Mtr Taylor Devine

Dear Friend,

Today’s commemoration is of Saint Vincent de Paul and Saint Louse de Marillac, who together found the order of the Daughters of Charity in France. De Paul, a Priest in the 16th and 17th century who is remembered for his preaching on confession, repentance, and the forgiving love of God, and Marillac, a widow who committed herself to serving alongside nuns the poor and disenfranchised, worked together on the logistical and theological underpinnings of a more organized support for the very needy and sick in their communities. After reading about them I turned to “Great Mystics and Social Justice,” a book by Susan Rakoczy, which talks about the interwoven work of contemplation and action in the life of the Saints. The surprising thing as I re-read a few of the chapters, is the challenges that these saints experienced, and yet their great gift is somehow intwined with that struggle. For Catherine of Siena, for instance, the themes of “contemplation and action, the interweaving of truth and love, and the unity of love of God and the love of neighbor” were the key themes of her life of service (p. 28). At the same time that she lived out a generous love of neighbor, she struggled with the reality of humans! She found strength in prayer and relationship, “Thus true ministry, whether in the fourteenth century or today, flows from intimacy with God, while this intimacy continually pushes us into the heart of the world” (p 29). I pray in this season that we might be inspired to walk in both contemplation and action, even and especially knowing our humanity, which makes things tricky, but is also that which God loves!

In Christ,
Mtr. Taylor