In recent years I have reflected on that wonderful phrase of Pope Francis – “the saints next door.”
Reflections
God Hears the Cry of the Poor
As a member of the Social Justice Representatives of North America, I find myself grateful over and over again for the global view of the Vincentian Family.
A Vincentian View: The Guardian
I like the term “guardian.” It has an association with St. Joseph. Frequently he receives the title “Guardian of the Lord” and “Guardian of the Holy Family.”
Doing the Next Right Thing
Vincent did so much by doing the next right thing. J. Patrick Murphy writes in Mr. Vincent... Historians describe the climate during Vincent's lifetime as the little ice age. Half the crops failed; starvation was rampant; the number of poor increased exponentially....
Spread the Message • Have Something to Say
You have opportunities to spread the message of God's love and God's justice. But you have to have something to say, and in more than just a "meme." Dennis Holtschneider, C.M., recently took the opportunity to address the graduates of Shimer College, a small...
Flexibility and Suppleness in Your Spirituality #IamVincent
Being able to "bend" to the will of God requires this: flexibility and suppleness in your spirituality. Why doesn't the palm tree fall in a storm when the oak is ripped from its roots? Well, three things really: lots of short roots, a "bundled-together" trunk, and a...
The Company of a Winding River
Few things in nature compare to the company of a winding river. There is a special posture of presence, an invitation to prayer, when one enters a river space. It is the paradox of rushing and calm—a simultaneous acceptance of great mystery paired with rooted...
“I Have Seen and So Can Testify To…”
“I have seen and so can testify to…” (John 20) So much of the New Testament is about witnessing. “We have seen and testified to…the Eternal life that was revealed to us. We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard.” (1 John 1:1-2) In one way...
Friendship as a Key to Systemic Change
Have you ever thought of friendship as a key to systemic change in our approach to poverty? If you lost everything, how long would it take you to get something to eat, find a place to stay, and a get some work? Tough situation? Yes! But nothing compared to the...
Trust Firmly and Without Reservation
Jesus assures us that God trusts in us. We trust God because he first trusts us. Better than any prophet, Jesus’ embodies the divine invitation to trust. That is because the Teacher explains in simple terms that God is the heavenly Father who loves all his children...
Putting the Economy at the Service of the People and the Poor
During World Youth Day in Poland, Pope Francis kept communicating to thousands of young people throughout the world the message of joy and hope that comes from Jesus Christ and his Gospel. Especially significant was his quiet, respectful and religious presence in...
Vincentians Bring Mercy
Vincentians Bring Mercy - God is Always on Time - God Calls us to Give Up - Vincentians Give Freely Vincentian Day of Prayer and Fast – Tuesday August 2, 2016 Vincentians Bring Mercy - When our hearts are not fully devoted to God, we are not truly committed to being...
