vincentian spirituality

Moving Ahead (Jeremiah 1:17-19)

by Tom McKenna, CM | February 23, 2022 | Formation, Reflections | 1 Comment

“Call,” a notion that figures prominently in the Scriptures, God summoning people to change direction. Heading nowhere in particular, someone senses an inner prod to take some new course.

One More (Luke 5:1-11)

by Tom McKenna, CM | February 9, 2022 | Formation, Reflections | 4 Comments

I can imagine Peter’s consternation when Jesus challenges him to head out one more time. Likely shaking his head, Peter nonetheless gives his “ok, one more!”

Taking In (Nehemiah 8; I Corinthians 12; Luke 4: 18-21)

by Tom McKenna, CM | January 26, 2022 | Formation, Reflections | 0 Comments

“Taking in the news.” It can refer to events both good and bad, taking in the news of a baby’s birth, for instance, or at the other end, receiving word of a loved one’s passing.

Being The Beloved (Isaiah 40:11: Lk 3:22)

by Tom McKenna, CM | January 12, 2022 | Formation, Reflections | 2 Comments

A gift – something given over freely, with good will and coming not from obligation but from good will and esteem. It raises the question: of all the gifts to receive, which would be the most valuable and precious?

Prioritizing (Lk 14: 25-9)

by Tom McKenna, CM | Sep 7, 2022 | Formation, Reflections

There are hardly any words in all the gospels more blunt than the stark ones Jesus proclaims in Luke’s 14th chapter.

Widening The Gate (Luke 13:22-30)

by Tom McKenna, CM | Aug 24, 2022 | Formation, Reflections

One of Jesus’ more intriguing images is that of the gate, the entranceway into his Father’s Kingdom. Entrance depends in large part on the practical steps we take to build the kind of unity, accord and cooperation that reflects his Father’s world.

The Treasures’s Location (Hebrews 11:1-19; Lk. 12:32-48)

by Tom McKenna, CM | Aug 10, 2022 | Formation, Reflections

“For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.” (Lk 12:34)These words of Jesus shine a light on what it is that a given society values — what it treasures most, what tops its list of things most sought after?

The Trinity, Up Close and Personal (Romans 5:5)

by Tom McKenna, CM | Jun 19, 2019 | Formation, Reflections

Central to the Creed is belief in the Trinity, the conviction of a three-ness in the one Godhead, the Divine as Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Achievement to Implementation

by Tom McKenna, CM | Apr 24, 2019 | Formation, Reflections

Certain stories might well be styled “echoing” because they reverberate with the inner story a person tells about herself.

Solidarity

by Tom McKenna, CM | Apr 10, 2019 | Formation, Reflections

A saving solidarity: when someone is suffering, not only sympathizing but carrying them through…doing something to lift the burden.

The Inner Compass

by Tom McKenna, CM | Mar 27, 2019 | Formation, Reflections

All of us possess something like this, a hidden spot where we can feel the deep push and pull of God’s Spirit. We might even call it that inner compass.

Feet in Two Worlds

by Tom McKenna, CM | Mar 13, 2019 | Formation, Reflections

Now a citizen of two worlds, each one operating from different instincts and expectations, he was pulled.

Landing the Kingdom

by Tom McKenna, CM | Feb 27, 2019 | Formation, Reflections

To convey the irresistibility of his Father’s Kingdom, Jesus images the hidden seed sprouting under the ground.

Daughters of Charity: The Beginnings

by Famvin Media Resources | Feb 24, 2019 | Daughters of Charity, Formation

This video from the Daughters of Charity International helps us reflect on the influence that St. Vincent and St. Louise exercised jointly in founding the Daughters of Charity.