Homily for the Memorial of St. Vincent de Paul

As we just heard, Jesus sent His Apostles on a mission, and He told them to travel light. He wanted them to trust the hospitality of those to whom they would preach the Gospel. Instead of being self-reliant, He wanted them to rely on others and trust in the LORD, who would actively help them through the service of others.

Most of us like to be self-sufficient; we must be to some extent. But we are only partially self-sufficient. In our early lives, we depended on our parents and others; when we move toward the end of our lives, we will again need others to care for us. Between these two periods of total dependence, we still depend on others for things we do not have within ourselves, and others rely on us for what they do not have. So, we are interdependent.

The LORD wants us to welcome others' generous service and offer what we have. Each of us has much to give and much to receive. The LORD, who uses us to serve others, also wants us to avail of others' help and to recognize the presence and work of the LORD in this mutual reliance upon one another.