A Vincentian View: The Lord Hears A number of phrases in the Scriptures of the past weeks have stayed in the front of my mind. I have felt the truth of these words and the considerable summons which they offer. From one hearing, they bring consolation and...
Pat Griffin, CM
Author
A Vincentian View: Homelessness
A Vincentian View: Homelessness Once every two years, St. John’s runs a “Poverty Conference.” This conference invites a discussion on an important situation in our society which impacts upon those who are poor and marginalized. In the past few years, issues like...
A Vincentian View: A Message for Us
A Vincentian View: A Message for Us I have been to more than one Vincent event in the past two weeks which contained an opening prayer which included some passage from Pope Francis’ message to the Vincentian Family on September 27th. Different people, different...
A Vincentian View: 2417
A Vincentian View: 2417 400 years. For the universe, or the pyramids, or the Judeo-Christian faith, it does not seem like such a long time, but for human life it really is. In this year, as we all know, we celebrate the 400th anniversary of our Vincentian charism....
A Vincentian View: Creation
A Vincentian View: Creation In the past week, several events have been in the news which come together in my thinking around the theme of creation. The first is the announcement by scientists that they have discovered potentially habitable earth-like planets within a...
A Vincentian View: Beauty and the Beast
A Vincentian View: Beauty and the Beast As a child, like most of you, I heard and read the story of “Beauty and the Beast” many times. As an adult, I saw the animated Disney Movie (with Angela Lansbury beautifully singing the title song) and a Broadway version. Now,...
A Vincentian View: The Truth
A Vincentian View: The Truth Last year at this time, I was on vacation and that proves true in this year as well. Last year, I wrote an essay about the Olympics and the political campaign which were both taking place at that time. My theme centered on “giving your...
A Vincentian View: Apostolorum Apostola
A Vincentian View: Apostolorum Apostola This past Saturday, for the second time, the Church celebrated the “Feast of Mary Magdalene.” One year ago, in June 2016, the Congregation for Worship elevated her memorial to a feast in the decree "Apostolorum Apostola,"...
A Vincentian View: The Childlike
A Vincentian View: The Childlike Some time ago I read a quotation from William Makepeace Thackeray and its truth holds a firm place in my mind: “‘Mother’ is the name for God in the lips and hearts of little children." Whenever I am around small children—whether in...
A Vincentian View: To Be Worthy of the Lord
A Vincentian View: To Be Worthy of the Lord As so often happens in Scripture, care for one’s family emerges as the highest and most rigorous of human loves; it becomes the measure for any human relationship. Yet, the Lord’s invitation to be specially “his” is...