A “Father” Learned From His Grandfather

Father Dennis Holtschneider, CM, is currently President of the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities. Some years ago, he shared how he first learned about St. Vincent.  It was through the stories his grandfather told about his 22 years as a member of the Vincent DePaul Society.

His Grandfather as “living rule”

He heard these stories during his formative first 20 years of life. Now he was asked to keynote a national meeting about the spirituality of the rule of the Society.

When I read over this new Rule of yours, I was amazed. I think I could have written most of it just from the stories my grandfather would tell us about how the Society worked. 

He discovered he already knew about the “Rule”

• Always visiting in pairs.
• Conference meetings every two weeks.
• Beginning each meeting with roll call, prayer, a reading, and reflection, all the reports, and “the secret collection.”
• Meeting for certain Masses each year – though I couldn’t have told you which ones…
• I knew also about the rule that visits were always to be non-judgmental and full of respect.
• I knew that Vincent de Paul’s charity was for everyone, not just Catholics…

My grandfather was a “Living Rule” for me. Just as many of you are “Living Rules”

His message… seeing the mission lived in the members inspired him to get to know Vincent better.

The deeper story

Wasn’t that Jesus’ mission… telling us stories about “OUR” Father’s love for us. And not just telling but showing us that love in action.

The early Christians heard Jesus’ stories. They knew they were not just stories about philosophical ethics or memorizing a handbook.

For those who had ears to hear, Jesus told about his father’s love for him. But also God’s love for each of his beloved sons and daughters.

He not only told them stories. Jesus showed them what that love looked like in practical ways.

Jesus reached out not only to fellow Jews. He reached out to the marginalized and forgotten. Jesus even reached out to people “real Jews” regarded as enemies.

Jesus did not come to abolish rules… but to fulfill them in his flesh and blood.

He is the “living rule” who teaches each of us.

It is our turn to be the “living rule”

Pope Francis reminds us

• We can always remain in prayer with that word alone: ‘Father’. And to feel that we have a father: not a master or a stepfather. No: a father
• “In that parable (Prodigal Son) the father’s manner of conduct somehow recalls the spirit of a mother. It is especially mothers who excuse their children, who protect them, who do not suspend empathy for them, who continue to love them, even when they would no longer deserve anything.
• “To understand to what measure God is father to us, let us consider the figures of our parents, but in some measure we must always ‘refine them’, purify them… when we speak of God as ‘father’, as we consider the image of our parents, especially if they loved us, at the same time we must go further.”
• “In that parable (Prodigal Son), the father’s manner of conduct somehow recalls the spirit of a mother. It is especially mothers who excuse their children, who protect them, who do not suspend empathy for them, who continue to love them, even when they would no longer deserve anything.
• “To understand to what measure God is father to us, let us consider the figures of our parents, but in some measure, we must always ‘refine them,’ purify them… when we speak of God as ‘father,’ as we consider the image of our parents, especially if they loved us, at the same time we must go further.”

Are we telling the story of God’s love by the way we live as Jesus lived?

Click below for an early audio version of this Vincentian Mindwalk