Reflections
A Vincentian View: Filled with Compassion
by Pat Griffin, CM | September 15, 2021 | Formation, Reflections | 2 Comments
One can hardly imagine that Jesus could use the term “father” without some reflection on the one who had been his earthly father for most of his life, Joseph.
A Vincentian View: A Simple Man
by Pat Griffin, CM | September 1, 2021 | Formation, Reflections | 1 Comment
I would love to have people describe me as “a simple man.”
A Vincentian View: Dwelling in the Lord’s House
by Pat Griffin, CM | August 18, 2021 | Formation, Reflections | 0 Comments
How might Joseph have prayed and meditated on Psalm 27?
A Vincentian View: Joseph in the Eucharistic Prayers
by Pat Griffin, CM | August 4, 2021 | Formation, Reflections | 0 Comments
An important maxim in Christian tradition affirms simply lex orandi, lex credendi that can be rendered “The law of praying is the law of believing.”
A Vincentian View: All Are Welcome
by Pat Griffin, CM | May 25, 2022 | Formation, Reflections
In the middle of the Acts of the Apostles (c. 15), we find one of the first issues of exclusion in the young Christian community.
A Vincentian View: Acts of the Apostles
by Pat Griffin, CM | May 11, 2022 | Formation, Reflections
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.
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: A Message for Us
by Pat Griffin, CM | Oct 11, 2017 | Formation, Reflections
A Vincentian View: A Message for Us I have been to more than one Vincent event in the past two weeks which contained an opening prayer which included some passage from Pope Francis’ message to the Vincentian Family on September 27th. Different people, different...
A Vincentian View: 2417
by Pat Griffin, CM | Sep 20, 2017 | Formation, Reflections
A Vincentian View: 2417 400 years. For the universe, or the pyramids, or the Judeo-Christian faith, it does not seem like such a long time, but for human life it really is. In this year, as we all know, we celebrate the 400th anniversary of our Vincentian charism....
A Vincentian View: Creation
by Pat Griffin, CM | Sep 6, 2017 | Formation, Reflections
A Vincentian View: Creation In the past week, several events have been in the news which come together in my thinking around the theme of creation. The first is the announcement by scientists that they have discovered potentially habitable earth-like planets within a...
A Vincentian View: Beauty and the Beast
by Pat Griffin, CM | Aug 23, 2017 | Formation, Reflections
A Vincentian View: Beauty and the Beast As a child, like most of you, I heard and read the story of “Beauty and the Beast” many times. As an adult, I saw the animated Disney Movie (with Angela Lansbury beautifully singing the title song) and a Broadway version. Now,...
A Vincentian View: The Truth
by Pat Griffin, CM | Aug 9, 2017 | Formation, Reflections
A Vincentian View: The Truth Last year at this time, I was on vacation and that proves true in this year as well. Last year, I wrote an essay about the Olympics and the political campaign which were both taking place at that time. My theme centered on “giving your...
A Vincentian View: Apostolorum Apostola
by Pat Griffin, CM | Jul 26, 2017 | Formation, Reflections
A Vincentian View: Apostolorum Apostola This past Saturday, for the second time, the Church celebrated the “Feast of Mary Magdalene.” One year ago, in June 2016, the Congregation for Worship elevated her memorial to a feast in the decree "Apostolorum Apostola,"...
A Vincentian View: The Childlike
by Pat Griffin, CM | Jul 12, 2017 | Formation, Reflections
A Vincentian View: The Childlike Some time ago I read a quotation from William Makepeace Thackeray and its truth holds a firm place in my mind: “‘Mother’ is the name for God in the lips and hearts of little children." Whenever I am around small children—whether in...
A Vincentian View: To Be Worthy of the Lord
by Pat Griffin, CM | Jun 28, 2017 | Formation, Reflections
A Vincentian View: To Be Worthy of the Lord As so often happens in Scripture, care for one’s family emerges as the highest and most rigorous of human loves; it becomes the measure for any human relationship. Yet, the Lord’s invitation to be specially “his” is...
A Vincentian View: Trinity and Community
by Pat Griffin, CM | Jun 14, 2017 | Formation, Reflections
A Vincentian View: Trinity and Community Vincent held out two great teachings of the Church for particular reverence by the members of the Congregation: the Incarnation and the Trinity. This past Sunday, we celebrated our triune God. The primary symbol for a life of...