Memorial of Saint
Vincent de Paul, priest
(Ezra 9:5-9; Luke 9:1-6)
In a book on character development author David Brooks
comments on the essentials of being a good person. Humility to recognize one’s mistakes is
necessary, he says, along with a firm desire to change one’s defective ways. This process is seen taking shape in today’s
first reading from the Book of Ezra.
The book describes the exiled Jews’ return to Jerusalem and
their rebuilding the Temple. In the
passage read today Ezra reflects on what went wrong to begin with. He recognizes his people’s great sins which
are known from the words of past prophets.
The people idolized money, neglected the poor, and became proud in their
sinfulness. As the text indicates, they had
to be taken down many notches if they were ever going to be God’s people. The reading claims that the period of chastisement
is over. God has shown the people
mercy. They can start anew on the quest
of holiness.
We might see a similar trajectory in the life of St.
Vincent de Paul. After his ordination he
was chaplain to the queen of France and recipient of revenues from a small
monastery. Eventually he became aware of
the plight of peasants. He quit his
ministries to the upper crust to become a pastor to the poor. From then on he founded institutions and
indeed religious congregations to assist those in need. He became a saint in both a religious and
secular sense. His life was characterized
by virtue and his friendship with God solid.
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