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Inspirational Pope a champion of the poor

MEDIA STATEMENT - April 23, 2025The world has lost a great champion of the poor and the marginalised, says Gerry Stevens, President of the Society of St Vincent de Paul in New Zealand.“Pope Francis didn’t just talk about the poor; he stood with them. He rejected pomp and splendour and opened his heart to the marginalised and vulnerable.“His witness was stunning. He showed us the way to live out the Gospel fearlessly and with deep compassion.”Pope Francis reminded us often that ...

Spiritual Reflection - April 2025

IS HALF AND HALF THE ANSWER?And the multitude asked him (John the Baptist) “What shall we do?”And he answered them, “Those who have two coats,let them share with the one who has none,and they who have food, let them do likewise” (Lk:3:10-11).In the above scripture text, the people are listening to John the Baptist. When moved to repent, they ask what they must do.  Immediately, John points to matters of justice. This is not something new to anyone in the Jewish faith. Their pro...

Spiritual Reflection - March 2025

WHERE YOUR TREASURE IS,THERE WILL THE HEART BE ALSO (Mtt 6: 21).The greatest spiritual treasure in the Catholic faith is the Mass. Many seem to feel that even when celebrated in its simplest form, the Mass brings its own reward. This form of worship is made up of two parts: listening to the Scriptures and celebrating the Lord’s Supper. Have you ever thought when listening to the scriptures, we are either directly or indirectly being challenged to consider our own lives from the angle...

Spiritual Reflection - February 2025

LIVE JUSTLYLove TenderlyWalk humbly with God (Micah 6:8)In the previous article I touched briefly on living justly and stated that according to John the Baptist, it is essential to conversion. The question we must ask though is how do we apply that to our lives in New Zealand?I want to tell you about a former Kiwi politician. To avoid clouding your judgment I will call him Micah, after the famous quote at the top of the page. Micah believed in being guided by the Holy Spirit. It w...

Spiritual Reflection - January 2025

SAINTS IN THE MARKET PLACEIt is amazing how many valuable lessons are presented to us in the course of a day, if only we care to look. This morning, around 10.30am or so, and not having had breakfast, I went into one of our café’s and bought a sandwich. Normally I would eat something like that on the run, but today decided to sit down and take my time.It happened that two Carers of four severely disabled people were giving their charges a morning out, four of them. I sat and observed the...

Spiritual Reflection - December 2024

This article completes those written in 2024 on the subject of prayer.JOSEPH, MARY AND THE MEXICAN DAD.I like to watch Al Jazeera TV for news of the world, and this morning Mexican refugees trying to make their way into America were being interviewed by the Press. One man, the father of several children, was hoping they would be interviewed by officials before President Trump took Office. Then he concluded the interview by saying “hopefully this will be God’s Will, but if not, then at a time...

Spiritual Reflection - November 2024

This article completes the sector on prayer for 2024. "The deeds you do may be the only sermon some persons will hear today." (St Francis of Assisi)Last week, I observed a woman being asked by a person seated outside a café, if she would buy him a pie. The woman happily obliged, and hopefully, the man begging heard his sermon. If a sermon is any good, then it will encourage and give hope.  It is meant to do this, in contrast to the shame and guilt handed out by some pre...

Spiritual Reflection - October 2024

Once again, this article is meant to be read with those written for 2024, as part of the whole on the subject of prayer and its relevance to Vincentians.We {also} need to ask ourselves whether,out of love of the poor and the oppressed,we have the evangelical audacity to break with the past if necessary,with “what we’ve always done.” (Fr Pedro Arrupe, SJ)Every baptised person is called to live according to the gospel. Only then can we expect to be taken seriously. If we are consci...

Spiritual Reflection - September 2024

FOOD THAT LASTS FOREVER!This article is inspired by John 6. It continues the series on prayer scheduled for 2024. The greatest disease in the West today is not tuberculosis or leprosy; it is being unwanted, unloved, and uncared for.” – Mother Teresa.In the gospel of John, chapter 6 is devoted to the theme that Jesus is the bread of life. The people have witnessed the miracles of healing and large crowds are setting out because they have been impressed by these miracles. The scene now is the ...

Spiritual Reflection - August 2024

This article continues the series on prayer for this year, 2024.The most important thing to happen between God and the human soul is to love and to be loved.(Kallistos Kataphygiotis) As the name accompanying the quote above suggests, there is something Greek going on here! That is because I’ve been reading a little about prayer in the Orthodox Church of the East. It probably doesn’t differ a lot from what we have in the West, but there is a strong emphasis on the Trinity and being consc...

Spiritual Reflection - July 2024

Have you ever noticed in your work as a Vincentian, that for some people who receive considerable help, very little gratitude is expressed. Then, for others, something quite small at the time is done for them, and a mountain of gratitude arrives. What is going on here?In a book entitled ‘The Road Less Travelled’, the author begins by stating: “Life is difficult”. He then goes on to say that there are two types of people: those who accept this fact and those who think life shouldn’t be ...

Spiritual Reflection - June 2024

EXAMINING OUR CONSCIENCESt Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Jesuits, had a strict rule for his confreres when they were pushed for time to pray. It was “don’t forget the examen”. It was a 15 minute exercise set aside to review the day. The secret was not to limit oneself to what you had done wrong, or where you had failed, but to first look at how you have been blessed this day. This is a practice which, after a while simply makes you aware of how your life is being constantly gifted. It...

Spiritual Reflection - May 2024

DEALING WITH SINThis article is a continuation of the other essays produced for 2024 on the subject of prayer.Over the years of my life in the priesthood, I have been fortunate enough to work with people prepared to devote a time to being with God in stillness and quiet.The one thing I have repeatedly noticed is, when someone really commits to giving a time to prayer on a regular basis, they will very soon become aware of their own feeble response to God. Often, this is preceded by a powerful ex...

Spiritual Reflection - April 2024

What is written below is designed to be read with the other essays as promised for 2024.MY IMAGE OF GODI love because I loveI love that I might loveLove gives pleasure of itself.  (St Bernard)The letters of St John in scripture emphasize again and again that God is love.  So that a love for prayer can be developed within us, we need to make sure that we are searching for the God who is found in love.This God loves me. Full stop, no ifs, no buts, no conditions. The tragic thing is we do...

Spiritual Reflection - March 2024

(This article continues the theme of developing our spirituality, as referred to in my February article.) Now the Jewish Feast of the Passover was near.  When Jesus looked up and saw a large crowd coming toward Him, He said to Philip, “Where can we buy bread for these people to eat?” But He was asking this to test him, for He knew what He was about to do.Philip answered, “Two hundred denarii would not buy enough bread for each of them to have a small piec...

Spiritual Reflection - February 2024

And his teaching made a deep impression on them because,unlike the scribes,he taught them with authority  (Mk 1:22).The recently deceased National President of the St Vincent de Paul Society, Terry Jordan, wanted to emphasize the spiritual side of the Society. Clearly he knew that we cannot be true Disciples of Christ without this emphasis. After all, we serve the poor in the hope that all will come to know the treasure hidden in Christ. Because of Terry’s emphasis I intend to devote...

Spiritual Reflection - January 2024

January 2023WHERE IS THE POVERTY?A religious sister whom I worked with in my early years of priesthood, eventually spent some years in the 1980’s working in Ethiopia. I often thought of her, as Ethiopia at the time was experiencing a huge famine. More than a million died as a result. To my joy, this servant of God was at Sunday Mass in my parish soon after her return home. I instinctively knew that an interesting conversation would take place if I made the time. There must be a huge diffe...

Spiritual Reflection - December 2023

It is somewhat irritating as Christmas draws near, writing something relating to the Christian message, when there is a war going on between the peoples of Palestine and Israel. Fighting for peace is of course a totally misleading slogan. Young Israeli’s conscripted into the armed forces are taught they must do this (go out and kill) and then return to normal life. They label the people they fight as “terrorists”. Even if they do win, and they most likely will, they will still lose be...

Spiritual Reflection - November 2023

It is true that we are called to create a better world.But we are first of all called to a more immediate task:that of creating our own lives.– Thomas MertonThomas Merton had been a Trappist monk for several years before he became known for his protests against the building of nuclear weapons. His book ‘Seven Story Mountain’ was written soon after World War 2. It attracted a widespread interest in deeper forms of prayer and the monastic life. What he says in the above statement is importan...

50th Anniversary - The National Council of Tonga

Read the newsletter for full coverage of the 50th Anniversary celebrations recently held in Tonga....

Spiritual Reflection - October 2023

The encyclical Pacem In Terris was presented to the world by Pope John 23rd in 1963 in response to the Cuban missile crisis a year earlier. We could say the document was a call to politicians everywhere to establish a global community. It was certainly well-received and intended as not something meant just for Catholics.  Early in the document, Pope John refers to human rights: the right to freedom of speech, belief and so on.  Under the heading of Human Rights...

President-elect presents credentials to Pope Francis

A bust of Ozanam was gifted to the PontiffBrother Juan Manuel Buergo Gómez was this week in Rome to present his credentials to Pope Francis in his capacity as President General-elect. The cordial meeting took place yesterday, September 6, in St. Peter’s Square, after the traditional Catechesis on “Wednesday’s Audience”.On the occasion, the President-elect said to the Pontiff: “Your Holiness, I am Juan Manuel Buergo, the new President General of the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul, fr...

Spiritual Reflection - September 2023

The picture above portrays an event  in the life of St Martin of Tours.  The story goes that Martin, while still preparing for baptism, came across a beggar, freezing from lack of clothing in the middle of winter. Martin then removed his cloak, cut it in half with his sword and presented one half to the man. Later that night, Martin had a vision of Christ saying: “Martin, a mere catechumen has clothed me”. The artist, Fr David Orange. He views this work as a visual r...

Spiritual Reflection - July 2023

Like the nectar of the flax flower...

Spiritual Reflection - August 2023

The corners of a house may be seen and examined,Not so the corners of the heart....