In Luke’s 15th chapter, Jesus relates his perhaps most famous parable, aiming to open another window onto the Kingdom of God, especially its meaning for the present.
vincentian spirituality
“Something More” (Exodus 3:1-15)
Through the ages, the episode of Moses and the burning bush has figured into the religious experience of many.
Storing Up (Luke 6:42-45)
In a Lukan parable, Jesus uses the image of “storing,” accumulating and building up a certain quality inside one’s heart.
Living in a Time of Extremes
To us who live in a time when extremes on the left and right of the spectrum seem glaring, St. Paul comes with this counsel for keeping on course. “Do not conform yourselves to this age. But be transformed by the renewal of your mind.” To paraphrase him, “There are...
The 400th Anniversary of Our Charism
A paraphrase of the opening line today from Isaiah reads: “How beautiful are the feet of the one who brings glad tidings, announces peace, carries good news, tells us that our salvation is here and now, and does all this by a life-changing proclamation. And that is,...
What Kind of God?
What Kind of God? (Wisdom 12:13-16; Psalm 135) I ask you to think of a particular boss in one of the jobs you’ve had over the years and also to recall the different ways in which you felt that boss regarded you. Did you feel he or she was indifferent to you, was...
Expecting and Seeing
Expecting and Seeing (Matthew 13:13) Some time ago I went to see a touring art exhibit featuring Monet’s water lilies. Laid out in three big murals that were hung together, it wrapped around the room to give the visitor a sense of being right there at the pond’s edge....
The Vincentian Witness
The Vincentian Witness Not that God needs it, but in today's culture do you ever get the urge to stand up for God? A spiritual writer recounted a conversation with a college friend after not seeing him for years. After catching up, the friend told him he had heard the...
Limping along – rethinking “running to put out a fire”
Today, as we hear the cry of your abandoned children, may we run to their assistance” as someone who runs to put out a fire”. May we not limp along favoring one leg.
Vincent’s Praying-Acting Cycle
Vincent’s Praying-Acting Cycle Years ago I heard Fr. Robert Maloney say something about St. Vincent de Paul I never forgot. “Hardly have I ever read somebody who could come down on one side of an issue and then 50 pages later say something the exact opposite.” And...
To Be A Gospel Sign
To Be A Gospel Sign (John 6:30) In John’s gospel, the crowd in Capernaum asks Jesus, “What sign can you do for us?” To catch the full meaning here, it’s important to know John’s special use of the word ‘sign.’ He doesn’t mean it in the ordinary sense of one thing that...
The Feast of the Holy Trinity: Come On In
“Come on In” (Ex 34, 2 Cor 13, John 3:16) The Feast of the Holy Trinity is an especially daunting one for the preacher. How even to touch on it, this Mystery of mysteries? A tentative step is by way of the imagination, and so I ask you to put yourself imaginatively...
