Republic of the Philippines

ST. LOUISE DE MARILLAC COLLEGE OF SORSOGON

GRADUATE SCHOOL DEPARTMENT
Talisay, Sorsogon City

Submitted by:
ZIENNA ROSE M. GUALVEZ
Student
Master of Arts in Education

Submitted to:
Sr. MYRHA ROWENA MERENE
Instructor
Reflection Paper about the video (Vincentian Saints and Blessed)

The presentation of Vincentian saints and Blesseds is brief but fascinating. It is

very nice that these Vincentian saints and Blesseds followed the footsteps of Jesus and
being a role model to all. Knowing them was a great privilege for us who are willing to
be evangelizers of the poor through imitating Christ, to reflect more deeply on the life
of these heroes and apply some of their charitable qualities and values into our daily
lives.

In the more than 300 years since Louise and Vincent many people have been
inspired to lead heroic lives of service of those who are poor and marginalized. Their
influence paves the foundation for the formation of Vincentian charitable organizations
and institutions. After seeing the video presentation, I realized that Sts. Vincent and
Louise were not alone in their endeavor to help the poor; in fact, there were a large
number of them, Venerable, Blessed, and Saints. It was incredibly inspirational to learn
that they are ordinary people doing extraordinary things, and that some of them
sacrificed their lives to defend their faith. Their sacrifice was never in vain. Death is
acceptable as long as they have faith in their hearts. People may not value individuals
who are waiting to be cared for if they do not exist. I truly believe they were born to carry
on the Vincentian vocation, and they are worthy of the title bestowed upon them.

We all knew that St. Vincent emphasized on this integrated service, or, to use the
term popular at the time, "the corporal and spiritual service of the poor," which meant
service of the complete person, in all of his foundations. This service is carried out in
collaboration with lay people, administrators, parish clergy, the bishops, royalty, the
Ladies, municipal authorities and collaboration between Daughters of Charity. Some
Vincentian saints and blessed were really co-founders of organizations. The purpose of
the video presentation was to inform us that they embody holiness. They may not be
well-known to us, but they lived lives of substance and fulfillment because they
accomplished their mission.

Catholics are inspired by Vincentian saints and are fortunate to remember those
who have gone before them and to spread the Christian religion through generations
and around the world. They allow Catholics to express appreciation to those who
contributed to the development of Christianity, as well as to remind us of the value of
following God, since many saints were willing to die for it. They encourage us to, like the
saints, remain faithful to God in the face of hardship. They show us how to live like the
saints did, serving God joyously and caring for humanity. On the other hand, saints are
real heroes. They lived heroic lives, and then performed miracles after their death.
Saints live on forever. They will never disappoint us or disappear like our favorite actor
can. And, studying the lives of Vincentian saints and blessed give us role models that
will last a lifetime.

Since then, we've put individuals we adore on pedestals and tried to follow in
their footsteps. Superstars in movies, bands, and on television are ordinary individuals
like us. They are also people who make serious mistakes from time to time. Surprisingly,
so are the saints! It's easy to believe that our saintly brothers and sisters have never done
anything wrong. They swooped in, performed a miracle, and then were whisked away
to heaven. They are, nonetheless, human and have committed mistakes. Saints and
Blessed, such as St. Vincent de Paul, made various mistakes throughout their lives. Saints
allows us to envision ourselves as holy men and women. They also serve as shining
examples of how to correct wrongs, overcome suffering, and persevere in the face of
adversity.

There are many steps to be named a saint in the Church and the canonization
process is lengthy and detailed. This process ensures that the role models held up as
witnesses to Christ and the Gospel as worthy of our emulation.

Saints, Blessed, and Venerable are representations of pure-hearted people who

spent their lives with purpose and wisdom. If we can't be like them, at least do good to
others and spread love and kindness in whatever conditions we find ourselves in.