God Brings New Life – Perfection – Blessed are Vincentians – The Vincentian Charism

Vincentian Day of Prayer and Fast – June 16, 2015

My dear brothers and sisters, you are all in my prayers. I pray for the courage to go to the darkest corners of our world and proclaim there is hope, we pray to the Lord. We are needed. Pray for vocations and for our priests, deacons, religious and especially for Pope Francis who is such an inspiration to the world, but under attack by the evil in the world. Pray for each other and love one another. Amen

God Brings New Life – There is no situation out of which God cannot bring new life. So often, Christians have a reputation for being judgemental, for labeling situations and even people, and then writing them off. Whether we actually behave that way, or are simply perceived to, it’s a problem. We worship God who made a great nation out of a tiny tribe, whose Kingdom is a miracle like a mustard seed, who came in a stable to be King. There is no situation God cannot restore. It is our privilege and our calling to earn a reputation as recklessly hope-filled, preaching the possibility of new life into the darkest corners of our world. Hungry? Homeless? Addicted? Afraid? Broken? Abused? Angry? Lonely? Depressed? Sick? Imprisoned? It’s all the stuff of new life, if we will walk with Him and His people in the darkest, most difficult places without judgement. We are called, listen to His voice. We are Vincentians and not by accident. You are God’s gift to those in need. Open and share the gift. He will be pleased with His faithful servant.

Perfection – You know life is full of imperfect things and imperfect people. I’m not the best at hardly anything, and I forget birthdays and anniversaries just like everyone else. Most of all I forget names and I really want them to know they are important even if I forget their name. What I’ve learned over the years is learning to accept each other’s faults and choosing to celebrate each other’s differences is one of the most important keys to creating a healthy, growing, and lasting relationship. As Vincentians we learn and practice this well. Be kind, smile and touch someone today. Carry the Gospel with you inside, it will show up on your face, in your smile and your eyes. Love one another as I have loved you. We know these words so well. When we look at our friends the poor, having a tough time, or in trouble, we have to stretch to love some of them, but we do, because we see Christ in all of them. So I challenge you today, look in the mirror, know you are loved and talk out loud to God and say I am going to show love today. Show me the way Lord. Any act of kindness is love. Have a great day and share with others!

Blessed are Vincentians – Working to transform discouragement into hope, which will turn wounds and hurts; will lead to the creation of a better world. I love the Beatitudes and as Vincentians we live each one at one time or another. We should always try to be Beatitude people. We need prayer for this. God truly wants us to follow the teachings He places before us so prayer is our best and constant help. Read, reflect and pray the Beatitudes regularly. I have them right near my computer and it is a great prayer. We must be attitude to those we serve. Our service is not for us to look good, but to do and be Christ’s hands, feet so we may give love and hope to those in need. Our role is not to make those we serve be like us, but to regain their ability to live their lives free of poverty. This is why we never judge. I know how hard it can be not to judge, but we must not and if we pray constantly during our home visits and decision making, we will succeed in doing God’s will. Blessed indeed are Vincentians. Every time you take a risk or move out of your comfort zone, you have a great opportunity to learn more about yourself and your capacity to serve. The power of our Lord is with you.

The Vincentian Charism – Vincentian Spirituality and our Way of Life. Juan Patricio Prager, CM, Province of Ecuador, offered these five characteristics of Vincentian Spirituality during the Latin American Encounter of the Vincentian Family (FaViLa), Guatemala – March 19th, 2015. Saint Vincent had to answer: Who is Jesus? How do I follow Jesus? What do you think? What would be life-style implications? Five characteristics of Vincentian spirituality: God leads us into the midst of the world; God waits for us among the poor; Christ invites us to participate in the mission; Christ sits with us in prayer; Christ enables us to be charitable. Know God is always with you on your Vincentian journey serving Christ who is in those in need. Know God will give you the tools you need. Just be sure to ask. God loves you very much and loves everyone He places before you. Serve them well mighty servant of God.

Pray Always,

Blessings,

Lynn