In the editorial of the current Provincial’s Newsletter we can read that the Resurrection is the crowning truth of the Christian Faith, with all basic doctrines founded on this truth and serving as the central theme of apostolic preaching. Easter guarantees our own resurrection and signifies a participation in the death and Resurrection of Christ through the Holy Spirit. Please, read the full reflection.

This story was first published in the Provincial's Newsletter March 2024
edition which you can find in our Library along with all previous Newsletters.

To all members of the Vincentian Family,

May the grace and peace of Our Lord Jesus Christ
fill your hearts now and forever!

This year, 2013, has been one of milestones. We celebrated the “Year of Faith” which coincided with the 50th anniversary of the start of the Second Vatican Council. This was also the year of “the two popes”, giving us two unlikely events not seen for centuries: the resignation of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, and the election of a non-European, Pope Francis.

However, one milestone of 2013 that touched me deeply was attending the beatification of 42 members of the Vincentian Family in Tarragona, Spain. These Vincentians, Daughters of Charity, and a laywoman all gave their lives for the Catholic faith. As with Vincentian martyrs of past generations, these Spanish Vincentian Family members died as they lived: preaching Jesus Christ in the service of the poor. It is a powerful witness to ponder in this “Year of Faith”.

Placed near the end of the calendar year, Advent is a time of hope and renewal. It comes amidst changing seasons with less light and warmth as winter begins. But Advent is the ember of a fire stoking the hearth of the soul to a deeper reality: God is at work in our world, no matter what time or season. And in Jesus Christ, we find a reason for our hope and a way to renewal.

Hope and renewal are sorely needed in today’s world. The realities of war, violence, poverty, hunger, and injustice all plague us as we live out the Vincentian charism. However, they are not “problems to be solved” but points of entry into solidarity with the human family. Advent awakens and renews our hearts in hope with Christ, our way, truth, and life.

The Event: Incarnation

Our Advent Scripture readings show the longing of ancient Israel for not only a covenant, but a connection: human contact, to close the gap between heaven and earth. Isaiah foretold that which Christians now know and rejoice in: “The Virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel, which means “God is with us.” (Isa.7:14) Before we can welcome ‘God with us’, we must ready ourselves to receive this great gift. This is where the Advent season – its hymns, readings, and liturgy – assists to prepare to celebrate the Incarnation.

Our Advent readings, coming primarily from the prophet Isaiah and Matthew’s Gospel, provide us with a rich scriptural mosaic of God’s desires for the human family. Isaiah uses vivid images: scaling the “mountain of the Lord” (2:1-3); “parched deserts” into “springs of life” (35:1-2); and a ‘peaceable kingdom’, where “the wolf shall be the guest of the lamb… the calf and young lion shall browse together, with a little child to guide them” (11:6-8). Isaiah’s images symbolize God’s creative power for the good; the Divine desire to bring us healing and hope.

Matthew also present great images for Advent, such as Jesus’ call to “Stay awake… at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come” (24: 42, 44); the cry of John the Baptist to “produce good fruit as evidence of your repentance” (3:8); and Jesus’ work in bringing about God’s reign: “the blind regain their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, and the poor have the good news proclaimed to them” (11:5). In these stories of salvation, our Savior becomes one of us to do God’s work and save humanity. Let us resolve this Advent to allow these Scriptures to stir our imagination and deepen our identity with the Lord Jesus.

The Result: Transformation

It is not enough to “enjoy” Advent’s trappings and bask in the “glory of the Christmas story”. Like all moments in the Church’s life and liturgy, Advent is a season of formation for transformation. It challenges us to imitate Christ who, “for your sake became poor although he was rich, so that by his poverty you might become rich.” (2 Cor. 8:9) The poverty Jesus undertook for us and the richness he bestowed on us came in his incarnation, literally, his “enfleshment” of our human condition. How do we “enflesh” Christ in our lives?

Jesus’ total gift of himself to us sets the standard for discipleship with him and in living out our Vincentian charism. The transforming message of Advent is that the coming and birth of our Savior is God’s ultimate affirmation of the value of humanity and the worth of every person. As Jesus’ disciples, we need to put aside our own quests for status, security, and comfort, and become collaborators with Christ, allowing the needs of the “other” to be our own concern.

The donation of self in love of God and service of neighbor is the greatest gift we can give at Christmas, or at any time of year. To give of ourselves for the good of others, especially to our lords and masters, God’s poor, binds us to Jesus and the human family he redeemed. Advent is a time for transformation to a way of love that shows itself in solidarity with others.

Solidarity with others brings us into oneness with Christ, who came “not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mk.10:45). In a world where suffering abounds, fear takes hold, and the poor are neglected, belittled, and abused, the “Good News” may seem an empty promise. But when entering into solidarity in Jesus’ name, we affirm God’s love to all, putting our lives at the service of the Gospel. Like our Holy Founders, Vincent and Louise we become “ambassadors for Christ…God appealing through us.” (2. Cor. 5:20)

The Response: Living Vincentian Virtues

A favorite poster I once received was of the back yard of a small country house. At its center was a woman hanging laundry out to dry, a familiar scene the world over. It held a simple message: “Love is hard work.” How true! Sometimes, the “hard work” of discipleship can feel overwhelming or impossible. That is how transformation starts: allowing the person of Jesus and the way of St. Vincent to shape our lives, so we become a virtuous extension of the Gospel.

St. Vincent stressed the virtues of simplicity and humility to follow Christ and serve in solidarity with the poor. Centuries later, they are still in season! In simplicity, we speak directly and honestly; to say what we mean and mean what we say. Humility keeps us grounded in God’s love, and not let our own biases keep us from serving Jesus. These virtues were Vincent’s spiritual roadmap; they helped him navigate the terrain of his interior life and generously respond to the demands of the apostolate. He said, “Our Lord is found and is pleased only in humility of heart and simplicity in words and actions.” (Vol. XII, # 204, P.182)

This Advent let us take time to examine the level of simplicity and humility in our own lives. Often at odds with the “ways of the world”, they were essential to Jesus and St. Vincent. In my travels, I am always edified in my encounters with the members of the Vincentian Family who live the virtues of simplicity and humility in word and deed. Our Holy Father, Pope Francis, inspires the world with his great witness of simplicity and humility. Reflect on his words below:

“Look, there is Someone who wants what is good for you- Who calls you by name- and Who has chosen you. The one thing that is asked of you is that you let yourself be loved.”

It is a sentiment most appropriate as we begin our Advent journey. May God bless you!

Your brother in St. Vincent,

G. Gregory Gay, C.M.
Superior General

Przeczytaj List Przełożonego Generalnego na Adwent 2013 po polsku 

There was no live broadcast of the Mass from (Vatican Television) but people could tune to Vatican Radio. Two young men read the first reading and the responsorial psalm, a female volunteer read the second reading while the prison chaplain recited the Gospel.

During his homily, the Pope explained why he would wash the feet to 12 of them, the same gesture Jesus made at the Last Supper.

Without any pause for introduction, Pope Francis immediately picked up from the very last words of the passage that recounts the Washing of the Feet. The Pope washed the feet of 12 teens from all religions, including two Muslims. Another surprise, was that among the 12 were two girls, an Italian and a Serbian. It was the first ever situation, when Pope washed women’s feet. He dried them off with a cloth made with yarn from the Holy Land. It also contained pieces of a fishing net used by fishermen on the Sea of Galilee.

Read the Vatican Radio translation of the homily:

“This is moving, Jesus washes the feet of his disciples. Peter understands nothing. He refuses but Jesus explains to him. Jesus, God did this, and He Himself explains it to the disciples.. ‘Do you realize what I have done for you? You call me ‘teacher’ and ‘master,’ and rightly so, for indeed I am. If I, therefore, the master and teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash one another’s feet. I have given you a model to follow, so that as I have done for you, you should also do’.

It is the example set by Our Lord, it’s important for Him to wash their feet, because among us the one who is highest up must be at the service of others. This is a symbol, it is a sign – washing your feet means I am at your service. And we are too, among each other, but we don’t have to wash each other’s feet each day. So what does this mean? That we have to help each other…sometimes I would get angry with one someone, but we must let it go and if they ask a favor of do it!

Help one another. This is what Jesus teaches us. This is what I do. And I do it with my heart. I do this with my heart because it is my duty, as a priest and bishop I must be at your service. But it is a duty that comes from my heart and a duty I love. I love doing it because this is what the Lord has taught me. But you too must help us and help each other, always. And thus in helping each other we will do good for each other.

Now we will perform the ceremony of the Washing of the Feet and we must each one of us think, Am I really willing to help others? Just think of that. Think that this sign is Christ’s caress, because Jesus came just for this, to serve us, to help us”.

[source: Vatican Radio, images:L'Osservatore Romano]

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

This morning I have the joy of celebrating my first Chrism Mass as the Bishop of Rome. I greet all of you with affection, especially you, dear priests, who, like myself, today recall the day of your ordination.

The readings of our Mass speak of God’s anointed ones: the suffering Servant of Isaiah, King David and Jesus our Lord. All three have this in common: the anointing that they receive is meant in turn to anoint God’s faithful people, whose servants they are; they are anointed for the poor, for prisoners, for the oppressed A fine image of this being for others can be found in the Psalm: It is like the precious oil upon the head, running down upon the beard, on the beard of Aaron, running down upon the collar of his robe (Ps 133:2). The image of spreading oil, flowing down from the beard of Aaron upon the collar of his sacred robe, is an image of the priestly anointing which, through Christ, the Anointed One, reaches the ends of the earth, represented by the robe.

The sacred robes of the High Priest are rich in symbolism. One such symbol is that the names of the children of Israel were engraved on the onyx stones mounted on the shoulder-pieces of the ephod, the ancestor of our present-day chasuble: six on the stone of the right shoulder-piece and six on that of the left (cf. Ex 28:6-14). The names of the twelve tribes of Israel were also engraved on the breastplate (cf. Es 28:21). This means that the priest celebrates by carrying on his shoulders the people entrusted to his care and bearing their names written in his heart. When we put on our simple chasuble, it might well make us feel, upon our shoulders and in our hearts, the burdens and the faces of our faithful people, our saints and martyrs of whom there are many in these times

From the beauty of all these liturgical things, which is not so much about trappings and fine fabrics than about the glory of our God resplendent in his people, alive and strengthened, we turn to a consideration of activity, action. The precious oil which anoints the head of Aaron does more than simply lend fragrance to his person; it overflows down to the edges. The Lord will say this clearly: his anointing is meant for the poor, prisoners and the sick, for those who are sorrowing and alone. The ointment is not intended just to make us fragrant, much less to be kept in a jar, for then it would become rancid and the heart bitter.

A good priest can be recognized by the way his people are anointed. This is a clear test. When our people are anointed with the oil of gladness, it is obvious: for example, when they leave Mass looking as if they have heard good news. Our people like to hear the Gospel preached with unction, they like it when the Gospel we preach touches their daily lives, when it runs down like the oil of Aaron to the edges of reality, when it brings light to moments of extreme darkness, to the outskirts where people of faith are most exposed to the onslaught of those who want to tear down their faith. People thank us because they feel that we have prayed over the realities of their everyday lives, their troubles, their joys, their burdens and their hopes. And when they feel that the fragrance of the Anointed One, of Christ, has come to them through us, they feel encouraged to entrust to us everything they want to bring before the Lord: Pray for me, Father, because I have this problem, Bless me, Pray for me these words are the sign that the anointing has flowed down to the edges of the robe, for it has turned into prayer.

The prayers of the people of God. When we have this relationship with God and with his people, and grace passes through us, then we are priests, mediators between God and men. What I want to emphasize is that we need constantly to stir up God’s grace and perceive in every request, even those requests that are inconvenient and at times purely material or downright banal but only apparently so the desire of our people to be anointed with fragrant oil, since they know that we have it. To perceive and to sense, even as the Lord sensed the hope-filled anguish of the woman suffering from hemorrhages when she touched the hem of his garment. At that moment, Jesus, surrounded by people on every side, embodies all the beauty of Aaron vested in priestly raiment, with the oil running down upon his robes. It is a hidden beauty, one which shines forth only for those faith-filled eyes of the woman troubled with an issue of blood. But not even the disciples future priests see or understand: on the existential outskirts, they see only what is on the surface: the crowd pressing in on Jesus from all sides (cf. Lk 8:42). The Lord, on the other hand, feels the power of the divine anointing which runs down to the edge of his cloak.

We need to go out, then, in order to experience our own anointing, its power and its redemptive efficacy: to the outskirts where there is suffering, bloodshed, blindness that longs for sight, and prisoners in thrall to many evil masters. It is not in soul-searching or constant introspection that we encounter the Lord: self-help courses can be useful in life, but to live by going from one course to another, from one method to another, leads us to become pelagians and to minimize the power of grace, which comes alive and flourishes to the extent that we, in faith, go out and give ourselves and the Gospel to others, giving what little ointment we have to those who have nothing, nothing at all.

A priest who seldom goes out of himself, who anoints little I won’t say not at all because, thank God, our people take our oil from us anyway misses out on the best of our people, on what can stir the depths of his priestly heart. Those who do not go out of themselves, instead of being mediators, gradually become intermediaries, managers. We know the difference: the intermediary, the manager, has already received his reward, and since he doesn’t put his own skin and his own heart on the line, he never hears a warm, heartfelt word of thanks. This is precisely the reason why some priests grow dissatisfied, become sad priests, lose heart and become in some sense collectors of antiques or novelties instead of being shepherds living with the smell of the sheep, shepherds in the midst of their flock, fishers of men. True enough, the so-called crisis of priestly identity threatens us all and adds to the broader cultural crisis; but if we can resist its onslaught, we will be able to put out in the name of the Lord and cast our nets. It is not a bad thing that reality itself forces us to put out into the deep, where what we are by grace is clearly seen as pure grace, out into the deep of the contemporary world, where the only thing that counts is unction not function and the nets which overflow with fish are those cast solely in the name of the One in whom we have put our trust: Jesus.

Dear lay faithful, be close to your priests with affection and with your prayers, that they may always be shepherds according to God’s heart.

Dear priests, may God the Father renew in us the Spirit of holiness with whom we have been anointed. May he renew his Spirit in our hearts, that this anointing may spread to everyone, even to those outskirts where our faithful people most look for it and most appreciate it. May our people sense that we are the Lord’s disciples; may they feel that their names are written upon our priestly vestments and that we seek no other identity; and may they receive through our words and deeds the oil of gladness which Jesus, the Anointed One, came to bring us. Amen.

[source: zenit.org; images: L'Osservattore Romano, RomeReports]

1. Jesus enters Jerusalem. The crowd of disciples accompanies him in festive mood, their garments are stretched out before him, there is talk of the miracles he has accomplished, and loud praises are heard: “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord. Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” (Lk 19:38).

Crowds, celebrating, praise, blessing, peace: joy fills the air. Jesus has awakened great hopes, especially in the hearts of the simple, the humble, the poor, the forgotten, those who do not matter in the eyes of the world. He understands human sufferings, he has shown the face of God’s mercy, he has bent down to heal body and soul. Now he enters the Holy City!

It is a beautiful scene, full of light, joy, celebration.

At the beginning of Mass, we repeated all this. We waved our palms, our olive branches, we sang “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord” (Antiphon); we too welcomed Jesus; we too expressed our joy at accompanying him, at knowing him to be close, present in us and among us as a friend, a brother, and also as a King: that is, a shining beacon for our lives. And here the first word that comes to mind is “joy!” Do not be men and women of sadness: a Christian can never be sad! Never give way to discouragement! Ours is not a joy that comes from having many possessions, but from having encountered a Person: Jesus, from knowing that with him we are never alone, even at difficult moments, even when our life’s journey comes up against problems and obstacles that seem insurmountable, and there are so many of them! We accompany, we follow Jesus, but above all we know that he accompanies us and carries us on his shoulders. This is our joy, this is the hope that we must bring to this world of ours. Let us bring the joy of the faith to everyone!

2. But we have to ask: why does Jesus enter Jerusalem? Or better: how does Jesus enter Jerusalem? The crowds acclaim him as King. And he does not deny it, he does not tell them to be silent (cf. Lk 19:39-40). But what kind of a King is Jesus? Let us take a look at him: he is riding on a donkey, he is not accompanied by a court, he is not surrounded by an army as a symbol of power. He is received by humble people, simple folk. Jesus does not enter the Holy City to receive the honours reserved to earthly kings, to the powerful, to rulers; he enters to be scourged, insulted and abused, as Isaiah foretold in the First Reading (cf. Is 50:6). He enters to receive a crown of thorns, a staff, a purple robe: his kingship becomes an object of derision. He enters to climb Calvary, carrying his burden of wood. And this brings us to the second word: Cross. Jesus enters Jerusalem in order to die on the Cross. And it is here that his kingship shines forth in godly fashion: his royal throne is the wood of the Cross! I think of what Benedict XVI said to the cardinals: “You are princes but of a Crucified King”…Jesus says: “I am a King”; but his power is God’s power which confronts the world’s evil and the sin that disfigures man’s face. Jesus takes upon himself the evil, the filth, the sin of the world, including our own sin, and he cleanses it, he cleanses it with his blood, with the mercy and the love of God. Let us look around: how many wounds are inflicted upon humanity by evil! Wars, violence, economic conflicts that hit the weakest, greed for money, which no-one can bring with him, my grandmother would say, no shroud has pockets! Greed for money, power, corruption, divisions, crimes against human life and against creation! Dear friends, we can all conquer the evil that is in us and in the world: with Christ, with the force of good! Do we feel weak, inadequate, powerless? But God is not looking for powerful means: it is through the Cross that he has conquered evil! We must not believe the Evil One when he tells us: you can do nothing to counter violence, corruption, injustice, your sins! We must never grow accustomed to evil! … And we must not be afraid of sacrifice. Think of a mother or a father: what sacrifices they make! But why? For love! And how do they bear those sacrifices? With joy, because they are made for their loved ones. Christ’s Cross embraced with love does not lead to sadness, but to joy!

3. Today in this Square, there are many young people: for 28 years Palm Sunday has been World Youth Day! This is our third word: youth! Dear young people, I think of you celebrating around Jesus, waving your olive branches. I think of you crying out his name and expressing your joy at being with him! You have an important part in the celebration of faith! You bring us the joy of faith and you tell us that we must live the faith with a young heart, always, even at the age of seventy or eighty.! A young heart! With Christ, the heart never grows old! Yet all of us, all of you know very well that the King whom we follow and who accompanies us is very special: he is a King who loves even to the Cross and who teaches us to serve and to love. And you are not ashamed of his Cross! On the contrary, you embrace it, because you have understood that it is in giving ourselves that we have true joy and that God has conquered evil through love. You carry the pilgrim Cross through all the Continents, along the highways of the world! You carry it in response to Jesus’ call: “Go, make disciples of all nations” (Mt 28:19), which is the theme of World Youth Day this year. You carry it so as to tell everyone that on the Cross Jesus knocked down the wall of enmity that divides people and nations, and he brought reconciliation and peace. Dear friends, I too am setting out on a journey with you, from today, in the footsteps of Blessed John Paul II and Benedict XVI. We are already close to the next stage of this great pilgrimage of Christ’s Cross. I look forward joyfully to next July in Rio de Janeiro! I will see you in that great city in Brazil! Prepare well – prepare spiritually above all – in your communities, so that our gathering in Rio may be a sign of faith for the whole world. Young people must tell the world that it is good to follow Jesus, that it is good to love Jesus and that it is good to go out to the preferies of the world and follow Jesus!
Three words: Joy, Cross and Youth.

Let us ask the intercession of the Virgin Mary. She teaches us the joy of meeting Christ, the love with which we must look to the foot of the Cross, the enthusiasm of the young heart with which we must follow him during this Holy Week and throughout our lives. Amen.

[source: RadioVaticana, pictures courtesy of CTV]