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