Luke’s 19th chapter begins with a story of “two people looking.”
Reflections
How Many Saints Do You Know?
I grant there may be few among us who have had the privilege of meeting the likes of the saint we call Mother Theresa. Yet, you and I have touched, or been touched by, saints.
Believers, and Not Just Thinkers
Jesus is the resurrection and the life. It is enough for us to be believers in him to conquer death. The problem of...
A Vincentian View: No Place Like A Home
Most of us know the blessing of a home; we must strive to make it a reality for others. This path leads to our eternal home.
Pray, Ask, Seek and Knock as Jesus
Jesus embodies what to pray, ask, seek, knock is. We Christians, then, strive to pray, ask, seek and knock as he teaches us. Mary Magdalene recognizes Jesus and calls him, “Teacher” because he first calls her, “Mary.” And because God loves us first, we love also. ...
Ozanam: Who Was This Holy Man?
It is always a great joy for me to speak about the dear brother Antoine Frederic Ozanam, one of the founders of the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul.
Who Is a “Real” Christian?
I hear a lot of arguments about who is a “real” Christian or Catholic. Sometimes they sound suspiciously like the platforms of one or the other political party. They often remind me of Paul’s words. “Whenever someone says, “I belong to Paul,” and another, “I belong...
Climate Change: A Call to Collaborate With Our Young People
The “Vincentian Family of North America Social Justice Representatives Collaboration Climate Change Statement” written several years ago invites us to respond to the crisis of global climate change as one of the central ethical issues of our time.
Stretching the Jar (2 Cor 4:7)
The jar made of the stuff of this earth symbolizes the nitty gritty processes of everyday life — the how of getting things done, the down and dirty steps needed to distribute the treasure.
Sometimes We Forget the Obvious
If we are asked we would all recognize the importance of prayer in everything we do… especially in our efforts toward systemic change.
Necessary, Only Jesus Is Necessary
Only Jesus is necessary. The men and the women who hear and follow him make the right choice that no one can take away from them. Jesus says that it is necessary that he suffers greatly in Jerusalem. And in due time he makes up his mind to go there. But on the way...
The Dilemma of Giving Alms and the Ineffectiveness of Christian Charity
A recurring theme in the meetings of the Conferences, which challenges the Vincentians in general, is the question of giving alms to the poor.
