Tag: St. Vincent de Paul

Mass for the school children.

Today is the memorial of Saint Vincent de Paul, who is one of my favorite saints. He knew what it meant to be a priest, and he lived it every day. But he didn’t start out wanting to be like that; he had a conversation experience along the way. And I think that makes him a very good saint for us to reflect on today, because we all need those kinds of conversion experiences in our lives, at some point or another.

Back in the days when Saint Vincent became a priest, some priests had a rather easy life and found ways to become quite wealthy. So that is what he was expecting to happen for him when he was ordained. That was his goal in some ways until he heard the deathbed confession of a dying servant. That encounter led him to realize the extremely great needs of poor people in France at that time.

That same servant’s Master had been persuaded by his wife to support the creation of a group of missionary priests to serve the poor. The countess asked Father Vincent to lead the group, and although he declined at first, he later returned to do it. That group is now known as the Congregation of the Mission or the Vincentians. They take vows of poverty, chastity, obedience and stability and devoted themselves to serving the poor in smaller towns and villages. So Vincentian priests would be missionaries, in a way, to those small towns so that they could live among the people and serve the poor.

Later, along with Saint Louise de Marillac, he organized the rich women of Paris to collect funds for his missionary projects, founded several hospitals, collected relief funds for the victims of war and ransomed over 1,200 galley slaves from North Africa. Over time, this became a parish-based society for the spiritual and physical relief of the poor and sick. This became the inspiration for the organization now known as the Saint Vincent de Paul Society. We have an active chapter of the Saint Vincent de Paul Society in our parish, and they go out to meet those in need and help them to find the help they need. They are an important part of the Church’s mission to take care of the poor.

Saint Vincent was also very interested in helping with the formation of priests. He wanted the priests to realize the needs of the poor and to know that the idea of becoming rich isn’t supposed to be part of priestly life. He converted his attitudes from the cynical and even slothful (or lazy) ambitions of the clergy in those days, and turned instead to follow what became his true passion, his real calling, which was bringing Christ to the needy and the downtrodden.

So Saint Vincent is a good model for all of us. We too are called to be true servants of our Lord, by looking out for the needs of those who maybe don’t have as many advantages as we do, and by caring for the poor and being true friends of those in need. Helping even one person in need is our way of helping Jesus to continue his ministry of loving all people and bringing them to heaven.

Mass for the school children.

Saint Vincent de Paul is one of my favorite saints. He knew what it meant to be a priest, and he lived it every day. But he didn’t start out wanting to be like that; he had a conversation experience along the way.

Back in the days when Saint Vincent became a priest, they had a rather easy life and were quite wealthy. This was the expectation he had when he was ordained. That was his goal in some ways until he heard the deathbed confession of a dying servant. That encounter led him to realize the extremely great needs of poor people in France at that time.

That same servant’s Master had been persuaded by his wife to support the creation of a group of missionary priests to serve the poor. The countess asked Father Vincent to lead the group, and although he declined at first, he later returned to do it. That group is now known as the Congregation of the Mission or the Vincentians. They took vows of poverty, chastity, obedience and stability and devoted themselves to serving the poor in smaller towns and villages.

Later, along with Saint Louise de Marillac, he organized the rich women of Paris to collect funds for his missionary projects, founded several hospitals, collected relief funds for the victims of war and ransomed over 1,200 galley slaves from North Africa. Over time, this became a parish-based society for the spiritual and physical relief of the poor and sick. This became the inspiration for the organization now known as the Saint Vincent de Paul Society. You know the Saint Vincent de Paul Society, because we collect clothing for them every year.

Saint Vincent was also very interested in helping with the formation of priests. He wanted the priests to realize the needs of the poor and to know that the idea of becoming rich wasn’t part of priestly life. He converted his attitudes from the cynical and even slothful ambitions of the clergy in those days, and turned instead to follow his true passion, bringing Christ to the needy and the downtrodden.

We too are called to be true servants of our Lord, by looking out for the needs of those who maybe don’t have as many advantages as we do, and by caring for the poor and being true friends of those in need.

(Mass for the school children.)

Back in the days when Saint Vincent became a priest, they had a rather easy life and were quite wealthy.  This was the expectation he had when he was ordained.  That was his goal in some ways until he heard the deathbed confession of a dying servant.  That encounter led him to realize the extremely great needs of poor people in France at that time.

That same servant’s Master had been persuaded by his wife to support the creation of a group of missionary priests to serve the poor.  The countess asked Father Vincent to lead the group, and although he declined at first, he later returned to do it.  That group is now known as the Congregation of the Mission or the Vincentians.  They took vows of poverty, chastity, obedience and stability and devoted themselves to serving the poor in smaller towns and villages.

Later, along with Saint Louise de Marillac, he organized the rich women of Paris to collect funds for his missionary projects, founded several hospitals, collected relief funds for the victims of war and ransomed over 1,200 galley slaves from North Africa.  Over time, this became a parish-based society for the spiritual and physical relief of the poor and sick.  This became the inspiration for the organization now known as the Saint Vincent de Paul Society.  You know the Saint Vincent de Paul Society, because we collect clothing for them every year.

Saint Vincent was also very interested in helping with the formation of priests.  He wanted the priests to realize the needs of the poor and to know that the idea of becoming rich wasn’t part of priestly life.  In our gospel today, Jesus urges his disciples to pray for true servants in the priesthood: “The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.”  Saint Vincent de Paul converted his attitudes from the cynical and even slothful ambitions of the clergy in those days, and turned instead to follow his true passion, bringing Christ to the needy and the downtrodden.

We too are called to be true servants of our Lord, by looking out for the needs of those who maybe don’t have as many advantages as we do, by caring for the poor and being true friends of those in need.

Today’s readings

St. Vincent became a priest with the expectation of enjoying the easy, affluent sort of life priests had in those days.  That was his goal in some ways until he heard the deathbed confession of a dying servant.  That encounter led him to realize the extremely great needs of the poor in France.

The servant’s Master had been persuaded by his wife to endow and support a group of missionary priests to serve the poor.  The countess asked Vincent to lead the group, and although he declined at first, he later returned to lead a group now known as the Congregation of the Mission or the Vincentians.  They took vows of poverty, chastity, obedience and stability and devoted themselves to serving the poor in smaller towns and villages.

Later, along with St. Louise de Marillac, he organized the rich women of Paris to collect funds for his missionary projects, founded several hospitals, collected relief funds for the victims of war and ransomed over 1,200 galley slaves from North Africa.  Over time, this became a parish-based society for the spiritual and physical relief of the poor and sick.  This organization is now known as the St. Vincent de Paul Society.

In our gospel today, Jesus lifts up the poor and lowly among us: “For the one who is least among all of you is the one who is the greatest.”  St. Vincent de Paul didn’t have this attitude in his youth, but age brought him the wisdom to change.  He converted from the cynical and even slothful ambitions of the clergy in those days, and turned instead to follow his true passion, bringing Christ to the needy and the downtrodden.

Today’s readings

St. Vincent became a priest with the expectation of enjoying the easy, affluent sort of life priests had in those days.  That was his goal in some ways until he heard the deathbed confession of a dying servant.  That encounter led him to realize the extremely great needs of the poor in France.

The servant’s Master had been persuaded by his wife to endow and support a group of missionary priests to serve the poor.  The countess asked Vincent to lead the group, and although he declined at first, he later returned to lead a group now known as the Congregation of the Mission or the Vincentians.  They took vows of poverty, chastity, obedience and stability and devoted themselves to serving the poor in smaller towns and villages.

What makes St. Vincent particularly interesting to us at this time is that he also founded, along with St. Louise de Marillac,  a parish-based society for the spiritual and physical relief of the poor and sick.  This is known as the St. Vincent de Paul Society, and we are currently forming one here at St. Raphael.  Vincent organized the rich women of Paris to collect funds for his missionary projects, founded several hospitals, collected relief funds for the victims of war and ransomed over 1,200 galley slaves from North Africa.

I think St. Vincent heard the words of the wisdom writer in today’s first reading: “Rejoice, O young man, while you are young and let your heart be glad in the days of your youth.  Follow the ways of your heart, the vision of your eyes…”  In his youth, Vincent was converted from the cynical and even slothful ambitions of the clergy in those days, and turned instead to follow his true passion, bringing Christ to the needy and the downtrodden.