Did a question ever lead you to think more deeply? Frederic Ozanam did … and sought help to understand it at a deeper level.
Me-ism In Our World … and Church
Me-ism! A lens to understand our world, church… and the three year “synodal process” beginning October 2021.
Vincentian Prayer Images: What Moved Saint Vincent? X
What is a disciple of Vincent called to be?
Which Labor Day Are You Celebrating?
Is Labor Day the last hurrah of summer? The weekend to catch supposedly fantastic sales? A recognition of the dignity of work? It is all that and more!
Mark’s Gospel – Coping With a New Normal
Mark, as any good pastor would, uses Jesus stories circulating in oral tradition to help a community understand how the gospel is “good news”… even in the face of catastrophe and persecution.
Vincentian Prayer Images: What Moved Saint Vincent? IX
“…the direction in which missioning moves— toward the poor people of the world, trying to be God’s love for them, and at the same time finding in them God’s love.”
If Nuns Ruled the World…
A self-described agnostic, Jo Piazza, writes… “I may not believe in God, but I do believe in nuns.”
Why Did Jesus Ask So Many Questions?
Jesus’ communication style focused on two things: He told great stories and asked great questions!
Vincentian Prayer Images: What Moved Saint Vincent? VIII
Vincent grasped and was grasped by the pure generosity that is sending the Word to the poor, the Sending to which Jesus gives flesh.
An Unorthodox Orthodoxy Test
There are all kinds of orthodoxy tests. We might even pass an orthodoxy oral exam. But how many can claim to actually lead lives reflecting this belief in crisis situations?
Vincentian Embodiment of the Jesus Movement
Thinking about the Vincentian Movement as being rooted in an awareness of God’s love which radiates out in widening circles.
Vincentian Prayer Images: What Moved Saint Vincent? VII
As Vincent engages with the downtrodden, he senses being a part of that current of God’s out-flowing love to these men and women.
Have You Ever Been Afraid?
The feast of the Assumption holds great hope for us.
Can Stories Change the World?
Parents learn quickly the power of story as a pacifier. But the stories also shape values. Stories and the lived stories of our example are how we learn our values. Jesus knew the power of stories! Do you really want to change things? Tell a story!
Vincentian Prayer Images: What Moved Saint Vincent? VI
Vincent comes to appreciate that the divine loving in Jesus is directed particularly to the people on the bottom rungs.
Leaven or Fungus for “Thy Kingdom Come!”?
Leaven is “a pervasive influence that modifies something or transforms it for the better.” Fungi are the principal decomposers in ecological systems. When are we leaven … and when are we fungi for the Kingdom?
August 6 – Transfiguration… or… Disfiguration?
Transfiguration – Disfiguration. We have a choice. Which light will we walk in?
Vincentian Prayer Images: What Moved Saint Vincent? V
Vincent was “drawn into” the Sending that is always radiating out from God.
Is the Our Father a Radical Prayer?
Jesus was a radical who was fully committed to doing God’s will. He showed us how radical he was when laid down his life for us. As he hung on the cross he said “Father, forgive them. They know not what they are doing.” Certainly the words of a radical!
Sisters Challenging Me To Think More!
No matter what era or even whether we went to a Catholic school, I suspect the teachers we remember most favorably were the ones who taught us to think.
Vincentian Prayer Images: What Moved Saint Vincent? IV
“Vincent was swept up into the force field of God’s ever-flowing love.”
The Mutating Vincentian Virus
COVID 19 Is both similar to and very different from the Vincentian Virus. St. Vincent was “patient zero”. We also know the power of the Vincentian Virus and how St. Vincent spread this powerful virus.
How Can You See … But Not See?
The quick answer is… find a pair of rose-colored glasses.
Vincentian Prayer Images: What Moved Saint Vincent? III
Vincent’s inner experience of the divine… what was its texture, shape, and direction?
Slow Seeing? Slow Eating? Slow…?
“Slow seeing.” I had heard about “slow walking,” “slow eating,” “slow cooking,” etc. So probably I should not have been surprised.
Vincent Outgrew “Zip Code” Politics!
Vincent grew beyond his original ministry zip code!
Vincentian Prayer Images: What Moved Saint Vincent? II
JESUS SAYS, “GOD CHERISHES EACH OF YOU, PARTICULARLY THE POOREST AMONG YOU.”
Lawyer? Vincentian? Vincentian Lawyers!
A National Association of Vincentian Lawyers already exists in Peru. And others are springing up in other Latin American countries. Many hope to form an International Association of Vincentian Lawyers.
Flying Geese, Fighter Pilots and Ministry
The next time you watch a flock of geese, pause for a moment — think about what they can teach us about ministry in general and, especially, “long-haul” ministries of systemic change.
Vincentian Prayer Images: What Moved Saint Vincent? I
Luke 4:18 – “He has sent me to… bring good news to the poor.”
