Faith in Christ and the Life of Grace
“Since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through Him we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand and we rejoice in our hope of sharing the glory of God ”
– Romans 5 : 1- 2
Convinced of the truth of the Apostle St. Paul’s words, Vincentians seek to draw closer to Christ. They hope that someday it will be no longer they who love, but Christ who loves through them (Gal 2,20 “… I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me; and the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God”), and that even now, in their caring, the poor may catch a glimpse of God’s great love for them.
Commentary.-Our starting point is the conviction that the Lord is infinitely good, he who has given us the gift of salvation through His sacrifice. What can we do to repay, with all our imperfections, such devotion from God Himself? We can only try to be a pale reflection of His Love, trying to grow every day in that Love for all people which He taught us. We know that we will only manage to do so if every one of us, day by day, at every moment, tries to discover in each of our actions, what Our Lord himself would do in the specific situation with which we are faced. For this, it is necessary to know and pray the scriptures, where we find: “The Holy Spirit, which the Father will send in my name,.. will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I (Jesus) have said to you” (Jn 14:26).
Vincentians are called to journey together towards holiness, because true holiness is perfect union with Christ and the perfection of love, which is central to their vocation and the source of its fruitfulness. They aspire to burn with the love of God as revealed by Christ and to deepen their own faith and fidelity. Vincentians are aware of their own brokenness and need for God’s grace. They seek His glory, not their own. Their ideal is to help relieve suffering for love alone, without thinking of any reward or advantage for themselves. They draw nearer to Christ, serving Him in the poor and one another. They grow more perfect in love by expressing compassionate and tender love to the poor and one another. Therefore, their journey together towards holiness is primarily made through. Visiting and dedicating themselves to the poor, whose faith and courage often teach Vincentians how to live. Vincentians assume the needs of the poor as their own. Attending the meeting of the Conference or Council, where shared fraternal spirituality is a source of inspiration. Promoting a life of prayer and reflection, both at the individual and community level, sharing with their fellow members. Meditating on their Vincentian experiences offers them internal spiritual knowledge of themselves, others and the goodness of God. Transforming their concern into action and their compassion into practical and effective love Their journey together towards holiness will be all the more fruitful if the members’ personal lives are characterised by prayer, meditation on the Holy Scriptures and other inspirational texts and devotion to the Eucharist and the Virgin Mary, whose protection we have always sought, and to the teachings of the Church.
Commentary: “journey together”. This is, without doubt, one of the most fundamental articles in the Rule. It has to be read very slowly, meditated upon deep in our heart and shared with our fellow members. We are not walking alone. We are not called to be saved alone. Each member walks next to his brothers and sisters towards perfection. He is responsible for his own actions and, when appropriate, for the example and help he gives to his brothers and sisters. Nothing good is achieved outside the Conference, if the members do not love one another. No service to the poor is guaranteed if we, the members, are not aware of the service we owe to each other. The ignition of our love in the Conference is the fuel that will allow us, later, to devote ourselves to those who suffer. No one can give what he does not have. “true holiness is perfect union with Christ and the perfection of love” This definition of holiness comes from Vatican II. “We will be able to arrive at perfect union with Christ, that is, holiness,” (LG 50) which is “expressed by those who .. strive for the perfection of charity” (LG39). The call to become someone who radiates perfect love is nothing less than a call to sanctity. ‘For this is the will of God, your sanctification’ (1Th 4:3; Eph 1:4) Vincentians are called to become saints!
In every Conference throughout the world and in their personal lives, Vincentians raise their prayers to God, united with the prayer of Christ, on behalf of one another and their masters the poor, whose suffering they wish to share.
Commentary:-Alone, we cannot achieve anything of eternal value. The members’ prayer, individual and communal, ensures our union with Christ and enables us to spread His Love. In this prayer, we should feel linked to the Holy Church’s prayer and listen to what those who suffer have to teach us. They are undoubtedly our masters, who can teach us best the way of self-denial and of generous devotion. St. Vincent said: “Give me a man of prayer and he will be capable of everything.” He proclaims that prayer is a “fountain of youth” which invigorates us.
The spirituality of one of its founders inspires Vincentians profoundly. The Blessed Frederic Ozanam:
· Sought to renew faith, among all people, in Christ and in the civilising effect of the teachings of the Church through all time.
· Envisioned the establishment of a network of charity and social justice encircling the world.
· Attained holiness as a layman through living the Gospel fully in all aspects of his life.
· Had a passion for truth, democracy and education.
Commentary:
The Conferences should take advantage of the teachings of one of our founders, maybe the most important one for Vincentian spirituality, and whose life of perfection has been acknowledged by the Holy Church. A layman, a family man, model husband, professional man and friend. We should not miss the enlightenment that our Lord gave us with the presence of Frederic Ozanam. “Sought to renew faith …in Christ” . Ozanam’s words and example brought others to Christ. Vincentians are called to proclaim the Good News in word and deed “a network of charity encircling the world”. Members share in this aspiration of Ozanam by contributing to Council General. One of its main functions is to help the Society in all nations to start new Conferences and Councils, providing financial help, volunteers and always, prayer
Having been placed under the patronage of St. Vincent de Paul by the founding members, members of the Society are inspired by his spirituality, manifest in his attitudes, his thoughts, his example and his words. For Vincentians, the key aspects of St. Vincent’s spirituality are:
· To love God, our Father, with the sweat of our brow and the strength of our arms;
· To see Christ in the poor and the poor in Christ;
· To share the compassionate and liberating love of Christ the Evangeliser and Servant of the poor;
· To heed the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
Commentary : The founders chose St. Vincent de Paul as patron saint and life model: the great saint of Charity. How could we forget him? How could we not know his works in depth and try to follow in his footsteps? Vincent’s holy audacity and creativity should be a permanent example for Vincentians when facing the difficulties that are sometimes entailed in helping people in need. Let us be imaginative in assisting them. Let us dream of new solutions that allow us to help them rise above their current condition. Let us dream as Vincent did, when he set up the Daughters of Charity, and sent them worldwide, without being bound to a convent. They were obliged only to serve the poor, in whom they could find Christ. “To heed the inspiration of the Holy Spirit” Through this text and those about charisms (1.1, 3.11) and prayer (1.7, 3.9), the Rule is calling on the Society to become more and more open to the spiritual light and energy of the Holy Spirit. We will not experience the ‘more abundant life’ Jesus came to give (cf. Jn 10:10),unless we are open to the ‘release of the Holy Spirit’, an expression of the Holy Spirit which will frequently become manifest in modest gifts not normally considered to be extraordinary graces. Nevertheless, this intervention and these modest and simple gifts will greatly enhance our service of the poor
The Holy Eucharist in Vincentian Spirituality
“Love is creative even to infinity.” – St Vincent De Paul
These words from St Vincent refer to the institution of the Eucharist. The Eucharist plays an important role in our Vincentian spirituality.
“St. Vincent spent one hour each morning before the Blessed Sacrament before celebrating Mass. Vincent visited the Blessed Sacrament before and after his meals, and he would frequently make short visits to the chapel before leaving and upon returning from
his responsibilities.”
…
“From his teens, Frédéric attended Mass daily whenever possible and received Holy Communion frequently – an unusual practice for that time. Not a day went by when Frédéric would not make a short visit to the Blessed Sacrament in one of the churches in Paris as he made his way to an appointment.”
Read the reflections on the lives and words of our Saints and Blesseds on the mystery of the Eucharist and the Sacrament of Holy Communion here.
Our Holy Patrons
Calgary Catholic Diocese Renewal
At the annual Ozanam Day with the Calgary Diocese Vincentians on Saturday September 7. It was a time to reconnect with our community, our faith and our works. Beginning with a Mass and the renewal of our Commissioning to serve as Vincentians, we reflected on the challenges we face as we strive to fulfill our commission in today’s world. Bishop McGrattan joined us for lunch, and challenged us to be the first lay association in the Diocese of Calgary to align our mission with the Diocese wide renewal of faith, focusing on three pillars:
1. Form Missionary Disciples in Christ
2. Be A Church of Encounter & Witness
3. Strengthen Family Life
As Vincentians, we are missionary disciples as we carry out our works of serving those in need in our communities. When we invite others to join us in that work and take the time to help them grow in the Vincentian spirituality that guides our works, we are forming missionary disciples. As you reflect on your conference, what are the ways that you intentionally invite others to know Christ, teaching the great story of Jesus and his church and leading them to practice their faith through the service of the poor as Vincentians?
Every time we respond to a request for assistance with temporal aid and personal contact, we are a Church of encounter and witness, listening to others’ lived experiences and responding with compassion and mercy. The Society of Saint Vincent de Paul exists because Blessed Frederick Ozanman was moved to bring substance and structure to our Catholic faith in action. Our Society continues today because we are a Church of encounter and witness.
As we reflect on the statistics that summarize our works, we know that much of our outreach directly affects families within our community. What if we were to focus on strengthening our parish families through providing the opportunity to serve the poor? How would our parish and Vincentian communities evolve in the future if we intentionally provided ways for families to practice being a Church of Encounter and witness?
When we form Vincentians, missionary disciples witness to Christ in word and deed, families are strengthened, our works flourish and the poor are served. We follow Christ when we teach others to serve him in the poor.
-Heather Schilling, Western Region Council President, SSVP