St. Charles Borromeo

Fr. Scott Haynes

A Meditation for his Feast Day

November 4

St. Charles Borromeo was a perfect model of a watchful shepherd, a holy bishop who loved his people. He took every effort to drive away’ from his flock the heretics who sought to devour the faithful like ravenous wolves.

He preached in several churches, not only on Sundays and Feast-days, but also during the week. He admonished and instructed the people in their own houses, visited the sick and comforted the dying. He strove to uproot the bad customs which prevailed at the carnival.

He visited his entire diocese, accompanied by several priests. There was not a town or village to which he did not go. Everywhere he renewed the churches, preached, gave instructions, administered the holy Sacraments, and exhorted all to lead a Christian life.

None could understand how the holy Cardinal, whose health was delicate, could bear so much fatigue in traveling, without permitting heat or cold, snow or rain to prevent him. His apostolic zeal and untiring care for his beloved flock made all labor and hardship easy to him.

Ordained at age 25 during the Council of Trent he would be tasked with the writing of the Catechism of the Council of Trent, the basis of your Baltimore Catechsim. And it was Charles Boromeo who founded CCD, the Confraternity of Catholic Doctrine, through which millions have learned the faith solidly.

In 1575, when the pestilence ravaged Milan for several months St Charles showed his love for the sick. To save his life from the terrible disease, many people begged him to leave the city; but he could not be persuaded.

“A good shepherd,” said he, “gives his life for his sheep.”

Hence, he remained, and he assigned priests for every street, that no one might die without the holy Sacraments. He himself went into the houses of those stricken down, especially into those of the poor, heard their confession, administered the holy Sacraments to them and attended to their bodily comfort.

The number of poor, who came to him from other places for aid, was so great, that for want of money, he divided among them the provisions which had been stored away for his own use. He also sold his plate and the furniture of his house, and gave the money to the needy.

The hangings of the walls, the curtains of the windows, and even his own clothes were not spared: everything was given away to assist the poor. His own bed was carried into the hospital, and he took his short rest on some hard boards. These were surely proofs of his great love for his neighbor.

Further, the holy Cardinal ordered several penitential processions to avert the anger of God. He himself appeared in them, barefoot, with a heavy cross on his shoulders. He offered to the Almighty his own life, ready and willing to die for his sheep.

After the pestilence had disappeared, he gave due thanks to the Almighty and enjoined upon all to do the same. When some one justly praised his zeal, he said:

“I have only fulfilled the duties of a true shepherd towards his sheep.”

We should fill many pages were we to attempt to describe the devotion and virtues of this holy man

He possessed in an eminent degree the spirit of prayer and employed several hours of the day and of the night in contemplation. At the time of the “Forty hours’ devotion,” he more than once remained in church from early morning until evening. He fasted almost daily, and in the last years of his life, on water and bread. During the 40 days’ fast, he even abstained from bread, and ate only a few figs.

He always wore a rough hair-shirt and scourged himself mercilessly. He never warmed himself at the fire during the winter, and allowed himself very little time to sleep, constantly mortifying his body. But above all, how admirable were his heroic patience and fortitude under vicissitudes, his winning gentleness, his deep humility, and his perfection in other virtues! He, however, closed early a life so fruitful in good and great deeds.

St. Charles Borromeo instituted the Confraternity of the Rosary in his diocese and ordained that a solemn procession in honor of Mary, during which the Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary was sung, be held in every parish on the first Saturday of every month. One night he was saying his evening prayers and the holy rosary, when a scoundrel broke into his quarters and fired a shot at him from close range. At the sound of the shot, the prayer ceased.

Astonishment and terror seized those present, and although apparently mortally wounded, the saint smiled and calmly indicated to proceed with the prayers. At their conclusion, St. Charles Borromeo rose, and to his great surprise saw the bullet, which had barely ripped his outer garment, fall at his feet.

Although the Cardinal was still in his best years, he resigned himself to the will of the Almighty, when an inner voice told him that his death was near. He made a pilgrimage to Mount Varallo, where he spent 15 days in the spiritual exercises of St. Ignatius, under the direction of a priest of the Society of Jesus, whom he had chosen as his confessor.

He cleansed his soul, which had never been stained by a mortal sin, by a general confession. Feeling that he was attacked by the disease which he knew would release him from earth, he returned to Milan where he arrived on the second day of November.

On the third, he received the holy Sacraments with great devotion, and desiring to die like a penitent, he had himself laid upon haircloth strewed with ashes. Continually praying, he remained in this penitential position until the third hour after sundown, when, raising his eyes to the image of the Savior, he gave his soul to his Maker, in the 47th year of his life.

It would require a whole volume to relate all the miracles which the Almighty wrought to honor this untiring servant, as well during his life as after his death. The splendid example of his virtues is sufficient to merit our highest esteem. I will only add that the holy Cardinal, after his death, appeared to one of his friends, radiant with heavenly glory, and said:

“I am happy.”