God Writes Straight with Crooked Lines. The Memorial of Saint Charles Borromeo, Bishop. Lessons from the primary feria for the Thirty-First Monday of Ordinary Time, according to the ordinary form of the Roman Rite: • Romans 11: 29-36. • Psalm 69: 30-31, 33-34, 36. • Luke 14: 12-14. …or, from the proper: • Romans 12: 3-13. • Psalm 89: 2-5, 21-22, 25, 27. • John 10: 11-16. …or, any lessons from the common of Pastors for a Bishop. The Third Class Feast of Saint Charles Borromeo, Bishop & Confessor; and, the Commemoration of Saints Vitalis & Agricola, Martyrs.* Lessons from the common "Státuit…" of a Confessor Bishop, according to the extraordinary form of the Roman Rite: • Ecclesiasticus 44: 16-27; 45: 3-20. • [Gradual] Ecclesiasticus 44: 16, 20. • Matthew 25: 14-23. If a Mass for the commemoration is taken, first lesson from the common "Salus autem…" for Many Martyrs, Gradual from the common "Sapiéntiam…" for Many Martyrs, & third lesson from the common "Sacerdótes Dei…" of a Martyr Bishop: • Hebrews 10: 32-38. • Psalm 123: 7-8. • Matthew 16: 24-27. FatherVenditti.com

9:41 AM 11/4/2019 — Today we observe the Memorial of Saint Charles Borromeo, who kind of started off on the wrong foot. Born in 1538, he rose through the ranks of the clergy very rapidly primarily because his uncle was Pope Pius IV; that was emblematic of the corruption that was rampant in the Church at the time. By the time he was twenty-two he was already a cardinal and his uncle’s Secretary of State, but he turned out to be very effective. When Saint Pius V became Pope and announced his determination two wipe out all the corruption at the Vatican and implement the reforms of the Council of Trent, he became the new Pope’s right-hand man, establishing the first modern seminaries for the training of priests, and the principle author of the Catechism of the Council of Trent. He went on to become Archbishop of Milan, where he built several houses for orphans and the poor, renewed the moral life of the clergy, and was regarded as a model pastor by none other than Saint Francis de Sales. He died in 1584 when he was only forty-six.      His life and work, which was so important to the Church at a crucial time, can be a vital lesson for us. You’ve heard the cliché that God writes straight with crooked lines. Charles Borromeo’s story is the perfect illustration of it. Maybe we’ve made bad decisions in our lives, or many bad things have happened to us; but, God can still take that and turn it into something good if we’re willing to cooperate with Him in grace.      Let’s ask Him, today, to grant us the grace to rise up above our mistakes and misfortunes and still make good use of us, as He made good use of this great saint. * During the reign of Emperor Diocletian, Agricola, servant of the nobleman Vitalis, suffered terrible tortures for his faith, praying all the while with great fortitude. His master, inspired by this example, converted at the sight, and they were crucified together in Balogna in 304.