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8/20/2019 Vincentian Reflection on Mercy and Justice - Maher
1/20
A Vincentian Refectionon Mercy and Justice
Founder’s Weekat St. John’s University
September !"
#$%
8/20/2019 Vincentian Reflection on Mercy and Justice - Maher
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&et’s start 'ithWebster’s (ictionaryde)nitions o*+mercy,-1. Forbearance shown to an
ofender or to one underone's power;
2. lenient or compassionate
treatment;3. a blessing, an act o divine
avor or compassion;
. compassionate treatment othose in distress;
Which of these best describeshow people today view mercy?
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Mercy has deepbibica roots.
!n the "ld #estament, $odenters into a covenant omerc% with !srael and renewsit constantl%. !n &odus,(oses encounters a $od )whois gracious and merciful, slow
to anger, and abounds insteadfast love and delity”.*&. 3+-.
!n the ew #estament, /esus is)$od0s merc% in person.
% miracles, acts o healing,teachings, and release romsin and sufering, /esus shows$od0s unlimited compassionor $entiles /ews.
*reebibeima/es.or/
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0e' 1estament23ampes /esus shows us that merc%
4ows rom the heart o $odand is ofered or the good o
all.
Eating with tax collectors &sinners: )/esus said, $o andlearning the meaning o thewords, 5! desire merc%, notsacri6ce.0 ! did not come to call
the righteous, but sinners.*(att+ 7+13-
ultiplication of the loavesand shes+ )/esus, seeing thecrowds o people who ollowedhim, reali8ed that the% were
tired and ehausted, elt deepcompassion or them. *att! 7+3-.
"ealing of a demoniac + )$o
home to %our own people andtell them what the 9ord in his *reebibeima/es.or/
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0o'" et’s ook atWebster’s (ictionaryde)nitions o* Justice.
1. #he impartial aduit%;
. being impartial or air;conorming to a principle orideal
Which of these best describeshow people today view #ustice?
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4n a 5hristianconte3t" Justice has aspeci)c *ocus-
? moral virtue with aconstant, 6rm will to givetheir due to $od neighbor;
@espect or the rights o all;
#o establish harmon% ande>ualit% in humanrelationships;
#o promote the common goodor all. *Aatechism o @AAhurchB1CDE-
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For a 5hristian" 6ustice isreationa- "ld #estament+ )#his is
what the 9ord $od as:s o%ou+ act
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Vincent’s 6ourneyto mercy and
6usticeHincent0s
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Vincent’s 6ourneyto mercy and
6ustice Hincent became a true
)pastor o soulsconverted to Ahrist, read%to serve his peoples0
needs
!n these )arBof places,Hincent learned to bepastor, conessor, andadvocate or the poor
$%he poor suer morefrom a lac' of organi(ationthan from a lac' ofcharity!”
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Vincent 'ent throu/ht'o critica" 7i*e8chan/in/’ moments-1. ?ppointed chaplain o
)galle% slaves. #hese werethe lowest rung oprisoners, terribletreatment, with little hopeo release. Hincent did not
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Vincent’s ideas onM2R59-)!t is a distinctivecharacteristic o $od to bemerciul. 9et us as: $od to
6ll us with Mis pirit omerc% and compassion, sowhoever sees us can sa%,5#here is a person ull omerc%L0 *AA=B Hol. 11, o.3DC-
)$od is well aware o ourwoes and limits. !n hismerc%, he supplies or ourdeects. #hus, act simpl%
and do not become anious.$od0s goodness and merc%will provide whatever weneed. *AA=B Hol. 11, o.127-
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Vincent’s *orayinto JUS1452-
French societ% tiered intoprivileged ro%alt% withman% 5courtesans0ollowed b% a small groupo proessional andwor:ing class people. #hema
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Vincent’s *orayinto JUS1452-
@esponse to such a large,lowerBtiered societ%+atalism or apath%
Fatalism+ 5#his is how it ismeant to be b% thedesign o $od or the willo the Ging.
?path%+ othing we can
do to close the gapbetween classes opeople
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Vincent’sresponse-
"rgani8e, motivatepeople to help the poor,and help them helpthemselves.
)o one is too rich togive, and no one is toopoor to receive
Me ounded two la% andtwo religiousorgani8ations+ theAonraternities o Aharit%and 9adies o Aharit%,and the Aongregation o
the (ission and=aughters o Aharit%
Hincent tried to show
France that povert% wasa condition, not a crime.
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Vincent’sresponse- #he spiritual *pastoral- and
temporal *ph%sical- needso the poor were e>ual inHincent0s e%es
Aore o Hincent0s thought ison
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5haen/es
ometimes, the
challenges to Hincent0sideals o
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Vincent’s repy tothese :uestions-
”)ren*t the poor the a+ictedmembers of the ody of -hrist?
)ren*t they our brothers and
sisters? )nd if priests abandon
them, who will help them? .f there
are any among us who thin' they
are in the - to evangeli(e the poor, but not to alleviate their
suering, to ta'e care of their
spiritual needs but not their
temporal needs, . say that we
have to help and assist them in
every way possible! %o do this isto preach the /ospel by words
and wor's0 it is what 1ur 2ord did
and what we who represent him
on earth should do!
*AA=+ Hol. 12BEEBC-
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So ho' can 'e+&ook 'ith ove;move 'ith mercy,as did St. Vincent<
@e4ect on %oureperiences o $od0smerc% in %our own
lieO where did %ou6nd merc%, and howhas it led %ou to better:now the 9ordP
Mow can %ou ma:e %our
own lie a bettereample o the
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Want anothertan/ibe 'ay to+ook 'ith oveand move 'ithmercy, ike Jesusand Vincent did<
Follow Jope Francis on his tripto ew Qor: and Jhill%B notonl% where he goes, but whathe sa%s and how he sa%s itO
@ead and re4ect on his tal:sO?nd i %ou0re reall% ambitious,
@ead his decree on the
Qear o (erc%+ )(isericordiaeHultus "n Hatican web sitewww.vatican.va
http://www.vatican.va/http://www.vatican.va/
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Motto o* =opeFrancis-iserando at3ueEligendo
Ruote is related to /esus0 call o sinul t(atthew, means
)"aving mercy bychoosing him”
#hat is ultimatel% ourstor%. Ne are chosen b%
$od0s merc% and it ismeant to change ourlives.
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