In this year dedicated to St. Joseph, I have written several times on the way in which the Psalms can express the thinking and praying of the Holy Family.
Formation
The Poor Will Always Be With You??
Here I reflect on a “prequel” to the very first council, the Council of Jerusalem (Acts 15). I will also fast-forward to the two-year-long “sequel” taking place right now.
Brim with Jesus’ Justice and Love
Jesus is King David’s just shoot. He comes to make the earth brim with justice. How he wishes that we get the name...
Ozanam on systemic change – little known insights
His insights on what we would call today “systemic change” reveal a profoundly deep thinker and critic of a piecemeal approach to serving the poor.
Mystic of Christ’s compelling charity
Jesus is the Lord of the harvest. To work with him means to be a mystic of charity. To be a mystic of charity supposes, in the first place, that one is like Abraham or Martha. Both avail of the moments of grace. Abraham opens his tent to travelers who are such...
Take up the Cross – Angry at God – Finding the Hidden Jesus
Take up the Cross - Angry at God - Finding the Hidden Jesus Vincentian Day of Prayer and Fast – Tuesday, July 12, 2016 Take up the Cross - What is the cross to us who believe? Among many other things, it is a sign of our lowest point, our sufferings joined with...
Formation with FAVISAL
The International Vincentian Family Office (VFO) wants to strengthen the efforts of the National Councils in the continuous training of all branches and members who make up the Vincentian Family in each one of our countries. On June 12, the Vincentian Family from El...
Resource for Reflecting Together
How often do we reflect together on our experiences among those who live in poverty? What happened in the course of your ministry that was important to you during the past week?
Saint Vincent de Paul: a Turkish perspective
by Burak Özdoğan Overture: the Magnet and the Old Man “Who is that man, Burak?” Marcela, Misa’s mother, asked me in a curious tone of voice.... A grandmother in her sixties, sitting in the armchair with a cup of Turkish coffee, squinting her eyes, and pointing her...
Vincent – balancing basics
After 50 years of priesthood I still struggle with the issues of balancing basics. Having been ordained in 1965 I was quickly exposed to a spirit of activism. I remember being very caught up with the concept of “leaving God for God.” After all, Vincent expressed that...
Who Do We Represent?
It is no secret that we tend to label people very quickly. No doubt there is some utility to labels even if today they are used like arrows of insult. Labels try to identify who we represent. To my mind labels lead a question for followers of Vincent and Louise. "Who...
Be as Cunning as Serpents #AnecdotesVF
Could not this uncompromising wording "dependence on the Archbishop" be harmful to us in the future by the liberty it gives to draw us away from the direction of the Superior General of the Mission" [Letter 898, Archives of the Daughters of Charity, original autograph...
