Reflections

Faith: an Act of Will • A Weekly Reflection with Ozanam

by Javier F. Chento | May 11, 2024 | Formation, Reflections | 0 Comments

Dear friend, you are continually heading out on long and fatiguing journeys that are dangerous to your health (your health has already been severely tested). Bear with me as I express my concern. You say you are seeking to create new sources of interest for yourself...

The Ascension: What Mother Seton Found in the Sky

by Tom Hoopes | May 10, 2024 | Formation, Reflections | 0 Comments

What does the Ascension of the Lord mean for the world and for our own lives? The answer can be found in the faith journey of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, who kept her gaze firmly fixed on Jesus, through time and eternity.

Mother Deafness – It’s Real!

by John Freund, CM | May 10, 2024 | Formation, Reflections | 0 Comments

Mothers might have saved Stanford University a lot of money. Most mothers already know instinctively when “mother deafness” manifests itself in their teenagers.

Reflecting on Haiti: A Vincentian Perspective on Justice and Agency

by Pamela Matambanadzo | May 9, 2024 | Formation, Reflections | 0 Comments

In Haiti, the echoes of gunfire are as common as the cries for help. The Caribbean nation, marked by a history of upheaval and disaster, now faces an era dominated by gang violence and political instability.

Hope in the Darkness | Week One

by Emily Stimpson Chapman | Nov 30, 2022 | Formation, Reflections

An Advent Journey with St. Elizabeth Ann Seton | A Five-Part Series. Week One: Hope in the Darkness.

Advent Receptivity (Matthew 3:1-12)

by Tom McKenna, CM | Nov 30, 2022 | Formation, Reflections

One way to hear the Advent Gospel message is to put ourselves in the shoes of all those people walking out to that desert to listen to John the Baptist.

Where Do “Thanks” Go After Thanksgiving Day?

by John Freund, CM | Nov 30, 2022 | Formation, Reflections

For most, but not for everyone, Thanksgiving is a day with lots of good things to eat, parades and football games to watch, family traditions to be celebrated.

What’s the Difference Between Prayers and Praying?

by John Freund, CM | Feb 21, 2020 | Formation, Reflections, Vincentian Family

Prayer is like being in the presence of someone who loves us greatly. We spontaneously try to become like the beloved.

Why is the Vincentian Family Involved With Homeless Initiatives?

by Fr. Michael Carroll, CM | Feb 20, 2020 | Formation, Reflections, Vincentian Family

All this is the background for understanding why homelessness was a major focus of St. Vincent’s charitable work even if we have not always recognized it.

A Vincentian View: Our Silence

by Pat Griffin, CM | Feb 19, 2020 | Formation, Reflections

I have often given talks on the importance of silence and on the need to listen. I know the value of these attitudes in prayer and in fruitful conversation. From the silence can emerge new ideas and insights.

Lenten Letter 2020 From Fr. Tomaž Mavrič, CM, to the Vincentian Family

by Tomaž Mavrič, CM | Feb 19, 2020 | Formation, Reflections

In this year’s Lenten letter, Fr. Tomaž Mavrič, CM, 24th successor of St. Vincent, invites us to reflect on the importance of prayer for all of us who walk together in the Vincentian Family movement.

Lent is a Call to Change Our Way of Thinking

by John Freund, CM | Feb 19, 2020 | Formation, Reflections, Systemic change

Over his lifetime he created a network of institutions dedicated to initial formation. We call this systemic change by the name of seminaries.

Overflowing and Unfathomable Fullness

by Ross Dizon | Feb 18, 2020 | Formation, Reflections

Jesus Christ embodies the overflowing fullness of God. He eagerly wishes to share with us this fullness. Jesus goes on showing what to fulfill the commandments and go beyond the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees means. He wants to see in us overflowing...