Formation

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A Week in Prayer August 21 – August 25
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Monday, August 21

My heart is restless, Lord,
Seeking comfort, seeking peace.
Lead me in my actions, Lord,
Lead me in my words.
Lead me, through the neighbor,
To the One True Peace in You.
Amen

Tuesday, August 22

Lord, lead me to riches
But not of this earth.
Instead, in Your kingdom,
Lord, give me new birth.
Grant me the riches
That eye cannot see,
For thine is the kingdom,
The glory, and me.
Amen

Wednesday, August 23

Lord, You bless me with Your presence
In the sick, in the healthy,
In the rich, in the poor,
In the young, in the old,
In my neighbor;
The image of your infinite glory,
Present in our humble humanity,
So that when I greet You,
I can look in the eyes of God
And smile.
Amen

Thursday, August 24

Lord Jesus, You gave me Your body.
You paid for my sins with Your blood.
You call me to enter Your kingdom.
Lord Jesus, I give You my heart.
Amen

Friday, August 25

You speak to me, Lord, through my neighbor,
Through the one that I love for Your sake.
You are present in all the events of my life
And through all of the actions I take.
I seek, Lord, the path to the Kingdom,
To the love that the eye cannot see.
My pathway to You is made shorter, O Lord,
For I know that You first came to me.
Amen

Daily Prayers are written by Tim Williams, National Vincentian Formation Director.
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Contemplation — The Image of God
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The first of the four permanent principles of our Catholic social doctrine is the dignity of the human person. [CSDC, 160] What does that mean for us as Christians and as Vincentians? The word dignity comes from the Latin dignus, meaning “worthy.” In the normal interactions of life, we may not naturally apply this idea to everybody we know. We tend to apply terms like “dignitaries” or “worthies” mainly to a special few who have proved themselves in some way.

Yet our belief in the dignity of the human person – of every human person – derives from our belief that we are made in God’s image, each of us and all of us: “God created mankind in his image; in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” He didn’t create only one of us, or only some of us, in His image. We all are worthy.

We can remember this more easily when we think of our family members and close friends. They needn’t prove their merit in any way for us to know, deep in our hearts, that they are worthy. We believe this not because of anything they have done to earn our esteem, but simply because we love them.

Vincentians are called to see the face of Christ in our neighbors; we are called to serve them for love alone. Our love is the reason we never adopt the attitude that the assistance we offer is our possession, or that the neighbor has “to prove that they deserve it.” [Manual, 23] We are serving the God whom we love, and just like our family and friends – even more so – we already know that He is worthy.

This is why Christ offered the Greatest Commandment to us in two parts. They are alike, He said, and the “whole law” depends on them: to love God with all of our heart, soul, and mind, and to love the neighbor as ourselves. Our love for the neighbor cannot be separated from our love for God because the neighbor – each neighbor, every neighbor – is the very image of the God who created us.

In poverty and in wealth we have a tendency to measure our worth by the things we possess, or by the things we lack. We can begin to believe we are more worthy because we have a nice job, home, or car, or we can begin to believe we are less worthy because we are unemployed, addicted, or homeless. Neither is true, but both can separate us from God. The bread we bring to the hungry belongs to them already, because God did not create anybody so that they should starve, but it is in the bringing, not the bread, that we reassure the ones we love that they are indeed loved, and that they are worthy. It is how we “[help] them to feel and recover their own dignity”. [Rule, Part I, 1.8]

In a similar way, God’s gratuitous presence and love assures us that we are worthy, too. At the heart of our vocation is love. At the heart of our love is God.

Contemplate

Do I approach every home visit as if it is worth my time and effort?

Recommended Reading

Mystic of Charity (especially “Home Visits in the Vincentian Tradition”)

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Contemplation: Doing More
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There is an old saying that nobody, on his deathbed, ever said “I wish I had spent more time at the office.” Yet in a famous scene in the movie Monsieur Vincent, St. Vincent, near his own death, tells the queen that he has done nothing in his life. She asks then, if he has done nothing, what should the rest of us do? St. Vincent de Paul replies, “More.”

Vincent’s life’s work, though, was not a job! Likewise, for us, our work of charity is not a job, nor are we simply “volunteers”. Instead, ours is a vocation; it isn’t what we do, it is who we are. There is no question of “clocking out” for the day, for ours is a “vocation for every moment of our lives”. [Rule, Part I, 2.6]

A vocation is a calling; the word itself comes from the Latin vocāre, meaning “to call”. Every person is called; our church teaches, to the common vocation “to show forth the image of God and to be transformed into the image of the Father’s only Son.” [CCC, 1877] This common vocation takes a personal form, leading each of us to our particular road toward the perfection to which Christ directs us.

Our road is the Vincentian pathway. It leads us to Christ; it is our way of being Catholic. We sons and daughters of St. Vincent are called by his example to “love God…with the strength of our arms and the sweat of our brows.” [CCD XI:32] With these words, Vincent recalls that labor is the common lot of mankind since being cast out of Eden, sentenced to eat bread only by the sweat of our brows, but as Blessed Frédéric Ozanam put it, this “applies as much to the nourishment of the soul as of the body.” [Letter 6, to Materne, 1829]

Ours is not a job for pay, but a labor of love – to serve Him in the poor, the hungry, the lonely, and the desperate; to dry their tears, to offer our hearts, and to share with them this great hope that lights our path. “That is what is proposed to us, the sublime vocation God has given us.” Frédéric said. “Would that we were a little bit worthy of it and bent easily to its burden.” [Letter 90, to Curnier, 1835]

We needn’t be ashamed that we tire, from time to time, at the labor required to visit the poor, to stock the pantries, to answer the calls, to talk to the landlords, and even to fill out the paperwork, but let us always remember the Savior’s call to “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest.”

And let us also ask Blessed Frédéric to pray for us, as he did for his brothers, “that you may know your vocation and will not fail in the courage to follow it…” [Letter 387, to his brother Charles, 1842] In becoming Vincentians, we answered His call, and each time the Conference helpline rings, He is calling us again.

Contemplate

How can I seek to do “more”?

Recommended Reading

Walking the Vincentian Pathway

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A Week in Prayers August 7 – August 11
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Monday, August 7

Each day, Lord, and every night,
Your presence and Your love
Are the warmth within my heart.
Help me nurse into flame
This ember of faith.
Help me to spread it
Heart to heart, soul to soul,
To all Your children
Throughout the earth.
Amen

Tuesday, August 8

O Lord, make me Your instrument,
Make me the one You send;
One servant’s work divided
Among all the sheep You tend.
Yet all may know completely
Your grace from up above;
From a single loaf, a single fish,
A single act of love.
Amen

Wednesday, August 9

Heavenly Father,
I enter this day with gratitude,
In the light of the hope
Of eternal union with You.
Help me to share Your light
Through my actions
And my manner today.
Amen

Thursday, August 10

Praise to You, Lord Jesus!
My heart is filled with joy!
You are with me on the journey,
You await me at its end.
Through You, I am not weary.
With You, I am not alone.
In You, I shall live.
Amen

Friday, August 11

Each day, O Lord, I seek You,
In the neighbor, in the poor.
Each day, O Lord, I serve You,
In my actions, in my words.
Each day, O Lord, I give my life,
A little at a time,
With faith to move mountains,
With hope undiminished,
With love enough to share.
Amen

Daily Prayers are written by Tim Williams, National Vincentian Formation Director.
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A Week in Prayers July 31 – August 4
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Monday, July 31

Tend to this seed, O Jesus,
That You have planted in my heart.
Water and nourish it,
Turning always as it grows
Toward the light of Your divine love.
Fill my heart completely, Lord,
So that the seed of sanctity
May fall upon all hearts,
Inviting them into Your garden.
Amen

Tuesday, August 1

Heavenly Father,
Grant me faith to persevere
Discerning Your will
Through fog of doubt
Doing Your work
Up steepest climbs
Seeking Your Kingdom
Tirelessly
Amen

Wednesday, August 2

Father, draw me closer to Your Kingdom.
Lord, implant Your will within my heart.
O God, be still the stormy seas around me,
As I strive, for love alone, to do my part.
Amen

Thursday, August 3

Lord, You are rest when I am weary,
Comfort in distress,
Peace in times of turbulence,
And direction when I am lost.
And when I am at peace,
Unburdened by worry or distress,
Still You are my beacon,
My direction,
And my hope.
Amen

Friday, August 4

On every step, Lord Jesus,
You are near.
I am never on my own in times of sorrow.
I am never all alone in times of strife.
At every time, Lord Jesus,
You are here.
My heart is never empty,
My burden’s not too much.
You are the light that guides me.
You are my hope.
Amen

Daily Prayers are written by Tim Williams, National Vincentian Formation Director.
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Contemplation: Justice, Charity, and Subsidiarity
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One of the oldest traditions of the Society is our embrace of subsidiarity as our standard of operation. By this, we mean that Conferences and Councils have great freedom of action, empowering them to pursue local initiatives to help the poor spontaneously and effectively, without the burden of excessive bureaucracy. [Rule, Part I, 3.9] Bureaucracy, after all, is the hallmark not of Christian charity, but, as the word itself suggests, of what Bl. Frédéric referred to as “the assistance bureaus.” He explained that Conferences should instead keep in mind that each city “has different needs … and provides different resources” and not “tie [themselves] down with rules and formulas.” [Letter 82, to Curnier, 1834]

It only stands to reason, then, that it cannot be a remote Council that dictates the works of the Conferences, for it could have little basis to do so outside of “rules and formulas.” Councils instead exist not to supervise, but “to serve all the Conferences they coordinate.” [Rule, Part I, 3.6] As Emmanuel Bailly explained this relationship in an 1841 Circular Letter, Councils are “rather a link than a power” and in that link from Conferences to Councils and back, “there is neither authority nor obedience; there may be deference and advice; there is certainly, above all, charity; there is the same end, there are the same good works; there is a union of hearts in Jesus Christ, our Lord.” [Circ. Ltr. 14 Jul 1841]

Subsidiarity, then, works hand in hand with our Vincentian friendship, and our Cultural Belief in One Society. We are united by our Rule, by our Catholic faith, and by the celebration of our diversity in the many communities where we serve. We respect the Conferences’ determination of the best way to serve their communities in much the same way as Conferences are called to assume that the home visit team has “special insight into the best way to give help.” [Manual, 24]

Subsidiarity, of course, also is one of the four permanent principles of Catholic social doctrine, necessary to recognizing the dignity of the human person. It extends not only from Councils to Conferences, but to the neighbor, reminding us that it “gravely wrong to take from individuals what they can accomplish by their own initiative and industry and give it to the community.” [CSDC, 186]

This is one reason why, rather than dictating solutions for the neighbor, “Vincentians endeavor to help the poor to help themselves whenever possible, and to be aware that they can forge and change their own destinies and that of their local community.” [Rule, Part I, 1.10]

At times, it seems easier to simply dictate to others rather than allow them to make their own decisions, but subsidiarity calls Councils to respect the judgment of Conferences, Conferences of members, and members of neighbors. Subsidiarity, being rooted in respect for the dignity of the human person, is a measure of both justice and charity.

Contemplate

Are there times I become frustrated because I believe that “I know what’s best” for others?

Recommended Reading

The Rule, Part I

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Contemplation — Rejoice in God Always
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In our works of charity, we come to know many neighbors whose circumstances seem so overwhelming that they begin to overwhelm us, too. It weighs on us, and we begin to suffer from what some call “compassion fatigue,” a sort of despair that perhaps what we do is simply not enough.

Our Rule reminds us that “in the poor [we] see the suffering Christ.” [Rule, Part I, 1.8] If we stop right there, it’s no wonder we despair. Yet every week at Mass, as we ponder the crucified Christ, there above the altar, we find peace in the reassurance of His great promise. On the cross, Jesus suffered unimaginably. Our very word in the English language for unbearable pain – excruciating – comes from the Latin ex cruce meaning “from the cross.” Yet to meditate upon that image brings us not sadness but joy; not despair, but hope.

That is because the faithful see the cross with hope-tainted eyes. We know Christ’s story does not end on that cross, and because of that, neither does ours. The cross is suffering, yes, but it is also redemption, it is also glory, it is also hope.

So, as we are called to see the suffering Christ in the neighbor, we also are called to see Him with the same hope-tainted eyes with which we gaze upon the crucifix. Both the neighbor’s troubles and our own will surely pass, and there is never a time that we should not, as Blessed Frédéric’s father advised him during a time of great sadness, “Gaudete in Domino semper.” (Rejoice in God always.) [Letter 160, to Laller, 1837]

To be sure, it is important to share the tears of the neighbor, but not without also sharing the hope of Christ. We can express our sympathy in no more sincere way than to share a tear, to bear with us part of the sadness, stress, or sometimes even anger that the neighbor may be feeling. This is, as St. Vincent once explained, “an act of love.” [CCD XII:221]

But to share only the despair is not our calling. “Help honors,” Blessed Frédéric wrote, “when it may become mutual.” [O’Meara, 229]

Vincentians serve in hope. Not merely the hope of paying a bill, because there always will be another bill. We serve in the eternal hope, “the great hope that cannot be destroyed,” and we “can always continue to hope, even if … there seems to be nothing left to hope for.” [Spe salvi, 35]

In suffering there is redemption, in the neighbor there is God, and in hope there is joy enough to share.

Contemplate

Why do I find it difficult to “rejoice in God always”?

Recommended Reading

Turn Everything to Love

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A Week in Prayers July 24 – July 28
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Monday, July 24

Jesus, when the bread is broken,
When the wine is poured,
I am, just as You promised,
In the presence of my Lord.
And when the neighbor calls me,
When I visit as a friend,
There, too, just as You promised,
You are present once again.
Amen

Tuesday, July 25

O Lord, help me pour myself out
Until I am empty of ego,
Empty of worldly concerns,
Empty of myself.
O Lord, fill this empty vessel
Until it overflows,
So that I cannot help but share
The love that never fails.
Amen

Wednesday, July 26

Lord, lift me up
When my burden is heavy
And I cannot bear it alone.
Send me, then, Lord
To lift up my neighbor.
As You have done for me,
So I will also do.
As You have loved me,
So I will also love.
Amen

Thursday, July 27

I offer You, Lord, all my suffering,
And all of my worldly cares.
Enter my heart, Lord Jesus,
I have made room for You there.
Amen

Friday, July 28

Heavenly Father, I praise Your name,
Lifting my eyes and heart to You.
The beauty of Your creation
In the light of Your love
Fills me with wonder
And gratitude.
Amen

Daily Prayers are written by Tim Williams, National Vincentian Formation Director.
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Contemplation — The Mysterious Voice from Within
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Of our five Vincentian Virtues, the one that first comes to mind in considering the life and works of our founder, Blessed Frédéric Ozanam, is humility, which our Rule teaches us is “accepting the truth about our frailties, gifts, talents, and charism, yet knowing that all that God gives us is for others and that we can achieve nothing of eternal value without His grace.” [Rule, Part I, 2.5.1]

As a young man, he clearly recognized the blessings with which he had been bestowed, saying that “There does not exist perhaps in the vineyard of the Eternal Father, a single vine to which He has given so much care and attention.” Recognizing his own many gifts, he also recognized his obligation to share them for the benefit of others, to answer the call of “the mysterious voice from within.” And yet, while he “recognized God’s gift” he believed himself “incapable of willing or of acting.” [Baunard, 98-99]

At the Sorbonne, Frédéric certainly made great use of his formidable intellectual gifts. He quickly earned a reputation for his bold defenses of the faith in the face of attacks from students and professors alike. He was a skillful debater, unafraid in offering arguments that at times caused even his professors to rethink their own arguments.

And yet, when challenged in the Conference of History to show the good of the Church, Frédéric did not leap to impassioned argument. One of his chief goals in that debating club had been to win over the unbelieving students to the faith, and yet, when directly asked “what are you doing … to prove the truth of your faith?” he had no ready answer. [Baunard, 64] Surely such a brilliant debater could have launched a devastating argument; in modern parlance, he could have “owned” the Saint Simonians.

Instead, he and his friends left in silence. They could see not that their arguments had been defeated, but that words alone were not sufficient. Indeed, words had so far seemed counterproductive. Rather than rely upon their own intellect to show the good of the faith, they saw instead that they had to humbly follow upon the example of Jesus, and use their gifts to serve His poor.

It was the same thing taught by St. Vincent de Paul, who had two hundred years earlier advised one of his missioners to be “more humble and devout toward God, and more charitable toward your neighbor so that they may see the beauty and holiness of our religion and be moved to return to it.” [CCD VIII:209]

Our gifts are sufficient if we use them as God wills, for the benefit of others and the glory of His name, “without thinking of any reward or advantage for [ourselves].” [Rule, Part I, 2.2] The Society’s very founding was an act of humility. How can we do otherwise?

Contemplate

What personal ambition or desire is the “mysterious voice from within” calling me to set aside?

Recommended Reading

Apostle in a Top Hat

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A Week in Prayers July 17 – July 21
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Monday, July 17

Hear my prayers, Lord,
Not for myself,
But for all those in need
Of Your grace.
My friends and my foes,
The rich and the poor,
In each of whom
I see Your face.
Amen

Tuesday, July 18

Light of the world
Dawn of the day
Hope of the kingdom to come
Remain in my heart
Shine out through my love
Let me be Your beacon, O Lord
Amen

Wednesday, July 19

Oh Father, my Father, my Lord, and my God!
You have made me, You have known me.
Here I am.
You have called me, You have loved me.
Here I am.
I seek to do Your will.
Here I am.
Amen

Thursday, July 20

My God, I give You my heart;
A heart Your love can fill,
A heart that does Your will,
A heart that time will still
On earth.
And though it beat no more,
May it open heaven’s doors,
This heart, already Yours.
Amen

Friday, July 21

Lord Jesus, my Savior,
Through You I have seen
The model for my own humanity.
With You I will go
And knock on the door of the poor.
In You is life everlasting,
Broken, poured out, and shared.
Amen

Daily Prayers are written by Tim Williams, National Vincentian Formation Director.

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