AlC 18AlnlnC 8CCkLL1 2014 - AugusL - let os be eocbooteJ by 5t vloceots ltoject

AlC alsbl, 8ampe des Ardennals 23, 1348 Louvaln-la-neuve, 8elglum -- ! +32 (0) 10 43 63 33 -- " lnfo[alc-lnLernaLlonal.org
!"#$"%&'() #(! +,-,.&/
The Words and Deeds of St Vincent de Paul
1ext. Marla Lugenla Magallanes negreLe --- 1tooslotloo. laLher Charlle lock
'01234561730/ !"#$# &'()#*+ ,- ./0123" 45 ,$*'"-*)6)*7
+5189017671: ls closely relaLed Lo 8309;1:. ersons who are honesL can easlly be recognlzed because Lhey are
slncere ln Lhelr behavlor, Lhelr words and Lhelr feellngs. !esus of nazareLh was an auLhenLlc person and LhaL
characLerlsLlc gave hlm greaL auLhorlLy. eople knew LhaL he spoke Lhe LruLh and LhaL he sald whaL he was Lhlnklng.
vlncenL de aul, our founder, 70 7<71=1730 3> ?9;5; %827;1, was also an auLhenLlc person: @)31870A BC9=;9; <9 9D69B1
70 ?9;5; %827;1E (Abelly l:103). 1here ls no doubL LhaL Lhe lmlLaLlon of !esus ChrlsL was hls consLanL deslre, accordlng
Lo Lhe 8lshop of 8odez, lL was @87; C7A81 =04 <72232E (Abelly lll:88).

F9G9C3B<901 3> 189 &89<9/ 8")-9 3):" ;)-6"-* <" =0$3+ 0- ">0-9"3)?"( )- @4(< 0-< <""<
vlncenL was a glfLed man who had an amazlng ablllLy Lo esLabllsh relaLlonshlps wlLh a greaL varleLy of people: men
and women, rlch and poor, eccleslasLlcs and pollLlclans, nobles and plebes, rellglous men and women, lay men and
women. LaLer, he would place Lhls glfL of Cod aL Lhe servlce of Lhose persons mosL ln need.
LeL us reflecL on some phrases (H324;) of vlncenL de aul and explore Lhe relaLlonshlp of Lhose words Lo hls acLlons
(4994;).
AB4 C" &'()#*)0- 0-< *4 #"" 4$( C(4*'"( 4( #)#*"( #$55"()-9 @)*'4$* @""2)-9 @)*' *'"1+ @)*'4$* C")-9 #)6: @)*'
*'"1D B'0* )# *4 C" 306:)-9 )- 6'0()*7E )* )# C")-9 0 60()60*$(" 45 0 &'()#*)0-E )* )# )-'$10-E )* )# *4 C" @4(#" *'0-
0-)103#F (CCu:xll:222).
LeL us recall Lhe evenLs LhaL occurred ln ChLlllon: vlncenL de aul, fllled wlLh love for Cod, responded Lo one of Lhe
greaL needs of LhaL era and esLabllshed Lhe flrsL ConfraLernlLy of CharlLy. All Lhe works LhaL he accompllshed (and
Lhere were many works) were lnsplred by hls greaL love for !esus ChrlsL whom he really and Lruly saw ln every poor
person LhaL he meL durlng hls llfeLlme. lL was for LhaL reason LhaL he asked Lhe flrsL G3C501992;, and Lhen Lhe
members of Lhe %30A29A=1730 3> 189 I7;;730 and Lhe Company of Lhe F=5A8192; 3> %8=271:, Lo care for Lhe poor
wlLh Lrue love and Lo be aware of Lhe facL LhaL !esus ChrlsL ls presenL ln each and every one of Lhose poor men and
women.
AG4 @'0* @" @)33+ 2"423" @)33 -">"( C"3)">" )- $# )5 @" <4 -4* #'4@ 34>" 0-< 64120##)4- *4 *'4#" @'41 @" @)#'
*4 C"3)">" )- $#F (CCu:l:277).
vlncenL was able Lo obLaln Lhe confldence, respecL, admlraLlon and affecLlon of Lhose persons whom he knew,
especlally Lhe poor who felL Lruly loved by hlm.
AH* )# -4* "-4$9' 54( 1" *4 34>" I4<+ )5 17 -")9'C4( <4"# -4* 34>" ')1F (CCu:xll:213).
vlncenL experlenced Lhe urgenL need Lo 9G=0A9C7J9 so LhaL everyone who was close Lo hlm mlghL come Lo a
knowledge of Cod. ln 1623 he esLabllshed Lhe CongregaLlon of Lhe Mlsslon.
AJ4@ '0227 @)33 *'4#" C" @'4+ 0* *'" '4$( 45 <"0*'+ 60- #07 *'4#" C"0$*)5$3 @4(<# 45 K$( L4(<M *'" L4(< #"-* 1"
*4 C()-9 *'" I44< N"@# *4 *'" 244(O P4$ #""+ C(4*'"(# 0-< #)#*"(#+ *'0* *'" "##"-*)03 0)1 45 K$( L4(< @0# *4 @4(:
54( 244( 2"(#4-#F (CCu:xl:122).
AlC 18AlnlnC 8CCkLL1 2014 - AugusL - let os be eocbooteJ by 5t vloceots ltoject

AlC alsbl, 8ampe des Ardennals 23, 1348 Louvaln-la-neuve, 8elglum -- ! +32 (0) 10 43 63 33 -- " lnfo[alc-lnLernaLlonal.org
1hose words of vlncenL could be applled Loday Lo each one of us and could be seen as an lnvlLaLlon Lo engage ln Lhe
process of evangellzaLlon. Popefully we have all read Lhe AposLollc LxhorLaLlon of ope lrancls, vooqelll CooJlom.
Pere l would llke Lo presenL some of Lhe ldeas LhaL laLher CelesLlno lernndez, CM expressed ln hls presenLaLlon
enLlLled: @K7069017=0 %30127L51730; 13 189 )9H "G=0A9C7J=1730E.
LvangellzaLlon ls llke a ralnbow and Lhe evangellzaLlon LhaL ls done by Lhe members of Lhe vlncenLlan lamlly ls llke a
color LhaL beauLlfles. We do noL seek Lo creaLe dlvlslons buL raLher, from Lhe perspecLlve of our vlncenLlan charlsm,
we seek Lo make a conLrlbuLlon Lo Lhe process of evangellzaLlon.
ln 1979 durlng a vlslL Lo hls naLlve oland, ope !ohn aul ll colned Lhe phrase, Lhe new evangellzaLlon". ope
8enedlcL xvl esLabllshed Lhe onLlflcal Councll for Lhe new LvangellzaLlon and for ope lrancls, Lhe new
evangellzaLlon ls Lhe fundamenLal focus of hls papacy. Why do we call Lhls process of evangellzaLlon new"? We call
lL new" because we are llvlng ln new Llmes and Lhls means LhaL we have Lo evangellze anew because Lhe world has
become pagan. Cospel values have been absorbed by secular values: hedonlsm, consumerlsm, compeLlLlveness, eLc.
1he pulplLs have dlsappeared and been replaced by Lhe lnLerneL, Lhe caLhedrals have been replaced by commerclal
and flnanclal cenLers (Wall SLreeL). 1haL ls Lhe reason why H9 <5;1 B236C=7< 189 A334 09H; 3> 189 A3;B9C H718
629=17G71:M H718 09H <91834; =04 ;12=19A79; 18=1 =29 =4=B194 13 189 09H H32C4 70 H8768 H9 C7G9. LvangellzaLlon ls
noL a war or a crusade, buL raLher lL ls an offer of salvaLlon. ln Lhe process of evangellzaLlon we do noL aLLempL Lo
conquer buL Lo propose and persuade. We have Lo go ouL Lo Lhe @B927B89279;E, Lo Lhose places where Lhose llvlng ln
poverLy have been conflned. We have Lo go ouL Lo Lhe geographlcal perlpherles and also Lo Lhe moral and splrlLual
perlpherles.
ln Lhe lnLroducLlon we spoke abouL auLhenLlclLy and wlLh Lhe followlng words, whlch are qulLe sLrong, vlncenL
lnvlLes us Lo be auLhenLlc: Q8" 60("5$3R+ <4 -4* $-<4 C7 74$( 06*)4-# *'" 2(49("## 74$ '0>" 10<" C7 2("06')-9F
(CCu:xl:232).
8y way of concluslon, leL us reflecL on Lhe followlng words of vlncenL and vlew Lhose words as wlse counsel:
# AG4)-9 944< )# -4* ">"(7*')-9E @" '0>" *4 <4 )* @"33+ 05*"( *'" "/0123" 45 K$( L4(<+ 45 @'41 )* )# #0)< )-
*'" I4#2"3 *'0* '" <)< 033 *')-9# @"33F (CCu:xll:148).
# AB'" &'$(6' )# 64120("< *4 0 9("0* '0(>"#* *'0* ("S$)("# @4(:"(#+ C$* '0(<@4(:)-9 4-"#F (CCu:l:33).
# AT" 60--4* C"**"( 0##$(" 4$( "*"(-03 '022)-"## *'0- C7 3)>)-9 0-< <7)-9 )- *'" #"(>)6" 45 *'" 244(F
(CCu:lll:384).
N92;30=C =04 %3<<5071: !9>C961730/
May Lhe Poly SplrlL enllghLen us so LhaL we mlghL reflecL on whaL we have read and make a flrm declslon Lo beLLer
our servlce. recognlzlng of course LhaL lL ls !esus ChrlsL whom we are servlng.
+617G7179; =04 O59;1730;/
'047G745=C !9;B30;9/
# Llke vlncenL, do l see !esus ChrlsL ln Lhose llvlng ln poverLy?
-235B !9;B30;9/
# uo Lhose llvlng ln poverLy gulde our servlce and plans?
# ln our servlce as members of AlC whaL can we do ln order Lo parLlclpaLe ln Lhe new evangellzaLlon?


AlC 18AlnlnC 8CCkLL1 2014 - AugusL - let os be eocbooteJ by 5t vloceots ltoject

AlC alsbl, 8ampe des Ardennals 23, 1348 Louvaln-la-neuve, 8elglum -- ! +32 (0) 10 43 63 33 -- " lnfo[alc-lnLernaLlonal.org
N2=:92/
lotJ, Iesos cbtlst, moy yoot pteseoce flll os wltb yoot qtoce ooJ moy yoot lmoqe losplte oot beotts so tbot we mlqbt
wolk lo tbe llqbt of yoot llfe. Moy we tblok os yoo tbooqbt, oct os yoo octeJ, speok os yoo spoke, Jteom os yoo
JteomeJ ooJ love os yoo loveJ.
Moy we llve os yoo llveJ. oocoocetoeJ oboot ootselves ooJ coocetoeJ fot otbets, self-soctlflcloq lo otJet to
eocootoqe ooJ to ptovlJe bope to otbets ooJ selfless lo otJet to belqbteo oot seosltlvlty to otbets.
Moy we llve os yoo llveJ. composslooote ooJ metclfol, potleot, bomble ooJ qeotle, slocete ooJ ttotbfol. Moy yoot
cboseo ooes, tbe poot, be oot cboseo ooes ooJ moy yoot objectlves be oot objectlves. Moy tbose wbo see os see yoo
ooJ moy we be o teflectloo of yoot llfe ooJ yoot love. Ameo.
J71-