VINCENTIAN STUDIES COURSE

BOQUERON, CHIRIQUI, PANA

JOHN P. PRAGER, C.M. 1995

 
6. THE CONSTITUTIONS: PRAYER AND SPIRITUAL LIFE

Goal: To look at the life of prayer in the C.M.

READINGS FOR THE TEACHER:

Braga, C., "La Vida Espiritual de la Misión," Anales 89 (l981 ), p. 442-452.

 Claffey, D., "Dirección Espiritual," CLAPVI 50 (l986), p.32-37.

 Coluccia, G., Espiritualidad Vicenciana, Espiritualidad de Acción, (Salamanca: CEME, l979).

 Crowley, P., "St. Vincent and Discernment," Colloque 20 (l989), p. 83-92.

Davitt, T., "St. Vincent's Ideas on Retreats," Colloque 29 (1994), p. 299-308.

 --, "St. Vincent's Ideas on Spiritual Direction," Colloque 20 (l989), p. 110-117.

 Dodin, A., "Le prière de M. Vincent," Vincentiana 21
(l977), p. 119ff.

 --, La Oración en la Vida Apostólica según San Vicente de Paúl, (Marid:l965).

 Escobar, H., "La Búsqueda de la Perfección y la Misión Primer Fin de la Congregación," Vincentiana 37 (l993), p.416- 429.

 Esposito, H., Experiencia, Doctrina y Pedogogia de la Oración en San Vicente de Paúl, (Rome: Teresianum, l989).

 González, A., "Espiritualidad para la Acción según Medellín y Puebla," CLAPVI 33 (l981), p. 416-422.

 Ibáñez, J.M., "La Oración en el Espíritu y en la Vida de las Hijas de la Caridad," in Don Total para el Servicio, (Salamanca:CEME, l982), p.87-130.

 Kapusciak, J., Il Compimento della Volonta di Dio come Principio Unificatore fra Azione e Preghiera in S. Vincenzo de Paoli (Rome: Gregorianum, l982).

 Kapusciak, J., "Unitá fra Azione e Preghiera e S. Vincenzo de Paoli," Vincentiana 27 (l983), p. 68ff.

 Leonard, J., St. Vincent de Paul and Mental Prayer,(N.Y.: Benzinger, l925).

 López, M.J., Unión con Dios y Servicio de los Pobres, (Rome: Teresianum, l984).

 Lusaretta, J., "La Oración en las H.C., in Reflexionessobre la Identidad de lasHijas de la Caridad, (Salamanca: CEME, l980), p. 179-210.

 Maloney, R., The Way of Vincent de Paul: A Contemporary Spirituality in the Service of the Poor, (N.Y.: New City,
1992).

 McKenna, T., Praying with Vincent de Paul, (Winona, Mn.: St. Mary's Press, l994).

 Melchor, E., "Una Espiritualidad de Acción según San Vicente," ClAPVI 33 (l981), p. 400-416.

 Muneta, J., San Vicente de Paúl: Animador del Culto, (Salamanca: CEME, l974).

 Njoku, A., A Reflection on Prayer-Doctrine and Practice Based on St. Vincent de Paul's Conferences to the Daughters of Charity, (Rome: Gregorianum, l982).

 Orcajo, A., "Práctica de los Ejercicios Espirituales en la C.M.," Anales 97 (l989), p. 408ff.

 --, El Seguimiento de Jesús según Vicente de Paúl, (Caracas:l988).

 Prager, J.P., Reflections on the Renewal of Vincentian Spirituality," Vincentiana 25 (l981), p.366-383.

Renouard, J.P., "La Vocation Missionnaire comme appel a la sainteté," Vincentiana 31 (l987), p. 562-577.

 Román, M., & Z.E. Jurcios, "La Oración del Vicentino en América Latina," CLAPVI 37 (l982), p. 439-450.

 Sens, C., "Le Missionnaire Vincentien et le Prière," Vincentiana 28 (l984), p. 796-811.

 Torres, V., Devotion to Divine Providence and Sensitivity to the Spirit in VincentianApostolic Spirituality,(Rome: Teresianum, l987).

 Weisner, T., "Experiencing God in the Poor," Vincentiana 32 (l988), p. 328-336.

 

READINGS FOR THE NOVICES:

Constitutions No. 40-50; Statutes No. 19.

Maloney, R., "Listening as the Foundation for Spirituality," Vincentiana 36 (l992), p. 170-187.

 McGing, A., St. Vincent and Mental Prayer," Colloque 10 (l984), p. 241-246.

 Murphy, F., "St. Vincent de Paul and Spiritual Direction," Colloque 13 (l986), p. 43-55.

 Njoku, A., "Repetition of Prayer," Colloque 10 (l984), p. 254-260.

O'Donnell, H., "Apostolic Reflection," Vincentiana 38 (l994), p. 282-291.

 --,"Vincentian Discernment," Vincentian Heritage 15 (l994), p.7-25.

 
  CASE STUDY
 

One evening at St. Anthony's a few of the confreres are sitting in the rec hall reading the paper and conversing about sports and other light subjects.

Lou, a middle-aged \priest, changes the subject to more serious matters. "Look, Joe," he says to the superior. "I want to take advantage of Mark's absence to mention a concern I have about him. He's a good man. He's doing great work with the youth. But he's never at morning prayer. Perhaps you should talk to him as the superior."

Joe sighed and said: "I've had a similar concern. He's young and just starting to get his feet wet. I wanted to give him a little time to get settled."

From across the room Frank interjected:" Leave the boy alone. He wouldn't be doing good work if he wasn't praying. Besides it's his business."

I'm not sure that I agree with you," said Tom, an older man nearing seventy. "We have a long tradition of community prayer. I miss his support. It's not just his personal concern."

Lou mentioned that he had spoken to Mark a few weeks earlier and that Mark promised to talk to his spiritual director. "Obviously he hasn't taken that little chat to
heart. That's why I think you should talk to him, Joe."

Joe thought for a moment and then said: "It's getting late. I'll leave a note in his room and ask him to see me tomorrow."
 
 

The following questions can be discussed:

1. What do you think about the different attitude toward prayer expressed by the confreres?

2. What should be the relationship between prayer and mission for a C.M.?

3. If you were Joe, What would you say to Mark the next day? What questions might you ask?