Your
beauty... should be that of your inner self,
the unfading beauty of a
gentle and quiet spirit,
which is of great
worth in God's sight. ~ I Peter 3: 3,4
“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.”
St. Charles Borromeo
Italy ~
1534-1584
Archbishop of Milan,
Cardinal
Towering figure of the
Catholic Reformation
Key player - Council of Trent
Lived life of great humility and austerity,
always striving for holiness
Key player - Council of Trent
Lived life of great humility and austerity,
always striving for holiness
Patron saint of catechists
and seminarians
FEAST DAY -
November 4
St Charles Borromeo
offers some wise and beautiful words to Seminarians and Priests (and others can
'listen in' and merit too):
"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 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." (Office of
Readings
St. Charles Borromeo, pray for
us!
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