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 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 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...

A Vincentian View: Trinity and Community Vincent held out two great teachings of the Church for particular reverence by the members of the Congregation: the Incarnation and the Trinity.  This past Sunday, we celebrated our triune God. The primary symbol for a life of...

A Vincentian View: The Paraclete Usually when I consider the word “Paraclete,” I think of “advocate” or “intercessor” or “counselor” or some such term.  “Paraclete” is, of course, one of the ways in which we often refer to the Holy Spirit.  As we approach the...

A Vincentian View: Taking a Second (Better) Look I think it is rare that we get things right the first time—at least, that is my experience.  In order to learn how to do something, I need to do it more than once.  To really understand something, to really allow it to...

A Vincentian View: Seeing and Believing Two words seem to emerge regularly in our Gospel readings of the Easter Season: one word is “seeing” and the other is “believing.”  I think these powerful words go together as we think about the way in which we express and grow...

A Vincentian View: A Feast for the Senses Life.  The very air pulses with the celebration of the gift of life on the evening when we remember and we celebrate the paschal mystery.  On this night, Jesus was raised from the dead to live forever and to draw us into...

A Vincentian View: The Way of the Cross Are you in the practice of praying the Stations of the Cross? I have known a number of people for whom this is a regular devotion.  In different parishes and situations, I have heard the Stations said in numerous ways.  Some...

A Vincentian View: Windows on St. Joseph On many occasions, I have mused on the beautiful stained glass windows in our St. Thomas More Church on the Queens’ campus of St. John’s University.  Sometimes, I will go to the Church to pray, and my attention gets drawn to a...