About the Series
St. Vincent de Paul encouraged five particular traits in his comrades: simplicity, meekness, mortification, humility and zeal. Come discover the stories of these virtues and how they are alive in the daily experiences of those around us. Throughout the 40 days of Lent, a new story will be posted daily. See how the everyday practices of being honest, approachable, self-disciplined, realistic and hardworking, in the spirit of St. Vincent, can transform your own life and the lives of others.
Serving Others In a Digital World
RIp van Winkle slept though the American Revolution. Are members of the Vincentian Family aware of a new form of poverty – access to a digital world? What must be done?
Shocking document bishops signed in the Catacombs 60 years ago
Pope St. John XXIII certainly had expectations of Vatican II!
Saint John XXIII convened it hoping that it would lead to the Church becoming “the Church of all, and particularly the Church of the poor”
NATO As No Action – Talk Only
In this Mindwalk, I explore an alternate meaning of the acronym NATO
It involves the story of a pivotal moment in the life of Frederick Ozanam. He was inspired to move from talk to action.
What was your mother’s special recipe?
Mothers often seem to have what seems like a secret recipe or ingredient for preparing a meal.
I wonder whether Vincent had some secret recipe that would account for the momentous changes he brought to the Church and society in 17th-century France.
I suggest it was his ability to imagine and support lay ministry, especially for women.
If Jesus’ Mother Had a Scrapbook
Mothers keep memories! Often in a scrapbook.
What if the mother of Jesus kept a scrapbook? It would be filled with what kept in her heart.
Might the mysteries of the Rosary be a peek at her memories of Jesus?
Does Everybody Want to Change Your Thinking?
Sometimes it seems that everybody wants to change our way of thinking. That has probably always been true. But it certainly feels truer now in our polarized lives.
Is it Time for the “Brocolli” Approach?
Many generations of mothers have cajoled their children with “Try it. You’ll like it!” (It seems they all went to the same “Mommy” school.)
A famous layman, of the last century, Chesterton, used it in a different sense. ”The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting. It has been found difficult and left untried.”
I wonder if maybe we should use the “try it, you’ll like it” approach to synodality.
Putting Newest Cardinals in Their Place
… Acts of the Apostles makes us reflect that, before being “apostles”, before being priests, Bishops, Cardinals, we are “Parthians, Medes, Elamites”, et cetera, et cetera.
Missing the Point!
Been in a conversation where someone missed your point? I certainly have. Also, more times than I care to admit, I have been the one who missed the point.
Unfortunately, the more the conversation touches our lives the more heated the conversation becomes… especially when come to what it means to be followers of Christ
Thank you! May we use our alertness to glorify God while serving our brothers and sisters!
Ed Ambrose