examine it;
I ask you, consider me excused.'
And another said, 'I have purchased five yoke of oxen
and am on my way to evaluate them;
I ask you, consider me excused.'
And another said, 'I have just married a woman,
and therefore I cannot come.'
The servant went and reported this to his master.
Then the master of the house in a rage commanded his servant,
'Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town
and bring in here the poor and the crippled, the blind and the lame.'
The servant reported, 'Sir, your orders have been carried out
and still there is room.'
The master then ordered the servant,
'Go out to the highways and hedgerows
and make people come in that my home may be filled.
For, I tell you, none of those men who were invited will taste my dinner.'"
A Christian is one who is invited to join in the feast, to the joy of being saved, to the joy of being redeemed, to the joy of sharing life with Christ. This is a joy! You are called to a party! A feast is a gathering of people who talk, laugh, celebrate, are happy together. I have never seen anyone party on their own. That would be boring, no? Opening the bottle of wine . . . That’s not a feast, it’s something else. You have to party with others, with the family, with friends, with those who’ve been invited, as I was invited. The Church is for everyone, beginning with those most marginalized. It is everyone’s Church! The Lord is very generous. The Lord opens all doors. The Lord also understands those who say to Him, ‘No, Lord, I don’t want to go to you.’ He understands and is waiting for them, because He is merciful. But the Lord does not like those who say ‘yes’ and do the opposite; who pretend to thank Him for all the good things; who have good manners, but go their own way and do not follow the way of the Lord. (Pope Francis, Santa Marta, 5 November 2013)
Source: Christian Art
Gospel of 4 November 2025
John 10:11-16
At that time: Jesus said, 'I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.'
Reflection on the painting
Today we celebrate Saint Charles Borromeo (1538-1584), Archbishop of Milan and Cardinal. Alongside St Ignatius of Loyola and St Philip Neri, he was a key figure in the Counter-Reformation, working to address the challenges posed by the Protestant Reformation. As part of this mission, Charles spearheaded major reforms within the Catholic Church, including the establishment of seminaries dedicated to the education and formation of priests. His deep appreciation for the arts led him to use beauty as a powerful tool for evangelisation, in response against the Reformation.
The Reformation, particularly in its more radical branches, moved away from the use of religious art. Protestant reformers like Martin Luther and especially John Calvin were critical of the Catholic Church's emphasis on religious images and the veneration of saints. They believed that such practices could lead to idolatry and distract from the direct worship of God. As a result, many Protestant churches removed religious art from their spaces, stripping their interiors of paintings, statues, and other iconography that were common in Catholic worship. This shift was especially evident in Calvinist regions, where iconoclasm (the deliberate destruction of religious imagery) became widespread, as they sought to purify the church of any perceived misuse of images.
In response, the Catholic Church, as part of the Counter-Reformation, not only retained its use of religious art but elevated its importance. The Council of Trent (1545-1563) affirmed the value of sacred art as a means to inspire devotion, educate the faithful, and glorify God. Charles Borromeo was at the forefront of viewing art as a powerful tool for promoting the faith, and helped give birth to the whole era of Baroque art. He insisted though that that sacred art must be clear, emotionally engaging, and theologically sound. Art yes, could moved heart, but ultimately it also had to instruct the mind. His writings and pastoral directives encouraged artists to create works that inspired devotion and drew the viewer into prayer. His vision laid the foundation for what became the Baroque aesthetic: dramatic compositions, rich light, and intense emotional realism, all directed toward awakening faith.
Painters like Caravaggio, Rubens, and Bernini's sculptures in marble embodied Borromeo's ideal: art as catechesis through beauty, leading the soul to encounter the divine. In many ways, the grandeur and emotional power of Baroque art can be seen as the visual flowering of Charles Borromeo's writings: his conviction that beauty must work in service of the Gospel.
LINKS
Gospel in Art: https://christian.art/
Today's Reflection: https://christian.art/daily-gospel-reading/john-10-11-16-2025/
Comments
Post a Comment