“It seems to me that you are killing yourself from the little care you take of yourself.”
-Vincent de Paul (to Louise de Marillac)

Vincent de Paul cannot claim to have invented the idea of “self-care,” but he absolutely understood its value. Vincent knew that in order for him and his peers to effectively serve the poor in 17th Century France, they also needed to take care of themselves. Of the thousands of known letters that Vincent wrote over his lifetime, almost none were written on a Thursday. It is believed that Thursdays were Vincent’s personal day of rest every week. As we transition into the summer, in what ways will you practice self-care?  How can you find more ways to balance your work and personal life, your responsibilities and your leisure?

Vincent de Paul. #95, Vincent de Paul to Louise de Marillac, n.d. [c.1632], CCD 1:145.