St. Louise de Marillac: 2014 Daily Lenten Reflections

St. Louise de Marillac was born in France on August 12, 1591, and died on this date in 1660. Louise was the daughter of an aristocrat and was 0315-louisedemarillacinterested in philosophy.

She wanted to become a nun, but after prayer and contemplation, chose to marry and had a son. Her husband died when she was in her mid-thirties. It was then that Louise met Vincent de Paul, who became her spiritual adviser. Together, they founded the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul.

Louise is credited with the concept of training people as social workers rather than simply encouraging people with little knowledge or inclination or sensibility to be responsible for the outreach.

Young Couple with Two Children (8-12) Walking on the BeachSt. Louise de Marillac said: “Practice great gentleness toward the poor and toward everyone. Try to satisfy as much by words as by actions. That will be very easy for you if you maintain great esteem for your neighbor: the rich because they are above you, the poor because they are your masters.”

How are you assisting those in need and, perhaps more importantly, is it the right ministry for you? If you’re gifted musically, consider replacing your time at a food pantry with time spent singing and playing for senior citizens. If you’re passionate about ending abortions but are uncomfortable marching in public, consider offering to do office work for this ministry at your parish or diocese or helping out at a post-abortion healing retreat.

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By Melanie

Melanie Rigney is the author of Radical Saints: 21 Women for the 21st Century and other Catholic books. She is a contributor to Living Faith and other Catholic blogs. She lives in Arlington, Virginia. Melanie also owns Editor for You, a publishing consultancy that since 2003 has helped hundreds of writers, publishers, and agents.

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