We take the SVP's … Occasionally, there may be another such appeal made should the demand on the funds be so great as to leave the members crippled in their charitable activities. It can with truth be said that there is scarcely a need of the poor and afflicted for which there is not provision made. The following of Jesus teaches him certain aspects of the Lord which will shape his Christology. The question, however, is one for each individual. His spirit is the spirit of compassion. That, He could not experience. 2. He did not want to accept the gift and closed his life to the movement of the Spirit. It is the poor Jesus who he discovers amidst the marginalized. A man like us in all things except sin, says St. Paul. His love is manifested by his closeness. He issues from them in peace, and then vows to spend his life in serving the sacred cause of Truth. They learn what are genuine cases and what are not. There are new poverties and new ways of analyzing and understanding reality. These priests, with vows of poverty, chastity, obedience, and stability, were to devote themselves entirely to the people in smaller tow This argument, of course, applies with equal force to all our charitable institutions. The salvation which Christ announced is not only redemption from sin. The Holy Spirit Himself, inspiring St. Paul, has given us that memorable rhapsody: “0 the depth of the riches of the wisdom and of the knowledge of God! In ultimate analysis, it will be found that God has been exceptionally good to some, and less so to others, for reasons best known to Himself. Let me offer three clarifications: We do not go to the poor because Jesus is present there, We go to the poor because they are our suffering brothers and sisters. Vincent spent a good part of his life fleeing from the charism. Overhead expenses are practically nil. He is himself a Vincentian Father, and he feels that, because of that, and because of so much reference to St. Vincent in these pages, the impression might be created in the minds of some that he is claiming the society of which we are treating as having been founded by the saint, He is doing no such thing. Many of these works require funds. He says: “Then I shall the King say to them that shall be on His right hand: “Come, ye blessed of My Father, possess you the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.”, It need hardly be remarked that those, who shall be fortunate enough to have those words addressed to them, shall receive in that reward all that can satisfy the heart of man. Case management – Get help in addressing underlying causes of poverty, and develop a plan to improve your financial situation. Speaking about seeing Christ in the poor causes confusion because it is a poetic form of speaking, but it does not correspond to experience. We are not so surprised, when we see a priest become the founder of a religious institute, and that institute gradually develop into a big organisation, although, even in the case where that has happened, as it so often has, the original founder was always humble enough to be content to try to meet the need he saw just at his hand, and, consequently, never, or seldom, foresaw the mighty development. It is a pity that so much enthusiasm, ability, and energy should be wasted in the pursuit of this dream, especially as there are so many terrible evils mixed up in it with a great deal of good. Many a bread-winner had gone down in the struggle, and where poverty had abounded before, it did still more abound after. He had tried argument. Others there are, who know these things, and who know that, to reach to the lofty destiny God has in mind for them, they must live lives of obedience to His laws; but this they will not do, simply because the sinful attractions of the world appeal too strongly to them. Before a brighter day dawns that wreckage must be swept away, and the initial steps must be made at reconstruction, which, in its turn, takes years to manifest its fruits. In between stands the St. Vincent de Paul Society, receiving from the donor and passing on his gift to the poor person, that is, to Christ Himself, because the words of His assurance come back to memory: “As long as you did it to one of these, my least brethren, you did it to Me,”. “For, if you love them that love you, what reward shall you have? He began to take stock of his resources, and his former connections with the wealthy and influential led him to seek their financial assistance. If they trouble to enquire at all, they find that, in many of our parishes, there are 10, 20, 30 men who devote a good deal of their time to the society. He was influenced by the concepts and terminology of his contemporary theologians. Let us, therefore, pass on to these more important reasons for our benevolence and beneficence. The Church would be the gainer through their charity; the cause of Christ would be advanced, and outsiders would be led to greater admiration, the forerunner of more conversions to the Faith. There rises before the imagination a picture in which there are three outstanding figures. We repeat that there is no desire on the part of the writer, nor would the St. Vincent de Paul men thank him if he had any desire, to take away one particle, of the interest that different Catholics show in different charitable institutions. A Vincentian reading of the Sunday readings. On such occa sions, they did not merit the reward of heaven, but they did win mercy from God, which enabled them to repent sincerely and get back into the state of God‟s favour. Of this we shall speak later. First of all, at one end of the picture stands a poor person, and, as you gaze on him with eyes of faith, there gradually takes place a transforma tion scene, such as was common on the old legitimate stage—gradually the poor person fades from sight, and in his place stands the figure of Christ, with hand outstretched to receive. Ozanam was very annoyed, and he cried out vehemently: “Gentlemen, if it be not thoroughly understood that we succour the poor, quite irrespective of class or creed, I will at once return to the Protestants the alms they have entrusted to us, and I shall say to them: „Take it back; we are not worthy of your confidence.”. The poor, when viewed with eyes of faith, take the place of Christ and so give us the opportunity to love and serve Jesus. Of these the greatest and saddest is spiritual poverty, arising out of either ignorance or neglect to use the knowledge a person has. Rarely does he talk about seeing Christ in the poor. Or, when did we see Thee sick or in prison, and came to Thee?”, Then the Saviour tells us what shall be His answer to that query, and, in telling us, He has given us the principle which has been the impelling factor in all works of Christian charity from the day Our Lord spoke, and which will inspire the same charity till time shall be no more. Afflict not the heart oft the needy, and defer, not to give to him that is in distress. Now, the whole teaching of Christ contradicts your final statement—viz., “My wealth is mine to do with it what I wish.” It is yours in the sense that no one had a right to forcibly deprive you of it; but it is not yours in the sense that you are the absolute owner of it. Poverty had been the impelling cause of the revolt, and, as usual in such cases, the people generally had hugged the delusion that, once the old system was destroyed, a new era of peace and prosperity would immediately begin. At any rate, there is no doubt that at present the poor are with us. We all know, too, that the advocates of that system are very active in our own midst here in Australia, fully determined to put their theories into practice amongst us. There can be little doubt that many of the wills of wealthy people are displeasing to God, and they often bring their own punishment even in this life— we have seen many children ruined because of the wealth they inherited. In Christ, the men of the poor creates false expectations and fantasy a... God loveth a cheerful giver. ” to our commiseration is their proud boast they. | Aug 1, 2019 | Formation, reflections | 2 comments which there is punishment even this. 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