One of the great blessings of the Easter Season is the way in which the church directs our attention to the Acts of the Apostles in both the weekday and the Sunday readings.
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A Vincentian View: A Time for Retreat
by Pat Griffin, CM | May 8, 2024 | Formation, Reflections | 1 Comment
A Vincentian View: The Good Shepherd
by Pat Griffin, CM | April 24, 2024 | Formation, Reflections | 1 Comment
In the 23rd Psalm, the psalmist proclaims, “My shepherd is the Lord.” I imagine that when Jesus prayed these words, he found a depiction of himself.
A Vincentian View: Recognizing the Lord
by Pat Griffin, CM | April 10, 2024 | Formation, Reflections | 0 Comments
Each year during the Easter Season, I find myself fascinated by the idea that the friends of Jesus do not recognize him in the resurrected form.
A Vincentian View: The Company of Strangers
by Pat Griffin, CM | March 27, 2024 | Formation, Reflections | 1 Comment
Some years ago, I read a piece that discussed how much the modern world depends upon the work of strangers for its survival and wellbeing.
A Vincentian View: Seeing and Believing
by Pat Griffin, CM | Apr 27, 2022 | Formation, Reflections
In the readings of the Easter Season, it sometimes seems that the two positions of “seeing” and “believing” are mutually exclusive.
A Vincentian View: Thoughts on the Cross
by Pat Griffin, CM | Apr 13, 2022 | Formation, Reflections
The cross stands at the center of our reflection in these days. Lent summoned us to follow Jesus to the Jerusalem that...
A Vincentian View: The Power of Gentleness
by Pat Griffin, CM | Mar 7, 2018 | Formation, Reflections
Vincentian View: “The Power of Gentleness” Do you remember Aesop’s fable about the contest between the sun and the wind? They were arguing about who was stronger. They saw a man walking along the road and agreed that whoever could get the coat off his back was...
A Vincentian View: Founder’s Week
by Pat Griffin, CM | Feb 21, 2018 | Formation, Reflections
Vincentian View: "Founder's Week" In my day job, I am the Executive Director of the Vincentian Center for Church and Society (VCCS) at St. John’s University. That sounds pretty impressive and it does fill up a business card. In my office, I have a terrific Executive...
A Vincentian View: “Give me your tired, your poor”
by Pat Griffin, CM | Feb 7, 2018 | Formation, Reflections
Vincentian View: "Give me your tired, your poor" When I was in grade school, I memorized lots of material for different subjects. This included much of the Baltimore Catechism. One recalled poem has been making an appearance in my mind more frequently in these...
A Vincentian View: A Vincentian Family
by Pat Griffin, CM | Jan 24, 2018 | Formation, Reflections
Vincentian View: A Vincentian Family Sometimes it is hard not to take pride in being a member of the Vincentian Family. In my role as Director of the Vincentian Center for Church and Society at St. John’s University, I have been in Kenya for the past week. I came...
A Vincentian View: Keeping in the Heart
by Pat Griffin, CM | Jan 3, 2018 | Formation, Reflections
Vincentian View: Keeping in the Heart Some of my friends can be categorized as falling into one of two groups. In one are those people who keep everything and who are not particularly concerned with organization. Their desks are piled high with books and magazines...
A Vincentian View: Light in the Night
by Pat Griffin, CM | Dec 20, 2017 | Formation, Reflections
Vincentian View: Light in the Night “Silent Night, Holy Night.” Like many of you, I have heard those words sung numerous times in the past weeks. An odd thought flitted through my mind during one of these recent hearings: “How do we know that Jesus was born at...
A Vincentian View: Remembering to be Grateful
by Pat Griffin, CM | Dec 6, 2017 | Formation, Reflections
Vincentian View: Remembering to be Grateful Just about two weeks have passed since we celebrated Thanksgiving. I spent the day with many members of my family and felt the blessing which accompanies such a gathering. Leading those closest to me in prayer before we...
A Vincentian View: Three Stories – One Direction
by Pat Griffin, CM | Nov 22, 2017 | Formation, Reflections
A Vincentian View: Three Stories—One Direction Have you noticed that in the Sunday Gospels of these weeks, the passages have all been taken from successive verses in the 25th chapter of Matthew? The “Parable of the Ten Virgins” is Mt 25:1-13 (November 12); the...
A Vincentian View: The Lord Hears
by Pat Griffin, CM | Nov 8, 2017 | Formation, Reflections
A Vincentian View: The Lord Hears A number of phrases in the Scriptures of the past weeks have stayed in the front of my mind. I have felt the truth of these words and the considerable summons which they offer. From one hearing, they bring consolation and...