21 April 1982
Dahr-es-Sawan, Lebanon

My dear Friends in Jesus Christ,

First, let me say how happy I am to meet you, members of the St. Vincent de Paul Society, and to have the privilege of praying with you our greatest prayer, the Mass. One of the truths which the Vatican Council emphasized again and again was that the Eucharist was the summit and the source of all Christian activity. It is from the Eucharist that we derive strength to do the works of charity to which Christ invites us. Our works of charity are a practical expression of our experience of participating in the banquet of the Eucharist, which is the Sacrifice of the Cross.

St. Vincent de Paul was a great inspiration to Frederic Ozanam in his life, work and writings. For Vincent de Paul, however, and for Frederic Ozanam, it was the charity of Christ which pressed them on to do what they did for the poor of their time. I have no doubt that the opening sentence of today's Gospel must have been written deep in the heart of Vincent de Paul and Frederic Ozanam. "Yes, God loved the world so much that He gave His only Son so that everyone who believes in Him may not be lost but may have eternal life." (Jn 3:16). "God so loved the world that He gave His only Son." One could say that this is the central declaration of the Christian faith. It is the heart of the Gospel, for the heart of the Gospel is not God is love. That is a precious truth, but it does not imply any divine act for our saving. But the words, "God so loved the world that He gave," indicate the cost to the Father's heart. "He gave." It was an act, not just a continuing mood of generosity. It was an act at a particular time and place. That is why I say that we could consider the phrase, "God so loved the world as to give His only Son," as the heart of the Christian Gospel.

These words must have meant much to Vincent de Paul and Frederic Ozanam, and indeed to any member of this Society. There are millions who watch pictures of poverty on our television screens and feel generous towards the poor. Their reaction, so often, goes no further than feeling. You, however, imitate God, our Father, in that you are not content to feel generous, but you show your generosity at a particular time and place. The St. Vincent de Paul Society has always been recognized for its practical charity. May you be continually strengthened, not only to love in word, but in deed and in truth.

It is a mystery how God could love mankind, disfigured by sin and infidelity. Likewise, it is a mystery of God that you, as members of the St. Vincent de Paul Society, are able to love people who are disfigured by the effects of poverty and injustice, and who are often so unattractive in their poverty. As you work for and visit the poor, take heart from the thought that you are reflecting into this dark world the light and the love of God, our Father, Who gave us His Son, the Light of the world.

Let me end by quoting some lines from St. Vincent de Paul. His vision of the poor is one, no doubt, which all of you share: "I should not consider a poor peasant or a poor woman according to their