Memorial of Saint Vincent de Paul, priest
(Ezra 9:5-9; Luke 9:1-6)
In today’s gospel Jesus sends his apostles out to do as he
has done. They are to preach the good
news and heal the sick. St. Vincent de
Paul followed this program as well. A gifted
orator, he preached especially to and for the poor. He also founded hospitals.
Vincent’s life seemed to be going in another direction in
the years following his ordination. As a
young priest, he sought ministry among the aristocracy who could provide him
relative comfort. He then came under the
tutelage of the spiritual masters Pierre de Bérulle and St. Francis de
Sales. They influenced him to pursue
God, not pleasure or prestige.
If nothing else, the gospel calls us to leave behind worldly
desires to pursue the Lord. It teaches
us, as Vincent de Paul’s spiritual directors showed him, that eternal life is
not the accumulation of goods and experiences but of staying close to Jesus.
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