Memorial of Saint Vincent de Paul, Priest
“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You have faith in God; have faith also in me. In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places” (John 14:1-2). A In my house however there is seemingly less of a dwelling place for people and a broad place for stuff. How many shirts or shoes does one person need? How many books does one need? We have ten bookshelves full. How many cds, albums (vinyl for those born after 1998), speakers or songs does one need? How many Christmas trees or ornaments does on need. At what point do we have enough stuff? There are times when I want to pull up a St. Vincent de Paul truck and load everything up without even looking at that which is being given away.
The issue arises when we become servants or even slaves to the stuff we have. We know the phrase a slave to fashion, but how many of us are slaves to the Lord’s will. Paul reminds us today, that there is a hope beyond the servitude, that we will be raised up, that the house of the Lord will be brought out of ruins. Today’s reflection is viewing the scripture more literally, as the house about which Paul is speaking is Israel. Ruins may be a strong term but whether we are enslaved by sin or stuff around us we need to know there is a way out. We must place our trust, our very lives in the hands of the Lord.
We might need multiple pairs of shoes, for work, for church, for the garden, for hiking but when is it enough. In the Gospel Jesus challenges the disciples, ‘Take nothing for the journey,’ “Jesus are you serious, I need all this stuff, I need food, I need money, I need more than one tunic.” Perhaps Jesus is speaking hyperbole, and then the challenge is to simplify. This is absolutely reasonable. St. Francis did not even want his religious order to own property and only did when forced.
The conversion in St. Vincent’s life from a cleric who lived in comfort, to a servant of the poor when he realized the desperation of their spiritual state through his own dying servant. He formed a religious order that served the poor, and groups at each parish that would care for the needs of the underprivileged. Vincent’s example challenges us today to examine how much our lives are oriented to helping those in need both materially and spiritually. Perhaps we could all start by doing one practical step to simplicity or service of the poor.
Lord, we thank you for the challenge to live more simply. As we physically get rid of the obstacles in our houses, help us clear out anything that binds us spiritually as well. Amen.
- Deacon Michael Montgomery