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Contemplation – Our Wordless Witness
Contemplation – Our Wordless Witness 940 788 SVDP USA

Our Vincentian virtue of zeal is more than simply enthusiasm or evangelical fervor. It is, St. Vincent de Paul said, “a pure desire to become pleasing to God and helpful to our neighbor”. [CCD XII:250] Zeal, then, requires first our own interior conversion, and then our concrete action.

As the first Rule explained, we must always serve the needs of the poor without regard to whether they are Christian. Even if they are “impious” we should always to speak to them in a way that makes them comfortable, for it is “by charitable gifts that we prepare the way for spiritual benefits.” [Rule, 1835, Intro]

Similarly, St. Vincent once advised his missioners “show no apparent difference in your treatment of Catholics and Huguenots, so that the latter may know you love them in God.” [CCD VIII:209] It should be noted that the Huguenots were a Calvinist sect that was fanatically opposed to the Catholic Church, going so far as to kill priests and to destroy churches and relics. Yet Vincent’s advice was to seek their conversion by being “more reserved in their presence, 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.” [Ibid]

We evangelize through our works, “through our witness to follow Christ through service to those in need and so bear witness to His compassionate and liberating love.” [Rule, Part I, 1.2] As Pope St. Paul VI explained, the Gospel must above all be proclaimed by the witness of our own devotion and action:

“Through this wordless witness these Christians stir up irresistible questions in the hearts of those who see how they live: Why are they like this? Why do they live in this way? What or who is it that inspires them? Why are they in our midst? Such a witness is already a silent proclamation of the Good News and a very powerful and effective one.” [Evangelii Nuntiandi, 21]

Zeal, of course, is a necessary part of the evangelical nature of our charitable works. After all, the challenge our founders answered in 1833 was to “show the good of the church in the world”. Distressed by the attacks on the church, Frédéric proposed bearing witness through action, as a group of friends “who would work as well as talk, and who would thus, by showing the vitality of their faith, affirm its truth.” [Baunard, 65]

As we seek to grow in holiness, we seek also to draw others to Christ, by demonstrating our faith through our works.

Contemplate

If you were accused of being Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?

Recommended Reading

The Rule, Part I

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News Roundup 4-16 to 4-22
News Roundup 4-16 to 4-22 1200 1200 SVDP USA

With 100,000 Vincentians across the United States and nearly 800,000 around the world, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul provides person-to-person service to those who are needy and suffering. Read some of their stories here:

INTERNATIONAL

NATIONAL

Help us share the good news of the good work being done in your local Conference or Council! Email us at info@svdpusa.org with the subject line Good News.

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Daily Prayer April 18 – April 22
Daily Prayer April 18 – April 22 940 788 SVDP USA

Monday, April 18:

Lord, my heart sings with gratitude
Like the birds that sing each morning
The song of the joy of creation
The song of a brand new day
Whether in sickness or health,
In poverty or riches,
I trust in You, my Lord,
And I thank you for the day.
Amen

Tuesday, April 19:

Send me, Lord Jesus,
Send me forth.
Send me to share Your word.
Send me, Lord Jesus,
Send me to serve.
Send me to share Your love.
Empty me, Jesus,
Of ego, of self,
So all that I share is You.
Amen

Wednesday, April 20:

Lord You are present among us
Not hidden, but right in plain view
But sometimes my mind is distracted
And I can’t even recognize You
Lord You always have known me
You have claimed me right from the start
Even before the day I was born
You have written Your word on my heart
Help me, Lord, not to walk past You
Help me always to recognize
The One to Whom my heart is bound
Help me to see with new eyes
Amen

Thursday, April 21:

Help me to feel the warmth of the hearth,
While I’m still outside chopping the wood.
Lord, help me to work in faith.
Help me let go of rewards of this world,
And to seek first the Kingdom of God.
Lord, help me to serve in hope.
Help me to empty myself of self,
To give and not to receive,
Lord, help me to live in love.
Amen

Friday, April 22:

Most Holy Trinity,
You have called me to love and serve.
Bless my heart, my soul, my mind,
And send me in Your name.
In the name of the Father, I live.
In the name of the Son, I move.
In the name of the Holy Spirit,
I have my being.
Amen
Daily Prayers are written by Tim Williams, National Vincentian Formation Director. 
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4-21-2022 A Letter From Our Servant Leaders
4-21-2022 A Letter From Our Servant Leaders 520 468 SVDP USA

A priest, not a C.M., gave a homily, about service to others. Father’s final comments, “Remember the less fortunate, and when you see a needy person, look to see the face of Christ in their faces. In all we do, it is important to take care of the children and the elderly. That is what our faith and our Lord wants us to do, especially the young and the old.” Father could have been talking about our Society. Our service goes beyond financial assistance, food, and clothing. We take care of our neighbors in need, as well as provide a safe environment whether in our Home Visits, dining rooms, or thrift stores.

The Society of St. Vincent de Paul lives out the belief that all individuals are created in the image and likeness of God and, thus, entitled to respect and dignity. Our mission includes protecting the rights of the weakest among us including the poor and vulnerable. In today’s world, the sexual abuse and exploitation of women and children is a problem of epidemic proportions and one that demands a response from us.  Such a response must not only include a position statement but the development of policies and programs that educate, screen, and protect the young and vulnerable from potential offenders and inappropriate interactions and situations.

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ 2002 Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People has given rise to a variety of programs and companies that are available to Catholic Dioceses, parishes, organizations, and outside groups. These range from full-service programs that offer member & volunteer databases, foundational and renewal courses, and background checks to locally developed and implemented programs. Each SVdP Council is encouraged to take a look at the various programs and models to decide what best meets the requirements of our national Safeguarding policy and the needs of their area and Council.

The task of developing a Safeguarding policy should take into consideration local policies, both as determined by your Diocese as well as officially authorized legal entities that the council/conference operates within. This may be an area that you will need to discuss with your appropriate legal advisor. It is recommended that exploration of the existing Catholic Diocesan Safe Environment Training (SET) program and screening processes used in your area can significantly aid in the development of your policy. Use of existing commercial Safe Environment training programs such as Virtus, Praesidium, and Catholic Mutual and their screening processes are already in place in many of our Councils’ areas and will offer the ability for compliance as requested in this important area.

Also, your insurance provider may have resources available that may be suitable for your specific jurisdiction and already are working with you on other liability issues, so a discussion with them on this topic may reveal a program that can be used.

Councils should consider how staff, vendors, volunteers, and contractors are able to safely voice any concerns through an established procedure, ensuring reporting abuse or potential abuse in a safe and secure manner. Employees, volunteers, sub-contracted agencies, vendors, and partners must receive your appropriate training on safeguarding annually and upon the start of a new working relationship.

Establish an efficient recording of all training and put a monitoring system in place.

Demonstrate how you will meet legal obligations of local, state, and federal guidelines.

Work with the local diocese to reflect their safeguarding policy as it meets the legal requirements. Identify responsible parties for internal investigations and reporting to authorities with written process in place to follow. Conduct background checks to prevent the employment of individuals in work with children and/or adults at risk where they have been barred by the state and federal authorities.

Display the Safeguarding policy in your facilities. Promote it to the community by sharing it with everyone including all volunteers, partners, vendors, contractors, and those you serve. Organize training that demonstrates how to handle situations that may occur, so your staff and volunteers are comfortable with the process.

Yes, there are questions, and the task force is here to help and will make every effort to assist Councils, albeit every diocese or jurisdiction has their own requirements. Our priority is a safe environment to protect our neighbors we serve, as well as Vincentians, employees, and volunteers.

We thank all Vincentians and councils for their efforts to create and advance their local Safeguarding policies. We appreciate the help from the national office, and members of the task force: Shirley Smalley, District President, Phoenix, AZ, Cathy
Wilhite, Executive Director, Peoria, IL, and Mark Zirnheld, CEO/Executive Director, Buffalo, NY. As stated by Pope Francis, “The protection of minors and vulnerable persons is an integral part of the Gospel message that the Church and all its members are called to proclaim throughout the world.” We are all there to follow the Gospel and teachings of our Society.  God bless you all.

Guadalupe E. Sosa
Chair, National Safeguarding Task Force

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Daily Prayers April 11 – April 17
Daily Prayers April 11 – April 17 940 788 SVDP USA

Monday, April 11:

Lord, I place my trust in You
In all things great and small
Help me to know Your will
And to do Your will
Wherever You place me
Amen

Tuesday, April 12:

You have known me always.
You have given me my name.
I love You, Lord Jesus.
You have called me forth to serve.
You are my model to follow.
I love You, Lord Jesus.
You have given me Your life
So that I may give You mine.
I love You, Lord Jesus.
Amen

Wednesday, April 13:

I offer You my words, O Lord,
In praise and gratitude.
I offer You my heart, O Lord,
The fullness of my love.
I offer You my life, O Lord,
On day at a time.
Amen

Thursday, April 14:

In sharing the Supper of the Lord,
May I be brought into Your Kingdom
In the bread and wine,
May I be made whole,
One with You, Lord Jesus.
Amen

Friday, April 15 (Good Friday):

As You offered Your suffering for me,
May I offer my suffering to You.
May all my illness, all my pain,
All my sadness, all my worries,
All the crosses I bear,
Become a single prayer
That washes me clean,
Replacing pain with hope,
In Your name, Jesus Christ.
Amen

Saturday, April 16 (Holy Saturday):

My heart is filled with gratitude
And whispers prayers of thanks
For Your sacrifice.

My soul waits in silence
For the coming of the Lord.
Amen

Sunday, April 17 (Easter Sunday):

Glory to You, Lord Jesus,
The Living Word of God!
You have rolled away the stone,
So death no longer has power!
The cross of suffering
Has become a cross of triumph
And I will not be afraid!
In the name of the Father
And of the Son
And of the Holy Spirit
Amen

Daily Prayers are written by Tim Williams, National Vincentian Formation Director. 
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News Roundup April 9 – April 15
News Roundup April 9 – April 15 1200 1200 SVDP USA

With 100,000 Vincentians across the United States and nearly 800,000 around the world, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul provides person-to-person service to those who are needy and suffering. Read some of their stories here:

INTERNATIONAL

NATIONAL

Help us share the good news of the good work being done in your local Conference or Council! Email us at info@svdpusa.org with the subject line Good News.

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Contemplation – Christ in the Cellar
Contemplation – Christ in the Cellar 940 788 SVDP USA

Born and baptized in 1786, it was under the Reign of Terror during the French Revolution that Bl. Rosalie Rendu’s earliest faith life was born and fed. Little Jeanne-Marie, called Marie by her family, learned from her parents a simple and generous manner. From the youngest age, following their example, she was known to be especially generous and kind to those in poverty, and to the sick.

Only seven years old in 1793, she became suspicious of a new gardener employed by her parents when she noted how they treated him with reverence. Following “Pierre”, she observed him saying Mass in the cellar one night, and later threatened to tell everybody who he really was.

Rosalie’s parents had hoped to protect their young daughters from the knowledge of the very real dangers of their times. Priests and bishops who refused to take the “Civil Oath of the Clergy” were sentenced to execution. Many of them fled France, and on their way through Confort, a farming village in the foothills of the Alps, the Rendu family sheltered them.

This was a real and serious risk to take, for the death sentence extended beyond the clergy to anybody who might shelter them. Rosalie’s mother, forced to explain that “Pierre” was really the Bishop of Annecy, also had to explain to her young daughter why this must be kept secret.

It was in this world of great danger, and with the example of her mother’s fearlessness in practicing her faith, that Rosalie prepared for and received her First Holy Communion.

The sacrament was administered in the cellar by the family’s pastor, who was himself under a sentence of death. As her friend and biographer, Armand de Melun, would later write, “There were before the altar a priest, who was preparing himself for martyrdom, and a virgin who promised God whom she was receiving for the first time, to love him all her life in the person of the lowly and the poor.” [Sullivan, 23]

As Vincentians, our journey towards holiness includes a special “devotion to the Eucharist” [Rule, Part I, 2.2] which we share together, especially on our feast days. [Rule, Part III, St. 9]  Perhaps when we partake of Holy Communion, we might call to mind Bl. Rosalie Rendu.

Bl. Rosalie’s example of holiness and courage may have become known during her long service as a Daughter of Charity, but it began when little Jeanne-Marie first accepted the Body and Blood of Christ in a candle-lit cellar in a war-torn land.

Contemplate

How can I partake more fully, and make the Eucharist a central part of my Vincentian vocation?

Recommended Reading

Faces of Holiness – especially Rosalie Rendu

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04-14-2022 A Letter From Our Servant Leaders
04-14-2022 A Letter From Our Servant Leaders 1367 1520 SVDP USA

Dear Vincentian Friends,

We Vincentians often say that we “see the face of Christ” in those we serve. Do we recognize the crucified people who surround us? Do we stand faithfully by them? How long and how far are we willing to accompany them?

During Holy Week, the Gospel accounts of Christ’s suffering and death are told with a great amount of detail that allows us to see the diverse responses of Jesus’ friends, enemies and followers. I wonder how we would have responded to the events that took place. Maybe we should look at how willing we are to expend the effort and take the risks necessary to stay with Him in the person of the suffering people we meet as Vincentians.

Some of us, like Saint Peter, may deny that we recognize those suffering injustice or poverty. Even though we have met them and been in their homes, we are often unwilling to identify with them or to advocate for their well-being as they suffer. We may not be like Judas and actually betray someone for money, but there are people in our communities who are willing to profit from misery and poverty. Are we willing to challenge those who prey on our neighbors in need?

I may be most like the disciples who would not stay awake and pray with the distressed and frightened Christ before he was taken prisoner. It is not that I am tired, but I often ignore the gravity of the events taking place and rest in the comfort of the status quo. I ignore Christ’s invitation to be alert and pray.

From the cross Christ prayed, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?” This is a prayer found on the lips of many in this world. It is the prayer of those now suffering in war, of the refugees at all borders, including our own, of those who are homeless, of those who are ill, and of all living in our midst who suffer poverty in its many forms.

For us, standing at the foot of the cross may be making a home visit, eating a meal with a homeless family, or visiting a prisoner. We will not hear the cry of the poor unless we are willing to step out of our comfort zone. We may not be able to take the cup of suffering from them, but we are invited by Jesus to pay attention, to pray and to accompany them so that they may have hope and know they are not forgotten. As St. Louise de Marillac told the Daughters of Charity, “The love of Christ crucified compels us.”

In these times of suffering, wars and illness, we need to believe in the promise of the risen Christ. We serve in hope. May you and all you love have a blessed Easter.

Serviens in spe,
Ralph Middlecamp
SVdP National President

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Contemplation – The Call to Imitation
Contemplation – The Call to Imitation 940 788 SVDP USA

Imitation, it is said, is the sincerest form of flattery – a distinction that must be made, because flattery is by its nature insincere. We flatter in order to gain something for ourselves by playing upon another’s vanity. The things we say when flattering might or might not be true, but that isn’t really the point.

By imitation, though, our praise is expressed with a concrete action; we show through imitation that it is the very habits or actions of another that will lead us to the thing we seek to gain. Think, for example, of children learning to play a sport well by trying to imitate the professional athletes they admire.

For Vincentians, what better way could we find to follow Christ’s call to be perfect, just as our heavenly Father is perfect, than to imitate Christ? This, after all, was the very basis of the Society’s founding – to go to the poor, just as Christ Himself had done; to show God’s compassion and love through our actions. In Aristotelian terms, we “become builders by building”. [Nicomachean Ethics, Book II:1]

Christ, then, is not an object of flattery, but is instead our ultimate role model. He is the God who shared our humanity so that He could “fully reveal man to himself.” [Redemptor Hominis, 8] Yet our humility can cause us to shy away from imitating Christ, seeking instead role models closer to our personal experience. In a similar way, that child athlete, however ambitious, will usually try first to imitate an older friend before swinging for the big leagues. For us, our “older friends” include especially the saints and blessed of the Vincentian Family.

In 1838, one of the first Conferences had been studying The Imitation of Christ, but then began reading The Life of St. Vincent de Paul. As Frédéric explained it, our patron “is a model one must strive to imitate, as he himself imitated the model of Jesus Christ.” [Letter 175, to Lallier, 1838] In our day, we also have the holy life of Blessed Frédéric to imitate. Perhaps, as a lay Catholic, he is even closer to us.

The Little Leaguer believes that if he can swing the bat like Ken Griffey, Jr., then he might become a great player on his own. For Vincentians, imitation has a deeper goal, an interior goal. We hope that someday it will be no longer we who love, but Christ who loves through us. [Rule, Part I, 2.1]

We seek, then, not simply to behave like Christ, but “to empty ourselves of self so that God alone may be manifest”. [CCD XII, 247]

Our imitation, it turns out, is not flattery at all. Flattery will get us nowhere. Imitation of Christ will lead us home.

Contemplate

In what way can I better imitate the life of Blessed Frédéric Ozanam?

Recommended Reading

Apostle in a Top Hat

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News Roundup April 2- April 8
News Roundup April 2- April 8 1200 1200 SVDP USA

With 100,000 Vincentians across the United States and nearly 800,000 around the world, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul provides person-to-person service to those who are needy and suffering. Read some of their stories here:

INTERNATIONAL

NATIONAL

Help us share the good news of the good work being done in your local Conference or Council! Email us at info@svdpusa.org with the subject line Good News.

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