Reflections
Advocacy and the Vincentian Charism
All of us in the Vincentian family are experts at direct service. Advocacy, however, seems to be a challenge for most of us in the Vincentian family.
Loving Last Words (John 13:34)
I came across a writer who drew on her experience to add some personal texture to Jesus’ words at his Last Supper, “As I have loved you, so love one another.”
“Are We There Yet”?
Even those of us in advanced age remember the excitement and impatience. Four words – “Are we there yet” – captured our anticipation, excitement, and impatience. “There” was shorthand for so many events… parties, summer vacations, new experiences and …
Contemplation: The One I Love the Least
Jesus’ repeated question to Peter—“Do you love me?”—is meant to awaken in us the truth that love for God is shown through action, especially toward the poor in whom Christ is truly present. Love of God and neighbor are inseparable, and we must answer Christ’s call not just with words, but with deeds.
To Experience God: Father, Son, Holy Spirit
Jesus, the Word made flesh, wants us to experience God as he does. He thus makes him known as the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. For Jesus to experience God as his Father means, in part, to pray to him. He thus, as a high priest, prays to him (Jn 17). And he...
Meeting the Needs of Migrants and Refugees • A Weekly Reflection with Louise de Marillac
During the Fronde conflict, Louise de Marillac wrote with sorrow about fleeing while others stayed to aid the poor despite the danger. Her letter and the reflection urge us to face our indifference toward migrants and respond with empathy and action.
A Vincentian View: A Simple Visit
I have been blessed with the privilege of visiting the Marian shrines at Lourdes and Knock several times. I have spent some hours in those special places of prayer.
Parents – Comforters? Nudges? Both?
Parents are both comforters and nudges! Should it be any different with God’s Spirit?
Contemplation: Not Our Help, but Our Hearts
True humility recognizes that all good comes from God, not from ourselves, and therefore we neither boast in success nor despair in failure, trusting instead in God’s will and timing. Our role is not to claim credit or control outcomes, but to serve with love, patience, and total confidence in Divine Providence.
Spirit of Christ, of Peace and Mission
The Father’s Sent One, in turn, sends us Christians. Yet we can go on Christ’s mission only if the Spirit of Christ is upon us. The spirit of Elijah was upon Elisha. What Elisha had done to cross the Jordan on dry land made this clear. It seems, then, that it is...
A Farewell to Pope Francis from Rabé de las Calzadas: An American Pilgrim’s Testimony
While the world mourned Pope Francis with global ceremony, a pilgrim named Sean found quiet healing in a small village chapel on the Camino de Santiago. Embraced by a compassionate Daughter of Charity, he confronted his painful past and took a profound step toward inner peace.
Do You Feed Any Fires?
Neither you nor I can escape the fact that our world today is being consumed by the fire of violence. Yet there is also a fire that very much needs fanning into flame… the fire of love!