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Born to a peasant family. A
highly intelligent youth, Vincent spent four years with the Franciscan
friars at Acqs getting an education. Tutor to children of a gentlemen in
Acqs. He began divinity studies in 1596 at the University of Toulouse.
Ordained at age 20.
Taken captive by Turkish pirates to Tunis, and sold into slavery. Freed in
1607 when he converted one of his owners to Christianity.
Returning to France, he served as parish priest near Paris where he
started organizations to help the poor, nursed the sick, found jobs for
the unemployed, etc. Chaplain at the court of Henry IV of France. With
Louise de Marillac, founded the Congregation of the Daughters of Charity.
Instituted the Congregation of Priests of the Mission (Lazarists). Worked
always for the poor, the enslaved, the abandoned, the ignored, the
pariahs.
Born: 1581 near Ranquine, Gascony near Dax, southwest France; the
town is now known as Saint-Vincent-de-Paul, Landes, France
Died: 1660 at Paris, France; body incorrupt
Canonized: 1737 by Pope Clement XII
Patronage: charitable societies, charitable workers, charities,
horses, hospital workers, hospitals, lepers, leprosy, lost articles,
Madagascar, prisoners, diocese of Richmond Virginia, spiritual help, Saint
Vincent de Paul Societies, Vincentian Service Corps, volunteers
Representation: 16th century cleric performing some act of charity;
cleric carrying an infant; priest surrounded by the Sisters of Charity
Readings
However great the work that God may achieve by an individual, he must not
indulge in self-satisfaction. He ought rather to be all the more humbled,
seeing himself merely as a tool which God has made use of.
Saint Vincent de Paul
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We must love our neighbor as being made in the image of God and as an
object of His love.
Saint Vincent de Paul
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The Church teaches us that mercy belongs to God. Let us implore Him to
bestow on us the spirit of mercy and compassion, so that we are filled
with it and may never lose it. Only consider how much we ourselves are in
need of mercy.
Saint Vincent de Paul
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Extend your mercy towards others, so that there can be no one in need whom
you meet without helping. For what hope is there for us if God should
withdraw His Mercy from us?
Saint Vincent de Paul
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The most powerful weapon to conquer the devil is humility. For, as he does
not know at all how to employ it, neither does he know how to defend
himself from it.
Saint Vincent de Paul
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Free your mind from all that troubles you; God will take care of things.
You will be unable to make haste in this (choice) without, so to speak,
grieving the heart of God, because he sees that you do not honor him
sufficiently with holy trust. Trust in him, I beg you, and you will have
the fulfillment of what your heart desires.
Saint Vincent de Paul
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It is our duty to prefer the service of the poor to everything else and to
offer such service as quickly as possible. If a needy person requires
medicine or other help during prayer time, do whatever has to be done with
peace of mind. Offer the deed to God as your prayer.... Charity is
certainly greater than any rule. Moreover, all rules must lead to charity.
Saint Vincent de Paul
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Human nature grows tired of always doing the same thing, and it is God's
will because of the opportunity of practicing two great virtues.
The first is perseverance, which will bring us to our goal. The other is
steadfastness, which overcomes the difficulties on the way.
Saint Vincent de Paul
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We should strive to keep our hearts open to the sufferings and
wretchedness of other people, and pray continually that God may grant us
that spirit of compassion which is truly the spirit of God.
Saint Vincent de Paul
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Humility and charity are the two master-chords: one, the lowest; the
other, the highest; all the others are dependent on them. Therefore it is
necessary, above all, to maintain ourselves in these two virtues; for
observe well that the preservation of the whole edifice depends on the
foundation and the roof.
Saint Vincent de Paul
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As it is most certain that the teaching of Christ cannot deceive, if we
would walk securely, we ought to attach ourselves to it with greatest
confidence and to profess openly that we live according to it, and not to
the maxims of the world, which are all deceitful. This is the fundamental
maxim of all Christian perfection.
Saint Vincent de Paul
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We have never so much cause for consolation, as when we find ourselves
oppressed by sufferings and trials; for these make us like Christ our
Lord, and this resemblance is the true mark of our predestination.
Saint Vincent de Paul
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Perfection consists in one thing alone, which is doing the will of God.
For, according to Our Lord's words, it suffices for perfection to deny
self, to take up the cross and to follow Him. Now who denies himself and
takes up his cross and follows Christ better than he who seeks not to do
his own will, but always that of God? Behold, now, how little is needed to
become as Saint? Nothing more than to acquire the habit of willing, on
every occasion, what God wills.
Saint Vincent de Paul
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He who allows himself to be ruled or guided by the lower and animal part
of his nature, deserves to be called a beast rather than a man.
Saint Vincent de Paul
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Whoever wishes to make progress in perfection should use particular
diligence in not allowing himself to be led away by his passions, which
destroy with one hand the spiritual edifice which is rising by the labors
of the other. But to succeed well in this, resistance should be begun
while the passions are yet weak; for after they are thoroughly rooted and
grown up, there is scarcely any remedy.
Saint Vincent de Paul
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The first step to be taken by one who wishes to follow Christ is,
according to Our Lord's own words, that of renouncing himself - that is,
his own senses, his own passions, his own will, his own judgment, and all
the movements of nature, making to God a sacrifice of all these things,
and of all their acts, which are surely sacrifices very acceptable to the
Lord. And we must never grow weary of this; for if anyone having, so to
speak, one foot already in Heaven, should abandon this exercise, when the
time should come for him to put the other there, he would run much risk of
being lost.
Saint Vincent de Paul
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We ought to deal kindly with all, and to manifest those qualities which
spring naturally from a heart tender and full of Christian charity; such
as affability, love and humility. These virtues serve wonderfully to gain
the hearts of men, and to encourage them to embrace things that are more
repugnant to nature.
Saint Vincent de Paul
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It ought to be considered a great misfortune, not only for individuals,
but also for Houses and Congregations, to have everything in conformity
with their wishes; to go on quietly, and to suffer nothing for the love of
God. Yes, consider it certain that a person or a Congregation that does
not suffer and is applauded by all the world is near a fall.
Saint Vincent de Paul
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Even though the poor are often rough and unrefined, we must not judge them
from external appearances nor from the mental gifts they seem to have
received. On the contrary, if you consider the poor in the light of faith,
then you will observe that they are taking the place of the Son of God who
chose to be poor. Although in his passion he almost lost the appearance of
a man and was considered a fool by the Gentiles and a stumbling block by
the Jews, he showed them that his mission was to preach to the poor: "He
sent me to preach the good news to the poor." We also ought to have this
same spirit and imitate Christ's actions, that is, we must take care of
the poor, console them, help them, support their cause.
Since Christ willed to be born poor, he chose for himself disciples who
were poor. He made himself the servant of the poor and shared their
poverty. He went so far as to say that he would consider every deed which
either helps or harms the poor as done for or against himself. Since God
surely loves the poor, he also loves those who love the poor. For when one
person holds another dear, he also includes in his affection anyone who
loves or serves the one he loves. That is why we hope that God will love
us for the sake of the poor. So when we visit the poor and needy, we try
to be understanding where they are concerned. We sympathize with them so
fully that we can echo Paul's words: "I have become all things to all
men." Therefore, we must try to be stirred by our neighbors' worries and
distress.
It is our duty to prefer the service of the poor to everything else and to
offer such service as quickly as possible. Charity is certainly greater
than any rule. Moreover, all rules must lead to charity. With renewed
devotion, then, we must serve the poor, especially outcasts and beggars.
They have been given to us as our masters and patrons.
from a writing of Saint Vincent de Paul
Source:
http://www.catholic-forum.com/saints/saintv01.htm |
