Homily for the Annual Vincentian Appeal, September 28/29, 2024. Gospel of St. Mark 9:38-48. Theme: More Than a Cup of Water
In today’s gospel, Jesus declares that even giving someone a cup of water in his Name does not go unnoticed and unrewarded by God. Well, it’s my privilege to speak today about a group of ordinary everyday Christians who give the needy so much more than simply a cup of water. They are called Vincentians, members of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, which was begun in Paris in 1833, under the leadership of a 20-year-old Catholic law student named Frederic Ozanam.
The Society was started in the aftermath of the bloody French Revolution which persecuted the Catholic Faith and resulted in terrible poverty for so many. Frederic and some of his classmates were accused by fellow students of being comfortable Christians who were all talk but no action when it came to making life better for the destitute. Rising to the challenge, the small group decided to give tangible witness to their faith by bringing the love of Christ in concrete ways to the hungry, the sick, the suffering and the vulnerable.
Even though it was extremely dangerous, they began to go 2-by-2 into the Parisian slums. They devised an innovative method of making home visits to the poor so that they could see for themselves what needed to be done. Then they returned to their parishes to collect food, clothing, medicine and money to distribute on their next round of visits. They called themselves the Society of St. Vincent de Paul in honor of the patron saint of charitable organizations.
The Society grew and spread rapidly. It arrived in America in 1845, in our Archdiocese in 1860, and in Marin County in the early 1900’s. Here at St. Sebastian’s we’ve been blessed to have had a Conference of the Society continuously for about 50 years. And its members continue to serve in the person-to-person style of Frederic and his first companions.
They speak with and visit individuals and families so that they can see and learn for themselves what needs to be done. And then they come back to their parish, to us, in order to spread the word, make known the needs, and collect what is needed to provide relief. And the only reason they can do these things is because they have you, their parish community, supporting them.
Because Marin has a reputation of being a wealthy county, the sting of poverty hurts even more. It can place upon the downtrodden an additional burden of false shame or they simply become invisible to eyes that just do not want to see them. But right here living among us are those who are struggling to simply survive. And they often have the additional stress of caring for a disabled child or spouse. Every week of the year, our Vincentians bring them help and hope by supplementing monthly rents to avoid homelessness; by making dental and medical care possible; they assure the continuation of utilities so that basic human needs can be met. They provide furniture to make apartments livable, they distribute Safeway cards to enhance food shopping, and overall they assist in so many ways that enable both adults and children to live with dignity and find some peace of mind.
In addition, unexpected and unique situations can also arise. For example, they have helped to relocate an abused woman and her vulnerable children to another state in advance of her abuser’s release from prison. On another occasion they were contacted by a terrified murder-witness who needed protection and relocation. And of course Christmas is fast approaching and as they do every year, our Vincentians will be distributing gift cards to families with children so that Santa Claus can make his anticipated visits to them as well.
Now, this long list of amazing good works might sound like they were being carried out by an immense network of people covering a very large territory. But in actuality they were done by only a small handful of Vincentians working within just the confines of our local parish boundaries (which encompass Greenbrae, Kentfield and parts of southern San Rafael). But this same kind of scenario is repeated by Vincentians in other parishes of Marin county (many of whom are with us here at this special Mass tonight). Isn’t it amazing to see what wonderful things can happen when even just a few Christians band together to do good and when their parish communities stand behind them with spiritual and financial support!
And so I am standing here before you today to beg you in the Name of Our Lord Jesus Christ and in the name of his poor for your participation in and support for the Society of St. Vincent de Paul. It should come as no surprise to anyone that due to inflation our funds do not go as far as they used to and yet the cries for help continue to call out to us! To be quite blunt, we need your help in order to keep bringing the tangible love of Christ to those who struggle. Funds are always needed of course, but members are needed too, for what good will the money be if there is no one to actually use it and bring aid to the poor? So, please consider becoming either an active Vincentian yourself or a regular contributing Vincentian donor.
But even before money and members, I am asking first of all that you pray for the Vincentians and those they serve. You see, the Society looks like any other humanitarian group on the outside, but it’s really so very different on the inside! It exists for one reason only: to show the providence and love of God for the poor through good works that bring the Gospel of Jesus into people’s lives in concrete ways. Vincentians shine the light of faith on others simply by their very presence because they strive to be the Face of Christ FOR the poor and to see the Face of Christ IN the poor. You see, the Society is first of all a spiritual association and so your prayers are very much needed to uplift and support them as well as those they serve.
Secondly, I ask you to prayerfully consider if God might be calling you to live out your faith as an active member of the Society. Becoming a Vincentian is not simply joining a group. It's a vocation, it’s responding to a call from Christ himself to become a partner with him in bringing his Good News to the poor. Participation is based on each member’s available time and we could really use Spanish-speaking Vincentians as well. If you are interested to know more be sure to stop by our parish ministry fair which will be held after all the Masses on the weekend of October 12/13. This will give you a chance to ask questions and learn more about the Society and its works.
And lastly, I am of course asking for donations. You have always been so incredibly generous to the Society so it's hard for me to stand here and ask yet again. But the love of God and the needs of the poor impells me to do so. Just so you know, it takes an average of about $6,000.00 a month to meet the pressing needs that are made known to us, so please be as generous as you can with today’s special collection. Just a few tips when donating...
- If you are donating by check be sure to put SVDP in the memo line.
- If you are giving cash, please use one of the SVDP envelopes so that we know your donation is not for the parish in general.
- And if you are not prepared to make a contribution today, please mail or bring back your donation, using one of the SVDP envelopes that can be found at each of the church entrances.
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