The Advent letter by Father Tomaž Mavrič, CM, invites us to live this time with depth and intensity. We are going to prepare some weekly reflections based on the letter, which we hope will help us all to prepare ourselves for the coming of our Lord.

In this first meditation we ask ourselves what are the pillars of our life, knowing which were those of St. Vincent.

Pillars of life

What are the Pillars of your life? This is not an inconsequential question!

The pillars of your life represent the strength of your life and the stability of your life. They represent your ability to withstand change and to take advantage of opportunity. They represent your ability to face disappointment and uncertainty. Like the legs of a stool, they uphold your life. They uphold whatever is put upon that table.

Whatever responsibilities or goals that you establish in your life require that each of these Pillars be strong and that you are attentive to each one of them.

Some people focus on only one aspect of their life – work, relationships, or personal growth and development. They neglect others

Vincent’s life Pillars

In his first circular letter to us Fr. Tomaz Mavric described Saint Vincent de Paul as a “Mystic of Charity.” This does not relegate him to other-worldly irrelevancy. When Vincent died people realized that he almost literally changed the face of France.

What were the pillars that supported this Mystic of Charity?

In his 2016 Advent letter Fr. Mavric presented the “Incarnation” as one of the pillars of Saint Vincent de Paul’s spirituality. The 2017 Lenten letter suggested the second pillar of our Founder’s spirituality, the “Holy Trinity.” This year’s Advent letter reflects on the third pillar of Saint Vincent’s spirituality, the “Eucharist.”

As St. Vincent himself suggested

“There can be no better way of paying the best honor possible to these mysteries [the Holy Trinity and the Incarnation] than proper devotion to, and use of, the Blessed Eucharist, sacrament and sacrifice. It includes, as it were, all the other mysteries of faith and, by itself…”

What are the pillars of your life?

• How often do I think of the fact that Jesus became one of us and what I can learn from that?
• How often do I think that being made in the image and likeness of God means I am a person in relation to others?
• How often do I think of Eucharist as a challenge to “do this in memory of me” and wash others feet?