vincentian values

Vincent the Countryboy

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Fr. Jack Melito, C.M., writes of Vincent de Paul’s humble origins: how these served as an embarrassment early in Vincent’s life away from home, and then as a hedge against pride later on.  His great works, Vincent presented as “little”: The Little Company of humble origins; the little virtues of simplicity, humility, meekness, mortification and zeal; his “little method” of preaching.  Vincent never wanted to remember where he came from when he was a youth; but, as an adult, he never forgot where he came from.

“Vincent, The Country Boy” is a chapter from the book Windows on His Vision (pp. 13-16) available at: https://via.library.depaul.edu/windows/5/

It is also available as an ebook here: https://via.library.depaul.edu/vincentian_ebooks/8/

 

That Countercultural Virtue

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In this meditation, Fr. Jack Melito, C.M., focuses on the virtue of Simplicity as understood and lived by Vincent de Paul.  Experiencing the God of the Universe while living a life of Simplicity reveals to the practitioner the efficacious nature of that virtue.  In whatever age, a life ordered by the virtue of Simplicity is a life readily identified as countercultural.

“Simplicity: A Countercultural Value” is a chapter from the book Windows on His Vision (pp. 146-147) available at: https://via.library.depaul.edu/windows/2/

It is also available as an ebook here: https://via.library.depaul.edu/vincentian_ebooks/8/

Charity is a Verb

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The Vincentian Question, “What Shall Be Done?” is framed in such a way that its answer implies action.  When offering guidance on Charity to his confreres, the Daughters, the Confraternities, and to us, Vincent is clear: “Love of God and of neighbor is authenticated in visible action.” Charity is the true characteristic of the Love of God; it cannot remain idle.  In fact, a life dedicated to Charity demands fearless, unending work involving the “sweat of our brows and the expense of our arms.

“Charity is a Verb” is a chapter from the book Windows on His Vision (pp. 127-128) available at: https://via library.depaul.edu/windows/2/

It is also available as an ebook here: https://via.library.depaul.edu/vincentian_ebooks/8/

Humility the Sure Foundation

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For Vincent de Paul, the virtue of Humility served as a foundational one without which we have nothing.  It requires us to avoid self-aggrandizement, self-advancement, and seeking the praise of others.  At the same time, however, it encourages our recognition of the gifts we have been given so long as we remember that we bear these gifts so that God may use them for God’s own purposes.  Vincent counsels superiors in his community to be models of humility in dealing with those subject to their authority.

“Humility, the Sure Foundation” is a chapter from the book Windows on His Vision (pp. 131-132) available at: https://via.library.depaul.edu/windows/2/

It is also available as an ebook here: https://via.library.depaul.edu/vincentian_ebooks/8/

The Cross in Vincentian Spirituality

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This article explores essential New Testament texts about the cross, its meaning in Vincentian tradition, and problems in reflecting about the cross. The cross is the symbol of God’s love for humanity as well as his power, as evidenced in the resurrection and Jesus’s victory over sin. Moreover, Jesus’s choice to die as an outcast is part of his focus on the marginalized during his life. Sometimes the cross refers to actual suffering that believers must undergo, but is more often used metaphorically to refer to what people must do to follow Jesus. Vincent de Paul and Louise de Marillac encouraged the contemplation of the cross as a symbol of God’s love and saw service to the poor as identifying with the cross in that sense. Their nuanced views on suffering, asceticism, and mortification are explained. Examples of beneficial ascetical practices are given. The theological problem of God’s relationship to suffering is discussed. Texts are offered for Vincentians and Daughters of Charity to use in meditation, and the forms the cross takes in the lives of both are listed. Finally, readers are urged to respond to suffering in the world because it is a reflection of the crucified Christ.

“The Cross in Vincentian Spirituality” is an article in the Vincentian Heritage Journal, Volume 16, Issue 1, Article 1 (1995) available at: https://via.library.depaul.edu/vhj/vol16/iss1/1

It is also available as a chapter in the ebook He Hears the Cry of the Poor: On the Spirituality of Vincent de Paul (pp. 30-51) by Robert P. Maloney, C.M., available here: https://via.library.depaul.edu/vincentin_ebooks/2/

!t is More than Just the Dreamers

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In “It is More Than Just the Dreamers,” Rev. Craig Mousin, J.D., discusses the disruptive impacts that changes to the enforcement priority policies established by the Obama Administration are having in communities across the board.  Our country was founded on the promise of Equality that is a necessary component of democracy. That promise is compromised by the fractures created in our communities by the fears created among immigrant populations, whether citizen or unauthorized, that ultimately impact public health, safety, and economics.  The impact, then, is felt in more than the immigrant population.  It is evidenced in work communities, academic communities, worshiping communities, and neighborhoods. The broken immigration system in the United States leaves courts unable to provide legal redress in a timely manner and the chaos that ensues leaves a trail of broken families and broken dreams. What must be done?

Our Entire Lives Are But a Moment Soon Gone

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“Our Entire Lives are but a Moment Soon Gone” is a chapter in the book Saint Vincent de Paul: His Mind and His Manner by Jack Melito, C.M. which was published in 2010 by the Vincentian Studies Institute, DePaul University, Chicago, IL.  The book is currently out of print.

Saint Vincent de Paul lived a long life and accomplished an extraordinary body of works of charity, not only in Paris, but throughout France and beyond.  How did he have such an impact?  This reading suggests that it was Vincent’s focused sense of urgency in his appreciation of time.  Long life itself was not as important as using our time fulfilling that mission to which God has called us.

Toward the end of his life, Saint Vincent de Paul reflected on his use of the time given him: had he used it to the best of his ability?  Was each precious moment lived in service of the poor?  It was his appreciation of the economy of time and his prudent use of his time that drove him to accomplish such a great opus omnia of charitable works.

The Journey of and to the Poor

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An explication is presented of a carving hanging in Ravasi Hall of the DePaul Centre in Nairobi, Kenya. The panel is entitled “Saint Vincent on the road of the Poor in Africa,” and the artist’s vision is presented first. Following the road in the carving, Vincent de Paul meets and cares for the many types of poor persons in Kenya; the viewer goes on a similar journey. W. Barry Moriarty believes the carving can also represent the trajectory of Vincent’s life, ending in service to the poor. In Moriarty’s interpretation, Vincent’s life is presented within the context of an epic journey.

“The Journey of and to the Poor” is an article in the Vincentian Heritage Journal, Volume 31, Issue 1, Article 6 (2012) available at: https://via.library.depaul.edu/vhj/vol31/iss1/6

We Want the Best

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J. Patrick Murphy argues that for Vincentian educational institutions to fulfill their mission, their leadership must model Vincentian values. It is also essential to hire faculty who will put those values and mission into practice. It is better to employ people whose personal principles match those of the Vincentians than it is to hire candidates who look the best qualified on paper, but who do not connect with the mission. The greatest results come from asking people to do their best and providing a work environment in which they can do that. Once hiring is done, leaders must continually educate faculty in Vincentian values. This fosters their own initiative to engage with the mission.

“We Want the Best” is an article published in 2005 in the Vincentian Heritage Journal, Volume 26, Issue 1, Article 3 and is available at: https://via.library.depaul.edu/vhj/vol26/iss1/3