Living Icons

I spent the past week in a town called Greccio with my classmates on a silent retreat. The week was awesome and was certainly filled with several meaningful insights and a continuous current of peace that did a lot for me personally to confirm who I am, for whom I am, where I am, and why I am here. A major aspect of the conferences was recalling the many heroes of our faith who have served as icons- becoming themselves, through their actions, an image that points to God. One of these icons that I have been learning more of and consequently feeling myself closer and closer to has been Vincent DePaul. Part of my growing interest in and admiration of St. Vincent DePaul has been due to the opportunity to reconnect with an old friend of the family and fellow parishioner at St. Stephen- Fr. Greg Gay, CM. Fr. Greg is a Vincentian who works in Rome, continuing the work and following in the footsteps of Vincent in more ways than one; and it has been an incredible blessing to be here in Rome while he is here and spend time with him.


I took this picture during the 350th anniversary celebration of St. Vincent DePaul's life in St. Peter's Basilica- just before leaving for retreat. This celebration was incredible- so many people from around the world gathering together to thank God for sending his servant, their servant, Vincent. And in a very real way, they gathered also to thank the living icons of Vincent who have impacted their lives. There were people there from all over Europe and beyond and they were from all different walks of life- some old, some young; some rich, some poor; some ordained, some lay; some in religious life as sisters, brothers, and priests; and some interested in learning more about the faith. But there was a common thread to all of them, I believe, and that was that all of them truly believed in their heart of hearts in the indispensible and unconquerable dignity of charity; and in the unfailing triumph of the truth which is love over evil.

During my first year of teaching at John Carroll, Fr. Greg came to visit with and talk with some of the students. One of the students asked him the question, "From all of your travels and the work that you have done, what do you think is the greatest issue or problem facing the world?" Fr. Greg, without hesitation responded, "The true respect for life." He went on to share stories of individuals, families, and communities who he had met who had been the victim of racism, political and religious persecution, etc. Fr. Greg, who has devoted his life to living the Gospel by joining and serving the poor, then went on to address the students directly and tell them that their role in working for justice and recognizing human dignity and a respect for life was absolutely indispensible.

On St. Vincent DePaul's feast day he is quoted in the Office of Readings as saying, "With renewed devotion, then, we must serve the poor, especially outcasts and beggars. They have been given to us as our masters and patrons." This was the effect of Fr. Greg's words to the students at John Carroll and it seems to have been the effect of the many 350th anniversary celebrations of St. Vincent DePaul that took place around the world.

This is such an important part of who we are as Christians. We who worship and can identify with Christ who was born as an entirely dependent child; Christ who worked for a living; and Christ who was crucified are called from the depths of our being to stand in solidarity and community with the poor and the outcast- those who are on their crosses today, in our midst- to join with them in their work for justice and their worship of God. And in so doing we become for others, and sometimes for ourselves, living icons that point to God Himself. We must never forget this importance and the importance and intentionality that we are called to give to preaching the Gospel. Francis of Assisi, since this is his feast day, once said, "It is no use walking anywhere to preach unless our walking in itself is our preaching."

Here is a picture that I took from the front of the Gesu- the Jesuit church in Rome where Sts. Ignatius and Francis Xavier are buried. On the front of the church building there are two statues- of Ignatius and Francis, both inside of a domed space, much like this one. Both Ignatius and Xavier were living icons who built community and devoted themselves to building justice through faith. But above the two statues are two more spaces. Two spaces left empty. I like to think that those two spaces were left empty in expectation of being filled. Possibly filled by a statue of you.