Vincentian Reflections

In our gospel his week we hear “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask you.”  How many times do we approach God in this way?  I know I certainly do so repeatedly ‘even though I know better.’  But as Jesus tells us, “we do not know what we are asking.”  In other words, be careful what you wish for.  Our Responsorial Psalm gives us the proper attitude and approach we should come to God with.  “Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.”  We should come to the Lord humbly seeking His mercy placing our trust fully and completely in Him. 

As Vincentians, this captures the essence of our ministry.  We come to God, seeking mercy for ourselves and for those whom He brings before us.  Even when we do not understand or like where God is leading us, we must trust completely in His Divine Providence.  Every time we give over to God that which belongs to Him (everything), we grow a little more in holiness.  Do I trust in His ways at all times?  How do I walk in humility before God?  How am I willing to offer myself sacrificially that His mercy and goodness may be seen by others? 

Lord Jesus, help me to always place myself before you in service and gratitude.  Allow me to grow each day in humility, sacrificing my needs and desires that I may make known your mercy in the lives of others.  Give me a heart that fully commits to you and trusts in your ways.  We pray all of this in your name.  Amen 

Deacon Mike 

I do not like pain – and I don’t like suffering!  Truth be told, if we are totally honest with ourselves, I suspect that is a pretty universal sentiment.  It’s a part of our human nature.  Pain and suffering are a consequence of the sin of Adam and Eve.  They come as part of the package with sin, death and sickness.  I dare say, many of us have become far more familiar with pain and suffering over the past few years than we wanted to.  Our gospel this week (and last) have Jesus teaching us about pain and suffering.  “The Son of Man is to be handed over…and they will kill him.”  We heard last week that he must suffer greatly, and that if we wish to come after him, we must deny ourselves, pick up our crosses (aka – suffer greatly) and follow him.   

The point though, is not about the intensity of Jesus’s suffering – or ours – but rather that he was totally faithful to the Father and trusted that he would be delivered from the pain and suffering.  Pain and suffering causes us to turn inward, focusing on ourselves and what we want rather than others.  Our second reading warns us against becoming inwardly focused.  That’s hard when we are suffering. Satan uses the suffering to distract us from our focus on God and compassion for others.  God calls us though to embrace the pain and suffering, connecting ourselves completely to the cross of Christ.  Jesus did not seek pain but embraced it so that he might lift us past our pain and suffering.  God sent him that he might know our suffering, connect to it, and lead us past it.  When we accept our pain trusting in God’s will for our lives, we are drawn ever closer to our Lord Jesus.  Many saints (Padre Pio among others) are shining examples of embracing the pain in faithful obedience and trust in God.  When we do, Jesus embraces us in love compassion and mercy.   

As Vincentians, we are confronted on a daily basis by others who are suffering.  Some provide tremendous witness to us on the acceptance of circumstance and suffering, trusting completely that God will provide.  Others struggle under the burden they carry.  Jesus came in part to lift our burden.  Through SVdP he calls us to reach out in mercy and compassion to help lift the burdens of others.  We are called to shoulder some of their suffering.  We are called to help them to move beyond their pain.  When we help them to see the presence and joy of Jesus in their lives, we give them hope for the future.  Where am I on my journey?  How well do I embrace my own pain and suffering?   How do I give completely and sacrificially of myself to the care of others?  Do I simply help those in need, or do I walk with them as Vincent did, and as Jesus does every day with me?  How do I show them the hope of the future? 

Lord Jesus, let me embrace my pain and suffering, accepting it as my cross that connects me to you.  Help me to be the conduit of your hope for those I encounter who are suffering as well.  Grace me with obedience to God and trust in His mercy and compassion. Let my focus always be outward seeking your will for myself and others.  Draw me ever closer to you.  Help me to pick up my cross and be your servant to all I encounter.    We pray all of this in your name.  Amen 

Deacon Mike 

“Say to those whose hearts are frightened: be strong, fear not! Here is your God…he comes to save you.” Our readings this week speak to faith, trust and action. Faith that we need not be afraid because God comes to save us from all that looks to harm us. Trust that he will heal us and give us all that we need. And a call to action for all of us to care for the weak, the vulnerable and the frightened. A call to act in harmony bringing others before the Lord without regard to their station in life, that he may lift them up; that we may all be opened to hear and see the truth of God’s love for us.

Notice in the gospel though, Jesus took the deaf man whom the people brought to him off by himself to remove him from the crowd. He took him from the noise of the world that he might be able to hear the words of Jesus, feel his healing touch, and see his loving compassion without distractions and confusion. How many of us have lost our ability to hear our Lord clearly over the noise – the distractions of the world? Satan distracts us, confuses us, and divides us. He calls us to focus on ourselves first and always! But Jesus calls us to step away from the noise. He calls us to His table where he feeds us and gives us nourishment that strengthens and sustains us. He gazes into our eyes and says to us “Ephphatha – BE OPENED!” He calls us to prayer and action; to set judgments aside and to focus on others before ourselves. It is up to each of us to go out from His table and fight for our faith, fight for the dignity of others and lift up those whose hearts are frightened.

As Vincentians, this goes right to the heart of our ministry and how we grow in holiness. We care for the poor and vulnerable and learn from them the importance of dependence on others. Not only do we see it in their very lives, but we learn through OUR dependence on others to help us care for them. We are reminded of the importance for us to act, bringing other before Jesus. We are called to act with confidence and trust, born out of our faith that God has come to save us and those he brings before us. Our faith calls us to act on behalf of others helping to quiet the noise and distractions in their lives that they may see, hear and feel God’s presence and saving action in their lives. We strive to work in harmony with one another, recognizing that we are not the authors of healing, but rather that we bring others before God, seeking His will and healing for them. How do I work in harmony with my fellow Vincentians to care for those who are frightened and vulnerable? How do I remove the noise of distractions from my life – and the lives of others – that we may more clearly hear God’s will? How do I set my prejudices and judgements to the side, seeking only to sing the praise of God from the depths of my soul?

Lord Jesus, help me to view all peoples through your lens of total love, mercy and compassion. Take away my judgements and prejudices. Help me to trust in my dependence on you for myself and for others. Grace me with the zeal to bring others before you, seeking your healing presence in their lives. Help me to grow in humility, giving praise and glory to you forever. We pray all of this in your name. Amen

Deacon Mike

“The people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me!…You disregard God’s commandments but cling to human tradition.” Our readings this week speak to us about our response to God’s law. It is not enough that we know His laws for us and agree to obey them. But we must know and embrace His intent, accepting it as our own. His greatest law is to love God and love one another as God loves us. We are cautioned not to follow human laws and traditions, ignoring God’s will for our lives. We must humbly welcome His Word, embracing it as our own to save our souls. The Letter of James tells us “be doers of the Word, not hearers only, deluding yourselves.” When we do anything less than fully embrace the Word – God’s will – we deny truth and honesty in our hearing and our doing. God calls us to embrace the simplicity of the Truth of His Word.

As Vincentians, we do this in the very work we do with those in need. When we sacrifice of our time and treasures that others might see God’s love and hope, we honor God by doing justice and we live in His presence. When we set aside our agendas and needs that we might address those of others, we offer ourselves to God’s will in humility. When we hold each other accountable – Vincentians and neighbors alike – in all we do, we bring the simplicity of God’s truth to one another. In this way, we embrace His Word and become accountable to Him in both our minds and our hearts. How do I always honor God with both my words and my heart? How do I bring the truth of his will to those I minister to? How do I make His intent mine, and His Truth my truth?

Lord Jesus, give me a heart of total acceptance. Let humility become my robe of daily living. Allow me to seek nothing but your will in all things – even when they are hard. Help me to embrace your Truth through the simplicity of honest relationships. Help me to not delude myself and to be accountable to those around me for both my actions and my words Grant that I may do justice and live in your presence at all times. We pray all of this in your name. Amen

Deacon Mike