What does it mean to be Vincentian?

Growing up, St. Vincent de Paul lived a very ordinary life in the country side in a comfortable house. He joined the priest hood primarily for a steady job, a way to make money, and a way to take care of his family.(Vincent de Paul: Charity’s, 5:50-6:05) He did not start to realize his true call to the poor until later in his life while working for the de Gondi family. St. Vincent de Paul and the family were traveling through the de Gondi estates collecting money owed to them when they noticed the amount of peasants living in anguish. Madam de Gondi asked St. Vincent, “What must be done?” (Vincent de Paul: Charity’s, 14:50-15:35) At the time, St. Vincent did not have answer to this question but it inspired him to spend more time caring for the poor. The answer to this question is portrayed by how St. Vincent de Paul lived out the rest of his life and ultimately, what it means to “Be Vincentian”.

To be Vincentian, St. Vincent de Paul calls his followers to make Christ the center of their lives and activities, viewing Christ as the Evangelizer and Servant of the Poor. This Christ was the driving force that generated both the incredible activities and prayer of St. Vincent de Paul. (Maloney, 7) In following him, Vincentians are told to serve the poor through the language of works, words, and relationships. (Maloney, 8) This entails feeding the hungry, proclaiming God’s love, and getting to know and love the poor as our own family. St. Vincent also urged his followers not to just act alone, but as to pray as well, and in every activity seek the glory of God.

“What must be done? Charity must be done. How must it be done? Collaboratively, with planning, adequate resources, professionalism, and most of all with great love and respect for those being served”

St. Vincent de Paul

The qualities of a Vincentian include simplicity, humility, zeal, mortification, and gentleness. (Vincent de Paul: Charity Saint, 25:40-25:50) These virtues help one seek the glory of God in all that they do. Simplicity was Vincent’s favorite virtue as he called it “passion for the truth”. (Maloney, 8) Speaking, witnessing, and searching for the truth is how Vincentians should live and abide by. Humility is the core of the spirt life and is an acknowledgement of our own faults and sins with an extreme confidence in God. (Maloney, 9) Zeal is shown by accepting God’s love, laboring for the poor, working towards systemic change, and as well as persevering through difficult times. Mortification is a means towards achieving higher goals by defining our goals, working hard in whatever we do, and praying faithfully each day. (Maloney, 9) Lastly God calls us to be gentle and approachable in all our activities. Being approachable will make the people you serve more open and comfortable around you.

As a student at St. John’s University, to be Vincentian means to follow the SJU mission inspired by St. Vincent de Paul’s compassion and zeal for service. Taking advantage of St. John’s many service opportunities such as St. Nick’s Men’s Shelter, Mobile Soup Kitchen, or the Midnight Run, is a key part of being Vincentian. Likewise we as a community should combine our intellectual strengthens to assist the poor in more creative ways. Being a Johnnie comes with a great responsibility to the poor which comes with being a Vincentian.

“What would the Son of God do on this occasion”

St. Vincent de Paul

Being Vincentian answers the question “What must be done?”, in regards to the poor, with another question imposed by St. Vincent; “What would the Son of God do on this occasion?” Following the example Christ as the Evangelizer and Servant of the Poor set for us by going out and serving and caring for the poor, will not only bring us closer to those we are serving but to God himself.

References

Maloney, Robert P. (2017) “FIRE WITHIN: The Spirituality that Sparked the Works of St. Vincent de Paul,” Journal of Vincentian Social Action: Vol. 2 : Iss. 3 , Article 5.

Mission and Ministry DePaul University. Vincent De Paul: Charity’s Saint. YouTube, YouTube, 17 Apr. 2014, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqSpwwojTcs.