The School of the Poor • “Contributions” #7
This is the seventh of a series of formation packages meant for individual or group study which was introduced in “The Contributions of the Vincentian Charism to the Mission of the Church: A Formation Journey.” In that article, we also suggested a “Lesson Plan” for...
The Sweet Presence of Mary in Our Life • Tales of the Miraculous Virgin
There is only one day left for the Vincentian Family to greet the Virgin with special affection in her "Milagrosa" defender. We invited you to do something different: to tell tales, your story or that of your family, with the Miraculous...
Pope Francis’ “Misericordia et Misera” and our Vincentian Life
Misericordia et Misera is the title of the new apostolic letter of Pope Francis, presented on November 21. The letter begins with a profound reflection on two evangelical texts that speak of God's mercy: the encounter of Jesus and the adulteress (Jn 8:1-11) and the...
Louise de Marillac: Street Children
“In the name of God, my Most Reverend Father, consider whether we should persuade these Ladies not to accept new foundlings so that we can pay our debts and bring back the weaned children from the country. I assure you that, in conscience, we can no longer stifle the...
The Message of St. Catherine Labouré
In this four-minute video produced by the Secretariado Internacional JMV, Sister María A. Infante, D.C. sums up the message of St. Catherine Labouré in four directives. Reflect on these points as we approach the Feast Day of St. Catherine on Nov. 28....
From Value to Virtue: Abelly’s take on Vincent’s Sense of Gratitude
Although it's not one of the "traditional" Vincentian virtues, gratitude is foundational for the Christian and Vincentian life. Louis Abelly, biographer of St. Vincent de Paul, wrote: He [Vincent] used to say that nothing was so efficacious in winning the heart of God...
Live in Gratitude: Imperatives for Mature Discipleship
Happy Thanksgiving to those celebrating in the U.S.A. Here's something to ponder: Live in gratitude: To be a saint is to be fueled by gratitude, nothing more and nothing less. Let no one deceive you with the notion that a passion for truth, for church, or even for God...
Belief Under Pressure
Belief Under Pressure (2 Maccabees, 7; Luke 20: 38) One of the things that has sharpened inside me on my journey into the senior years is a sense of time passing (where did it go?), and an accompanying wonderment about what happens when it does pass. What’s on the...
Lord, Have Mercy • Tales of the Miraculous Virgin
In a few days, the Vincentian Family will greet the Virgin with special affection in its invocation of "Miraculous." Surely this month many reflections will be published online, on her history, present, etc. We invited you to do something...
Personal Experience of Need for Systemic Change
Frequent visitors of this site are deeply committed to helping those who suffer poverty and are committed to a systemic change approach that goes beyond handouts. At the same time it might be that despite good will, not all have personal experience of what it is like...
