Reflections - St. Vincent de Paul Society of Philadelphia

Celebrate Christ This Christmas

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this” (Isaiah 9:6-7).

It is so easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of the holidays, which often leads to forgetting the reason for the season. There are constant reminders of the commercial aspect of Christmas, including advertisements for sales on toys, clothes, appliances, and even cars. In November and December it’s impossible to go to the grocery store, flip through magazines or watch TV without seeing multiple references to holiday meal preparation. The pressure to buy everyone on your list the perfect gift and to prepare the perfect holiday meal makes it easy to lose focus on why we as Christians celebrate Christmas: Christ.

It’s easy to lose focus on the real reason for the season, since Christmas time is a feast for the senses. Sparkling lights and festive decorations, from Christmas trees to outdoor lights, make for a dazzling sight. Christmas brings the tantalizing aroma and taste of home-made cookies, cakes and pies, along with the turkey dinner. Exchanging gifts wrapped in pretty paper adorned with ribbons and bows is a tradition for many.

While we enjoy these traditions, we must not lose sight of the reason for all of it. Christmas is a celebration of Christ’s birthday. One way to rejoice in Christ’s birthday is by seeing the face of Christ in our brothers and sisters, and ensuring that they are taken care of. Christmas time is cold and harsh for those of our brothers and sisters who are homeless, can’t afford to pay the electric bill or can’t put food on the table.

See the face of Jesus in the woman who can’t cover the cost of her grocery bill and has to return some items. See the face of Jesus in the elderly man wearing a coat to bed because he can’t afford to turn the heat up in his apartment. See the face of Jesus in the child who goes to school hungry. See the face of Jesus in the homeless man huddled on a street corner.

The members of the Saint Vincent de Paul Society work tirelessly to minister to their brothers and sisters in Christ, at Christmas time and all year long. You can join them in providing meals to the hungry, shelter to the homeless, warm coats to those who are cold, and comfort to those who are suffering. Warm your heart this Christmas season by remembering that Christmas is about Christ, and take care of your fellow human beings who are all Christ’s children.

The Saint Vincent de Paul Society of Philadelphia has many ways, customized to each local community, for you to transform the lives of your neighbors as well as your own life. Like that of its founder, blessed Frédéric Ozanam, the vision of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul “is to embrace the world in a network of charity.”

Give Thanks by Giving to Others

“You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God” (2 Corinthians 9:11).

For many Americans, this month’s Thanksgiving holiday has a different connotation than it originally had when the Pilgrims celebrated the very first Thanksgiving. Today many of us associate the holiday with a four day weekend, football games, parades, Black Friday and the start of Christmas shopping, and a big turkey dinner enjoyed with family and friends.

The Thanksgiving holiday started out in 1621 as a means to give thanks to God for a bountiful harvest. After the Mayflower ship arrived at Plymouth Rock on December 11, 1620, the Pilgrims lost 46 of their original group of 102 colonists. With the help of Native Americans, the surviving Pilgrims made it through a harsh winter and yielded a great harvest in 1621. To celebrate their thankfulness to God for the bounty they reaped, the Pilgrims held a three day long harvest festival along with the Native Americans.

Take some time to pause and reflect this November as you celebrate Thanksgiving. This Thanksgiving, seek to experience a heart full of gratitude. In expressing your thankfulness to God, show Him how grateful you are by giving to those who are not as fortunate. Many of us are blessed to have a comfortable place to call home, with a warm bed and food on the table. We realize this especially at Thanksgiving time when we gather with friends and family to enjoy a bountiful feast. There are those among us who have no place to call home, no source of income, and no turkey or pumpkin pie to enjoy in the good company of family and friends. Some of our brothers and sisters are cut off from the outside world because they are elderly and all alone, or because they are in deep emotional pain and feel disconnected from society. Some of our brothers and sisters are incarcerated, and have no reason to believe that they have any hope for the future. Remember these people when you pause to thank God for all that is good in your life.

The members of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul give freely of their time in order to help their neighbors, whether they are in need of physical or emotional support. Join them to help provide essentials like hot meals, warm coats or a place to sleep. Support your neighbors who are suffering emotionally or feeling alone by in-home visits or visits to those in prison. A little help goes a long way in giving hope to the hopeless. Show compassion and love to your brothers and sisters in Christ’s family. Demonstrate just how much you appreciate what God has given this Thanksgiving and all year long by helping those who need it most.

The Saint Vincent de Paul Society of Philadelphia has many ways, customized to each local community, for you to transform the lives of your neighbors as well as your own life. Like that of its founder, blessed Frédéric Ozanam, the vision of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul “is to embrace the world in a network of charity.”

Give With Your Heart This Fall Season

“Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” (2 Corinthians 9:7).

As the chill of autumn settles in and the leaves begin to fall, many of us put away the short sleeved shirts, shorts and flip flops and reach for the warm winter sweaters, coats and boots. When you’re organizing your closet and dressers, or figuring out what clothes the kids need for the next season, give some thought before you just move things to the back of the closet. The change of seasons is an ideal time to review which things you haven’t worn lately, or that your kids have grown out of, and make a pile of gently used items to donate.

Similarly, when you feel inspired to better organize your home, sort through household items you haven’t used in a while, or make room for new items, think about donating what you no longer need to a worthy cause. Clear the clutter and fill your heart with the joy of knowing that you are helping your neighbors in need.

The St. Vincent de Paul Society of Philadelphia has partnered with GreenDrop to collect donations of clothing and shoes, household items, kitchenware, games and toys, small appliances, electronics, sporting goods, books, CD and videos, and small furniture. GreenDrop converts lightly used clothing and household items into funds for various charities, including St. Vincent de Paul Society.

St. Vincent de Paul Society regularly holds collections for donated items at local churches, and you can also call GreenDrop to schedule a pick up at your home, or drop off your items at your local GreenDrop location. Just label your bags or boxes for the St. Vincent de Paul Society to benefit the many local recipients who are in need.

Don’t despair if you don’t have any excess clothing or household items to donate. The priceless donation of your time is always needed, whether it’s for organizing a clothing drive, spending time with an elderly neighbor, or giving a neighbor a ride to work. As the passage from Corinthians 2 states above, be a cheerful giver. You’ll feel the joy that giving to others brings.

The members of the St. Vincent de Paul Society of Philadelphia are all about neighbors helping neighbors. While sometimes our neighbors are in need of emotional support, many times the need is for physical essentials like clothing, food, or shelter. The St. Vincent de Paul Society works hard to collect items and raise funds to help those neighbors who are down on their luck to get by. They can help these neighbors get back on their feet and give them hope that they will be able to make it through.

The Saint Vincent de Paul Society of Philadelphia has many ways, customized to each local community, for you to transform the lives of your neighbors as well as your own life. Like that of its founder, blessed Frédéric Ozanam, the vision of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul “is to embrace the world in a network of charity.”

Celebrating National Good Neighbor Day

“If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself,’ you are doing right” (James 2:8).

This September 28^th is the annual celebration of National Good Neighbor Day. Becky Mattson of Lakeside, Montana founded National Good Neighbor Day in the early 1970s. In 1978, President Jimmy Carter issued Proclamation 4601, which stated, “As our Nation struggles to build friendship among the peoples of this world, we are mindful that the noblest human concern is concern for others. Understanding, love and respect build cohesive families and communities. The same bonds cement our Nation and the nations of the world. For most of us, this sense of community is nurtured and expressed in our neighborhoods where we give each other an opportunity to share and feel part of a larger family…I call upon the people of the United States and interested groups and organizations to observe such day with appropriate ceremonies and activities.”

In today’s day and age, it is not uncommon for people to feel isolated even when living in close proximity to others. We can change this by fostering care, concern and a sense of connectedness. The act of neighbors connecting with neighbors replaces feelings of isolation and division with understanding, caring, and respect. Each individual connection between neighbors builds a stronger community. Together, we can make great neighborhoods by becoming great neighbors.

The National Good Neighbor Day coalition lists these five ways to take your community from an ordinary neighborhood to a good neighborhood. First, connect. Introduce yourself to others in your neighborhood. Second, invite. Gather together to share experiences with each other. Third, celebrate. Congratulate neighbors on birthdays or other milestones and celebrate with them. Fourth, practice awareness. Neighbors are stronger together. Be aware of safety and security issues in your neighborhood and be there to protect each other. Fifth, focus on availability. Be there for your neighbors when they need someone’s help or support.

The members of the St. Vincent de Paul Society strive to be good neighbors all year long. For instance, members often reach out to elderly and isolated neighbors. In home visits, meal delivery and simple companionship can make such a difference in the life of an elderly person who feels completely alone.

Some of our neighbors are struggling emotionally, and the members of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul are there to listen and provide them assurance.

Similarly, the St. Vincent de Paul Society reaches out to neighbors who are in need of help with basic necessities such as food, clothing, shelter or transportation. They can help these neighbors get back on their feet and give them hope that they will be able to make it through the tough times.

The Saint Vincent de Paul Society of Philadelphia has many ways, customized to each local community, for you to transform the lives of your neighbors as well as your own life. Like that of its founder, blessed Frédéric Ozanam, the vision of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul “is to embrace the world in a network of charity.”

Finding Ways to Heal the Pain

“Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble.” (1 Peter 3:8).

In 2001 the American Chronic Pain Association established Pain Awareness Month each September, one of the results coming out of their Pain Awareness Campaign. Pain Awareness Month is a time when several different organizations aim to draw attention to the difficulties that so many face regarding pain and pain management. These organizations work to create a better understanding of the seriousness of chronic pain among medical professionals, the business community, government officials, those who are afflicted by chronic pain and their families, as well as the general public.

The American Chronic Pain Association also founded Partners for Understanding Pain, a group whose mission it is to promote understanding and support to help individuals suffering from chronic, acute and cancer pain to lead better lives. Many people do not realize just how prevalent pain is, and the American Chronic Pain Association works hard to build awareness each September.

The Society of St. Vincent de Paul works to ease the pain of those in the community all year round. Unfortunately there are so many suffering from many different types of pain, but the St. Vincent de Paul Society members are there, looking to ease the pain.

They help those afflicted by physical pain, such as the pain of hunger from starvation, or the pain from freezing due to a lack of shelter. The rumble of an empty stomach, day after day, is a pain that no one should have to experience. The St. Vincent de Paul Society helps provide meals to those who are starving. They also help find shelter for the homeless, who might otherwise be forced to sleep on a cold, hard sidewalk, freezing in the depths of winter.

Many of our neighbors are suffering from pain of a different sort, emotional pain. This pain can be harder to detect among others. So many people suffer in silence. The St. Vincent de Paul Society seeks to find ways to heal the emotional pain, by personal visits to those who need someone to whom they can open up. They also visit those in prison to give them a chance to talk about their difficulties, perhaps giving them a glimmer of hope that things will improve.

Some of our fellow community members are suffering from financial pain. There are those who struggle to make ends meet, worrying about whether they will be able to pay the rent, the electric or gas bills, or pay for food or medicine. The members of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul work to help those who need just a little bit to cover the necessities, or help them find a job, or get a ride to work or to a job interview.

The Saint Vincent de Paul Society of Philadelphia has many ways, customized to each local community, for you to transform the lives of your neighbors as well as your own life. Like that of its founder, blessed Frédéric Ozanam, the vision of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul “is to embrace the world in a network of charity.”

Neighbors Helping Neighbors

“We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. Each of us should please our neighbors for their good, to build them up” (Romans 15: 1-2).

During the summer, we tend to spend more time outdoors. Whether it’s sitting outside on the front porch, gardening, mowing the lawn, or meeting up at the community pool, it seems like we’re always bumping into someone we know, or maybe making the acquaintance of a neighbor that we didn’t already know. Summer’s warm evenings and late sunsets make it a great time to get to know your neighbors better if you don’t already. It’s a time to take a break from the monotony of busy day to day routines, turn off the electronic devices and go enjoy nature and talking to people face to face.

Getting to know your neighbors might mean just chatting with them, or maybe helping them out and looking out for them. Maybe you get to know an elderly neighbor and check in on them during the extremely hot weather to make sure their home is cool enough, or help with mowing their lawn, or taking out the trash. Or maybe you have a neighbor who is going through a rough patch financially, and you bring them some fresh vegetables or fruit from your garden to help supplement their meals. You might have a neighbor who needs help with childcare, perhaps a mom who needs someone to watch her kids occasionally when she goes to work. Perhaps your neighbor has recently lost a loved one, and just needs someone to keep them company. Sometimes you just need to get to know your neighbor a little bit, and you might find out that you can help them greatly.

Saint Vincent de Paul Society is all about neighbors helping neighbors. It’s about caring people helping their neighbors in need of the very basic necessities, such as food, clothing, shelter, transportation and emotional support in times of need. Care and compassion from one neighbor to another can transform lives, both that of the person giving and the person receiving. Jesus preached that we should love our neighbors as we love ourselves. In providing assistance to the suffering and needy, we ourselves can grow spiritually.

One of the ways in which members of the Saint Vincent de Paul Society help neighbors is by making person to person visits, in homes, hospitals and prisons. By participating, you can help your neighbors in various ways, such as helping them achieve positive lifestyle changes, giving them emotional support and comfort, and by providing the gift of lasting friendship.

The Saint Vincent de Paul Society of Philadelphia has many ways, customized to each local community, for you to transform the lives of your neighbors as well as your own life. Like that of its founder, blessed Frédéric Ozanam, the vision of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul “is to embrace the world in a network of charity.”

Celebrating National Nonprofit Day

“In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16).

Today, August 17, National Nonprofit Day will be celebrated around the world. Sherita J. Herring, a speaker, author and business strategist, founded the day in 2017 with the intent to educate, enlighten and empower people to make a difference by learning about and becoming involved with nonprofits. National Nonprofit Day gives thanks to the volunteers and workers who impact lives every day, the change-makers of the world.

National Nonprofit Day pays homage to the more than 1.5 million nonprofit organizations registered in the U.S. that work to improve the world, including our local communities. With this many nonprofit organizations, there is a volunteer or charitable opportunity for just about every cause. The National Center for Charitable Statistics reports that about 25 percent of Americans aged 16 and older has taken some part in supporting a nonprofit organization, whether that be donating supplies or money, or actually volunteering in the community.

If you can’t afford to donate money, clothing, or food, perhaps you can volunteer your time. You can provide transportation to a neighbor who needs to get to a job interview or work. You can help deliver meals to those who are not able to get to the store or cook for themselves. Your skill sets may prove invaluable to others who need help.

You can also offer your emotional support to those in need. You can provide comfort to a neighbor who might be suffering in silence. Perhaps an elderly neighbor is all alone and would enjoy some company, a neighbor has a family member in crisis which is also affecting him or her, or a neighbor is suffering from addiction and needs someone to push him or her to get help.

As we celebrate National Nonprofit Day today, consider donating supplies or offering up your time or talents to help others in need. The members of the St. Vincent de Paul Society work tirelessly to help their neighbors who are in need of the basic necessities such as food, clothing, transportation, or a place to live. They help comfort those who are suffering emotionally with person to person visits in homes, hospitals and prisons. The Society of St. Vincent de Paul also works to alert political leaders to those in crisis so that laws can be created to address problems in the community. They become a voice for the voiceless.

When you volunteer with an organization such as St. Vincent de Paul, you can truly make a difference in the lives of your neighbors. Give to others and you will receive as well, with the joy of knowing that you have helped make someone’s life a little bit easier and a little bit brighter.

The Saint Vincent de Paul Society of Philadelphia has many ways, customized to each local community, for you to transform the lives of your neighbors as well as your own life. Like that of its founder, blessed Frédéric Ozanam, the vision of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul “is to embrace the world in a network of charity.”

The Good Samaritan- A Story of Hope

“And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbor as thyself” (Luke 10:27).

The month of July falls within the liturgical season of Ordinary Time, which takes us through the life of Christ, and runs from the end of the Easter Season until Advent begins. Priests wear green vestments when celebrating Mass during Ordinary Time. Green is representative of the color of springtime, representing the renewal of life and hope for a glorious resurrection.

One story of renewal and hope in the Bible is the parable of the Good Samaritan. The Good Samaritan is the Gospel passage read on Sunday, July 14^th this year.

The Bible passage begins with a man asking Jesus how to achieve eternal life. Jesus replies by saying that the greatest commandment is to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind” and the second is to “love your neighbor as yourself.” Questioning Jesus, the man asks who counts as his neighbor. Jesus responds with the parable of the Good Samaritan.

In the parable, a man traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho is attacked by robbers. The robbers take his clothes, beat him, and leave him for dead. A priest traveling down the same road sees the man but continues without stopping. A Levite man also passes by, sees the beaten man and continues on his way. Finally, a Samaritan passing down the road sees the man, takes pity on him, and stops to help him. He pours oil and wine on the victim’s wounds and bandages him. The Samaritan then puts the man on his own donkey, taking him to an inn to care for him. The next day he gives the innkeeper money and asks him to look after the man.

Then Jesus asks the man to whom he told the story, “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?” The man answers, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus then preaches, “Go and do likewise.”

Just as Jesus preached in the parable of the Good Samaritan, the members of the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul work to show mercy on their neighbors. You too, can follow the example of the Good Samaritan. Don’t ignore the homeless person you pass by on the street. Don’t forget about those who are hungry, or in need of clothing, or shelter. You can do something to transform your neighbor’s life. God wants us to show our neighbors mercy.

The Saint Vincent de Paul Society of Philadelphia has many ways, customized to each local community, for you to transform the lives of your neighbors as well as your own life. Like that of its founder, blessed Frédéric Ozanam, the vision of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul “is to embrace the world in a network of charity.”

Taking Care of Your Family

“Be kindly affectioned to one another with brotherly love; in honor preferring one another” (Romans 12:10).

Summer is a time when many people pause their daily routines to spend time with their families. Family vacations are an annual tradition for so many of us in the summer. Some families spend a week at the beach, some take a cruise to explore exotic ports, some visit relatives a few states away, some fly to Europe to see the sights and soak up the culture, some go on a camping adventure in the mountains, and some just stay home and enjoy all that summer has to offer in their own backyard. Some family vacations include only mom, dad, and the kids, while some are bigger, extended family affairs with grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins coming together.

Summer is a time to pause from the busy chaos that is everyday life. It’s a time to relax and truly enjoy life without just going through the motions as so many do from day to day. The days are longer, the warm weather allows us to spend more time outside, and the bright blue skies and green grass evoke happiness in the hearts of many. Most importantly, it’s a time to take care of your family by spending quality time together. Passing the time with your family members is a way to show them how much you love and care for them. Whether you journey to distant lands together, enjoy a day at the beach together, or just catch fireflies in your own backyard together, the important thing is that you are spending time together- taking care of each other.

It’s so important to take care of members of your own family, including your children, spouse, parents, siblings and those close to you. It’s equally important to take care of the family members who are our brothers and sisters in Christ. There are many who are not fortunate enough to even have a home in which to live in, let alone take a family vacation. Some of our brothers and sisters have no relatives, living alone with no one to look after them. We must do whatever we can, whether by donating essential supplies like food or clothing, by comforting those who are in need emotionally, or by visiting those who are all alone and providing them company.

Just as Blessed Frédéric Ozanam and his society did in Paris in the 1800s, today members of the St. Vincent de Paul Society work tirelessly to take care of everyone in God’s family. We must remember all our brothers and sisters, not just the ones with whom we share a home, a last name or a blood connection.

The Saint Vincent de Paul Society of Philadelphia has many ways, customized to each local community, for you to transform the lives of your neighbors as well as your own life. Like that of its founder, blessed Frédéric Ozanam, the vision of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul “is to embrace the world in a network of charity.”

Promoting the Common Good

“Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another” (Zechariah 7:9).

Pope John Paul II stated, “We are all really responsible for all.” Every individual in God’s human family has a certain responsibility to cooperate in unity. As members of the human community, we must look out for our brothers and sisters in Christ.

There are ten foundational principles which comprise the social teaching of the Church. The Principle of the Common Good reinforces the idea that social conditions are such that everyone is able to reach his or her full human potential and realize their God given human dignity. The common good is about respecting the rights of all people. The individual does not have unrestricted rights at the expense of others, but the rights of the group do not come before individual rights.

In the view of the Catholic Church, the optimal social conditions require mutual respect among all members of the community, as well as the government maintaining peace and security. These conditions lead to the social well-being and development of each individual. Today, when our world is so closely connected, there is a need for international structures to support the just development of individuals within our global society.

We can look to the Bible for examples of promoting the common good. There is an important lesson in the Book of James, 2: 14-16, which says, “What does it profit, if a man says he has faith but has not works? Can his faith save him? If a brother or sister has nothing to wear and no food, and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace, keep warm and eat well,’ without giving them the things needed for the body, what does it profit?”

Matthew 25:35 states, “For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me.” This is a powerful lesson about what we should be doing as members of God’s human family. When we bring comfort to the sick, feed the hungry, or clothe the needy, we are reminded of how Jesus taught us to do for the least of our brothers and sisters.

The Society of St. Vincent de Paul works to promote the common good in the community. From reaching out to those who are isolated or in need, to speaking out to those in government to make them aware of the needs that exist, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul seeks to turn concern into action. As the Bible states, you must not only have faith, but also take action to help others in need.

The Saint Vincent de Paul Society of Philadelphia has many ways, customized to each local community, for you to transform the lives of your neighbors as well as your own life. Like that of its founder, blessed Frédéric Ozanam, the vision of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul “is to embrace the world in a network of charity.”