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So Said Saint Vincent
It is a ruse of the devil, by which he deceives good people, to induce them to do more than they are able, so that they end up not being able to do anything. The spirit of God urges one gently to do the good that can be done reasonably, so that it may be done perseveringly and for a long time.
— St. Vincent de Paul
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VinSights
Vincentian Insights from the Province
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Fr. John Freund, CM
An Eight-year-old Jesus Figure
A simple explanation of why the Word of God took flesh and fully entered into our human condition. Emmanuel, God with us, the Word made flesh says, “Don’t worry, I have been through all this and will help you get through it.” Read or listen to the post HERE.
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Fr. Tom McKenna, CM
Three Epiphany Words
(Mt 2:1-12; Is 60:1-6)
There is a three-word formula that has since surprised
me with its helpfulness. The words are, “Stop, Look, Go.” Their background is the high-speed pace of modern life, bouncing from one surface to another, not noticing what is more deeply there. This thread of “Stop, Look and Go” winds through the words and actions of this Feast of Epiphany. Read the post HERE.
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Fr. Patrick Griffin, CM
A Vincentian View:
Journeying Together – To Bethlehem
The Church provides an abundance of wonderful insight on the focus of journeying together. We hear once again the encouragement to advance as a community who listens and learns from one another. What we do, we do together. That must be our starting point. Read the post HERE.
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Special VinSight
When Your Whole World Changes
It might be the moment after you hear of the death of your mother or father. The rug is pulled out from beneath you. Or, that moment when you go to the doctor and get a fatal diagnosis and are told you have three months left to live.
I still vividly remember when the twin towers collapsed on 9/11. I knew at that moment that not only my world but our world changed forever.
Read Fr. Freund's complete essay HERE.
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Many Vincentian Priests and Brothers have made it their ministry to serve the population of incarcerated men and women. They have taken decisive steps to counsel and build re-entry programs. Established by Fr. Tim Lyons, CM, and
a group of lay individuals, the Vincentian prison ministry supports returning citizens in finding stable and meaningful employment, one of the best ways to combat a person’s relapse into criminal behavior. Read more HERE
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In a Time of Pandemic and Upheaval,
Our Lady Gave Us the Miraculous Medal
By Joseph Pronechen, National Catholic Register
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Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal appeared in 1830 at a time of civil unrest and an approaching pandemic. People were suffering. France was suffering. The Church was suffering. There was growing political unrest, unemployment and food shortages.
The atmosphere was ripe for revolt. Vincentian Fr. Patrick Griffin, CM, compares parallels between today and 1830-32 events. Read more HERE.
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Five nuns from the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul detained in war-torn Ethiopian region of Tigray
“They used to be a part of our online prayer group, but they have suddenly disappeared. We later heard they had been arrested and detained not far from the capital. We are worried about their safety,” said an Ethiopian church source who could not be named for security reasons. “These nuns are innocent and harmless.”
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Meet Father Gregory Cozzubbo
This month, we asked five random questions to Fr. Gregory Cozzubbo, CM. Read his answers HERE.
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Vincentian Chair Holder is a Voice for Justice
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Niagara University has joined the efforts to assist Afghan women fleeing persecution under the Taliban regime by launching an initiative that will provide them sanctuary on the NU campus. “As a Vincentian university, Niagara is especially focused on issues of social justice, both within our local community and around the world,” said the Rev. James J. Maher, CM, Niagara University president. Read more HERE.
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SUPPORT the Work of the Vincentians
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The Vincentian Priests and Brothers of the Eastern Province serve those on the margins in areas often forgotten by the world.
This includes pastoring the poorest of parishes, prison ministry, addiction recovery, immigrant and migrant services, and much more.
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Fr. Rooney's most popular Vincentian Minute video from the past month is titled,
A Vincentian Minute - THE WORD: Epiphany
Fr. Rooney reflects on the some of the mysteries of Christmas and the meaning
To watch the short video, click the image above or click HERE.
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St. Vincent de Pauls's lifetime of service among the poor
in AMERICA: The Jesuit Review
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Fr. Robert P. Maloney, CM, the former superior general of the Congregation of the Mission, pens a beautifully written article on a man whose life (1581-1660) was extraordinary. As a teenager, Vincent fled the poverty of his peasant village, was ordained illegally at 19, and began to build a secure future as a priest eager to take on lucrative jobs. Gradually, however, he underwent an extraordinary conversion and decided to devote his life to God in the service of the poor. Read more HERE.
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Poverty
I saw an old cottage of clay,
And only of mud was the floor;
It was all falling into decay,
And the snow drifted in at the door.
Yet there a poor family dwelt,
In a hovel so dismal and rude;
And though gnawing hunger they felt,
They had not a morsel of food.
The children were crying for bread,
And to their poor mother they’d run;
O then, let the wealthy and gay
But see such a hovel as this,
That in a poor cottage of clay
They may know what true misery is.
And what I may have to bestow
I never will squander away,
While many poor people I know
Around me are wretched as they.
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This sorrowful poem by Jane Taylor in the 19th century paints a vivid picture of the horrid conditions associated with poverty. Taylor writes about a family who lives in an unsafe cottage without food provisions. The children starve and beg for food, which the mother is incapable of providing. Taylor frequently collaborated with her sister, Ann, and the two were some of the earliest known children’s poets. A few of their poems, including “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star” (first published as “The Star”), later became nursery rhymes.
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Comic by Fr. Al Pehrsson, CM
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If they're interested, sign them up HERE.
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