From a Pastoral Letter by St Charles Borromeo (1561)
Saint Charles Borromeo (1538-1584) is considered the greatest saint of the Counter-Reformation. At the age of 24, he himself organized the third and last session of the Council of Trent (1562-63). Ordained a priest and consecrated a bishop only three months later, his pastoral letter on the season of Advent is offered in the Office of Readings during the Liturgy of the Hours, every Monday after the First Sunday of Advent. He writes: “Beloved, now is the acceptable time spoken of by the Spirit, the day of salvation, peace, and reconciliation: the great season of Advent. This is the time eagerly awaited by the patriarchs and prophets, the time that holy Simeon rejoiced at last to see. This is the season that the Church has always celebrated with special solemnity. We too should always observe it with faith and love, offering praise and thanksgiving to the Father for the mercy and love he has shown us in this mystery.
“In his infinite love for us, though we were sinners, he sent his only Son to free us from the tyranny of Satan, to summon us to heaven, to welcome us into its innermost recesses, to show us truth itself, to train us in right conduct, to plant within us the seeds of virtue, to enrich us with the treasures of his grace, and to make us children of God and heirs of eternal life.
“Each year, as the Church recalls this mystery, she urges us to renew the memory of the great love God has shown us. This holy season teaches us that Christ’s coming was not only for the benefit of his contemporaries; his power has still to be communicated to us all. We shall share his power, if, through holy faith and the sacraments, we willingly accept the grace Christ earned for us, and live by that grace and in obedience to Christ. The Church asks us to understand that Christ, who came once in the flesh, is prepared to come again. When we remove all obstacles to his presence he will come, at any hour and moment, to dwell spiritually in our hearts, bringing with him the riches of his grace.
“In her concern for our salvation, our loving mother the Church uses this holy season to teach us through hymns, canticles, and other forms of expression, of voice or ritual, used by the Holy Spirit. She shows us how grateful we should be for so great a blessing, and how to gain its benefit: our hearts should be as much prepared for the coming of Christ as if he were still to come into this world.”
We celebrate his historical coming in the flesh every Christmas, and anticipate his Second Coming at the end of time, but how insightful St. Charles’ young mind was to remind us that when we remove all obstacles to Jesus’ presence, “he will come, at any hour and moment to dwell spiritually in our hearts, bringing with him the riches of his grace.” As I ponder those obstacles I permit to stand in the way of Christ’s coming to dwell spiritually in my own heart at times, I invite all of us to ponder the same throughout this season of Advent.
Fr. Terry