Discover the heart and spirit of Blessed Santiago de Masarnau through his own words—a gifted musician and the visionary who brought the Society of St. Vincent de Paul to Spain.

As National president of the Society, Santiago de Masarnau (1805-1882) bequeathed a timeless legacy of faith and compassion, distilled into dozens of stirring addresses delivered at the Society’s Assemblies. In every speech, his profound love for God and for the poor shines through, along with a prophetic vision of charity as a joyful, consistent way of life. His words, brimming with passion and clarity, still speak to us today—challenging, inspiring, and inviting us to walk the path he so faithfully traveled.

Text of Santiago de Masarnau:

The most natural means, the only sure way to learn how to visit the poor well, is to learn how to receive Jesus well … and to learn how to receive Jesus well, there is nothing like striving to receive Him very often. Thus, we will do so, to drink from the pure fountain of love all the light, all the graces, all the gifts we need to love the poor.

—Santiago de Masarnau, Address to the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul in Madrid, July 1857.

Commentary:

A pedagogy of charity

Masarnau reminds us that the true school for serving the poor is not found in social work manuals or assistance techniques, but in the personal and frequent encounter with Jesus in the Eucharist. There, in Communion, we receive not only strength but the very love with which Christ loves us.

Learning to receive in order to give

Vincentian service is not improvised—it is shaped in intimacy with the Lord. To “receive Jesus well” means to welcome Him with living faith, with humility, and with a heart ready to be transformed. Those who frequently and reverently partake of the Bread of Life develop the sensitivity and vision to recognize Him also in the poor.

The pure fountain of love

The Eucharist is that “pure fountain of love” from which flow “all the light, all the graces, all the gifts” needed for service. Without that fountain, charity risks becoming mere activism, vulnerable to burnout or to seeking human recognition. With it, love is purified and remains constant even in the most difficult tasks.

Link with the Vincentian mission

Saint Vincent de Paul insisted that love for the poor is born and renewed in prayer. For Masarnau, the privileged place of renewal is the altar. Frequent Communion is not a spiritual luxury but a necessity for anyone who wants to persevere in a service that is truly evangelical and not merely human.

A concrete call

This text invites us to examine our sacramental life: Do we approach Communion with the frequency and disposition needed so that our service reflects Christ’s love? The Eucharist is not an isolated act from daily life but the center that nourishes and directs it.

Suggestions for personal reflection and group discussion:

1. Do you see the Eucharist as the source of your service to the poor, or as a separate practice?
2. What does it mean to you to “receive Jesus well” in Communion?
3. Have you experienced changes in the way you serve after a deeply lived Communion?
4. What obstacles keep you from receiving Communion more frequently or with better disposition?
5. How can you more consciously integrate the Eucharist into your Vincentian life?

Let us pray:

Lord, teach me to receive You with living faith,
with humble simplicity,
with a heart ready to be transformed.

Let every communion
be a drink from the pure spring of Your love,
where I find the grace and light
to serve my brothers and sisters in true charity.

As I welcome You at the altar,
let me welcome You in the poor,
and as I am nourished by Your Body,
let my life become bread broken for others.

Sustain my service when it grows weary,
purify my love when it is mixed with self,
and renew my zeal at the inexhaustible fountain of Your presence.

Let me always find in You
the school and the strength of charity.

Amen.