Pope Francis has made the dignity of the poor one of the primary themes of his pontificate. He has particularly called for the faithful to seek ways not just to contribute to the poor but to be in personal contact with them.

 

On the occasion of the World Day of the Poor in 2019, Pope Francis said this during his homily, “The presence of the poor makes us breathe the fresh air of the Gospel, where the poor in spirit are blessed (cf. Mt 5:3). 

 

“Instead of feeling annoyed when they knock on our doors, let us welcome their cry for help as a summons to go out of ourselves, to welcome them with God’s own loving gaze. How beautiful it would be if the poor could occupy in our hearts the place they have in the heart of God! Standing with the poor, serving the poor, we see things as Jesus does; we see what remains and what passes away.”

 

This coming Monday, Sept. 27, we will celebrate the feast day of St. Vincent de Paul. His life, work and faith are worthy of our reflection. They give us a living example of service to the poor that has lasted to our own day.

 

St. Vincent was born into a poor family in France around 1580. He proved to be an intelligent young man, and he left home to undertake studies and was ordained a priest. 

 

As a young priest he knew the suffering of being kidnapped and sold into slavery. After escaping and returning to France he began to demonstrate a great interest in serving the poor and in the formation of good priests for service to the Church. He thus combined faith in the teaching of the Church with personal service to those in need.

 

We know the name of St. Vincent de Paul because since 1833 the Society of St. Vincent de Paul (SVdP) has existed. It is a worldwide organization of lay Catholics who put their faith into practice by serving the poor, the suffering and the needy. 

 

Their special activity is not to simply distribute assistance to those who need it, but to make home visits to them. In that way they can get to know them and offer friendship, prayer and support.

 

At the same time the spiritual lives of the Vincentians, the active members of the society, are also important. In fact, the SVdP Society sees the spiritual lives of its members as the primary foundation for its mission to serve to others.

 

Deacon Jim Dombek, Spiritual Advisor for the St. Vincent de Paul Society of the Diocese of Rockford has written about this, commenting, “Our actions within the Society are all done in the name of Christ. All power and glory and honor in our service derives directly from Christ, His impoverishment and His service to the poor. 

 

“Ultimately each of us as Vincentians are called through prayer and reflection on Scripture to see the face of Christ in all we serve. At the same time, we are called to carry the love and service of Christ to those we serve so that they will see the face of Christ in us.”

 

We are blessed to have a Rockford Council of the St. Vincent de Paul Society. That council has a presence in Boone, DeKalb, Kane, Lee, McHenry, Ogle, Stephenson, Whiteside, and Winnebago counties. 

 

Are you looking for a way to live your faith and serve others? Why not contact the St. Vincent de Paul Society? They would love to hear from you.

 

Contact: Society of St. Vincent de Paul, Rockford Council, PO Box 68, Hampshire, Illinois 60140 or https://www.svdprockfordcouncil.org/contact-us.html .