Formation

A Vincentian View: Synodality and Listening

For me, the word most frequently invoked as one reflects upon and participates in the call to synodality in the current Church is “listening.” 

Are You a “Whack-a-mole” or “Big picture” Person?

It occurs to me that there are two approaches to problem-solving. – “Whack-a-mole” or “Big Picture.”

Lenten Video Series, Day 12: Be the Light

Take the time to extend a gesture of mercy and sacrifice for others.

Guilt and Hope that We All Share

Jesus is the Good News of salvation.  He calls us who have sinned—and no one of us is free of guilt—to return to God.  So, there is hope for us.  In the face of evils, like war crimes, many wonder, “Where is God.”  As though the guilt were his.  Why does he allow...
First and Greatest of All the Commandments

First and Greatest of All the Commandments

Jesus teaches that the first and the greatest of all the commandments is to love God and the neighbor.  The Teacher practices, moreover, what he teaches. According to Jewish teaching, there are 613 commandments.  Of these, 365 are prohibitions and 248 are positive...

There is a Dream in You

There is a Dream in You

"Saint Vincent received the vocation to go forth as a gift." This sentence from Fr. Luigi Mezzadri’s article has echoed in my mind from the moment I read it. The vocation to go forth is a sign left by Saint Vincent de Paul, both in the sense of always advancing from...

A Canadian View: Words, Action and Prayer

A Canadian View: Words, Action and Prayer

As a long time Vincentian with a specific interest in social justice, I have occasionally worried about allowing our unique Vincentian charism getting lost or forgotten in the rush to address social justice and develop and advocate for systemic change which can give...