mission monday

Resolutions for the New Year

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Vincent de Paul suggested that we focus our resolutions on those that help us acquire the spirit of the mission entrusted to us.

“Let’s take renewed resolutions to acquire this spirit, which is our spirit; for the spirit of the Mission is a spirit of simplicity, humility, gentleness, mortification, and zeal. Do we have it or don’t we?” (CCD, 12:251.)

Mortification doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue, and today, humility and gentleness may not be the virtues to which we aspire above all others. However, Vincent’s wisdom may serve us well as we face the New Year, and perhaps as we commit to renewed resolutions for the time ahead. Vincent suggested that our lived values should be those that ultimately enable us to serve a bigger mission or purpose, our calling, or that which we are seeking to fulfill. He believed that his commitment to serve those who were in need required an imitation of the virtues he recognized in Jesus. A contemporary translation of Vincent’s characteristic virtues suggests that we must strive to be honest, approachable, self-disciplined, realistic, and hard working.

As you pause to consider your own personal sense of mission and the mission entrusted to us here at DePaul, what do you believe are the primary values essential for us to make real in our daily decisions and actions during the year to come?

We will be focusing Mission Monday reflections on these Vincentian virtues in the coming weeks as we begin the New Year. For more on a contemporary interpretation of the virtues, see “Our Good Will and Honest Efforts,” by Edward R. Udovic, C.M.:

Article: https://via.library.depaul.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1321&context=vhj

Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_YG1viPqRnw

 

Reflection by:

Mark Laboe, Associate Vice President, Mission and Ministry

Vincentian Candor 101

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Is the world awash in duplicity?

When was the last time you heard the media report an incredulous story? Did you hear an inner voice say, “Now, I’ve heard it all!” Such occurrences seem more frequent these days than in the past.

The age of disputed questions did not end with Thomas Aquinas in the thirteenth-century. The chicaneries of seventeenth-century France prompted Saint Vincent de Paul to exclaim, “The world is awash in duplicity.” (CCD, 10:58) The saint encouraged his collaborators to “have a candid heart and candid spirit.” (Ibid.) He instructed them how to engage appropriately in public discourse and civic rhetoric. They were “never to say anything contrary” to what they thought or to their principles. (CCD, 10:286)

Now, as does a toxin, polemical disputation permeates our national psyche. We are left to ask, What must be done? Perhaps Vincentian personalism is our answer. It promotes unity in diversity and emphasizes the common good of everyone. The Vincentian way is honest, forthright, and employs the art of conversation to speak respectfully and listen attentively with a “spirit of straightforwardness and simplicity,” and ultimately, integrity. (CCD, 34a:41)

 

Reflection by:

Betty Ann McNeil, D.C., Vincentian Scholar-in-Residence
Vincentian Studies Institute, Division of Mission and Ministry

Citation:
Conference 66, Secretiveness, CCD, 10:58; Conference 86, Uniformity, CCD, 10:286; Conference 34a, Simplicity with Crafty Persons, CCD, 34a:41.

Looking Forward with Hope

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“We must go forward without becoming discouraged…” — Vincent de Paul

As the days get shorter and the weather gets colder, many of us reflect upon the past year and on what lies ahead. In numerous spiritual traditions, we are encouraged to pay attention to the environmental changes around us as signs and reminders of the Divine plan. While change is a natural and constant part of our lives, it can often be anxiety producing. We look at changes in the world and our country, or perhaps changes in higher education broadly and here at DePaul, and we may not always feel confident it is for the better. Sometimes we may wish things would just stay the same. Even if we know the imperfections, there is comfort in familiarity.

Saint Vincent witnessed tremendous change in the world around him. Seventeenth-century France was a society often in a state of conflict and flux. A key component of Vincentian spirituality is paying attention to the signs around us, carefully discerning a path forward, then taking action and trusting in divine providence. Vincent encouraged his followers in times of change to look for how they were being invited forward, believing that “…on God’s road, not to advance is to fall back since man never remains in the same condition.” (CCD, 2:146) In other words, the world changes and so must we.

As you reflect upon the past year, on the things you are grateful for, as well as the challenges you have faced, what have you learned that can inform your course of action for times ahead?  Where are your seeds of hope and possibility? Knowing the nature of our world, how can you best prepare for the change ahead while maintaining faith in the midst of uncertainty?

Citation:          1307, “To René Alméras,” 3 January 1651, CCD, 4:139; and 490, “To Etienne Blatiron, 9 October 1640, CCD, 2:146.

Reflection By:            

Abdul-Malik Ryan
Assistant Director and Muslim Chaplain
Division of Mission and Ministry

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Did you know that there is a whole host of Vincentian mission based resources available digitally? Visit the “All Things Vincentian” page, spend some time browsing, and learn more about DePaul’s Vincentian heritage during the winter holidays.

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In the spirit of today’s reflection, you are invited to a day of reflection, renewal and community building for DePaul faculty and staff:

A Day with Vincent

Thursday, December 5th, 2019 from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm

Cenacle Retreat and Conference Center, 513 W. Fullerton in Lincoln Park.

A Day with Vincent is an opportunity for DePaul staff and faculty to find spiritual enrichment and community, to reconnect with a sense of calling, and to deepen their understanding of our Vincentian mission.  The day is free of charge and meals will be provided. Participants will be back to campus by 4:30 pm with transportation provided as needed.  Now in its 12th year, A Day with Vincent helps participants find time and space within their busy lives to reflect deeply on Vincentian spirituality and mission while enabling them to engage with colleagues from across the university. Led by professional staff from the Division of Mission and Ministry and attended through the years by over 700 DePaul faculty and staff, the program is welcoming and supportive to those of all religious, spiritual and philosophical backgrounds and starting points.

In the quiet of December, as the academic quarter and calendar year draw to a close and the holidays approach, we hope you’ll join us for this opportunity to grow both personally and professionally, individually and communally.

WEBLINK FOR REGISTRATION:  http://go.depaul.edu/daywithvincent

 

 

 

 

 

Vincent’s “Great Sin”

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In the telling of our story, we find out who we truly are.

DePaul University is graced with an array of statues and artwork that remind us of our founder. However, how often do we actually reflect on the person of Vincent de Paul, and the sometimes-surprising joys and challenges that made him a real person?

Vincent de Paul came from “peasant stock,” yet his life would lead him to the highest civil and ecclesiastical circles of seventeenth-century France, and would connect him to people with social standing far above his own. A challenge that first confronted Vincent, when still an adolescent, was how to integrate his humble roots with his education and rising social status.

A poignant moment in Vincent’s early life reveals this struggle. Vincent wrote, “I remember that once… at the college where I was studying, I was informed that my father, who was a poor peasant, was asking for me. I refused to go talk to him. In so doing I committed a great sin.”

We know from Vincent’s writings that he wrestled with ambivalent feelings regarding his humble background. However, over the years, Vincent was able to integrate these challenging thoughts into an evolving and authentic sense of self in terms of who he was becoming.

Vincent’s life presents us with an invitation to ask ourselves, how successfully have we integrated our past into the reality of our present? What lessons do our personal histories still have to teach us? As DePaul itself seeks to flourish by moving forward, how can we look back and remain true to the roots that ground us as an institution?

Citation: Stafford Poole, C.M., “The Formative Years of a Saint: Vincent de Paul,” Vincentian Heritage 13:2 (1992), 82.

 

Reflection by Siobhan O’Donoghue

Going Beyond Your Comfort Zone

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Vincent de Paul did not mince words in challenging people who settled for a narrow outlook on life or who remained within a narrow circle of interlocutors. He questioned those “…who seek only to enjoy themselves…people who have only a narrow outlook, confining their perspective and plans to a certain circumference within which they shut themselves away, so to speak, in one spot; they don’t want to leave it, and if they’re shown something outside it and go near to have a look, they immediately go back to their center, like snails into their shells.”  

Surely, we are all guilty at times of maintaining a guarded disposition when it comes to our personal ideas and self-image, and perhaps we sometimes even resist people and experiences that might challenge our way of thinking. However, if we do not open ourselves up to experiences that challenge our thinking or move us beyond what is familiar, how will growth occur?

Where might you begin to grow outside of your own “shell” or comfort zone and open yourself to different perspectives and new relationships in the coming week? In higher education, we speak often of “silos.” How, then, might you make a connection this week with someone outside of your own silo?

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Citation: 195, “Purpose of the Congregation of the Mission,” 6 December 1658, CCD, 12:81.

Reflection by: Mark Laboe, Associate Vice President, Mission and Ministry

 

You’re invited to a day of reflection, renewal and community… 

A Day with Vincent

Thursday, December 5th, 2019 from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm

Cenacle Retreat and Conference Center, 513 W. Fullerton in Lincoln Park.  

A Day with Vincent is an opportunity for DePaul staff and faculty to enrich your spirituality, strengthen your community, reconnect with your calling and deepen your understanding of our Vincentian mission.  The day is free of charge and meals will be provided. Participants will be back to campus by 4:30 pm with transportation provided as needed.  

Now in it’s 12th year, A Day with Vincent helps participants find time and space within their busy lives to reflect deeply on Vincentian spirituality and mission while enabling them to engage with colleagues from across the university. Led by professional staff from the Division of Mission and Ministry and attended through the years by over 700 DePaul faculty and staff, the program is welcoming and supportive to those of all religious, spiritual and philosophical backgrounds and starting points. 

In the quiet of December, as the academic quarter and calendar year draw to a close and the holidays approach, we hope you’ll join us for this opportunity to grow both personally and professionally, individually and communally. 

WEBLINK FOR REGISTRATION:  http://go.depaul.edu/daywithvincent

Honoring Those Who Have Shaped Us

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“I embrace your heart and your family with all the tenderness of my heart.” — St. Vincent de Paul

Vincent de Paul wrote this line to Louis Dupont in 1659. The quote is unique in that Vincent does not express kindness solely to Louis, but extends it to his family as well. For most people we encounter, we act as the bridge between them, our family, and our friends. To know those closest to us is to know our greatest support systems, and to encounter our friends and family is to gain insight into how we became the people we are today.

In our world today, what are some ways we can be intentional in honoring our relationships with those closest to us?

Every culture, person, community, etc. may have a different answer. With the end of October quickly approaching, one example can be found in Dia de los Muertos, or “Day of the Dead.” No, not Halloween, or even a sad holiday. This is a celebration existing in different forms throughout Latin America, and is a time when the relationships we hold closest to our hearts are remembered. Typically, for Dia de los Muertos, a colorful ofrenda (or “altar”) is made by family and or friends to honor their departed loved ones. This ofrenda is set up on October 31 and remains until November 2, All Souls Day. This year around the university, you may wish to contribute names or photos of any loved ones to community ofrendas. They will be everywhere, from the residence halls to the 11th floor of the DePaul Center. (If you have questions or want to get involved contact Tepeyac, the student organization, at depaul.tepeyac@gmail.com)

An ofrenda is just one way to express kindness and honor to those who played a role in shaping us. Take some time to reflect on what makes the most sense for you.

What actions make you feel closest to your family or friends, both those on this earth, and those who have passed away?

Reflection by:

Joshua Smyser-DeLeon, Assistant Director, Alumni Relations

DePaul’s annual Gathering of Remembrance event will be held this year on Thursday, November 14th, at 4:30 p.m. in Cortelyou Commons, Lincoln Park Campus. Should you have names of loved ones you would like to be remembered, and/or if you would like to RSVP to attend the event, more information can be found here: http://events.depaul.edu/event/depaul_gathering_of_remembrance#.XbBf3mZOm70

Nurturing the Mind and Spirit

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Give some time in every day…

“…Give some time in every day if it is only half an hour to devotional reading—which is as necessary to the well ordering of the mind as the hand of the gardener to prevent the weeds destroying your favorite flower.” St. Elizabeth Ann Seton (1.171, To Anna Maria Seton, 1803, Collected Writings, p. 219.)

Like people trying to crowd onto the “L” during rush hour, sometimes our lives seem too busy to accommodate another demand placed upon them. Elizabeth Ann Seton—wife, mother, widow, nun—knew something of life’s harried pace. She also believed the most effective response to this was preserving time each day for nurturing the mind and spirit. For Mother Seton, this hallowed time was spent in devotional reading, a practice she encouraged her daughter Anna to cultivate. Like a well-tended garden that produces a beautiful flower, so too will a well-tended mind and spirit produce a similarly rich reward.

What do you do each day to care for your mind and spirit?  How have you experienced rewards from this special time? 

Reflection written by:           

Tom Judge, Chaplain for Faculty/Staff Engagement, Mission and Ministry

Stirred and Spurred into Action

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Take a moment to pause and reflect on what your gift will be.

The Jewish High Holidays, beginning this year on the eve of September 29th with Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, are a chance for all to take a moment to pause and reflect on the past. We do this in order to prepare for the important work that lies ahead in the future. The blowing of the Shofar, the ram’s horn, signals the beginning of these sacred days. The Shofar’s blast becomes a call to prayer, and a call to open our hearts to the current moment. It invites us to pause from the ordinary of life, to enter into reflection, and to take stock of our life and the person we have become.

Taking a moment to pause and reflect is a big part of Judaism (just as it’s a big part of being Vincentian). During this Jewish season of the High Holidays, how might the blast of the Shofar ringing in your heart be calling you to prayer or to reflect on your life? What will you offer this year as a gift of service in your personal and professional life in the DePaul community and beyond?

Wishing you good health, happiness, peace, and prosperity today and all through this year. L’shanah Tovah!

“Rosh Hashanah isn’t just about being new, it’s about a change.” – Max Levis

(Max Levis quote source:  https://www.bu.edu/articles/2011/reinventing-rosh-hashanah)

Reflection by:

Mat Charnay, Coordinator for Jewish Life and Interfaith Engagement, Division of Mission and Ministry

Zeal for the Mission

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“If love of God is a fire, zeal is its flame; if love is a sun, zeal is its ray.” Vincent de Paul (CCD, 12:250)

Vincent de Paul spoke often to his followers of the importance of cultivating the virtues needed to carry out the mission of service to society’s poor and marginalized.  One of the virtues he recognized as particularly important was zeal.  We might translate zeal today as passion, enthusiasm, or energy towards a cause or goal.  With the dawning of the new academic year, how do you hope to experience the “ray of zeal” this quarter?