I never expected to hear St. Vincent dePaul speaking at the coronation of King Charles III!
Archbishop Justin Welby captured Vincent’s spirit.
He challenged all, from King Charles to all in attendance and, by extension, all who read it to live what we call the Vincentian vision.
Today I wonder whether our concept of mercy is too small or is a one-way street. I wonder how many sermons went beyond assuring us of the gift of God’s mercy. Certainly, an important theme.
Yet how many sermons stressed the need for us to be merciful?
Pope Francis believes the Bible is a highly dangerous book—so dangerous that is treated in some countries as if one were hiding a hand grenade in their closet.
We spend most of our lives overcoming the latest version of the boundaries of our experience. Jesus’ message called us to expand our horizons beyond the limited vision of what we know. He asked us to imagine one another as God sees us.
“And it is there, in the faces of poor and struggling people, that I have found the most direct road to God.”
Is Vincent’s journey Your Journey? No! Each person’s journey is unique. Yet …there are patterns.
Vincent may have started in the rural zip codes in France but he soon began to expand his vision.
What principles would VIncent and Louise use if they were facing COVID 19?
We are still trying to catch up to St. Vincent! A heart on fire changed the church 400 years ago and set the stage for the best of the church we live in today.
The Vincentian thing is caught not taught!
Why bother about a man who lived 400 years ago? Why are more than a million people from all walks of life and every corner of the world on fire with a passion to serve following in his footsteps?
As we approach the celebration of the feast of St. Louise perhaps we can rediscover a forgotten truth about the collaboration between Louise and Vincent.
Vincent didn’t just happen. Vincent spent his lifetime waking up to the demands of the Gospel and the needs of those who were poor.