Father Tomaž Mavrič, CM’s Lenten letter invites the Vincentian Family to deepen their understanding of the virtues of St. Vincent de Paul — humility, simplicity, and charity — inspiring us to look at the poorest with committed love. Thanks to the Vincentian Family Translators’ Fellowship, this reflection is now available as a podcast to listen to, download, and share.

The Second Convocation of the Vincentian Family, held in Rome in November 2024, reaffirmed the commitment to responding to the cry of the poor and the earth through synodality and structural transformation. Sister María Donat, a Daughter of Charity, highlighted the richness of the gathering and the need to live out service with simplicity, promoting structures that transform the reality of the poorest and foster human dignity and care for the planet.

Lent is a time of spiritual renewal, and the story of the Andes survivors serves as a powerful metaphor for this journey, showing how abandonment and suffering can lead to profound encounters with God. Just as the survivors discovered faith and inner transformation amidst extreme hardship, Lent invites us to cultivate virtues like simplicity, humility, gentleness, mortification, and zeal, allowing our spiritual garden to bloom as we prepare for Easter.