1. The Vision of Vincent
Recognizing and Responding to Christ
in the poor
Richard Benson, C.M.

2. Vincent for the 21st Century
• Does “Vincent” translate into the 21st
century?
• Would St. Vincent be seen as a “good
Catholic” today?
• Would St. Vincent be seen by many
Catholics today as “counter cultural?”

3. The Words of Vincent
• “Let us love God but with the strength of
our arms and the sweat of our brow.”

4. Vincentian Spirituality
• “Perfection lies not in ecstasies but in
doing well the will of God.”

5. Vincent didn’t whine
• “When the demands of life seem unfair to you,
when you are exhausted and have to pull
yourself out of bed yet another time to do some
act of service, do it gladly, without counting the
cost and without self-pity. For if you persevere in
serving others, in giving yourself to the poor, if
you persevere to the point of completely
spending yourself, perhaps someday the poor
will find it in their hearts to forgive you.”
– St. Vincent de Paul

7. Vincentians
• Seek:
– Not so much to know ABOUT Christ
• But
– To KNOW Christ
A Vincentian is one who encounters, recognizes
and relates to Christ in all their sisters and
brothers, but especially in the most neglected.

9. For every Vincentian
• Faith is a “relational” experience, not an
intellectual exercise.
• Faith is a way of living that seeks an
authentic encounter with Jesus.
• The Vincentian finds this encounter most
profoundly with Jesus embodied in the
poor.
• “I have come to bring the Good News to
the Poor.”

10. Fr. Damien of Molokai, like Vincent,
is one who poured out his life for
the most abandoned.

11. Could I walk in the footsteps of
Vincent, Louise or Damien?

12. Vincentian Anthropology
• Genesis 1:
– Every Human Being is created as IMAGO DEI
in other words as an “image of God.”

13. Two of the Most Important
Biblical Passages for a Vincentian
• Mt. 25 The Last Judgment
“Whenever you neglected the least of your
brothers or sisters you neglected me.”

14. Acts 9: 4
• “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”

15. Vincentians are called to be:
• Neighbor

16. Vincentians are:
• Single Minded:
– Focused on THE MISSION:
TO BRING THE GOOD NEWS TO
THE POOR
– Understand that THE GOOD NEWS is more
than words and can never be divorced from
effective “LOVE”:
• Love of Christ as expressed in an authentic
spirituality
• Love of Christ as encountered in the poor

17. Vincentians understand
• CHARITY
– Is never divorced from justice
• JUSTICE
– Is “ensuring that everyone receives what is
their due”
• DISTRIBUTIVE JUSTICE
• COMMUTATIVE JUSTICE
– Is both “personal” and “social”

18. Authentic Justice
• Ensures that
– “there is a social pie”
– “everyone gets a piece”
– “everyone gets the piece they need”

19. Authentic Vincentians
• Recognize and are Devoted to the “Real
Presence” of Christ

20. Authentic Vincentians
• Are marked with:
– Hope and Joy

21. Let’s Discuss
1. What are the three most important
characteristics of St. Vincent for you and
why?
2. How can the “vision of St. Vincent”
make a difference in your life?
3. How would you describe St. Vincent and
his vision to someone else?