Reflections
Love a little more each day
You can download this text. PDF document at the end of the text.
As you carry out His work may you always feel the great love that surrounds you. There is so much love in our midst, breath it in. Forgive someone today and pray that forgiveness will always be easy for you. Love is Jesus and if we imitate Him it must be us too.
Ask yourself, at your meetings: Is this decision going to help those in poverty? Am I making decisions to bring love to those in need? Will I make a difference in someone’s life today?
Try to give yourself each day some space for silence. God speaks to us in silence. Sometimes, we are so busy talking, He is not sure what we want. Slow down! Take some time and turn yourself over to our Lord. Let him talk to you and listen, listen carefully, attentively. Quiet yourself. Listen to your breath and relax in our Lord’s embrace.
Pray for all those we serve around the world. Pray for each other as we serve in unity in many diverse ways. Pray always for our priests and priests everywhere, especially those who are struggling. Pray for those in leadership roles and those thinking of taking a leadership role and as the Holy Spirit to guide us always in this important ministry of service.
Gospel: (John 15: 9-17)
Jesus said to his disciples: “As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you. Live on in my love. You will live in my love if you keep my commandments, even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and live in his love. All this I tell you that my joy may be yours and your joy may be complete. This is my commandment: love another as I have loved you. There is no greater love than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”
We can never stop learning to live in love of one another. We seem to be living in a world where people have stopped caring for one another. We should encourage caring for each other in our children and make it a priority in ourselves. It will become quite easy to be nice with practice. A good smile, a kind word, or a random act of kindness really helps. Try it one day at a time. Love a little more each day.
Cast out your nets, Vincentians. You are fishers of people! Find them, love them and teach them to fish. Try to change the way you serve. Think outside the box. Is there a better way? We need to put our heads together and continue to look for and pray for a solution to even one poverty case. We can take small steps and with prayer and teamwork we will succeed.
Thanks to Lynn L'Heureux for this lovely reflection
Maureen MacIsaac
Spirituality Committee Chair
National Council
Fr-Quinn-Speech-AGA-2011-Theme
Vincentian Stations of the Cross
Reflection for December 2008 - The Gift
A Vincentian Look at the Hail Mary.pdf
May is the month of mothers. Our thoughts turn to our own mothers and remember the small and large endearments and duties they performed that show us their love. We pause to remember mothers who live in hovels or without enough food for their children. Sometimes all they have is their love and they wait for better times to come, often disillusioned by many in their lives. We lift our eyes and our hearts to our Mother Mary. She loved and lived as we do. The one difference is that she is the mother of God. During May we remember our Mother, the mother of all mothers, the mother of God. Mary loved and said yes. Her yes was for all of us. We honour her now with her special prayer and reflection for Vincentians. Please download the PDF file: A Vincentian Look at the Hail Mary.
CATHOLIC SOCIAL TEACHING AND VINCENTIAN SPIRITUALITY
Talk to Representatives of the St. Vincent de Paul Society, Chatham, Ontario. April 10, 2010
