Sainthood Sunday: St. Vincent de Paul

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Sainthood Sunday: St. Vincent de Paul

27 September 2009 View Comments

Sainthood Sunday is a regular feature from Todd Lemieux’s www.sainthoodandsurrender.com. Todd Lemieux is a Catholic speaker and writer and co-author of 100 Things Every Catholic Teen Should Know. You can find out more about Todd’s ministry and find more of his writing on his website.

St. Vincent de Paul

by Todd Lemieux

More than just a charitable organization, St. Vincent was a study in true charity. He loved God no matter what was going on around him, displaying a very real purity of heart.

The part about the life of St. Vincent that I enjoy so much (besides the fact that he was captured by pirates) is the fact that he spent the first part of his ministry preaching the Gospel in places where it was needed. This is something that I think speaks to the truth of the difference between what can be considered a “government run charity” and a charity run by the Church, or one run with the intention of Christ.

It is the difference between a doctor simply treating a wound or a symptom rather than getting to the cause of it in the first place.

True charity takes care of a symptom, much like a social program.

True charity offers to help a person get back on their feet, much like a social program.

True charity offers to educate a person to keep them from making the same mistakes, much like a social program.

True charity offers to help everyone, regardless of their position in the community, much like a social program.

There are differences.

True charity looks to weed out the spiritual illness of the person, not just the physical illness. Christ came to forgive sins and in the process healed people physically. Social programs don’t have much regard for spiritual well-being.

True charity looks to share with people hope in the Good News that is based on Divine Effort. A Good News that goes beyond the mere outside, what is going on for them in their lives right now. The Good News that gives hope in a life after death, where suffering is no more. A social program can offer hope that is based on human effort, which fails continuously despite our best intentions.

True charity feeds the soul while social programs feed the body.

True charity clothes the naked in dignity and righteousness, while social programs stop at clothes.

True charity gives when it hurts, makes the sacrifice when it is painful. Social programs can only give when they can.

True charity seeks to empower the soul to worship the divine in a purity of heart that mimicked St. Vincent de Paul. Social programs seek to empower a person to take action for themselves fiscally and personally.

It was the very difference that was found between Martha and Mary during that dinner. Mary, in sitting and contemplating the Lord, was able to do what was important rather than Martha who simply made herself busy.

We can be busy all we want. If we do not have Christ, if we do not love like Christ, then all of our work is for nothing.

St. Vincent knew that.

Today, I pray for the ability to know it and to live it.

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