This post originally appeared on ssvpusa.org “Who do the people say that I am?” Christ asked of his disciple, before...
SVDP Contemplation
Contemplation: A Boundless Reserve
by Famvin Media Resources | November 5, 2024 | Formation, Society of St. Vincent de Paul | 0 Comments
The rule of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul discourages hoarding money, emphasizing that funds should be used generously for current needs without budgeting for the future, trusting in Providence to provide as needed. More important than financial aid, however, is offering companionship, empathy, and love to those in need, as true charity is not limited by material resources.
Contemplation: Our Vincentian Hearts
by Tim Williams | October 29, 2024 | Formation, Society of St. Vincent de Paul | 0 Comments
In his encyclical, Dilexit Nos, Pope Francis focuses on the importance of the heart to the practice of our faith; not merely the physical, biological heart, but the heart which is the core of our being, the union of body and spirit. Not surprisingly, he cites St. Vincent de Paul, who often taught that all God asks of us is our hearts.
Contemplation: Be a Moment for Others
by Tim Williams | October 22, 2024 | Formation, Society of St. Vincent de Paul | 0 Comments
Conversion is a lifelong process of turning our hearts towards God through small moments of grace, often unrecognized at the time, as we both encounter God in others and act as His instruments of love, potentially becoming a moment of conversion for someone else.
Contemplation: A Communion of Vincentians
by Tim Williams | October 15, 2024 | Formation, Society of St. Vincent de Paul | 0 Comments
You cannot be a Vincentian without other Vincentians, for we grow in holiness together.
Contemplation: A Cycle of Love
by Tim Williams | Aug 20, 2024 | Formation, Reflections, Society of St. Vincent de Paul
This post originally appeared on ssvpusa.org We serve, our Rule reminds us, for love alone. [Rule, Part I, 2.2] This...
Contemplation: Joy In Gratitude
by Tim Williams | Aug 13, 2024 | Formation, Reflections, Society of St. Vincent de Paul
This post originally appeared on ssvpusa.org In the times that our work seems difficult, and the problems of the...
Contemplation: Seeking His Will Together – SSVP USA, a Weekly Reflection
by Tim Williams | Apr 2, 2024 | Formation, Reflections, Society of St. Vincent de Paul
This post originally appeared on ssvpusa.org “Life,” the old saying goes, “is what happens to us while we are making other plans.” There is a deeper truth captured in this witticism, one that St. Vincent often repeated. It is not that we should make no plans and...
Contemplation: Old and Ever New – SSVP USA, a Weekly Reflection
by Tim Williams | Mar 26, 2024 | Formation, Reflections, Society of St. Vincent de Paul
This post originally appeared on ssvpusa.org With the rapid growth of the Society within its first two years, there arose a debate as to whether the first Conference, now grown quite large, ought to split in two. “Do you not think that our charitable society itself...
Contemplation: A Friend of a Friend – SSVP USA, a Weekly Reflection
by Tim Williams | Mar 19, 2024 | Formation, Reflections, Society of St. Vincent de Paul
This post originally appeared on ssvpusa.org Have you ever had a friend with very different interests than your own? Maybe he was a big baseball fan, and you just didn’t follow that sport, or he had a great appreciation for art, but you couldn’t stand museums. How did...
Contemplation: To Do a Little Good – SSVP USA, a Weekly Reflection
by Tim Williams | Mar 12, 2024 | Formation, Reflections, Society of St. Vincent de Paul
This post originally appeared on ssvpusa.org In Monsieur Vincent, the 1947 movie about our patron’s life, he is asked near the end of his life if there is anything he wished he had done. His reply is simple: “More.” This captures the indefatigable commitment to new...
Contemplation: Guideposts on the Journey – SSVP USA, a Weekly Reflection
by Tim Williams | Mar 5, 2024 | Formation, Reflections, Society of St. Vincent de Paul
This post originally appeared on ssvpusa.org To boast about our accomplishments in works of charity brings to mind a routine by the comedian Chris Rock, in which he jokes about people who brag when they do what they are supposed to do. (“I graduated high...
Contemplation: Not to Be Forgotten – SSVP USA, a Weekly Reflection
by Tim Williams | Feb 27, 2024 | Formation, Reflections, Society of St. Vincent de Paul
This post originally appeared on ssvpusa.org There are thousands of agencies, organizations, and individuals who offer assistance to the poor. In our Conferences we often get to know them and refer neighbors to them when it seems they may be better able to provide for...