By Rita St. Pierre, National Vincentian Spirituality Committee Chair
As Vincentians, we often are reminded that our charism is “finding the face of Christ in the poor.” But how do we understand the term “charism” and how do we live it? The word “charism” is from the Greek and means “favor” or “free gift.” Charisms are graces of the Holy Spirit.
This grace of seeing the face of Christ in the poor and being Christ for those we visit is the core of our vocation. During every encounter, regardless of the location, Christ within us encounters Christ in our neighbor in need. Recognizing, accepting and living that grace requires reflecting on how this can be accomplished. Let us learn from Christ Himself by reflecting on two of His encounters.
The woman who had hemorrhaged for many years simply touched his cloak, with faith that she would be healed (Mk 5:25-34). Jesus asked who touched Him, then waited for her to come forward and present herself. He looked at her with love, healed her and sent her off saying “go in peace.” Many times, our friends come to us reluctantly for assistance without fully sharing the details or extent of their needs. Some are anxious or, like this woman, some are embarrassed. This encounter teaches us to be patient, compassionate, respectful and to wait calmly for God’s son/daughter to share. Then hopefully we leave them with peace in their hearts.
Now let’s examine the encounter between Jesus and the woman accused of adultery. Jesus waited until the crowd left after he challenged them. With a calm and patient presence, Jesus allowed for a confidential, calm interaction with the woman, thereby restoring her dignity. Again, He certainly looked at her, spoke with her and not at her, without judgment but with respect, encouragement and hope. Can we honestly say that we emulate this encounter? Our encounters require only one response: our kind presence and profound listening. Financial or other assistance will flow from there.
When we need to refresh and renew ourselves as we serve, prayer is a priority. From the beginning of His ministry, Jesus often went off alone to pray. “And in the morning, a great while before day, He rose and went out to a lonely place, and there He prayed.” (Mk 1:35). We read that He frequently went up to the mountain to pray. (Mk 6:46; Lk 6:12; Lk 9:28).
Making time for frequent prayer, sitting in silence with the Holy Spirit, will always give us the graces to see Christ in our neighbors, Because of our encounters with Christ in prayer, the neighbors we visit will see Christ in us. Let us remember that Elijah waited on the mountain to hear from God. Elijah heard Him only “in the sound of sheer silence”. (1 Kings 19:11-13). To refresh and renew, to deepen our relationship with the Lord, where is our mountain, and can we wait patiently to hear Him in the sound of silence?
