The Vision of Vincent Recognizing and Responding to Christ in the poor Richard Benson, C.M.

Vincent for the 21 st Century Does “Vincent” translate into the 21 st century? Would St. Vincent be seen as a “good Catholic” today? Would St. Vincent be seen by many Catholics today as “counter cultural?”

The Words of Vincent “Let us love God but with the strength of our arms and the sweat of our brow.”

Vincentian Spirituality “Perfection lies not in ecstasies but in doing well the will of God.”

Vincent didn’t whine “When the demands of life seem unfair to you, when you are exhausted and have to pull yourself out of bed yet another time to do some act of service, do it gladly, without counting the cost and without self-pity. For if you persevere in serving others, in giving yourself to the poor, if you persevere to the point of completely spending yourself, perhaps someday the poor will find it in their hearts to forgive you.” –St. Vincent de Paul

Vincentians Seek: –Not so much to know ABOUT Christ But –To KNOW Christ A Vincentian is one who encounters, recognizes and relates to Christ in all their sisters and brothers, but especially in the most neglected.

For every Vincentian Faith is a “relational” experience, not an intellectual exercise. Faith is a way of living that seeks an authentic encounter with Jesus. The Vincentian finds this encounter most profoundly with Jesus embodied in the poor. “I have come to bring the Good News to the Poor.”

Fr. Damien of Molokai, like Vincent, is one who poured out his life for the most abandoned.

Could I walk in the footsteps of Vincent, Louise or Damien?

Vincentian Anthropology Genesis 1: –Every Human Being is created as IMAGO DEI in other words as an “image of God.”

Two of the Most Important Biblical Passages for a Vincentian Mt. 25 The Last Judgment “Whenever you neglected the least of your brothers or sisters you neglected me.”

Acts 9: 4 “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”

Vincentians are called to be: Neighbor

Vincentians are: Single Minded: –Focused on THE MISSION: TO BRING THE GOOD NEWS TO THE POOR –Understand that THE GOOD NEWS is more than words and can never be divorced from effective “LOVE”: Love of Christ as expressed in an authentic spirituality Love of Christ as encountered in the poor

Vincentians understand CHARITY –Is never divorced from justice JUSTICE –Is “ensuring that everyone receives what is their due” DISTRIBUTIVE JUSTICE COMMUTATIVE JUSTICE –Is both “personal” and “social”

Authentic Justice Ensures that – “there is a social pie” –“everyone gets a piece” –“everyone gets the piece they need”

Authentic Vincentians Recognize and are Devoted to the “Real Presence” of Christ

Authentic Vincentians Are marked with: –Hope and Joy

Let’s Discuss 1. What are the three most important characteristics of St. Vincent for you and why? 2. How can the “vision of St. Vincent” make a difference in your life? 3. How would you describe St. Vincent and his vision to someone else?