FIRE WITHIN: The Spirituality that Sparked the Works of St. Vincent de Paul

Few saints have been as active as Vincent de Paul (1581-1660). Even if we highlight only his principal accomplishments, the list is stunning. His spirituality was the driving force that enflamed his everyday activity. For Vincent de Paul, a single focus inspired everything: the person of Jesus. “Jesus Christ is the Rule of the Mission,”5 (Vincent DePaul, n.d.,12:110) he told his followers. Jesus was to be the center of their life and activities. Vincent organized and formed others for the service of the poor. With remarkable creativity, confronting the needs at hand, he founded the Confraternities of Charity, the Congregation of the Mission and the Daughters of Charity. There is something wonderfully liberating about being a servant of the poor and living in simplicity, humility and charity. Vincent was so deeply convinced of this that he called his followers to make those values the core of their lives

Welcoming the Stranger, St. Vincent de Paul and the Homeless

The theme is examined in three steps: Vincent and the homeless, The Vincentian Family Global Initiative against Homelessness, Blending systemic change and a “culture of encounter” in serving the homeless. Will our worldwide Vincentian Family, working together, have a significant impact on the lives of the homeless, bringing them a sense of security, peace, and a viable future, in the 150 countries where we live and serve? That is the goal of the megaproject we are launching to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the birth of St. Vincent’s charism

The Cross in Vincentian Spirituality

This article explores essential New Testament texts about the cross, its meaning in Vincentian tradition, and problems in reflecting about the cross. The cross is the symbol of God’s love for humanity as well as his power, as evidenced in the resurrection and Jesus’s victory over sin. Moreover, Jesus’s choice to die as an outcast is part of his focus on the marginalized during his life. Sometimes the cross refers to actual suffering that believers must undergo, but is more often used metaphorically to refer to what people must do to follow Jesus. Vincent de Paul and Louise de Marillac encouraged the contemplation of the cross as a symbol of God’s love and saw service to the poor as identifying with the cross in that sense. Their nuanced views on suffering, asceticism, and mortification are explained. Examples of beneficial ascetical practices are given. The theological problem of God’s relationship to suffering is discussed. Texts are offered for Vincentians and Daughters of Charity to use in meditation, and the forms the cross takes in the lives of both are listed. Finally, readers are urged to respond to suffering in the world because it is a reflection of the crucified Christ