Jesus was intent to continue on his journey to Jerusalem, even though he knew that the destination of Jerusalem would bring an end to his life here on earth. At different points on his journey he would be welcomed or he would meet opposition or anger. Our own journey through faith is like that as well. We meet those who help us on our journey, who provide us encouragement and new life, but we also meet those who put roadblocks in our way.
Today, we celebrate a very beloved saint in our Catholic faith - St Vincent de Paul. He was a French priest who was born at the end of the 16th century to a humble family of farmers. He is known as being the founder of two important religious congregations in our Catholic Church - the Vincentians & the Daughters of Charity. Both of those congregations reflect de Paul’s charism of compassion, humility, and service to the poor and the marginalized. This saint is also known throughout the modern world for the social service organization that was named after him more than 200 years after his birth by some students at the University of Paris - the Society of St Vincent de Paul.
St Vincent de Paul believed that true Christian charity did not just consist in distributing alms and financial assistance to the poor, but also in helping the poor feel the fullness of their dignity and freedom. He taught his followers that good works cannot be separated from our faith. Those good works must flow directly out of our faith. But he did believe that faith has to be connected to action, as he wrote: “There is nothing more in keeping with the Gospel than, on the one hand, to gather up light and strength for the soul in prayer, spiritual reading, and solitude, and then to go forth and dispense this spiritual good to men. This is how we should act; that is how we should by our deeds bear witness to God, that we love Him.”
As a young priest, Vincent de Paul was on a journey to sell some property that he inherited from a wealthy benefactor. He was captured by the Barbary pirates and sold into slavery. He spent two years in bondage before he was returned to freedom by his master. In fact, de Paul convinced that master who had been a convert to Islam to return to the Christian faith.
All of us face hostility or obstacles of one type or another on our journey of faith. Perhaps not as extreme as what St Vincent de Paul and Jesus faced, but obstacles and hostility none the less. Let us maintain the courage to move forward on our journey no matter how difficult it may seem some days.
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