Remembering St Vincent de Paul

Today's first reading from Ecclesiastes teaches us that there is a time for everything. ''There is a time for giving birth and a time for dying.'' Between our birth and our death, we are living in the time which is the most important for us, the present. We remember the past because it so often influences the way we are living in the present. When we celebrate the birthday of a friend we are not so much remembering the day he or she came into the world as a wee baby. No, we are celebrating the happiness that the life of our friend brings to us today. The feast of St Vincent de Paul today is a good example of that. He lived from 1581 till 1660, but we remember him today because of the work of the Society of St Vincent de Paul named after him. Because of his work with galley slaves and his charity to the most needy he was chosen as the patron of the ''Vinnies'' who were founded many years after his death in 1833 by a group of French university students led by Frederic Ozanam. They continue to do great work for the poor and needy, refugees and migrants today and are now present in 153 countries including our own. The example of St Vincent in the past is a source of inspiratiion for their work in the present. After the consecration at Mass, each Eucharistic prayer calls us to remember all that Jesus did for us in his Passion, Death and Resurrection so that we will be inspired to unite ourselves with him in the present. Then we are sent out to go in peace to bring the Good News to others in a positive way as the members of the Society of St Vincent de Paul are doing with so much love and dedication.