Contemplation — Enough
We are called to see the face of Christ in those we serve. In imagining His face, it is easy to imagine the peaceful face portrayed in so many great…
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Contemplation — The Vincentian Tradition
The Catholic Church teaches the importance of tradition in addition to Scripture. It is through tradition that the divine revelation is passed along from the Apostles to us. Tradition and…
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Contemplation — Breathe Deeply
The word “spirit” has its roots in the Latin verb spīrāre, meaning “to breathe.” If we think, then, of the Holy Spirit as the breath of God, it seems easier…
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Contemplation: Falling Forward
There is a commonly used exercise in corporate training events called a “trust fall.” In it, one person stands with his back to the others, with arms crossed and eyes…
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Contemplation: Our Inheritance and Legacy
In studying our own genealogy, we first catalog the names and dates and places of our ancestors. Our understanding and our love for them truly comes alive, though, when we…
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Contemplation — Saints Among Us
After the death of St. Louise de Marillac, St. Vincent de Paul gathered the Daughters of Charity together for two conferences in remembrance of their “dear mother.” He asked them…
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Contemplation — Working for God’s Sake
Studying the words of our Vincentian predecessors helps to remind us of the challenges we share, and the spirituality, traditions, and friendship that bind us to them and to the…
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Contemplation — Our True Friend
When we think back to the times in our lives when we have needed some help, or advice, or a shoulder to cry on, those are the times we learned…
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Contemplation — Experts In Their Own Situation
To “offer humble advice” is a natural part of the home visit. [Manual, 2.1] Bl. Frédéric even listed “good advice” among the things we offer to the poor that we…
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Contemplation — Independent of My Will
St. Vincent taught that we are called to submit entirely to God’s will; indeed, to make His will our own. Even when we seek to discern the best way to…
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