26th Sunday in OT 2019 - Living no longer for ourselves

In my bulletin column this weekend, I spend a few paragraphs on the life, spirituality, and lessons of the great Saint of the Poor, St. Vincent de Paul, for Friday, September 27, was his feast day, he who is known as the “Apostle of Charity”. St. Vincent devoted his life to charitable service to the hungry, the homeless, war refugees, neglected elderly men, women, and children, and those who had been spiritually abandoned. He set up many houses for the poor, crippled and sick, and personally cared for those with contagious disease during the plague.

Vincent’s early life is quite fascinating: he was the son of a poor, but pious farmer in southwestern France in 1581. Even though it meant a great sacrifice for his family, his father, knowing of the boy’s intellectual gifts and believing him to have a vocation to the priesthood, payed for his studies and encouraged his vocation. A genius, mastering his philosophical and theological training with ease, Vincent was ordained a priest at the incredibly young age of 20.

And, as a charming young priest, Vincent moved easily in among the higher echelons of French society, he even became chaplain to the queen of France. But, his life took a dramatic turn, when travelling home from Marseilles, he was captured by Turkish pirates and sold into slavery by Muslim slavers. He escaped back to Europe after two years, with his slave master, who eventually converted to Catholicism.

This time spent as a slave deeply impacted the young priest. He returned to Paris, and devoted himself to the poor. “It is not sufficient for me to love God if I do not love my neighbor,” he said, “…I belong to God and to the poor.”

Today, nearly, 360 years after his death, the relic of St. Vincent’s heart is still perfectly incorrupt— meaning that, after nearly four centuries, his heart has not decomposed as biological matter normally does. If you don’t believe me, you can see his incorrupt heart and venerate it yourself at the Church of St. Vincent de Paul in Paris. His heart, transformed by tireless service and charity shows the powerful effect that God’s love has, even on our bodies. Charity is a powerful medicine, perhaps the most powerful.

May our hearts, in time, become like his, but today, let us compare the heart of St. Vincent, with the rich man in today’s Gospel.

It’s certainly a provocative Gospel: Lazarus, covered with sores, being licked and harassed by dogs, longing to eat just the crumbs from the rich man’s table. The rich man, what would we say about his heart? For his cold heart, for his self-absorption, he is condemned to hell. He is tormented, he longs to quench his eternal thirst, but is unable, his pleading is unanswered.

Why exactly is the rich man sent to hell? It’s not simply because he was rich.  Nor are we told that he earned his money in an immoral way. He wasn’t selling weapons to terrorists or involved in human trafficking. It’s not because he directly refused to help Lazarus, either. He didn’t mock Lazarus or abuse him physically or emotionally. Rather, the rich man is condemned to Hell because he did nothing. There was a poor man at his gate and he did nothing. The rich man was so caught up in himself that he made no effort at all to help another who was struggling and dying at his front door. The rich man’s self-absorption made him deaf to Lazarus’ silent plea for help.

The Gospel is the remedy for self-absorption. We celebrate St. Vincent de Paul, and so many of the saints, because allowed God’s grace, the love of Jesus, to transform them. Many of the saints had periods of life where they were self-absorbed: St. Francis of Assisi and St. Augustine had downright sinful pasts. St. Paul murdered Christians. St. Mary of Egypt was a prostitute, St. Angela of Foligno, a vain, greedy, materialistic Adulteress. And really no saint is born a saint. Rather, each, in their own way, cooperate with God’s grace to transform their hearts—to be men and women, not just for themselves, but for others.

You’ve likely noticed that during Ordinary Time I like to use the Fourth Eucharistic Prayer. For one, because it contains a beautiful recap of salvation history: God fashioning creation to reflect his goodness, God coming to the aid of sinful man by sending prophets and finally his son, who preaches the Gospel and dies for our sins. And then, my favorite line: God sends the Holy Spirit, “that we might live no longer for ourselves but for him who died and rose again for us", echoing St. Paul's word to the oft self-absorbed Corinthians.

The rich man in the Gospel walled himself in to his mansion. He lived only for himself. He concerned himself not with the pleas of the hungry, but merely with feeding his own appetites. And in shutting himself off from the poor, he shut himself off from God.

So, how can we live no longer for ourselves but for Him who died and rose again for us? Like the saints, we are called to do something. And it’s different for each of us. Perhaps you are called to physical service, cooking meals and feeding the hungry. Perhaps you are called to spiritual service: to fervent prayer. Perhaps you have great fortitude for doing penances, fasting.

Our St. Vincent de Paul Society is in particular need at this time, not simply for donations, but for volunteers, we’ve had several past volunteers move from the parish, and we need folks to answer the calls for help in our neighborhood, To go to the homes of the needy, to assess their needs and bring them the food and clothing they need, to organize our St. Vincent de Paul collections, like blanket drive. We need men and women for this ministry. So please consider the call to do something.

Are you looking for a stronger, richer experience of God in your life? St. Vincent said, “Go to the poor: you will find God.” So, please consider joining our st. Vincent de paul. Send me an email or leave a message on the Vincent Paul voice mail.

Lazarus comes in many forms. He is the physically hungry, he is the widow whose family no longer comes to visit, he’s the infant in the womb in danger of being aborted for whom we pray during these 40 days for life, he is the abandoned child in need of a safe home in which to live, a foster home, or adoption; he’s the young college student who has been inculcated with the errors of our secular culture who needs to sit with someone who can clearly articulate the Truths of Our Faith; he’s the hardened sinner who needs our prayers and penances for the sake of his soul. What can you do to help Lazarus, there’s got to be something?
May we turn our ears to the cries of the poor, and answer those cries with charity, living not for ourselves, but for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

Sept 27 2018 - St. Vincent de Paul - Heart for the Poor

St. Vincent was the son of a poor, but pious farmer in southwestern France in 1581. Even though it meant a great sacrifice for his family, his father, knowing of the boy’s intellectual gifts and believing him to have a vocation to the priesthood, payed for his studies and encouraged his vocation. Vincent was ordained at the incredibly young age of 20. He was a genius and mastered his philosophical and theological training.

As a charming young priest, Vincent made many wealthy friends; he became chaplain to a queen and moved navigated the comfortable and luxurious aristocratic spheres of society. His life took a dramatic turn, when travelling home from Marseilles to collect a substantial donation, he was captured by Turkish pirates and sold into slavery by Muslim slavers. He escaped prison after two years, with his slave master, who eventually converted to Catholicism.

Returning to Paris, everywhere he looked he saw the hungry, the homeless, war refugees, neglected elderly men, women, and children, and those who had been spiritually abandoned. He followed God’s call to devote his life to their care. He set up many houses for the poor, crippled and sick and personally cared for the patients who had the most contagious diseases. He would dress their wounds and nurse them back to health

St. Vincent writes, “It is our duty to prefer the service of the poor to everything else and to offer such service as quickly as possible…Do not become upset or feel guilty even if your prayers are interrupted to serve the poor.”

A wealthy friend helped Vincent form the Vincentians—a congregation of priests who took vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience and devoted themselves to work among the poor. Over time, Vincent established many confraternities of charity for the spiritual and physical relief of the poor and sick.  Out of these groups grew the Vincentian nuns or Daughters of Charity who have served in our own diocese since 1865. 

He also invited the wealthy women of Paris to fund his missionary projects.  He founded several hospitals, collected relief funds for victims of war, and even ransomed slaves from North Africa.
He gave retreats to his fellow priests to help combat the spirit of worldliness which had made some of them lax in their spiritual lives.

Pope Leo XIII named him patron of all charitable societies.  This includes of course, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul founded in 1833, almost 200 years after his death, which was founded by his admirer and devotee, Frederic Ozanam. St. Vincent’s bones and heart are perfectly incorrupt, and can be visited in the Church of St. Vincent de Paul in Paris.

His apostolate can be summarized in his saying: “It is not sufficient for me to love God if I do not love my neighbor…I belong to God and to the poor.”   

We pray that we may respond generously to those in need for the glory of God and salvation of souls.
 
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That all Christians may grow in charitable attentiveness to the needs of the poor in our midst.

That all those searching and longing for Christ may find him through the witness of His Holy Church.

That the work and ministry of all Vincentian organizations and charitable institutions may bear fruit for the spread of the Gospel.

For all the needs of the sick and the suffering, the homebound, those in nursing homes and hospitals, the underemployed and unemployed, immigrants and refugees, victims of natural disaster, war, and terrorism, for all those who grieve the loss of a loved one, and those who will die today, for their comfort, and the consolation of their families.

For all who have died, and for all the poor souls in purgatory, and for X. for whom this Mass is offered.

Incline your merciful ear to our prayers, we ask, O Lord, and listen in kindness to the supplications of those who call on you. Through Christ our Lord

May 15 2017 - St. Isidore the Farmer - Rich in the treasures of the Spirit

Today we celebrate the memorial of St. Isidore the farmer. Isidore's parents were very religious and would have liked to provide their son with a first rate education, but since they were tenant farmers, they couldn’t afford it. So Isidore, too, would spend his life in the same occupation, working for the same rich landowner in Madrid all his life.  Isidore married a woman who was rich in virtue, but from a family as poor as his own.

One day, their son fell down a well, and they feared the worst. But, trusting in God they prayed for his safe return, and water in the well began to rise, and the boy was able to escape. Out of gratitude to God, from that day on, Isidore and his wife practiced perfect continence after the example of Mary and Joseph of the Holy Family.

Isidore would rise early every morning to go to Mass, he had a strong devotion to Mary, the saints, and would call upon his Guardian Angel to help him in his work. Coworkers sometimes complained he was late because of lingering in Church. One day his employer went out into the field and accused Isidore of neglecting the farm and Isidore replied, "I know, sir, that I am your servant but I have another Master as well, to Whom I owe service and obedience." Another time, the employer saw two strangers plowing for Isidore with a team of Oxen and realized they were angels who were helping Isidore make up work missed while at Mass.

Once, his parish was hosting a dinner. Isidore arrived with a group of beggars he had invited to the meal, and his fellow parishioners were upset with him, fearing there wasn’t going to be enough food. But the more they filled their plates the more there was for everyone else. To which Isidore replied, “there is always enough for the poor of Jesus”.

Isidore died on this date, May 15 in the year 1130. 40 years later, his remains, which had been buried in extremely wet ground were found incorrupt when they were exhumed and brought to the church of St. Andrew in Seville for veneration. The miracles surrounding his relics have been countless: heavenly music has been heard on the wind, he has appeared to protect Seville in times of danger, and has brought about healing miracles. Isidore is patron saint of farmers and of the United States National Catholic Rural Life Conference.

Isidore reminds us that sanctity can be achieved by all: the simple laborer, by putting Christ first, by devotion to the blessed mother and the saints, devout participation at holy mass, visits to the blessed sacrament chapel. Great sanctity doesn’t stem from status or even higher education, these things, in fact, can even become obstacles to sanctity.

Rather, simplicity and faith can bring about the flourishing of the human soul, the blooming of charity, and affluence in the riches of the spirit, for the Glory of God and salvation of souls.

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For Catholics in all walks of life, that we may achieve sanctity through our daily labors in service of the Lord.

For farmers, day laborers, and those who work by the sweat of their brow, that they may receive a just reward for their laborers, and for the unemployed and underemployed.

That spouses may help each other to grow rich in the treasures of heaven, and all those preparing for Holy Matrimony may do so rightly and chastely in the eyes of God.

That all families may seek to model themselves after the Holy Family and always know their guidance and protection.

For the sick, the suffering, the lonely, and the dying, that they may know the consolation of the grace of God.

For the deceased members of our family, friends, and parish, for all of the poor souls in purgatory, and for all those who have fought and died for our nation’s freedom.