from our confreres

Every now and then someone will say, I believe in God and I pray to Him but I just don’t see a need to go to church. And usually I will hear all kinds of reasons why church is a waste of time.

On this Feast of Saint Joseph the Worker, we give thanks to God for the gift of Catholic Brothers—men who, in imitation of Saint Joseph, live lives of quiet strength, faithful service, and deep communion with God.

Do you remember the song by Mac Davis, “It’s Hard to Be Humble, when you’re perfect in every way”? Does that look like humility to you? Davis goes on to sing, “To know me is to love me.” Where is the humility?

The opposite of humble is pride and this song is more about pride than humility! He is right about one thing; it IS sometimes hard to be humble. Jesus teaches us to be humble.

As he leaves his role as NGO representative of the Vincentians at the UN, Jim Claffey offers some closing thoughts on poverty and the importance of the CM perspective at the UN.

Homelessness stigmatizes, marginalizes, socially excludes, and weaponizes human need. We don’t even know the extent of it. Couch-surfing, staying with friends (for a while), is hidden homelessness and just as devastating. Women and children suffer the most, as they do with every social issue, despite the Universal Declaration of Human Rights including housing as a right for all (article 25). Why is it so hard to admit that homelessness is a systems failure?

When St. Vincent spoke about the virtue of zeal, he usually referred to it as “zeal for the salvation of souls.” In the 21st century, this understanding is usually viewed as being too narrow. Today we expand would expand our understanding of this virtue to include zeal for the salvation and wellbeing of the entire person – soul, mind, and body. 

The virtue of mortification is one that most Catholics and probably many Christians are familiar with. Every year during Lent people might ask one another, “What are you giving up for Lent.” or “What are you doing for Lent”? Both of these questions point to the virtue of mortification.

In practice, meekness is a combination of gentleness and firmness, standing fast to one’s principles, but always willing to listen and speak with affection.

Humility has gotten a bad name in the modern world. To be humble or to be humbled can connote a sense of low self-esteem. However, prescinding from the context of seventeenth century spirituality, the Vincentian practice of humility today is actually affirmative and helpful.