Liturgy of the Hours for November 04
About Today for St. Charles Borromeo, B
Please Note
This is the Liturgy of the Hours for November 04. Your local date is .
November 4
Saint Charles Borromeo, Bishop
Memorial
“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 that you do becomes a work of love.”[1]
Charles Borromeo was the Archbishop of Milan and a Papal Secretary of State in the 16th century. He was born in 1538 to one of the most wealthy and notable families in Lombardy. He studied civil and canon law at the University of Pavia, where he graduated with high honors. When Borromeo was 22 years old, his uncle Pius IV, made him a cardinal. Borromeo attended the Council of Trent. When he became Bishop of Milan in 1564, he undertook reforming his vast archdiocese. He focused on the morals of the clergy and laity, diocesan effectiveness, and educational programs. He founded seminaries and a Confraternity of Christian Doctrine to educate children. He supported the Counter-Reformation. In 1576, during the bubonic plague, Borromeo worked tirelessly for the poor and dying. He established hospitals, buried the dead, and was a constant source of spiritual support. He died in 1584 and was canonized in 1610. St. Charles Borromeo is the patron saint of seminarians, spiritual directors and religious leaders.[2][3]
Written by Sarah Ciotti
Reviewed by Fr. Hugh Feiss, OSB, STD
[1] Charles Borromeo, “Practice what you preach,” in The Liturgy of the Hours, ed. English Translation prepared by the International Commission on English in the Liturgy, (New York: Catholic Book Publishing Corp, 1975), 1544-1545.
[2] Benedict XVI, Angelus, 4 November 2007, www.vatican.va
[3] F.L. Cross and E.A. Livingstone, The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church (London: Oxford University Press, 1974), 270.
Personal Reflections
The Faith Journey of our Community
sdlup97 on November 4th, 2023 at 4:44
sdlup97 on About Today for St. Charles Borromeo, B on November 4th, 2023 at 4:27seanmoylantd on November 4th, 2023 at 1:50
St Charles BorromeoContribute to DivineOffice.org
Your contribution ensures this site will be around to serve thousands who use it daily to pray.
Contribute Monthly
A monthly recurring payment is not required, but your support ensures this site will be around to serve thousands who use it daily to pray. You can select the amount of your monthly contribution below, or you can select "custom amount" and set it in the next page.
Contribute One-Time
If you prefer not to commit to a monthly contribution right now, please consider a one-time contribution. You will be able to set any amount in the next page.
Having trouble with this form?
You can also contribute through PayPal from this page, or you can mail a check.
Divine Office Blog
News and Updates from our ministry
Mauro on October 11th, 2024at 7:20
Thank you everyone for your feedback, it allowed us to see what needs to be fixed or changed. We recently became aware, thanks to feedback from our visually impaired users, that zooming in on a... Continue reading
Login to like (4)Mauro on September 19th, 2024at 6:21
“For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” — Matthew 18:20 Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, We are happy to announce new features... Continue reading
Login to like (10)Mauro on August 6th, 2024at 7:36
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, Today, we celebrate a remarkable milestone in our journey of faith and devotion. On August 6th, 2006, our very first Catholic website and podcast series went live. Eighteen years... Continue reading
Login to like (21)Monica on June 13th, 2024at 9:19
Dear Community, The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) is set to gather on June 12-14 for their Spring Plenary Assembly, where they will vote on, among other things, the texts to be included... Continue reading
Login to like (54)Get the DivineOffice App!
Pray always and everywhere with our Award-Winning Liturgy of the Hours app for iPhone, iPad, Android and Kindle Fire. NOW FREE!
Ratings and Reviews
Our DivineOffice app is rated 4.9 out of 5, based on over 2,400 ratings and won the About.com Best Catholic App Award for 3 years in a row.
Recommended Books
Support us by starting your amazon shopping by clicking on this link.
Pray anywhere
I have prayed the Divine Office for many years. [...] When I discovered this app, all of my concerns of ribbon placement were gone. Having the Divine Office on my phone is absolutely the best thing ever! The sense of community is so wonderful as I see how many others are praying at the same time as myself. [...] Now I don’t need to turn a lamp on as I use to when I used the Office printed volumes. It is such a blessing to have the Divine Office in my pocket. Many times I’ve been sitting in a doctor’s waiting room at the time of Mid Morning prayer. It is so calming of any worries to pull out my phone, open the app, and be able to connect with Our Lord at those times I need Him most. I don’t use the audio version much but the few times I’ve traveled, it is so comforting to not have to skip the Office in order to keep my hands on the steering wheel and my eyes in the road. I recommend this app to friends all the time, especially to those who’d like to pray the Office but feel intimidated by the size of the printed version and getting the ribbons placed properly. Thank you for developing this app. It is my constant companion.
SheezyOCon October 13, 2021
Super helpful
I have only been introduced to the divine office prayers two times before I downloaded this app. It is laid out in a way that is very easy to understand, and there is an audio option that will say all of the prayers. There is an option to set reminders throughout the day. I got this because, I didn’t really know how to say the divine office, and I didn’t know what prayer books I needed to purchase to begin. During the shutting down of churches for covid :( this has been a wonderful resource. One cool feature is that you can tap on the “in prayer” link and see little specks of light around the globe lighting up in the area that someone else is praying. It’s so cool to see everyone praying with you and is a powerful reminder that we are all connected and unified in Christ’s mystical body.
tori6543588on May 5, 2020
Praying with the whole Church
I love this app! Since it is now free and no longer for sale, I made sure to donate the price of buying it, and then some. I have loved the Liturgy of the Hours for 25 years. But I always felt alone when I prayed it. With this app, I am connected to others! I use it in conjunction with my printed Christian Prayer volume. On other days, I cannot get to my book but with the app, I always have the prayers available. I have the printed calendar with my book, but I actually rely on this more for placing my ribbons. The audio is wonderful!! I often read out loud with it. I love that I can change the speed of the audio! I have found that 1.3 is good for me. Thank you, thank you, thank you for this app. Thank you for still supporting it. Thank you for updating the “one God,” to just “God” change in the prayers. My book still throws me off but your app is right! Highly recommend this. Many friends have it. THANK YOU!!
MommytoNFP2on June 12, 2022