The Genius of Vincent

Speaking practically

With our sense of practicality we now seem to be realizing that our service will be all the more effective to the extent we collaborate. There is a growing realization that our sweat will bear more fruit if we join hands.

To the degree we understand this aspect of Vincent we will be challenged to be more than "lone rangers" whether individually or as a Congregation in the midst of the wider family of followers of Vincent.

Vincent's gift of passionate yet humble networking and organizing corresponds to today's spirit and needs. Once again Bob suggests a "sign of the times":

The third millennium will be the millennium of solidarity, of networking. It will also be the millennium of the laity, as Pope John Paul II has already proclaimed on numerous occasions. (Missionary, p. 24)

John Paul II once wrote to the Bishops of France:

Many priests suffer from being on their own, from facing tasks which are beyond their strength, and this is understandable. But have they known how, through their trustfulness, to create a climate which would allow the laity to offer their help? It seems to me that you still need to aid your priests, who in other respects are so laudable, toward a better understanding of their role as animators.

In this Vincent was well ahead of his time and is still relevant to today.

What a common sense approach backed by a renewed ecclesiology and echoed by our documents.

Vincent's genius strikes me not only as a gift in keeping with the new millennium we are moving into. It is also one that is desperately needed.

Look at the four givens highlighted by Bob in his address during the week the wider family gathered in Rome:

• the growing gap between the rich and the poor
• the spread of new forms of poverty
• the family as vast resource of over 2,000,000 dedicated people
• new means of rapid communication

Do we need a clearer summary of both the need for organization and the resources at our disposal?

This is what I am sure is behind Bob's statement "... one of the great challenges for the third millennium must be collaborative projects. These are already taking place in many, even most, of your countries. I encourage you to join forces all the more in the future. " (Address to Family, p. 23)

Vincent's gift can be fire for the 21^st century if we will seize it. Vincent's gift is to a large extent in our hands.