St. Vincent de Paul Notes for Lent

Week 4:  Vincentian Spirituality: Person-to-Person Service

Scripture: 
“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit upon his glorious throne, and all the nations will be assembled before him.  And he will separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.  He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.  Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father.  Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.  For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.’  Then the righteous will answer him and say, ‘Lord, when did we {do these things}?’  And the king will say to them in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of thee least brothers of mine, you did for me.’

Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.  For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, a stranger and you gave me no welcome, naked and you gave me no clothing, ill and in prison, and you did not care for me.’  Then they will answer and say ‘Lord, when did we {not do these things}?’  He will answer them, ‘Amen, I say to you, what you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do for me.’  And these will go off to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.” (Matthew 26:31-46, shortened)

Reflection: 
Vincent de Paul and Frederic Ozanam both took very seriously the deep identification with the poor that Jesus expressed in this Gospel passage.  So deep is his love for the poor and suffering, that anything done (or not done) to or for them is exactly the same as if it were done 9or not done) to or for him.  In other words, if we wish to meet Jesus in the flesh, it is precisely in the poor that we will do that.  Poverty here is not just material poverty, as can be seen from the examples Jesus gives.  The poor, the “anawim” of the Gospel, might also include the grieving, the mentally ill, the ostracized or marginalized, the unemployed, the abused, etc.  What is at the heart of it all is compassion for those who are suffering.

We cannot fully experience our own humanity if we deny our own vulnerability, our own failures, our own faults, our selfishness or self-absorption, our laziness, our greed, our pride, our fear, and so on.  Being in deep solidarity with the poor, Vincent knew, would challenge us to be in touch with our own needy humanity, and also to bond us more deeply to God and to one another.  This is a truly blessed state, and one sought by all Vincentians.

Prayer: 
Dear Jesus, So often we long to see your face, to touch your human skin, to hear your voice, but we fail.  Help us to see and know more deeply that we can do just that in being with the poor and serving them, even as we allow them to challenge us.  Help us to have the courage, the faith, the love and the trust to do that ever more.  We ask this in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.
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Solidarity with the Poor

Vincent de Paul, who was a very practical man, had a gift for presenting his thoughts and sentiments concretely and clearly.  He used stories effectively, and more importantly, he was able to really help people to know and feel the presence and love of God among them, especially among the poor

The poor of God, whom Vincent loved, disturb our consciences rather than guarantee us good ones.  The poor person is much more likely to cling to God in their deep needs, while so many of us become self-satisfied.  Poor men and women derive their power and nobility from the humiliated Christ, who has only their voices to make himself well understood.  The eternal vocation of the poor is this: to denounce self-love wherever it exists.  Their power is immense, their insights acute.  Spiritually they are the rich ones, who light a fire which does not go out.  In spite of their rags, they nurture all who live to serve them.  Vincent became on of their most devoted servants.  To his followers who asked for a “doctrine”, or formula for experiencing God Vincent silently offered them the bread of the poor.

One of the difficult issues that Vincentians face is the question of judgment.  When asked for help by people in all kinds of situations, they encounter many whose problems are apparently of their own making, such as addictions, irresponsibility, etc.  The tendency among most of us is to call these the unworthy poor, and to have little or no sympathy, let alone empathy for them.  And yet, members remind themselves that they do not know the path that these persons have followed in their lives, and cannot judge them.  Even those who are blatantly guilty are nevertheless suffering.  They remind themselves that Jesus came to save the lost, the “sinners” rather than the righteous, who have no need of him.  Since real suffering is so often the “rock bottom” that prompts people to look to God, this is a perfect time for people to experience the unconditional love and compassion that Jesus was so famous for.  Perhaps in receiving undeserved love their hearts will be changed forever – and ours will be, too.  For serving even the undeserving poor is holding out God’s unconditional love, which was willing to be victim on the cross to win hearts and open hands.

Vincentian spirituality also deeply respects the self-determination of the poor. As the Church increasingly emphasizes the dignity of all human persons, Vincentians carefully take into account the desires, hopes, values and real needs of the poor.  They attempt to help to make them agents of their own human and spiritual promotion.  They thus seek empowerment for them.  Vincentian spirituality demands that they:

• listen more than they speak,

• accompany more than take charge, and they

• allow themselves to be evangelized by those they serve.

Contemplation in Action
For Vincentians, both prayer and action are absolutely essential, and very intertwined.  Even St. Vincent did not find his inspiration and conversion in a quiet prayer time.  He found it in the streets, among the abandoned babies and the victims of war and starvation.  In essence, the devastation among the suffering causes people to ask the deeper questions of life and of the culture:  Why is there so much suffering?  Where is God and why doesn’t God do anything about it?  Why don’t believers do anything?  What can I do about it?  Only when we have these deep questions are we readied for the deep answers, which come to us in the person of Jesus, experienced in the poor.  It is there that we encounter the mystery of a God of loving compassion who, in response to the evil and suffering in this world, took on human flesh and suffered along with us, even to the point of dying a horrible death.  Then he showed us that death is never the victor, for God has that perfect life we long for prepared for us in the Resurrection.  Therefore, we have God’s own company in our suffering, and we have God’s own promise of a beautiful future to hope for.  It is this assurance that fuels Vincentian service to the poor, and undergirds their prayer life as well.

Discussion Questions:
• When have you experienced the presence of God in someone who was “poor”?

• Share a time you struggled with serving someone who was undeserving.

• How are your prayer and your action connected?

The Society in Action – St. John Vianney

When the Vincentians at St. John’s answer any requests for help, there is sometimes a need for furnishings or clothing, which they attempt to supply.  What makes this a very real possibility is their chain of St. Vincent de Paul Stores.  They solicit donations from people in the area, even to being willing to pick up donations at their homes.  They cull, sort and price items for sale in the store.  When Conference members need items for clients, they give them vouchers to shop for free, and can deliver items when needed.  Our local store is located on Main Street in downtown Waukesha.  You can schedule a pickup by calling (262) 547-3281.

New this past year at St. John’s was Bundle Sunday, when our Vincentians collected donations from parishioners during a whole weekend, stored them in our garage, then helped deliver them to the Waukesha store, where they also volunteer their time helping to sort and sell.  This idea was so well received that it will be repeated in the coming year.

Our Vincentians also do Jail Ministry through their St. Dismas Society, named after the “Good Thief” who died with Jesus on a cross.  They minister to prisoners there, and also to their families, especially through their own Angel Tree project, where they supply gifts to the children of the inmates they serve.

Finally, they also visit  the homes of  those parishioners who are grieving the loss of a loved one.  About 2 months after the death, two Vincentians will bring a Mass Card to the bereaved listing a Mass in the Parish for their deceased loved one.  They will also assess whether the person(s) have other needs that are going unmet, such as help with financial paperwork, yard work, meals, or whatever.  Whatever needs they discover, they will address as best they can, either through their own efforts or through a referral.

Closing Prayer: 
We join our prayers today with those of Vincentians worldwide for those who are poor in one way or another:

• For the so-called “undeserving poor” who suffer not only through the normal circumstances, but also through self blame and shame, we pray….Lord, hear our prayer.

• For the haughty rich who too often think that they have earned their way in this world on their own, we pray….Lord hear our prayer.

• For ourselves when we hold backing from serving by our own blindness and fears, we pray…Lord hear our prayer.

• For our parish, that our own spirituality will be ever more bound up in our service to the poor, we pray….Lord hear our prayer.

• For all who are in various kinds of need, we pray….Lord hear our prayer.

• For Vincentians worldwide and especially those in our own parish we pray…Lord hear our prayer.

In gratitude and wonder for God’s and hope presence right in the midst of suffering, we pray together as Jesus taught us:  Our Father….

Week 1 Reflection

Week 2 Reflection

Week 3 Reflection