A gift – something given over freely, with good will and coming not from obligation but from good will and esteem. It raises the question: of all the gifts to receive, which would be the most valuable and precious?
Reflections
If I were John the Baptist…
In the back of my head, I have wondered why Jesus was baptized. After all, Jesus is the Son of God. He is sinless. There had to be something more.
Traditions, Customs, and Habits
Jesus makes all things new. Hence, he questions traditions and customs, most of all, those that veil his true face....
God is Born Among Debris: A Christmas Reflection
Among the many messages that we share in these Christmas festivities, full of good wishes and hope, there is an image that captivated my heart: a manger set in an environment of debris and destruction. The nativity can be visited in the basilica of Santa Maria Sopra...
Louise de Marillac: The Poor are also in the Cities
“I must tell you, my dear Sisters, what a consolation it is for me to see you living in your cloister on this journey as you did in the streets of Paris. [...] Above all, since those people are not familiar with your poor way of life and your humble dwelling, do not...
How to Build a Wall: A Nativity Story
Love in action is a harsh and dreadful thing compared to love in dreams. Fyodor Dostoevsky, The Brothers Karamazov Three days after Donald Trump won the election, there was an outpouring of love encircling him. It came from a surprising source: a women’s prison. Yes...
A Litany for the World
Although the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord actually brings the Christmas season to an end, people quickly forget its meaning. Here’s a litany called “Now the Work of Christmas Begins” composed by Howard Thurman, an African-American theologian, educator, and civil...
A Vincentian View – A Christmas Homily: “Celebrating the Small”
A Vincentian View A Christmas Homily: “Celebrating the Small” Each year before Christmastime in Advent, one of my brothers sends me four tickets to “The Messiah” at Lincoln Center. This gives me an opportunity to see this seasonal show with some of my confreres and...
Awesome and Alluring Blessing
Jesus is our only Savior, and he saves in an awesome and alluring way. He will bless us when as priests through our baptism, we invoke his name upon one another. There is no other name by which salvation comes to us but the name of Jesus. And since he is our all...
Vincentians Keep Jesus in our Work – Vincentians Serve as Called
Vincentians Keep Jesus in our Work - Vincentians Serve as Called - Vincentians See the Concrete Sign Vincentian Day of Prayer and Fast Vincentians Keep Jesus in our Work We believe and know Jesus is in the Blessed Sacrament. So we ensure before our visits to those in...
Come… Let us Adore Him…
In the Gospel of Luke, we read that the good news of birth of Jesus was first given to the shepherds. The Angel said to them: “Do not be afraid; for see – I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a...
#famvin400: A Gift for You!
We have completed our ten-part series on the work of Father Corpus Delgado, C.M., "The Contributions of the Vincentian Charism to the Mission of the Church." If you missed it... You can find all of the individual articles by Fr. John Freund here. You can download the...
