Memorial of St. Charles Borromeo, Bishop

Today's Mass Readings

 

Seminarians of Conception Seminary College are our daily reflection writers for the first half of November. Every day will feature a reflection from a different seminarian. This is an opportunity for our seminarians to put their education into practice and connect with the people of God in a pastoral way.


Today we celebrate the memorial of St. Charles Borromeo, who was instrumental in the development of modern seminaries. His work with Pope St. Pius V during the Council of Trent brought much-needed reformation to the Church as a whole. Diligently, St. Charles sought to bring structure and order to the Catholic Church. St. Charles means a great deal to me as a seminarian because his work in creating seminaries resonates to the present day. I am so blessed to be able to pray, learn, and discern at an institution that specifically exists for my growth in holiness.

St. Charles Borromeo reflects very well what we hear in the first reading today. He was a man who constantly sought the will of God, and he allowed God to use him as an instrument to bring greater unity to the Church. He lived fully for God and desired to fully belong to God. Because he responded to God’s grace and worked hard to form future priests of Jesus Christ, it is no wonder that he is the patron saint of seminarians. Today, let us follow the example of St. Charles Borromeo in living fully for God so that His grace may bring about much fruit in this world, and in the world to come.

Reflection by Noah Huddleston, seminarian
Diocese of Grand Island