It reads thus: “Deal thy bread to the hungry, and bring the needy and the harbourless into thy house. by John P. Prager, CM | Aug 1, 2019 | Formation, Reflections | 2 comments. Indeed, in this respect, the Australian people enjoy an enviable reputation for their spontaneous generosity whenever a case of genuine distress is brought to their notice. The Master Himself said: “Let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doth,” and the St. Vincent de Paul man is trained to ever keep that in his mind. What makes the goodness of these men shine out most conspicuously is that they not only do the work, sacrificing much of their leisure time to it, but they contribute as far as they can to swell the funds which they, themselves disburse. We should help the poor. It is his desire for the well-being of all of his children. Unfortunately, it was not so. I think he does the same for us. After having said those striking words, He gives the reason thus: “That you may be the children of your Father, Who is in heaven, Who maketh His sun to rise upon the good and bad, and raineth upon the just and the unjust. The third is to bring the matter before the minds of those of our Catholic people who either give nothing or who do not give as much as they can. He knows of another Conference which appealed for cast-off clothing, and got enough from the people to supply for the time not only their own particular claims, but those of one or two contiguous Conferences. We are not owners, we are but stewards of the possessions of God, and if, owing to the inequality of talents in individuals and the inequality of opportunity, which is part of God‟s designs for mankind, we find ourselves possessed of more than we legitimately need, while others are in want, it is an absolute duty for us to share our superabundance. Most of these are conducted by religious, who work without salary and purely for the love of God. Their memories and theological reflections about the person of the Lord in the first century are essential. The leaders in the revolutionary movement had become steeped in the infidel philosophy of Voltaire, Rousseau, and the Encyclopedists, and they had sedulously disseminated these ideas through the ranks of the people generally. Then shalt thou call, and the Lord shall hear; thou shalt cry, and He shall say: Here I am. Presently they formed themselves into a little Study Circle, to equip themselves with arguments to refute the wrong teaching of the professors and the erroneous opinions of most of the students. A year or two ago, the centenary of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul was celebrated all over the world, and the following astounding figures will answer the question: “What do we find today?”, The figures given on that occasion were certainly astounding. Poverty had been the impelling cause of the revolt, and, as usual in such cases, the people generally had hugged the delusion that, once the old system was destroyed, a new era of peace and prosperity would immediately begin. We are pleased no matter what Catholic charities are helped. We should help them, no matter who they may be. Let us examine why some are richer than others and some poorer. Furthermore, even in the case of those that are doing something, what is their attitude of mind? Or, who hath first given to Him, and recompense shall be made him? Ozanam was very annoyed, and he cried out vehemently: “Gentlemen, if it be not thoroughly understood that we succour the poor, quite irrespective of class or creed, I will at once return to the Protestants the alms they have entrusted to us, and I shall say to them: „Take it back; we are not worthy of your confidence.”. Many parishes today have a St. Vincent de Paul Society which carries on Vincent's work with the poor. etc). Many are poor today who never dreamt that such would be their condition. Its membership of 11,000 volunteers throughout the country are supported by professional staff, working … (The writer would wish to insert a little explanation here. In a world warped by materialism and declining respect for human life, the Catholic Church proclaims that human life is sacred and that the dignity of the person is the foundation of a moral vision for society. Nevertheless, St, Vincent, faithful to the teachings of the Church, was never a slave to what he received from the tradition. These words of St. Vincent de Paul so clearly capture the essence of his vocation and ministry that they are read every year on the occasion of his feast day on September 27. A Vincentian reading of the Sunday readings. In other words, it is a religion whose one purpose is the more even distribution of the world‟s wealth. It is the experience of God’s power creating the force to overcome the power of death. A few young men, just out of their teens, become fired with his enthusiasm, precisely because they find themselves in a set of circumstances which were none of their making. With that he wanted to express the unique and special relationship between Jesus and the Father. At any rate, the end of life finds them in Sanctifying Grace, and they are gladly surprised to find that many of their “little unremembered acts of kindness and of love,” done through the years of their pilgrimage, have merited for them a wondrous reward. The Lord will help him on his bed of sorrow.”, In the 111th Psalm, verses 5 and 6: “Acceptable is the man who showeth mercy and lendeth. Everyone as he hath determined in his heart, not with sadness or of necessity; for God loveth a cheerful giver.”. The words are: “Son, defraud not the poor of alms, and turn not away thy eyes from the poor: Despise not the hungry soul, and provoke not the poor in his want. Let us add that, amongst the crowning horrors of the Revolution period must be numbered two, as indicative of the depths to which religious feeling had fallen. Let us, therefore, pass on to these more important reasons for our benevolence and beneficence. (3) The last reason, and the most impelling one in the mind of the writer, is—that this work is done by Catholic laymen, who mingle with the people of the world, and, thus, bring prominently before their eyes the beneficent charity of the Church, so that it seems fair to assume that this influence may be to some extent more effective than that which is wielded by professional religious. To the eye of faith, it is Christ‟s right hand extended on behalf of His poor. That raises a big question. It is Catholic Action in its best form. “Then, shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thy health shall speedily arise, and thy justice shall go before thy face, and the glory of the Lord shalt gather thee up. Indeed, there are worse kinds. Well, then, first of all, there always will be poor people in the world. At 17 he went through a trial with regard to his Faith which others have experienced at much later years, and he issued from it with a purpose that stamped him as old far beyond the number of his days. In September 2013, Roger Playwin, CEO of the St. Louis-based National Council of the St. Vincent de Paul Society, will step down after 10 years in the position. It is a weakness of the classical theology. They put us in contact with our own sinfulness and weakness and call us to compassion. The number of Conferences (which is the name used to describe what we usually call “Branches”) is no less than 12,000 throughout the world, and of these there are about 350 in our own country, Australia.‟. It is like the calm that follows a storm, when leisure is given to the onlooker to survey the wreckage that the storm has caused. They wouldn‟t let a dog go hungry, and they are quick to see its plight; but, where human beings are in question, they fail to see, and hence, unconsciously, they are selfish examples of believers in the doctrine of the “survival of the fittest.” It must not be so with us. Charity is greater than any rule or pious exercise. St. Vincent wanted his priests and nuns to be simple in the sense that they did everything out of love of God, and not for other reasons. Through him, a meeting was arranged with the famous Dominican preacher, Père Lacordaire, who thenceforth frequently joined in the activities of the Study Circle, and gave to the instruction of Ozanam and his friends all his great learning and polemical skill. Magdalene Homes, in one form or another, total 10; homes for the aged poor, 9; foundling hospitals, 6. They move about amongst other men, and they soon get to know the wants of their own district. They had not shut their eyes to the misery round about them; they had not shut their ears when others told them such misery existed, although they were not in a position to see it for themselves. It is certainly a very striking fact that what the Lord selects, out of all the black record of human crime, to justify eternal reprobation is the neglect of the social duty of wealth. Christ could have answered simply: “Yes, I am the Mes siah!” But He preferred to appeal to His works. Is that what God wants? Moreover, they do not usually give money. His Christology was marked by his contacts with the poor Jesus amongst the poor. We find this theme of solidarity with the poor when St. Vincent speaks about the cross. His compassion was born out of his solidarity with the poor. Voice of the Poor (VOP) is the advocacy arm of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul. This website uses cookies to improve your experience. And from that place among the poor we have to answer: Who is Jesus? That was the original idea, and, though many works have been added in the course of time, visitation of the poor remains, and ever will remain, the dis tinctive work of the society. Nonetheless there are many teachings of the saint which can still orient our lives and ministry as Vincentians. The Holy Spirit Himself, inspiring St. Paul, has given us that memorable rhapsody: “0 the depth of the riches of the wisdom and of the knowledge of God! We can help them. They do not, however, stop there. There is no need to give any long list, because Our Lord‟s own classic promise covers all. There are about ten million priests in Paris, while the poor are lost among such dreadful ignorance.” St. Vincent … They would then have been able to face the inevitable reaction after the destructive period with, at least, their faith in God unimpaired. When he was only 15 years of age, he wrote a defence of the doctrines of the Church against the errors of the Simonians which called forth the wondering eulogy of such a master as Lamartine. Now, there was great enmity between the Jews and the Samaritans, both from the racial and the religious point of view. A man like us in all things except sin, says St. Paul. The Church, beneficent mother that she is, has … The district in question was a rather well-to-do district, and there were, as usual, people who said there was no need of a St. Vincent de Paul branch in that parish. The story of these appeals is one that reflects infinite credit usually on our people. In any case, even when times are normal, a bout of sickness for the breadwinner of a family can alter the whole face of things for people who never before knew anxiety about the “what shall we eat, or what shall we drink, or wherewith shall we be clothed.”. His father was first a military man, then a professor, and, finally, a doctor. The writer of this paper vividly recalls an argument that occurred at the time between an ardent supporter of Norman Angell and another man who disclaimed any great knowledge of finance but had the philosophic turn of mind. They meet to discuss what they can do to meet the need they see in their own immediate surroundings. The world has seen two small nations go through long periods of poverty; but they accepted it in a Christian spirit, rising thereby to great heights of moral greatness that won the admiration even of a material and unsympathetic world. He never imposes. It is a faith reflection about the encounter with the poor. All this led up to the final sub-section, which deals with the vital question—the very purpose for which this paper was penned—viz. Founded in 1833, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul is a worldwide organization dedicated to serving neighbors in need. They learn what are genuine cases and what are not. Finally, it has ever to be borne in mind that the real end of membership in the society is “the sanctification of the members.” The actual amount of charitable work accomplished is not the real test of success in this matter. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Alms shall be a great confidence before the Most High God, to all them that give it.”, In the Psalms (xi., 1 to 4): “Blessed is he that understandeth concerning the needy and the poor. The evangelists offer the same idea when Jesus calls God Abba. Do not also the heathens this?”, His followers are expected to rise above personal likes and dislikes, above class distinctions, above differences of nationality, creed, or political opinion; they must be like His eternal Father, whose love knows no limits. To neglect the command necessarily involves punishment, and, though we had no reason to expect it, the observance of the command ensures abundant blessings for Time and Eternity. In the cross we learn how God is because his Son suffers like the poor. Let me point out a few elements for understanding the Christ of St. Vincent. Then there are poor schools, industrial schools, hostels, deaf and dumb institutes, a hospice for the dying, and various other institutions, each meeting some particular call of poverty or affliction. Many of these people are very skilful in deception—they can tell a plausible tale that would move the heart of a stone. “This society, then, is a branch of the great tree of Charity, whose life-giving sap is drawn from the Heart of Our Lord, passing en route through the heart of St. Vincent.”. How can he be man? It is a great help to us, poor mortals subject to the miseries and necessities of life, to see that the God-man Himself experienced all the same miseries as we, with, of course, the single exception of sin. This argument, of course, applies with equal force to all our charitable institutions. And when did we see Thee a Stranger, and took Thee in—or naked, and covered Thee? There are people who know little, or nothing, about God and God‟s dealings with mankind, whereby He raises them from the low level of nature to the supernatural plane, and destines them for eternal union with Him as courtiers round His throne. He issues from them in peace, and then vows to spend his life in serving the sacred cause of Truth. The way of St. Vincent was the poor, spiritually and materially. He has made it possible for us all to claim it, by identifying Himself with the poor, and taking as done to Himself what we do, for the love of God, for our fellow human beings in distress. Many of these works require funds. “For, if you love them that love you, what reward shall you have? Voice of the Poor (VOP) is the advocacy arm of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul. The first conference—as each branch of the society is called—was composed of eight, whose names should never be forgotten. Inspired by Gospel values, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul is an international organization of lay men and women joined together in their spiritual growth and through the offering of person-to-person … “Amen, I say to you: As long as you did it to one of these, my least brethren, you did it TO ME,” and “Amen, I say to you: As long as you did it not to one of these least, neither did you do it TO ME” (St. Matthew XXV, 40 and 45). He invites us to participate in his life, the community of love which is the Trinity. Consequently, when the calm of exhaustion came, it was at once apparent that the erstwhile glorious Catholic Faith of the French people had been undermined. Is it that, because it is laymen who do this work, that that should mean greater efficiency than if it were done by Priests, Brothers, or Nuns? The Lord will preserve him, and give him life, and make him blessed upon the earth and deliver him not up to the will of his enemies. For St. Vincent, in Christ, God did not only become man, he became a poor man. When our congregation was founded, Saint Vincent … The women became the Daughters of Charity. (2) The works are so varied and so beautiful, and some of them are not done by any other agency in the Church in our midst. We all know, too, that the advocates of that system are very active in our own midst here in Australia, fully determined to put their theories into practice amongst us. On the contrary, if you consider the poor in the light of faith, then you will observe that they are taking the place of the Son of God who chose to be poor. 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