As Spring arrives it brings with it signs of new life, it calls us to renewal and refocusing. This call arrives for us in the month that we celebrate two of our main models, Blessed Frédéric Ozanam and Saint Vincent de Paul.

Saint Vincent de Paul is sometimes described as a mystic of charity, which describes the way he was someone who united prayer and action. He was always concerned with ensuring a balance between prayer and reflection, and action. He told the Daughters of Charity that if they were called away from prayer that they were leaving God for God, because they would find God in every person they served. However, he also called his followers to ground their service with times of prayer. Vincent wrote to his confreres:

“After that word ‘seek’ comes ‘first,’ that is, seek the kingdom of God before all else. ‘But, Monsieur, there are so many things to do, so many house duties, so many ministries in town and country; there’s work everywhere; must we, then, leave all that to think only of God?’ No, but we have to sanctify those activities by seeking God in them, and do them in order to find Him in them rather than to see that they get done. Our Lord wills that we seek above all His glory, His kingdom, and His justice.” (CCD XII p111-112)

We can draw on this example of Vincent to renew our work for charity and justice but also to take time for our own renewal and nourishment so that we can continue to serve and grow.

Blessed Frédéric wrote about the Society:

It is important then to form an association of mutual encouragement for young Catholic people where one finds friendship, support, and example; where one finds again, so to speak, a likeness of the religious family in which he had been nurtured, where the elders receive the new pilgrims from a province and give them a bit of moral hospitality. But the strongest tie, the principle of a true friendship, is charity, and charity could not exist in the hearts of many without sweetening itself from outside. It is a fire that dies without being fed, and good works are the food of charity. So, it is in our own interest first of all that our association has been established, and if we assemble under the roof of the poor, it is at least equally for them as for ourselves, so as to become progressively better friends. (A Life in Letters p55)

This description of the Society reminds us that the development of community in our Conferences supports the charity with which we care for people in need. We read in The Rule today the following words which echo those of Blessed Frédéric:

1.2 The Vincentian Vocation

The vocation of the Society’s Members, who are called Vincentians, is to follow Christ through service to those in need and so bear witness to His compassionate and liberating love. Members show their commitment through person-to-person contact. Vincentians serve in hope.

Let us take this time to renew ourselves and continue to grow in love and service.