From the Pastor's Desk | September 28, 2025

St. Vincent de Paul 

Each year on September 27th we celebrate the feast day of St. Vincent de Paul, the patron saint of all charities and founder of the Vincentian family.

Born in 1581, St. Vincent de Paul devoted his life to serving the poor, sick, and marginalized especially during a time when poverty and social injustice were rampant.  As a priest, he recognized that preaching was not enough but rather action was called for.  He founded the Daughters of Charity and the Congregation of the Mission to train priests for mission work and to bring the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the poor and marginalized.  He helped organize hospitals, orphanages, and homes for the elderly.  These helped provide immediate relief but also spurred others on to effect social change.  

His legacy is carried on through the Vincentian family, a loose federation of organizations that he founded, inspired, or that otherwise claim him as their patron.  These include the Confraternities of Charity, Ladies of Charity, Daughters of Charity, and the Congregation of the Mission. 

In 1833, French University students led by Frederic Ozanam established a charitable organization dedicated to the service of the poor called the Society of St. Vincent de Paul which is now present in 153 countries

Society of St. Vincent de Paul 

Today we honor our local Vincentians with heartfelt gratitude!  I cannot say enough about our local chapter of the St. Vincent de Paul Society!  

We are deeply grateful for our Vincentians who quietly and faithfully embody Christian charity in our local community and beyond.  They prove themselves a tireless group of people in their service to the poor and marginalized through their work providing food, clothing, financial assistance, home visits, and a compassionate Christ-like presence.  They certainly bring hope to those who see no hope in their circumstances.  But, what I find most remarkable, is the amount of dignity they provide those they help.

I am proud of our Vincentians!  They are a witness to each one of us of what it means to be Christ for others.  Their impact reaches far beyond those they serve.  Their ministry fosters a sense of belonging, community, compassion, and mission.  They are a blessing to this parish, to our local community, and to the other chapters of St. Vincent de Paul that they assist.  

Please join me in honoring them and please commit to praying for them regularly.  Please also consider joining our chapter of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul.  Your assistance would be much appreciated.  

Finally, without your financial support, their work would certainly be hindered.  So, please pray about giving to St. Vincent de Paul to support their work.

Gospel Reflection

When Jesus preached, He often did so to those who thought they had already earned or would certainly earn a place in the Kingdom of Heaven - the Pharisees, Sadducees, scholars, priests, etc. But time and again, we see a surprising reversal: those who thought they were in, were actually out and those who seemed to be out, were already in. We see this powerfully in the parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus.

Jesus tells of a rich man who lived in comfort and luxury, feasting sumptuously each day. He lacked nothing. Just outside his gate, however, lay a poor man named Lazarus - sick, hungry, and covered in sores. Lazarus longed for even the scraps from the rich man’s table, but received nothing.

This parable is remarkable for a few reasons. First, it appears only in Luke’s Gospel. Neither Matthew, Mark, nor John includes it, suggesting that Luke saw a particular significance in the story. Second, and perhaps more notably, it is the only parable in which Jesus gives a character a proper name: Lazarus.

In biblical tradition, names carry deep meaning. They bestow identity, dignity, and often reflect one’s destiny or role. To be named is to be known. So it’s telling that the poor, sick beggar is given a name while the rich man remains nameless. In this detail alone, Jesus begins to flip the script. The one considered insignificant by the world is honored by God.

We naturally assume that the wealthy, socially respected man is closer to God - more “blessed,” more likely to inherit eternal life. But in the end, it is Lazarus who is carried by angels to Abraham’s side, while the rich man is left in torment. The outsider is revealed to be the true insider.

Interestingly, Jesus says nothing about the rich man’s character, attitude, or moral life. He may well have been a decent person - someone with a family, friends, and respect in the community. But Jesus highlights one glaring omission: the rich man knew Lazarus was there and chose to do nothing.

Lazarus was not hidden. He lay at the man’s gate day after day. The rich man likely stepped over him, perhaps even grew numb to his presence. His sin wasn’t hatred, cruelty, or lawlessness - it was complacency.

As a Jew, the rich man would have known the Scriptures, including the prophet Amos who warned, “Woe to the complacent in Zion!” Yet still, he failed to act.

That’s why this parable is not just about generosity or charity - it’s about eternity. It offers a clear and sobering vision of the afterlife. Heaven and hell are real. And “being nice” or “respected” isn’t what gets us into the Kingdom of Heaven. Christ alone opens that door through His self-sacrificial love on the Cross.

The only way we can walk through it is to unite ourselves with Him by allowing His life, death, and resurrection to transform our own lives. We do this by embracing sacrificial love: seeing Christ in others, especially the suffering; loving not just in word but in action.

As Jesus says in Matthew’s Gospel, the greatest commandment is to love God with all your heart, soul, and mind and the second is like it: to love your neighbor as yourself. “The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments” (Matthew 22:34–40).

The rich man had the means to help Lazarus, but he failed to love his neighbor. He failed to see him. And in the end, it was too late.

But, brothers and sisters, it is not too late for us.

Every day we wake up is a new gift from God. A fresh opportunity to draw closer to Christ, to lay down our lives in love, to recognize the suffering at our doorstep, and to act. So today, let’s ask ourselves honestly: Who is lying at our gate? Who have we grown blind to in our daily comfort?

Unlike the rich man, let us choose to act. Let us choose to see. Let us choose to love - deeply, sacrificially, and concretely.

Know of my prayers for each of you.

Fr. Ryan