A Weekly Reflection with Vincent

“You should know, Sisters, that Our Lord willed to experience in His own person every kind of distress imaginable. The scriptural expression is that He willed to be regarded as a scandal to the Jews and a folly to the Gentiles (1 Cor 1:23) to show you that you...

“One thing you may find very helpful is to call to mind the virtues of your Sisters who have died, which were very great; and I have no doubt that there are several saints among them. You’ll find in them the marks of the true spirit of the Daughter of Charity....

“There are among you some Sisters who really love God, who experience great sweetness in prayer, great pleasure in all their spiritual exercises, great consolation in frequenting the sacraments, and experience no inner conflict, because of their love of God, who...

“Mon Dieu! What a lovely title and what a beautiful designation! What have you done for God to deserve it? Servants of the Poor is the same as saying Servants of Jesus Christ, since He regards what is done to them as done to himself, for they are His members....

“Another thing that recommends simplicity to us in a wonderful way are those words of Our Lord: ‘I confess to you, Father, because you have hidden these things from the wise and prudent, and have revealed them to little ones.’ I acknowledge this,...

“God is with the simple and humble; He assists them, blesses their work, blesses their undertakings. Quoi! Are we to believe that God will help a person who’s trying to ruin himself? That He’ll help a man ruin himself, as do those who preach other than humbly...

“All Christians are bound to practice these virtues, Sisters, but Daughters of Charity are obliged to practice them in a special way. ‘But, Monsieur, you’ll say to me, don’t we have to practice all the other virtues?’ Yes, you do, but you have to...

“Savior of our souls, these are Your teachings we are embracing, and the devil is trying to make us abandon them. My Savior, it’s to Your advantage for us to be the victors, since we are fighting against Your enemy. Come to our aid. We protest that...

“How did the Apostles preach? Very plainly, simply, and familiarly. That’s our style of preaching, too: plainly and familiarly in ordinary language. To preach like an Apostle, Messieurs, that is to preach well and in a helpful way, you have to approach it with...