Saint Vincent put in place numerous free services for the poor centuries before public assistance or social security existed. As these services had no fees, Vincent had to find resources to continue funding them, just as obtaining funding for social programs is an ongoing challenge today. Vincent understood that administering material goods in a way that aligns with God's will transforms it into a spiritual practice. Administrators who fulfill their mission with detachment become an image of God as Creator and Provider, just as Vincent found God in both assisting the poor directly and in the creativity needed to support the large number of people receiving aid.

1. vinFormation series based on an article by Sister María Pilar López, DC

2. “Two centuries before public assistance and three centuries
before social security, SaintVincent put in place a number of
works and services for the poor— services that were
totally free of charge.ThereforeVincent had to find
resources in order to continue these works and services.”
Finding the resources for social
security and safety nets; these
are certainly ongoing problems
for today and problemsVincent
addressed centuries ago.

3. The administration of material
goods takes on a mystical
dimension whichVincent
understood as meaning “a life
united with God”, that is,
having “the same will and non-
will as God" (CCD:XI:286).
Administrators who fulfill
their mission and have been
purified by detachment and
theVincentian spirit, become
an image of God, Creator and
Provider.

4. Vincent not only found God in
the poor but also in the
administration of goods, in the
ingenuity and creativity that
was needed in order to assist
such a large number of poor
people: abandoned children,
orphans, infirm, peasants living
in misery, refugees, etc.

5. Reflection questions
• Can I reframe my sense of
administration as a burden
getting in the way of real
ministry?
• Can I see myself as finding
God in administration?