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.
Vincentian View
A Vincentian View: Acts of the Apostles
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
In the readings of the Easter Season, it sometimes seems that the two positions of “seeing” and “believing” are mutually exclusive.
A Vincentian View: Family Gatherings
In the past two weeks, I have been to two important family events. One, a wedding in Milwaukee, enabled me to be surrounded by my brothers and sisters and their spouses for a few days. It was wonderful to be together and talk about our parents and their children. I...
A Vincentian View: Thoughts on a Wedding
This past weekend, I once again had the opportunity to celebrate the sacrament of matrimony with a young couple. The experience remains foremost in my thinking in these days. I have found that my wedding homilies flow in a certain manner depending on the...
A Vincentian View: In-Between Times
Vincentian View: In-Between Times We sometimes refer to that period which is sandwiched between two events as an “in-between” time. The occurrences which flank this interval often provide its character and purpose. The unifying force of the interlude draws the two...
A Vincentian View: The Smell
Vincentian View: “The Smell” All of us have heard the by-now famous statement of Pope Francis at a Chrism Mass where he told the gathered priests “Be shepherds with the smell of the sheep.” To render “smell” as “scent” compromises the intent. The earthy...
A Vincentian View: Promises
Vincentian View: “Promises” I have been thinking about promises. On Easter Sunday, I joined with a Christian community in renewing my baptismal promises. I am sure that many of you did as well. I rejected Satan and his empty promises, and I confessed my belief in...
A Vincentian View: Peace Be With You
Vincentian View: “Peace be with you” If you have gotten messages from me, you will see that I most often finish my notes with “Peace” or “Peace in the Risen Lord” or some such variation on “peace.” Many people may feel that it is a left over from my hippie-days and...
A Vincentian View: “Your Paul”
Vincentian View: “Your Paul” At different times, many of us have probably considered the difference between: (a) reading a story and then seeing the movie; and (b) seeing the movie and then reading the story. I am sure that I saw the Sherlock Holmes movies before I...
A Vincentian View: The Power of Gentleness
Vincentian View: “The Power of Gentleness” Do you remember Aesop’s fable about the contest between the sun and the wind? They were arguing about who was stronger. They saw a man walking along the road and agreed that whoever could get the coat off his back was...
A Vincentian View: Founder’s Week
Vincentian View: "Founder's Week" In my day job, I am the Executive Director of the Vincentian Center for Church and Society (VCCS) at St. John’s University. That sounds pretty impressive and it does fill up a business card. In my office, I have a terrific Executive...
