A two-word phrase Paul inserts in his letter to the Corinthians is so brief as to go almost unnoticed, but it opens onto a truth at the heart of the Gospel.
vincentian spirituality
A Collaborative Witness (Luke 8:1-3)
by Tom McKenna, CM | October 7, 2020 | Formation, Reflections | 0 Comments
Certainly the words and actions of such groups are meant to proclaim God’s Kingdom, but their very collaboration is itself an announcement of the Message.
Magis (Matthew 20:1-16)
by Tom McKenna, CM | September 23, 2020 | Formation, Reflections | 2 Comments
There is the Jesuit one-word motto, “magis,” the Latin for “more,” meant to remind them that God is always “more than,” always greater. But greater than what?
Sacramental Speaking and Listening (Ezekiel, 33; Matthew, 18)
by Tom McKenna, CM | September 9, 2020 | Formation, Reflections | 0 Comments
A question often on the lips of a believer: where and how is God present in my life?
Broadening The Frame (Matthew 15:21-8)
by Tom McKenna, CM | August 26, 2020 | Formation, Reflections | 1 Comment
An important element in this nurturing is what could be described as a frame, the boundaries through which they have been taught to look out at the world.
Spirituality for Members of the St. Vincent de Paul Society (Video)
by Famvin Media Resources | Jul 11, 2021 | Formation, Society of St. Vincent de Paul
The following video discusses key attributes of Vincentian spirituality, particularly for conference members of the...
In The Boat (Mark 4:35-41)
by Tom McKenna, CM | Jun 30, 2021 | Formation, Reflections
When Mark speaks to this endangered flock, it’s no surprise that he includes a pair of Jesus’ hope-filled parables, lessons on how things grow.
What do I do, Lord? Gospel/Vincentian Discernment
by Tom McKenna, CM | Jun 8, 2016 | Formation, Reflections
“What Do I Do, Lord?” Gospel/Vincentian Discernment (Acts 1; John 15) There’s what you might call a woman’s quip about the man supposedly being the one who pursues the woman. It runs, “He chased her and he chased her and he chased her – until she caught him!” You...
St. Louise: Moving Toward Love
by Tom McKenna, CM | May 25, 2016 | Formation, Reflections
St. Louise: Moving Toward Love (Is. 58: Mt. 25) There’s a famous quote attributed to Mark Twain: When I was a boy of fourteen, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be twenty-one, I was astonished at how much...
Mater Misericordiae: Mary, Mother of Mercy
by Michael Whalen, CM | May 15, 2016 | Formation, Reflections
For multiple and varied reasons the month of May has come to be associated with Mary, the Mother of Jesus. In the United States it is the month in which Mother’s Day, First Communions, many ordinations and weddings are celebrated. It is also associated in the...
The Saints as Bibliography
by Tom McKenna, CM | May 11, 2016 | Formation, Reflections
The Saints as Bibliography Acts 4:8 There’s a writer who characterizes the lives of the saints as “bibliographic entries onto the life of the Lord Jesus Christ.” A bibliography: a series of additions to the one story; i.e., variations on how Jesus’ story plays...
Moving Toward “I Believe” John 10:27-30
by Tom McKenna, CM | Apr 27, 2016 | Formation, Reflections
First, some scene-setting. You’re there with these other disciples, and this Jesus person is right in front of you looking you in the eye. He’s in the process of making this claim: “I and God are one. What you hear coming from my mouth is coming from God’s mouth.” And...
The Faces of God
by Tom McKenna, CM | Apr 13, 2016 | Formation, Reflections
The Faces of God John 8:14 I once came across a psychological test aiming to measure a person’s trust in life or fear of it, life understood in its most general sense as existence or reality. It was getting at the question, “Down at your instinctual level, do...
The Vincentian Family and extremes
by John Freund, CM | Apr 2, 2016 | Formation, Spirituality and Spiritual Practice
In a world of extremes, the Vincentian Family embraces a wide spectrum of approaches to addressing spiritual and material poverty. [Click here to view the complete listing of the hundreds of Catholic Religious, Lay Associations, and Non-Catholic groups founded in the...
Soaked Through and Through by Sense of God’s Reality
by Tom McKenna, CM | Mar 16, 2016 | Formation, Reflections
“Soaked Through and Through by Sense of God’s Reality” - Psalm 82 My Father loved and listened to classical music. Looking back on that, it’s a bit surprising because he was from a working class home, never graduated high school, played semi-pro football, and so on....
Not Just Interesting, But Moving
by Tom McKenna, CM | Mar 2, 2016 | Formation, Reflections
“Not Just Interesting, But Moving” (Exodus 3; Psalm 103) There’s a difference between things that are interesting and things that are intriguing, between things which make us curious and things which actually move us. I can pick up a score of a symphony and...