In this third video, Father Tomaž Mavrič invites us to make Folleville not just a memory of the past. There Saint Vincent begins to glimpse what will be, to this day, the experience of the charism that remains current and challenging. Folleville is for us today the space for conversion, dedication, selfless service. Four-hundred years later, we are called to say: thank you, M. Vincent!
Video transcription:
Approaching then the church, Vincent saw the church from, at the beginning, far away and then, all of a sudden, he is there in front of the entrance, at the door. What could he have felt coming in, a cold place? It was winter. How many people? Probably he was not really very much interested on how many he will see there. And then, approaching the altar, slowly getting towards the pulpit, experiencing that, that moment, those minutes, seconds getting up the stairs to get to the place from where he started to speak. And, in fact, it was not Vincent any more. It was God. It was Jesus speaking through him. What he felt, so experienced, after his sermon was a miracle. He started to understand that God works through people. He started to understand that one needs to be a tool in God’s hands. And miracles started happening. Conversions started happening, 400 years ago.
But here we are today, looking into our own Folleville. In our Follevilles around the world, we as Vincentian Family, we as followers of the Vincentian charism, are encouraged to, first of all, re-experience that moment again and then share it with the world.
How many people are waiting? How many people are in need of spiritual help, of physical help, material help? We need to take the person as a whole, not just one part, but as a whole. This is what Vincent got to understand. He again understood that Jesus is calling him to take the person who is in need in all its totality. Let’s go to our Follevilles around the world and again revive our own fire, revive the charism within our own, within ourselves and then encourage others to follow in Vincent’s steps, which is the step of Jesus in the gospel. We need to do something beautiful. We are called to do something beautiful for God. And here we are. This year, it’s our beautiful chance and gift to do so.
Video in other languages…
Rom 16, 13 reads: "Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord; and greet his mother—a mother to me also." If this…
Have a blessed Holy Week!
I have never thought about the people that were named in the Gospels. I would agree that they may be…
Generally, I love the laconic nature of Mark's Gospel. The Passion narrative is very compelling in its starkness, with one…
Father John, Blessings to you as you step cautiously down that new path. Grace and Peace be with you!