Today we are given the liturgical memorial of the often overlooked saint who has led by an experience of Christ, a man of deep desires to serve the Church, and a man who is a model of service to faith and the poor. St Vincent de Paul, the 17th century French priest is recalled not only for personal holiness and for what has become known the Vincentian charism. The importance of the Vincent’s influence is likely more important to our era than I dare say the Ignatian heritage. While Loyola’s real gift to the Church is not necessarily the least Society of Jesus and the educational system, but really the Spiritual Exercises and the method of discernment. Vincent’s gift to the Church is the integration of evangelization and charity.
What is also key to understanding and appreciating what Vincent did for us –and continues to do for us– is the spiritual bond he had with St Louise de Marillac. Vincent and Louise worked in complement to each other. Three Vincentian values that are often spoken of are spirituality, friendship and service. For me, the key value is friendship. Friendship is the sun to which one’s spiritual life and service orbit. What is the quality of our relation to God, others, the Church, the poor, to seminarians, and to ourselves? Without a flourishing and mature relationship with others, and principally with the Lord, then all else falls apart or doesn’t even get off the ground. As a young man and student under the Vincentians, I was taught that by example, Vincent indicated that our service to the poor is first nourished by our spiritual life, by personal and corporate prayer. Time spent praying before the Most Blessed Sacrament has an abundance of grace. Short of spending hours in prayer our friendship with those we work and serve is banal. In the end, we recall a gem in the crown of saints and blesseds in the crown of the Church.
St Vincent de Paul, pray for us.